DELINEATION OF MULTIPLE FOREST DISTURBANCES OVER TIME: A CASE STUDY ACROSS CALIFORNIA'S SIERRA NEVADA

Anu Kramer; University of Wisconsin - Madison - Madison, WI; hakramer@wisc.edu; Elizabeth M. Ng, Jason M. Winiarski, Alexander Koltunov, Michèle R. Slaton, Gavin M. Jones, M. Zach Peery

Disturbances shape assemblages and spatial patterns of flora and fauna across the globe and accurate disturbance mapping can aid scientists and land managers. However, differentiating between disturbance types using remote sensing is challenging, especially in forests with hidden subcanopy disturbances. On federal lands in the western US, wildfire, drought, and fuel management are three primary disturbance agents. The USFS's Forest Activity Tracking System (FACTS) provides nationwide fuels management data on USFS lands. While FACTS data seem useful, they have not been widely utilized, partially due to missing data and uncertainty. We compared FACTS polygons (prescribed fire, mechanical, and manual fuel reduction) with annual predictions of canopy loss (Mortality Magnitude Index in the eDaRT system for Landsat processing) and assessed their spatial and temporal accuracy in the primarily forested Sierra Nevada, CA. We also examined missing treatments and cases without completion dates. We then characterized annual disturbance across 20 years (2003-2022) in Sierra Nevada USFS lands. Overall, 68% of USFS lands were disturbed (1.5 million ha). Of the 1.5 million ha disturbed, 66% was wildfire, 19% fuel management, and 41% drought (other mortality), with some disturbance overlap. These data can aid scientists and managers studying and caring for these rapidly-changing ecosystems.

Restoring/Monitoring Wildlife Populations and Habitats II