Life Sciences Commons^™

Optimizing The Location Of Fuel Treatments Over Time At Landscape Scales, Shari Anstedt

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Fuel treatments are a vital part of forest management—but when faced with limited budgets, narrow burning windows, and air quality restrictions, it can be challenging to prioritize where, when, and how fuel treatments should be applied across the landscape to achieve the most benefit. To help ease this process, land managers can turn to various standalone models, capabilities, and decision support systems. While these tools address various aspects of fuel treatments, there is no one integrated solution that can provide the combined functionality needed to handle the strategic scheduling of fuel treatments, the spatial and temporal changes of fuel treatment …

Synthesis Of Knowledge Of Extreme Fire Behavior: Volume I For Fire Managers, Paul A. Werth, Brian E. Potter, Craig B. Clements, Mark A. Finney, Jason A. Forthofer, Sara S. Mcallister, Scott L. Goodrick, Martin E. Alexander, Miguel G. Cruz

Joint Fire Science Program Synthesis Reports

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group definition of extreme fire behavior (EFB) indicates a level of fire behavior characteristics that ordinarily precludes methods of direct control action. One or more of the following is usually involved: high rate of spread, prolific crowning/ spotting, presence of fire whirls, and strong convection column. Predictability is difficult because such fires often exercise some degree of influence on their environment and behave erratically, sometimes dangerously. Alternate terms include “blow up” and “fire storm.” Fire managers examining fires over the last 100 years have come to understand many of the factors necessary for EFB development. This …

Comprehensive Fuels Treatment Practices Guide For Mixed Conifer Forests: California, Central And Southern Rockies, And The Southwest, A. M. Evans, R. G. Everett, S. L. Stephens, J. A. Youlz

Joint Fire Science Program Synthesis Reports

The goal of this guide is to provide a resource for managers of mixed conifer forests of the Southwestern plateaus and uplands, the Central and Southern Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges in Southern California. Mixed conifer forests have different species, structures, and spatial patterns in these regions but, in general, we focus on forests with a mix of ponderosa or Jeffrey pine, Douglas-fir, true firs, and aspen. The guide includes a comprehensive review of historic conditions, past land use, natural fire regimes, impacts of altered fire regimes, and future prospects, given climate change, for …

Synthesis Of Knowledge: Fire History And Climate Change, William T. Sommers, Stanley G. Coloff, Susan G. Conard

Joint Fire Science Program Synthesis Reports

This report synthesizes available fire history climate change scientific knowledge to aid managers with fire decisions in tile face of ongoing 21^st Century cIimate change. Fire history and climate change mange (FHCC} have been ongoing for over 400 million years of Earth history, but increasing human influences during tile Holocene epoch have changed both climate and fire regimes. We describe basic concepts of climate science and explain the causes of accelerating 21H Century climate change. Fire regimes and ecosystems classification serve to unify ecological and climate factors influencing fire, and are useful for applying fire history and climate manage …

Evaluation And Utilization Of The Continuous Forest Inventory System At Swanton Pacific Ranch, Dominic Ali, Reid Cody

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Five Continuous Forest Inventories (CFI) and one Senior Project Inventory (Piper et al. 1989) at Swanton Pacific Ranch in Davenport, CA were compiled and standardized to be formatted for input into Forest and Stand Evaluation Environment (FORSEE) growth and yield modeling software. Data from field books and Excel spreadsheets located on the Cal Poly Natural Resources Management Department hard drive was transcribed into a Microsoft Excel database. Data sources and authenticity were verified by cross-referencing plot data from multiple sources, associated senior project reports, and location on the Swanton grid system. An additional summary spreadsheet was made to help users …

Carrying Capacity For Species Richness As A Context For Conservation: A Case Study Of North American Breeding Birds, Andrew J. Hansen, Linda Bowers Phillips, Curtis H. Flather, Jim Robinson-Cox

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

Aim To demonstrate that the concept of carrying capacity for species richness (S_K) is highly relevant to the conservation of biodiversity, and to estimate the spatial pattern of S_K for native landbirds as a basis for conservation planning.

Location North America.

