Fire History Reconstruction from Tree Rings in Northern New Mexico

Tree-ring data from the Los Griegos Plot 1 reconstructs fire events over a 293-year period from 250 to -43 calendar years before present. This fire history dataset is archived by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information under its Paleoclimatology program. The data was last updated in the NCEI system in 1993.

Use Cases

• Analyze the frequency of fire events recorded in tree rings to model historical fire regimes.
• Correlate fire event years with other paleoclimate proxies to study climate-fire relationships.
• Use the geographic location parameter to place local fire history within a regional context.
• Establish a long-term baseline of fire occurrence for ecological restoration planning.

Strengths

• Covers a specific 293-year time period (250 to -43 BP).
• Data is curated and archived by the authoritative NOAA NCEI World Data Service.

Limitations

• The dataset's temporal coverage ends over 2,000 years ago, limiting modern comparisons.
• Sample size and spatial resolution are confined to a single plot (Los Griegos Plot 1).
• Data record was last updated in 1993, indicating potential staleness in metadata or access methods.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) World Data Service (WDS) for Paleoclimatology.

Collection Method

Data derived from tree-ring analysis (dendrochronology) to identify fire scars.

Time Range

250 to -43 calendar years before present (BP).

Freshness

1993-01-01

Geography

Los Griegos Plot 1, northern New Mexico, United States of America.