This paper explores the complex interactions between fire, fuels, and climate across the diverse Rocky Mountain forests, emphasizing that a uniform approach to wildfire management is inappropriate. The authors analyze three major historical fire regimes - high-severity in subalpine forests, low-severity in ponderosa pine forests, and mixed-severity at mid-elevations - and discuss how fire suppression has differently altered fuel loads and fire behavior in each. Through case studies like the Yellowstone and Rodeo-Chediski fires, the paper highlights that climate often overrides fuel management in high-severity regimes, while fuel reduction is crucial in low-severity systems; mixed-severity regimes present the greatest management challenges. Ultimately, the study advocates for spatially nuanced fire management strategies that consider the ecological heterogeneity of these forests.
