FIRE AND VEGETATION HISTORY OKF THE LAST 2000 YEARS IN JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING

JACOBS, K. AND WHITLOCK, C.

Montana State University, Bozeman

Fire is a significant natural disturbance in nearly every terrestrial ecosystem, and it is widely recognized as an important part of forests in the western United States. The occurrence of large and severe fires has raised questions about the nature of prehistoric fire regimes prior to extensive land-use activities. This project involves the use of pollen, charcoal and macrofossil records from lake-sediment cores to track the environmental changes of the last 2000 years in Grand Teton National Park, which is a critical period for understanding the current landscape. The last 2000 years encompasses both decadal and centennial timescale climate variations. The records of fire and vegetation history obtained in this study will provide information on the ecological response of lower forest and steppe communities in Grand Teton National Park to climate changes occurring on these time scales. This project will also provide new information on the influence of Native Americans, Euro-Americans and Park management policies on low-elevation plant communities. Research begins during the spring of 2005, and completion is expected by the end of summer 2006.