3.1 Relationships among Independent Variables
Fire severity (dNBR) increased with elevation (r=0.43; t=5.6,P <0.001), increased with terrain ruggedness (TRI: r=0.24; t=-3.8, P <0.001), and decreased with the topographic relative moisture index, from relatively xeric to mesic plots (TRMI: r=-0.31; t=-2.9, P =0.004). TRI increased with elevation (r=0.23; t=2.7, P =0.008) and decreased with TRMI (r=-0.37; t=-4.6, P<0.001). TRMI decreased with elevation (i.e., became more xeric; r=-0.52; t=-7.1, P<0.001). Scatterplots of these relationships are provided in Figure S.1.