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The Importance of Fire as a Natural Ecological Factor in Itasca State Park, Minnesota

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Sidney S. Frissell Jr.
Sidney S. Frissell Jr.*
Affiliation:
School of Forestry, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59801 USA
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Extract

During the period between 1650 least 32 fires occurred in Itasca and 1922 at State Park. Twenty-one of these fires were of major consequence. A fire occurred on the average of every 8.8 yr with “major” fires every 10.3 yr. Any specific location in the park was affected by fire about every 22 yr.

Individual burns varied in size from 580 acres to approximately 31,960 acres (99% of the park). Sixteen of the 21 “major” fires resulted in the regeneration of pine forests.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , October 1973 , pp. 397 - 407
Copyright
University of Washington

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