Fire History and Climate Change in Old-Growth Ponderosa Pine

Funds under this award are to be used to conduct fire and climate history research at Desert National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) near Las Vegas, Nevada. The overall goal of this project is to provide Desert NWR managers with critical climate and fire history information necessary to effectively manage ponderosa pine habitats on the Refuge. Understanding past climate and fire interactions will allow Refuge managers to better anticipate how vegetation and fire regimes may be affected by predicted future climate change and to develop appropriate conservation strategies. The initial performance/ funding period will require the development of a detailed research proposal and preliminary analysis of samples that have already been collected; additional performance/ funding periods will be added as funds are available and will support one graduate student at the University of Nevada, Reno to conduct the research. This award is made under the authority of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, as amended, 16 U.S.C. (742f (a)(4).