Assessment of Giant Sequoia Mortality and Regeneration within Burned Groves in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (ver. 4.0, February 2026)

This dataset contains field-based observations of giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum; SEGI) tree condition and post-fire regeneration collected across multiple recent wildfires in the Sierra Nevada, California. Data include (1) individual-tree assessments of giant sequoias and (2) plot-level counts of post-fire sequoia seedlings. Tree-level data document survival status and crown condition of individual giant sequoias assessed within the footprints of the 2020 Castle Fire and the 2021 Windy and KNP Complex fires. For each tree, attributes include spatial location, diameter at breast height (DBH), live/dead status, and the proportion of the crown classified as live (green), scorched (foliage killed but intact), or torched (foliage consumed by fire).
Regeneration data consist of post-fire seedling counts collected within circular field plots distributed across a wide range of burn severities, post-fire years, and environmental conditions. Plots were established using spatially balanced sampling designs, including Generalized Random Tessellation Stratified (GRTS) and grid-based approaches. Plot radii varied among 2.0, 4.37, 11.35, and 17.84 m, allowing sampling across multiple spatial scales; all plots contain counts of giant sequoia seedlings. Most plots represent independent samples, while a subset was permanently established and remeasured annually for up to three years following fire.
Sampling spans 28 giant sequoia groves across multiple land-management jurisdictions, including Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Yosemite National Park, Giant Sequoia National Monument, Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest, and Sierra National Forest. Together, these data support analyses of post-fire giant sequoia survival, crown damage, regeneration dynamics, and their relationships to burn severity, time since fire, and proximity to seed sources.