Vegetation, soils, and landscape data for experimental rehabilitation of slash pile fire scars in conifer forests of the Front Range, Colorado

Drastic changes in soil physical, chemical, and biotic properties following slash pile burning and their lasting effects on vegetation cover have been well documented in western North American ecosystems. However, processes that inhibit burn scar recovery are poorly understood as are the most effective means for their rehabilitation. This data publication contains the vegetation, soils, and landscape data collected as part of a study to compare plant and soil responses to a number of surface treatments designed to alter microclimate, moisture infiltration, and nutrient status of recently burned slash piles along the Front Range of Colorado. Sites were thinned and slash was hand piled in 2006-2007 and burned during the fall/winter of 2008-2009 by USDA Forest Service crews. Three surface treatments, scarification (scarify), woodchip mulch (chips), or wood slash (branches) were applied with and without the addition of a native species seed mix, with one scar left untreated as a control. Plant composition data include vegetation cover and above ground biomass, which was assessed in early August of 2010 and 2011. Soils data were assessed between 2009 and 2011 and include soil physical properties (soil structure, bulk density, stability, infiltration, moisture content), chemical properties (carbon, total nitrogen, inorganic nitrogen, cations), and biological properties (decomposition rates). Landscape data, measured in 2010, contain information relating to the landscape context (aspect, slope, elevation, overstory tree basal area) of sites where experimental fire scars were located.
The objectives of this study were to 1) assess plant responses to rehabilitation treatments applied to slash pile fire scars, and 2) determine the best approach for restoring soil processes to slash pile fire scars in conifer forests of the Front Range of Colorado where such scars are a prevalent feature.