Figure 3

Cumulative fire severity for all fires >40 ha that burned in each year between 1984 and 2009 (gray lines). Each gray line represents the cumulative severity distribution for one fire year. The annual average cumulative severity (each fire year weighted equally) is shown in red. The cumulative severity for the entire area burned by all fires >40 ha in the Yosemite study area between 1984 and 2009 is shown in orange. The two years with the lowest cumulative severity (2000, SM = 0.16; and 1989, SM = 0.17) are at left; the three fire years with the highest cumulative severity (1987, SM = 0.35; 1990, SM = 0.36; and 1996, SM = 0.34) are at right. The year with the least burned area (2000) also had the lowest cumulative severity, but the year with the most area burned (1996) was third in cumulative severity. The years 1987 and 1990 had higher cumulative severities reflecting the lower elevation and more severe fire regimes of the vegetation (mixed forest and shrubs).