| This study collected vegetation composition inventory, soil aggregate stability measurements, and geometric measurements of vegetation to quantify and detect the potential changes in hydrological function of impaired watersheds on the Angeles National Forest, driven by frequent fire return intervals and infestation of non-native herbaceous vegetation. Wieslander VTM Mapping provides a historical long-term indication of vegetation composition in 1939. The vegetation composition inventory conducted in 2014 will be compared with this 1939 and 1969 composition, indicating changes across these watersheds over time. Geometric dimensions were obtained to calculate aboveground biomass available for potential fires in the near future while providing a baseline for monitoring shrub land growth rates on these sites. The 2002 Copper Fire, which occurred in the San Francisquito watershed, burned the majority of coastal sage scrub and chaparral vegetation that was present. This fine-scale evaluation of post-fire recovery over time will enable the identification of mechanisms, which have reduced shrub-land growth and regeneration recovery rates while indicating restoration needs. |