Ancient Piñon-Juniper Forests of Mesa Verde and the West: A Cautionary Note for Forest Restoration Programs

Abstract

Fuel reduction and fire mitigation activities may be linked to restoration of overall forest health, but the two goals do not always coincide. We illustrate the importance of understanding both historic and contemporary fire regimes by evalu- ating the pinon-juniper forests of Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado. These dense forests are characterized by infrequent, severe fires occurring at inter- vals of many centuries. Stand structure, composition, and fire behavior have not been substantially altered by 20th century fire suppression, in contrast to other pinon- juniper systems. We hypothesize that three qualitatively different disturbance regimes characterize pinon-juniper ecosystems throughout the West.