Burning in Arizona's Giant Cactus Community 1

Giant saguaro cacti (Carnegiea gigantea) and associated vegetation are being burned by numerous wildfires, especially in areas of high public use. Specific fire effects on affected plant species and ecosystem resilence need to be defined, and management techniques for restoration of burned areas need to be developed. A research effort was initiated at the Saguaro Natural Scenic Area, Tonto National Forest, Arizona to determine how fire impacts saguaro community structure and species composition; to monitor fire ignition and spread patterns; and to analyze saguaro survival, vitality and abundance, and genome variabilty. Results from this study should improve our understanding of fire in the saguaro community and facilitate implementation of a pro-active fire management program. aguaro cacti (Carnegiea gigantea) and associated vegetation attract national and international tourists to the Sonoran desert in Arizona. Saguaros are an integral component of the biodiversity of both flora and fauna in this desert. Unfortunately, numerous wildfires concentrated in areas of high public use are destroying the saguaro and severely degrading many popular vistas, especially along the Saguaro Natural Scenic Area, Tonto National Forest, Arizona.