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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Accelerating Adoption Of Fire Science And Related Research, Jamie Barbour
Accelerating Adoption Of Fire Science And Related Research, Jamie Barbour
JFSP Research Project Reports
Since its inception in 1998, the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) has funded over 350 projects. The Joint Fire Science Program has long recognized that the investments made in wildland fire science need to be accompanied by an emphasis on science interpretation and delivery. Program success is ultimately measured by how well information from research efforts is being conveyed to resource managers and end users, and whether this information is improving management decisions. This project introduced a conceptual model for an adaptive process to improve the delivery of scientific information. We developed this process through these steps: 1. Creating a …
Atmospheric Fire Risk (Haines Index) In A Changed Climate, Julie Winkler, Brian Potter
Atmospheric Fire Risk (Haines Index) In A Changed Climate, Julie Winkler, Brian Potter
JFSP Research Project Reports
Previous studies of wildland fire potential under a perturbed climate have focused on potential changes in near-surface atmospheric parameters (e.g., temperature, humidity, and precipitation) and vegetation changes. However, above-ground atmospheric conditions, such as atmospheric stability, also play a critical role in fire behavior, especially for larger fires. This study employed the widely-used Haines Index as a measure of above-ground conditions relevant to wildland fire and investigated the potential changes in the Haines Index over the next 100 years. The analysis is based on simulations from the most recent version of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate System …
An Automated System For Evaluating Bluesky Predictions Of Smoke Impacts On Community Health And Ecosystems, Robert Solomon
An Automated System For Evaluating Bluesky Predictions Of Smoke Impacts On Community Health And Ecosystems, Robert Solomon
JFSP Research Project Reports
Predictions of smoke impacts on communities and ecosystems are currently being made by the BlueSky smoke forecast system; providing real-time predictions of surface smoke concentrations from prescribed fire, wildfire, and agricultural burn activities. Currently operational in the Pacific Northwest, BlueSky has already a demonstrated success regarding what inter-agency collaboration can accomplish. A critical component of BlueSky that needed to be addressed was the development of an automated verification system to evaluate predicted impacts from smoke on communities and ecosystems. A verification system is necessary because land managers need to evaluate their burn decisions against potential National Ambient Air Quality Standard …
Fire Managers Field Guide: Hazardous Fuels Management In Subtropical Pine Flatwoods And Tropical Pine Rocklands, Joseph J. O'Brien, Kathyryn A. Mordecai, Leslie Wolcott, James Snyder, Kenneth Outcalt
Fire Managers Field Guide: Hazardous Fuels Management In Subtropical Pine Flatwoods And Tropical Pine Rocklands, Joseph J. O'Brien, Kathyryn A. Mordecai, Leslie Wolcott, James Snyder, Kenneth Outcalt
JFSP Research Project Reports
Preface This document, The Fire Managers Field Guide: Hazardous Fuels Management in Sub-tropical Pine Flatwoods and Tropical Pine Rocklands is intended to provide an overview of techniques and tactics under actual use for addressing hazardous fuels in tropical and subtropical pine forests found in Florida, the Bahamas and elsewhere in the Caribbean. The information presented here was distilled from peer reviewed literature, technical reports, and the experiences of on-theground fire managers. Managing fuels is complex and idiosyncratic. This guide is intended to provide only a broad introduction to currently available techniques; some well known and others newer and untested. The …
Cross-Training Professionals On Reducing Property Loss At The Wildland-Urban Interface, Anne S. Fege
Cross-Training Professionals On Reducing Property Loss At The Wildland-Urban Interface, Anne S. Fege
JFSP Research Project Reports
Most wildfire education programs have relied primarily on homeowner information and education. This project focuses on the role of business professionals who are often hired to design, build, maintain or mitigate the home and surrounding landscape or who otherwise advise homeowners and affect their decisions. Such professionals include architects, builders, insurance agents, landscape architects and contractors, planners, media, real estate professionals and others. The findings of this project were three-fold. First, by participating in this program, businesses and professionals gain a marketable service in the form of a greater understanding in wildfire mitigation as well as better business practices with …
Developing An Analysis And Planning Framework For District-Level Fuels Treatment Projects (Final Project Report), Alan Ager
JFSP Research Project Reports
