Cited by 145Fire effects on ecosystemsArchaeology and ancient environmental studiesRangeland and Wildlife Management

Native American fire management at an ancient wildland–urban interface in the Southwest United States

Open access
Roos, Christopher I., Swetnam, Thomas W., Ferguson, T. J., Liebmann, Matthew J., Loehman, Rachel A., Welch, John R., Margolis, Ellis Q., Guiterman, Christopher H. +5 more·2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Significance: As residential development continues into flammable landscapes, wildfires increasingly threaten homes, lives, and livelihoods in the so-called “wildland–urban interface,” or WUI. Although this problem seems distinctly modern, Native American communities have lived in WUI contexts for centuries. When carefully considered, the past offers valuable lessons for coexisting with wildfire, climate change, and related challenges. Here we show that ancestors of Native Americans from Jemez Pueblo used ecologically savvy intensive burning and wood collection to make their ancient WUI resistant to climate variability and extreme fire behavior. Learning from the past offers modern WUI communities more options for addressing contemporary fire challenges. Public/private–tribal partnerships for wood and fire management can offer paths forward to restore fire-resilient WUI communities.

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Crossref · 10.1073/pnas.2018733118

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  • Several studies indicate that while Indigenous fire stewardship might not be distinguishable from lightning fire regimes in terms of frequency, Indigenous burning might be evident in altered fire-climate associations, burn patch size or synchroneity, and ecological impacts.

    “Nevertheless, several studies indicate that while Indigenous fire stewardship might not be distinguishable from lightning fire regimes in terms of frequency, Indigenous burning might be evident in altered fire–climate associations (20, 21), burn patch size or synchroneity (22–25), and ecological impacts (26, 27).”

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Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. [56]Ford R. I., “ The cultural ecology of Jemez Cave” in From Mountaintop to Valley Bottom, Vierra B. J., Ed. (University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, 2013), pp. 69– 79.
  2. [57]Alexander H. G., Reiter P., Report on the excavation of Jemez Cave, New Mexico (University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 1935).
  3. [63]Kulisheck J., “The Archaeology of Pueblo Population Change on the Jemez Plateau, A.D. 1200 to 1700: The Efects of Spanish Contact and Conquest.” PhD dissertation, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX (2005).
  4. [67]Bunzel R. L., “ Introduction to Zuni ceremonialism” in 47th Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology (Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C, 1932), pp. 467– 544.
  5. [68]White L. A., “ The Acoma Indians” in 47th Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology (Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1932) pp. 17– 192.
  6. [69]White L. A., “ New material from Acoma” in Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 136 (Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 1943), pp. 301– 359.
  7. [73]Drakos P. G., Reneau S. L., “ Surficial processes and preservation of Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites on the Pajarito Plateau, New Mexico” in From Mountaintop to Valley Bottom, Vierra B. J., Ed. (University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, 2013), pp. 33– 53.
  8. [87]Schwab B. A., “ Bureau of Indian Affairs pilot woodlands management program” in Managing Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystems for Sustainability and Social Needs Symposium, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Aldon E. F., Shaw D. W., Eds. (US Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, 1993), pp. 146– 148.
  9. [107]Hack J. T., The Changing Physical Environment of the Hopi Indians of Arizona. Reports of the Awatovi Expedition No. 1 (Peabody Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 1942).

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Authors
Roos, C. I., Swetnam, T. W., Ferguson, T. J., Liebmann, M. J., Loehman, R. A., Welch, J. R., Margolis, E. Q., Guiterman, C. H., Hockaday, W. C., Aiuvalasit, M. J., Battillo, J., Farella, J., & Kiahtipes, C. A.
Affiliations
  • Southern Methodist University (US)
  • University of Arizona (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
  • United States Geological Survey (US)
  • Simon Fraser University (CA)
  • Baylor University (US)
  • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
  • University of South Florida (US)
Corresponding author
Roos, Christopher I.
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2021-01-18
Volume
118
Issue
4
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
OpenAlex
W3122141977
Cited by
145
References
99
Citations by year
2026: 21 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 20
FWCI
9.74
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Science Foundation (GEO-1114898)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Rangeland and Wildlife Management
Keywords
wildland-urban interface, Jemez Pueblo, logging, fire use, fire-climate relationships, fire intensity, fire size, fuel accumulation, prescribed burning, wildfire resilience, ancient landscapes, northern New Mexico, paleoecology

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