Rocky Mountain Research Station

Title: Simulating historical landscape dynamics using the landscape fire succession model LANDSUM version 4.0

Author: Keane, Robert E.; Holsinger, Lisa M.; Pratt, Sarah D.

Date: 2006

Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-171CD. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 73 p.

Station ID: GTR-RMRS-171

Description: The range and variation of historical landscape dynamics could provide a useful reference for designing fuel treatments on today's landscapes. Simulation modeling is a vehicle that can be used to estimate the range of conditions experienced on historical landscapes. A landscape fire succession model called LANDSUMv4 (LANDscape SUccession Model version 4.0) is presented here as a tool for estimating historical range and variation (HRV) of landscape characteristics. The model simulates fire and succession on fine scale landscapes for land management applications. It simulates vegetation development as a deterministic process by changing the species composition and stand structure assigned to a polygon. Disturbance initiation is modeled stochastically and disturbance effects are based on the current vegetation conditions of the polygon. Details of all model algorithms are discussed and the model is demonstrated for two applications. Results of an extensive sensitivity and model behavior analysis are also presented.

Please note: The data sets for this publication are only available on the CD. Ordering Information

Keywords: Historical range and variation (HRV), simulation modeling, LANDSUM, landscape modeling, landscape fire ecology, spatial modeling

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Citation

Keane, Robert E.; Holsinger, Lisa M.; Pratt, Sarah D.  2006.  Simulating historical landscape dynamics using the landscape fire succession model LANDSUM version 4.0.   Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-171CD. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 73 p..