Widespread fuel reduction programs have been initiated in many parts of the USA in response to a growing threat of wildland fire. Urban encroachment, fuels buildup from fire suppression, and drought all have been linked to increasing wildfire frequency and severity. Developing effective mitigation strategies is a challenging problem, especially on vast tracts of federally-managed wildlands in the western U.S. Fuel reduction activities on Federal lands are generally difficult to plan and implement due to cost, public expectations, and land management regulations. State of the art wildfire modeling is frequently required to demonstrate the benefits of fuels reduction treatments and …
Developing A Science Integration Strategy For Jfsp, Jamie Barbour
Developing A Science Integration Strategy For Jfsp, Jamie Barbour
JFSP Research Project Reports
The mission of the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) is to produce high quality research findings to inform wildland fire and fuel managers’ decisions. Since its inception in 1998, the program has funded nearly 400 studies and has generated a tremendous amount of information and analytical tools. As the JFSP moves into the future, a Science Delivery Strategy is needed to: 1) ensure that this base of information finds application, and 2) create a more systematic way to identify and organize new work that will encourage its rapid assimilation by the management community. The attached Science Delivery Strategy was developed …
Development And Demonstration Of Smoke Plume, Fire Emissions, And Preand Post-Prescribed Fire Fuel Models On North Carolina Coastal Plain Forest Ecosystems, Robert Meckler, Gary Achtemier, Chris Geron, Miriam Rorig, David Brownlie
Development And Demonstration Of Smoke Plume, Fire Emissions, And Preand Post-Prescribed Fire Fuel Models On North Carolina Coastal Plain Forest Ecosystems, Robert Meckler, Gary Achtemier, Chris Geron, Miriam Rorig, David Brownlie
JFSP Research Project Reports
The objectives are to (1) Inventory, map, and model live and down woody debris/fuels biomass utilizing USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis P2 and P3 field plot protocols, develop fuel loading formulas for fire behavior models in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and the Air Force Dare County Bombing Range in the North Carolina Coastal Plain, and incorporate data from Coastal Plain forest types into the fuel characteristic classification (FCC) system and the FARSITE fire behavior model; (2) Validate the USDA Forest Service PB-Coastal Plain smoke model, the BlueSky smoke prediction system, and the BlueSky Rapid Access Information …
Soil Response To Season And Interval Of Prescribed Fire In A Ponderosa Pine Forest Of The Blue Mountains, Oregon, D. Zabowski, W. G. Thies, J. Hatten, A. Ogden
Soil Response To Season And Interval Of Prescribed Fire In A Ponderosa Pine Forest Of The Blue Mountains, Oregon, D. Zabowski, W. G. Thies, J. Hatten, A. Ogden
JFSP Research Project Reports
Soil properties were examined at a season of burn and burn interval study located in the Malheur National for responses to prescribed burns used to reduce fuel loads and wildfire hazard. Prescribed burn comparisons included spring vs. fall burning, with either one 15-year interval burn or two 5-year interval burns of each season. Results showed that major change to soil organic matter was a reduction in the amount of O horizon. The percent bare ground increased with both spring and fall burning and was highest with multiple burns, indicating a loss of O horizon cover. There was also a decrease …
Digital Photo Series (Natural Fuels Photo Series), Clinton S. Wright, Robert E. Vilnakek, Roger D. Ottmar, Paige C. Eagle
Digital Photo Series (Natural Fuels Photo Series), Clinton S. Wright, Robert E. Vilnakek, Roger D. Ottmar, Paige C. Eagle
JFSP Research Project Reports
The Digital Photo Series (DPS) is a web-based application that provides access to the Natural Fuels Photo Series database and photographs. The DPS works through a user’s internet browser, but has also been designed to work as a stand-alone application when the computer is disconnected from the internet. A user-friendly interface allows users to browse, query, and download photo series data and high-quality photographs. The Digital Photo Series is intended to complement, not replace, the printed photo series volumes.
A Comprehensive Guide To Fuels Treatment Fractices For Ponderosa Pine In The Black Hills, Colorado Front Range, And Southwest, M. E. Hunter, W. D. Shepperd, L. B. Lentile, J. E. Lundquist, M. G. Andreu, J. L. Butler, F. W. Smith
A Comprehensive Guide To Fuels Treatment Fractices For Ponderosa Pine In The Black Hills, Colorado Front Range, And Southwest, M. E. Hunter, W. D. Shepperd, L. B. Lentile, J. E. Lundquist, M. G. Andreu, J. L. Butler, F. W. Smith
JFSP Research Project Reports
The objective of this paper is to present recommendations for fuels treatments in ponderosa pine forests in the Southwest, Colorado Front Range, and Black Hills of South Dakota. We have synthesized existing knowledge from the peer-reviewed literature and administrative studies and acquired local knowledge through a series of discussions with fuels treatment practitioners. We describe specific treatments, the circumstances under which they can be applied, and treatment effects. We provide recommendations related to where, how, and how often fuels treatments may be prescribed to achieve desired outcomes. Desired outcomes address social, political, economic, and ecological factors.
