SUMMER MONSOON

The Gila-Aldo Leopold Wilderness in west-central New Mexico experiences a summer monsoonal precipitation pattern. Annual precipitation is low, and a rainy season typically begins at the end of July. We buffered the 226,000 ha (558,000 acre) Gila Wilderness and 81,800 ha (202,000 acre) Aldo Leopold designated Wildernesses to obtain a study area of 576,000 ha (1.4 M acres). The area ranges in elevation from 1380m to 3310m (4,510 to 10,860 feet) and features steep mountains, rough deep canyons, flat mesas, large river channels and flood plains. Vegetation ranges from desert scrub at the lowest elevations, through pinon-juniper woodlands and ponderosa pine and Douglas fir forests at middle elevations, to subalpine forests at the highest elevations. Fire management objectives are to return fire to its natural role in the wilderness ecosystem to the maximum extent possible, consistent with safety of persons, property, and other resources. The risks and consequences of wildland fire within wilderness, or escaping from wilderness are to be reduced to an acceptable level. The Gila National Forest, which manages these wilderness areas, experiences the highest fire occurrence nationwide. In the 10 year period from 1988 to 1998, approximately 67,923 ha (167,711 acres) have been managed with the use of fire.

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