John R Matchett

Relationships between annual plant productivity, nitrogen deposition and fire size in low-elevation California desert scrub

Although precipitation is correlated with fire size in desert ecosystems and is typically used as an indirect surrogate for fine fuel load, a direct link between fine fuel biomass and fire size has not been established. In addition, nitrogen (N) deposition can affect fire risk through its fertilisation effect on fine fuel production. In this study, we examine the relationships between fire size and precipitation, N deposition and biomass with emphasis on identifying biomass and N deposition thresholds associated with fire spreading across the landscape. We used a 28-year fire record of 582 burns from low-elevation desert scrub to evaluate the relationship of precipitation, N deposition and biomass with the distribution...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation

Columbia Basin Image of Sagebrush Types, Soil Regime Classes, and Fire Frequencies (1984-2013)

This three-band, 30-m resolution raster contains sagebrush vegetation types, soil temperature/moisture regime classes, and large fire frequencies across greater sage-grouse population areas within the Columbia Basin sage-grouse management zone. Sagebrush vegetation types were defined by grouping together similar vegetation types from the LANDFIRE biophysical settings layer. Soil moisture and temperature regimes were from an USDA-NRCS analysis of soil types across the greater sage-grouse range. Fire frequencies were derived from fire severity rasters created by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program. The area of analysis included the greater sage-grouse populations areas within specific management zones....

Categories: Data; Types: ArcGIS REST Map Service, ArcGIS Service Definition, Citation, Downloadable, Map Service; Tags: Columbia Basin, greater sage-grouse, soil-vegetation relationships, wildfires, wildland fires, All tags... wildlife conservation, Fewer tags

Northern Great Basin Image of Sagebrush Types, Soil Regime Classes, and Fire Frequencies (1984-2013)

This three-band, 30-m resolution raster contains sagebrush vegetation types, soil temperature/moisture regime classes, and large fire frequencies across greater sage-grouse population areas within the Northern Great Basin sage-grouse management zone. Sagebrush vegetation types were defined by grouping together similar vegetation types from the LANDFIRE biophysical settings layer. Soil moisture and temperature regimes were from an USDA-NRCS analysis of soil types across the greater sage-grouse range. Fire frequencies were derived from fire severity rasters created by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program. The area of analysis included the greater sage-grouse populations areas within specific management zones....

Categories: Data; Types: ArcGIS REST Map Service, ArcGIS Service Definition, Citation, Downloadable, Map Service; Tags: Northern Great Basin, greater sage-grouse, soil-vegetation relationships, wildfires, wildland fires, All tags... wildlife conservation, Fewer tags

Subalpine meadow plant communities in Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, 2011-2012

This publication presents data collected within meadows from samples used to assess meadow plant community responses to recreational pack stock as part of a USGS Natural Resources Preservation Project. High elevation meadows are a vital ecological component of mountain systems throughout western North America. They provide critical habitat for wildlife, supply key ecosystem services, and are favored destinations for people visiting the mountains. The biophysical characteristics of meadows are highly variable, especially related to hydrologic regimes and associated plant community types. In the semi-arid landscape of the Sierra, water availability operates at multiple scales strongly influencing meadow plant community...

Categories: Data; Types: Citation; Tags: Meadows, Pack Stock, Plant Communities, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Sierra Nevada, All tags... USGS Science Data Catalog (SDC), Yosemite National Park, Fewer tags

Table of Fire Frequencies among Sagebrush Types and Soil Regimes (1984-2013)

This table summarizes land area occuring within unique combinations of sage-grouse management zones, sagebrush community types, soil temperature/moisture regimes, and times burned from 1984 to 2013. Methods used to derive these data are detailed in the report [Brooks, M.L., Matchett, J.R., Shinneman, D.J., and Coates, P.S., 2015, Fire patterns in the range of greater sage-grouse, 1984-2013; Implications for conservation and management: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015-1167, 66 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151167]

Categories: Data; Tags: Colorado Plateau, Columbia Basin, Great Basin, Great Plains, Northern Great Basin, All tags... Snake River Plain, Southern Great Basin, Wyoming Basin, greater sage-grouse, soil-vegetation relationships, wildfires, wildland fires, wildlife conservation, Fewer tags