Effects Of Fire On Kuenzler’S Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus Fendleri Var. Kuenzleri), David B. Wester, Colton M. Britton
Effects Of Fire On Kuenzler’S Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus Fendleri Var. Kuenzleri), David B. Wester, Colton M. Britton
JFSP Research Project Reports
Kuenzler’s cactus (Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri [Castetter, Pierce and Schwerin] L. Benson]) is a federally- and state-listed endangered species that is known to occur in pinyon-juniper habitat in the mountains of south central New Mexico in Lincoln, Otero, Chaves and Eddy counties. Presence of this species affects the management of its habitat with prescribed burning. However, there has been no research that has documented the response of Kuenzler’s cactus to fire. This project was initiated in 2002 to provide information on habitat characteristics of Kuenzler’s cacti and to investigate its response to fire. Because of the protected status of the …
Interactions Among Prescribed Fire, Soil Attributes, Fungal Mats, And Mycorrhizal Fungus Fruiting Patterns In An Old-Growth Pinus Ponderosa / Abies ConcolorStand In Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, Usa, Kermit Cromack, Randy Molina, Jane E. Smith, James M. Trappe, Efren Cazares-Gonzales, Mary Rasmussen, Matt Trappe
Interactions Among Prescribed Fire, Soil Attributes, Fungal Mats, And Mycorrhizal Fungus Fruiting Patterns In An Old-Growth Pinus Ponderosa / Abies ConcolorStand In Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, Usa, Kermit Cromack, Randy Molina, Jane E. Smith, James M. Trappe, Efren Cazares-Gonzales, Mary Rasmussen, Matt Trappe
JFSP Research Project Reports
The first of its kind, Soil characteristics tend to occur as a suite, Pre-treatment patterns: a silver lining, Prescribed burn treatment effects on soil attributes, Fruiting patterns primarily influenced by soil C:N ratios, Fungal indicator guilds, Prescribed burn treatment effects on fungal fruiting patterns, Prescribed burn treatment effects on fungal mats, Summary and take-home message.
Soil Response To Season And Interval Of Prescribed Fire In A Ponderosa Pine Forest Of The Blue Mountains, Oregon, D. Zabowski, W. G. Thies, J. Hatten, A. Ogden
Soil Response To Season And Interval Of Prescribed Fire In A Ponderosa Pine Forest Of The Blue Mountains, Oregon, D. Zabowski, W. G. Thies, J. Hatten, A. Ogden
JFSP Research Project Reports
Soil properties were examined at a season of burn and burn interval study located in the Malheur National for responses to prescribed burns used to reduce fuel loads and wildfire hazard. Prescribed burn comparisons included spring vs. fall burning, with either one 15-year interval burn or two 5-year interval burns of each season. Results showed that major change to soil organic matter was a reduction in the amount of O horizon. The percent bare ground increased with both spring and fall burning and was highest with multiple burns, indicating a loss of O horizon cover. There was also a decrease …
Effects Of Fire Severity And Distance From Unburned Edge On Mammalian Community Post-Fire Recovery, Jay Diffendorfer, Wayne Spencer, Scott Tremor, Jan Beyers
Effects Of Fire Severity And Distance From Unburned Edge On Mammalian Community Post-Fire Recovery, Jay Diffendorfer, Wayne Spencer, Scott Tremor, Jan Beyers
JFSP Research Project Reports
This final report summarizes key findings relative to the five major objectives listed in our proposal, along with the crosswalk of accomplished and future deliverables. Additional details concerning objectives, methods, results, and recommendations are presented in Attachment A. Each of our major objectives is listed below with a brief summary of findings to date. Because we only recently finished the final session of data collection, all findings are preliminary and may change as more comprehensive statistical analyses are completed. 1. Evaluate the effects of fire on southern California rodent, large mammal, and bat diversity and study patterns of post fire …
Effects Of Fuel Treatments And Wildfire On The Avifauna Of The Pine Rockland Ecosystem In Southern Florida., John D. Lloyd, Gary L. Slater, Skip Snow, James R. Snyder
Effects Of Fuel Treatments And Wildfire On The Avifauna Of The Pine Rockland Ecosystem In Southern Florida., John D. Lloyd, Gary L. Slater, Skip Snow, James R. Snyder
JFSP Research Project Reports
