The Historical Natural Fire Regimes data were first developed through the integration of four biophysical data layers: Digital Elevation Model, Kuchler's Potential Natural Vegetation (PNV), 4th-Code Hydrologic Unit delineations, and Ecological Subregions (Bailey's Sections). Three current vegetation layers were also used: Resource Planning Act's Forest Types and Forest Densities of the United States, and USGS EROS Data Center's Land Cover Characterization database. Expert regional panels developed generalized successional pathway diagrams for all combinations of Historical Natural Fire Regimes and a modified PNV layer. Mapping and final refinements were made by assimilating generalized successional pathways with biophysical and existing data layers.

The Fire Regimes are described in terms of frequency and severity and represent pre-settlement, historical fire processes. Fire regimes I and II represent frequent fire return intervals. The 0-35+ years/low severity fire regime (I) occurs mostly on forested land. The 0-35+years/stand-replacement regime (II) occurs mostly on grasslands and shrublands. Fire regimes III, IV, and V have longer fire return intervals and occur on forest lands, shrublands, and grasslands.

Narrative Document

Development of Coarse-Scale Spatial Data for Wildland Fire and Fuel Management

GIS Spatial Data

Unix (tar, compressed): fr2000.tar.Z
Windows (zipped): fr2000.zip

Map Graphics

fr2000 JPG (Views Nicely; Prints Poorly), 8.5 x 11
fr2000 Acrobat Reader PDF (Prints Nicely), 8.5 x 11
frcc2000 Current Condition by Historical Natural Fire Regime, JPG (Views Nicely; Prints Poorly), 8.5 x 11
frcc2000 Current Condition by Historical Natural Fire Regimes, PDF; (Prints Nicely)

Metadata

Historical Natural Fire Regimes, Version 2000