The October 2010 Church Park Fire created unique conditions that can help researchers and land managers better understand the ecological consequences of compounding disturbances such as pine beetle infestations, wildfires, and associated management.
Lodgepole pine forests commonly recover rapidly after individual disturbances such as wildfire, timber harvesting, or bark beetles. The 2010 Church’s Park Fire burned through lodgepole pine stands that had been infested by mountain pine beetle between 2006 and 2008 and were subsequently salvage logged in 2009. The effects of salvage logging and wildfire on tree regeneration, vegetation cover and soil conditions following bark beetle infestation is not well understood and the combined influence of all three disturbances is uncertain.
CFRI supported research performed in conjunction with the U.S Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station comparing replicate uncut and salvaged logged stands both inside and outside of the Church Park Fire over the course of 3 years post-fire .