The response of plants and animals in the pine forests of southern Florida to variation in fire and hydrological regimes remains inadequately described, hindering the ability of resource managers to manipulate fire and water to achieve desired ecological outcomes. In this study, we took advantage of natural variation in two measures of fire history (the number of days since last fire and the number of times an area had been burned during the previous ten years) and one measure of hydrology (water table elevation) to explore how plants, breeding birds, and wintering birds in slash-pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa) forests …
Fuels Reduction In A Western Coniferous Forest: Effects On Two Sympatric Ungulates And Their Habitat, Ryan A. Long, Janet Rachlow, Marty Vavra, John G. Kie
Fuels Reduction In A Western Coniferous Forest: Effects On Two Sympatric Ungulates And Their Habitat, Ryan A. Long, Janet Rachlow, Marty Vavra, John G. Kie
JFSP Research Project Reports
We evaluated effects of an experimental fuels reduction program on elk, mule deer, and their habitat at the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range (Starkey) in northeastern Oregon. From 2001 to 2003, 26 stands of true fir and Douglas-fir that suffered high rates of mortality from an outbreak of spruce budworm were selectively thinned (spring or summer) and burned (fall) while 27 similar stands were left untreated to serve as experimental controls. We used location data for elk and mule deer collected during spring (1 April–14 June) and summer (15 June–31 August) of 1999–2006 to compare use of treated and untreated …
The Fire-Climate Connection, Gail Wells
The Fire-Climate Connection, Gail Wells
Joint Fire Science Program Digests
A complex of stressors, Quick turnaround, Urgent questions, Weather, Climate, The research, The uncertain future, Help for land managers, A clearer picture
Restoring Mixed Conifer Ecosystems To Pre-Fire Suppression Conditions In Crater Lake National Park, Rachel Clark
Restoring Mixed Conifer Ecosystems To Pre-Fire Suppression Conditions In Crater Lake National Park, Rachel Clark
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Mixed-conifer forests dominated by ponderosa pine trees prevail across the Western United States. Once sustained by frequent, low-intensity fires, these ecosystems have changed dramatically as a result of a hundred years of fire suppression resulting in an accumulation of fuels and shade tolerant species. Researchers are finding that reintroducing fire to these systems may be more complicated than once thought. The forests at Crater Lake National Park are a kind of microcosm for the wide-ranging mixed conifer forests across the West. Early efforts to restore fire at Crater Lake showed that older ponderosa pines were at risk of mortality via …
Tested By Fire: What Happens When Wildfires Meet Fuel Treatments?, Valerie Rapp
Tested By Fire: What Happens When Wildfires Meet Fuel Treatments?, Valerie Rapp
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Strong scientific evidence has long been needed on the effectiveness of fuel treatments when subsequent wildfires encounter treated areas. This project studied what happened when wildfires met fuel treatments, using results from five large wildfires in mixed-conifer forests in the Western United States. The relation between fuel treatment effectiveness and wildfire severity differed by treatment type. Recent treatments (less than 10 years old) that reduced surface fuels were generally effective, whether or not thinning had been done first. Combination treatments, with thinning followed by slash disposal, showed the most impressive results, and in fact the effectiveness of combination treatments increased …
A Toolkit For Assessing Fire Hazards, Elise Lequire
A Toolkit For Assessing Fire Hazards, Elise Lequire
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Whether the goal is to improve wildlife habitat, gauge the effects of prescribed burns or wildfire, or assess the unaccustomed conditions and hidden dangers of fallen trees in the aftermath of hurricanes, a suite of tools developed by the Fire and Environmental Research Applications (FERA) Team at the Pacific Northwest Research Station, Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory, allows resource managers to estimate fuel loads, fire hazards, and smoke emissions characteristics in a wide range of forest and grassland ecosystems. The Natural Fuels Photo Series, developed by FERA’s Roger Ottmar, is a field guide for resource managers who need a quick …