RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 



Fires 



The three fire plots were burned in the fall of 1974. Litter and duff moisture 

 contents prior to burning ranged from 6 to 9 percent, and 11 to 19 percent, respectively. 

 During the fires, the average maximum soil surface temperatures for entire plots ranged 

 from 200°F (93°C) to 360°F C182°C) with individual points reaching in excess of 650°F 

 (343°C) . Litter and duff reduction by both weight and depth ranged from a low of 65 per- 

 cent to a high of over 91 percent, indicating that even though the areas involved were 

 small, the fires burned effectively. 



General Weather Conditions 



Table 2 presents the average monthly air temperatures and total monthly precipita- 

 tion occurring on the study site. In addition, this table includes a summary of tempera- 

 ture and precipitation data collected approximately 12 miles (19 km) due east at the 

 Ovando weather station from 1941 to 1970 (U.S. Dep. Comm. 1973). The Ovando data corre- 

 spond to "normal" weather conditions encountered near the study site, since the same 

 weather systems influenced both areas. 



Table 2 . --kvevage monthly air tempevatiwes and total monthly precip-itation at the study 



site, 1975, and normal monthly approximations 





: Average 



temperatures 





Total precipitation 







: Study : 



Normal 



Study 



: Normal '■ 





Month 



: site : 



(Ovando) 



site 



'■ (Ovando) '■ 



Difference 





op 







- - - - Inches - - - 





June 



50.4 



54.3 



2.69 



2.47 



+ 0.22 



July 



64.7 



61.3 



2.81 



1.00 



+ 1.81 



August 



57.3 



59.6 



2.10 



0.99 



+ 1.11 



September 



51.3 



50.7 



1.15 



1.22 



-0.07 



October 



38.8 



41.4 



3.91 



1.18 



+ 2.73 



Average or 

 total 



52.4 

 (11.3°C) 



53.5 

 (11.9°C) 



12.66 

 (31.7 cm) 



6.86 

 (17.2 cm) 



+5.80 



(+14.5 cm) 



Average monthly temperatures varied little from the approximated normal monthly 

 temperatures. The study site was slightly cooler than normal during the months of June, 

 August, and October and slightly warmer during July and September. The precipitation 

 varied greatly from normal with all but 1 month receiving above-average amounts of rain- 

 fall, resulting in 5.8 inches (14.5 cm) above the normal for the 1975 growing season. 

 The 12.66 inches (31.7 cm) that fell during the 5-month period amounted to over 77 per- 

 cent of the normal yearly precipitation, and was unequaled during the period from 1931 

 to 1960. 



6 



