An important question on the minds of many who walk or ride through the Cerro Grande burned area is "When will those burned trees fall down?" Following the 1977 La Mesa Fire on Bandelier National Monument, the majority of trees fell from 7 to 10 years after the fire. On fires in lodgepole pines forests in Montana, most trees were down by the tenth year.

Students in the Los Alamos area are working to answer the the basic question of when, and are also looking at how different aspects and exposures can influence the timing of the fall. Students work with 1/4-acre plots and record the fallen trees in each. Fallen trees are divided into three categories: trees snapped off above the ground that have the break detached from the roots; trees that are fallen but have the root ball still attached; and trees that have not quite reached the ground, either leaning against other trees or still support by a portion of the trunk.

Student data below demonstrates that the trees are falling at a slow rate. The Rendija Canyon site is in a protected canyon bottom. The Quemazon site is on a windy ridgetop.