Fire severity and tree regeneration following bark beetle outbreaks: the role of outbreak stage and burning conditions

The degree to which recent bark beetle ( Dendroctonus ponderosae ) outbreaks may influence fire severity and postfire tree regeneration is of heightened interest to resource managers throughout western North America, but empirical data on actual fire effects are lacking. Outcomes may depend on burning conditions (i.e., weather during fire), outbreak severity, or intervals between outbreaks and subsequent fire. We studied recent fires that burned through green-attack/red-stage (outbreaks