Abstract

MEDINA, Andrea A.; DUSSART, E.G.; ESTELRICH, H.D.  and  MORICI, E.A.. Fire history reconstruction in a Prosopis caldenia (Burk.) woodland from Arizona, south of San Luis province. Multequina [online]. 2000, vol.9, n.1, pp.91-98. ISSN 1852-7329.

Dendrochronological analysis of basal cross-sections of 22 dominant Prosopis caldenia (Burk.) trees from a woodland of 200 ha in the Estancia La Verde, south of San Luis province, allowed the construction of a fire chronology spanning from 1.787 to 1.993, who show a mean fire interval(MFI) of 13,14 years for the Native American ocupation period (1.787-1.879), of 15 years for the following transition period (1.880-1.910), and of 7,25 years for the final period(1.911- 1.993).To differentiate between widespread fires and smaller ones we computed fire intervals for years during which at least 10% of our samples were firescarred simultaneously. The frequency and extension of fire incremented from 1.910, when colonization began in the site, with changes in land management. Fire occurrence during the twentieth century coincides with periods of intensive logging and management of prescribed fire in the area. Fire seasonality registred in the area, mainly of summer and spring fires, coincides with the annual period of major hidric deficit and accumulation of flammable material in the lower vegetation stratum of this forest.

Keywords : Prosopis caldenia; Fire regimes; Woody invasion; Dendroecology.

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