Ecosystem management applications of resource objective wildfires in forests of the Grand Canyon National Park, USA

A study on the long-term effects of 'resource objective' (RO) wildfires in Grand Canyon National Park revealed that these fires were broadly successful in maintaining or creating open and heterogeneous forest conditions, promoting fire- and drought-tolerant species like ponderosa pine. Over 12 years, tree density rebounded to near pre-fire levels despite initial high mortality of smaller trees (46–68%). However, reductions in basal area and canopy cover, particularly in mixed-conifer and spruce-fir sites, raised concerns about the resilience of larger, older trees under future climate warming. The research involved remeasuring monitoring plots more than a decade after RO fires, providing critical insights into their effectiveness across diverse forest types.

Stoddard, M. T., Fulé, P. Z., Huffman, D. W., Sánchez Meador, A. J., & Roccaforte, J. P. (2020). Ecosystem management applications of resource objective wildfires in forests of the Grand Canyon National Park, USA. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 29(2), 190–200. https://doi.org/10.1071/wf19067