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The Rim Fire

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The Rim Fire of 2013 ravaged the slopes of the Stanislaus National Forest leaving many areas severely burned and unable to recover. Restoration efforts have been made and 56,000 saplings were planted in 2016 in the most severely burned areas; but the forest still has a long way to recovery. Fires are a naturally occurring hazard in the Stanislaus National Forest, and have contributed to the replenishment, control, and sustainability of the forest; but fires of the Rim Fire's intensity are very rare. The Rim Fire destroyed over 277,314 acres of habitat, harmed many mature trees, and ruined the layers of topsoil, and increased erosion and runoff. The devastation of the Rim Fire would not be have been so intense if it weren’t for past fire …show more content…

The goal of restoration is to return the mixed conifer forest to the landscape in order to restore wildlife habitat and connectivity, as well as reduce fuel load (USDA Forest Service). Time and money can be saved if replanting efforts could be focused to the areas with the highest burn severity and most suitable growing conditions. Replanting by the Tuolumne River Trust has occurred in Ackerson, Buck Meadows, Evergreen, Saw Mill, Tawonga Entrance, and Tawonga North areas, but due to a multitude of reasons many sapling were unable to survive. Insect infestation and drought in California caused by Climate Change have only exacerbated circumstances and advanced forest instability. In order to succeed a forest needs to be able to be able to adapt to its changing climate, but the stressed Stanislaus National Forests are currently growing less …show more content…

This was attributed to the ranges of vegetation type with elevation and slope, with mixed conifer tree species growing at higher elevations with increased tree cover. Similar patterns can be identified with the Rim Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest. The Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine) or Calocedrus decurrens (incense cedar) tree species tend to favor higher elevations, slopes between 0 - 45 degrees, and aspects between 0 - 33 degrees from North (Myers). Based on the current conditions of the area, we hypothesis that tree survivability will be highest in elevations above 3,000 feet and below 3,300 feet, highest in slopes between 0 - 45 degrees, and highest in aspects between 0 - 33 degrees. Tree survivability will also be highest in area with the best soil, water quality, and forest health conditions for successful tree sapling growth.

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