Methods We evaluated the leading hypotheses on biophysical factors affecting species richness for Breeding Bird Survey routes from areas with little influence of human activities.We then derived a best model based on information theory, and used this model to extrapolate SK across North America based on the biophysical predictor variables. The predictor variables included the …

Wetland Features And Landscape Context Predict The Risk Of Wetland Habitat Loss, Kevin J. Gutzwiller, Curtis H. Flather

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

Wetlands generally provide significant ecosystem services and function as important harbors of biodiversity. To ensure that these habitats are conserved, an efficient means of identifying wetlands at risk of conversion is needed, especially in the southern United States where the rate of wetland loss has been highest in recent decades. We used multivariate adaptive regression splines to develop a model to predict the risk of wetland habitat loss as a function of wetland features and landscape context. Fates of wetland habitats from 1992 to 1997 were obtained from the National Resources Inventory for the U.S. Forest Service’s Southern Region, and …

Striving For Long-Term Forest Sustainability—Even As The Climate Changes, Shari Anstedt

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Climate change, and its ecological impact, is right on the horizon. According to climate predictions over the next century, the southwestern United States will face higher temperatures and greater evaporative loss, which will heighten the possibility for severe drought. The stress of more frequent, intense droughts can increase tree mortality, hinder growth, and alter forest structure and composition. As a result, it’s now more important than ever for land managers to understand how today’s decisions and actions can impact future forest conditions. To develop answers, researchers conducted a study in the oldest ponderosa pine restoration project in the Southwest. Located …

Assessing Fuel Treatment Effectiveness After The Tripod Complex Fires, Shari Anstedt

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Over the past 50 years, wildfire frequency and area burned have increased in the dry forests of western North America. To help reduce high surface fuel loads and potential wildfire severity, a variety of fuel treatments are applied. In spite of the common use of these management practices, there have been relatively few opportunities to quantitatively measure their efficacy in wildfires. That changed with the 2006 Tripod Complex fires in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington—one of the largest fire events in Washington state over the past five decades. A serendipitous involvement of recent fuel treatments and the availability of …

Timber Talk, Vol. 49, No. 1, February 1, 2011

Timber Talk: Nebraska Forest Industry Newsletter

Lumber Market News; Hardwood Lumber Price Trends—Green; Hardwood Lumber Price Trends—Kiln Dried; Hardwood Lumber Market History—Green; Nebraska “Primary Processors” Directory; Long Time Nebraska Sawmiller Will Be Missed; What Is That Log Worth?; Nebraska Forestry Industry Spotlight; The Trading Post; Timber Sales;

Timber Talk, Vol. 49, No. 3, September 1, 2011

Timber Talk: Nebraska Forest Industry Newsletter

Lumber Market News; Hardwood Lumber Price Trends—Green; Hardwood Lumber Price Trends—Kiln Dried; Timber Stumpage Prices; Timber Culture Act; Powderpost Beetles; End-Coating Logs and Lumber Makes “Cents” (Or Dollars); Nebraska Forestry Industry Spotlight; Planning Tool Available to Loggers; The Trading Post; Timber Sales.

Evaluation Of The Modis Lai Product Using Independent Lidar-Derived Lai: A Case Study In Mixed Conifer Forest, Jennifer L.R. Jensen, Karen S. Humes, Andrew T. Hudak, Lee A. Vierling, Eric Delmelle

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

This study presents an alternative assessment of the MODIS LAI product for a 58,000 ha evergreen needleleaf forest located in the western Rocky Mountain range in northern Idaho by using lidar data to model (R²=0.86, RMSE=0.76) and map LAI at higher resolution across a large number of MODIS pixels in their entirety. Moderate resolution (30 m) lidar-based LAI estimates were aggregated to the resolution of the 1-km MODIS LAI product and compared to temporally-coincident MODIS retrievals. Differences in the MODIS and lidar-derived values of LAI were grouped and analyzed by several different factors, including MODIS retrieval algorithm, sun/sensor …

Engineering A Future For Amphibians Under Climate Change, Luke P. Shoo, Deanna H. Olson, Sarah K. Mcmenamin, Kris A. Murray, Monique Van Sluys, Maureen A. Donnelly, Danial Stratford, Juhani Terhivuo, Andres Merino-Viteri, Sarah M. Herbert, Phillip J. Bishop, Paul Stephen Corn, Liz Dovey, Richard A. Griffiths, Katrin Lowe, Michael Mahony, Hamish Mccallum, Jonathan D. Shuker, Clay Simpkins, Lee F. Skerrat, Stephen E. Williams, Jean-Marc Hero

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

1. Altered global climates in the 21st century pose serious threats for biological systems and practical actions are needed to mount a response for species at risk.

2. We identify management actions from across the world and from diverse disciplines that are applicable to minimizing loss of amphibian biodiversity under climate change. Actions were grouped under three thematic areas of intervention: (i) installation of microclimate and microhabitat refuges; (ii) enhancement and restoration of breeding sites; and (iii) manipulation of hydroperiod or water levels at breeding sites.

3. Synthesis and applications. There are currently few meaningful management actions that will …

A Habitat Overlap Analysis Derived From Maxent For Tamarisk And The South-Western Willow Flycatcher, Patricia York, Paul Evangelista, Sunil Kumar, James Graham, Curtis Flather, Thomas Stohlgren

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

Biologic control of the introduced and invasive, woody plant tamarisk (Tamarix spp, saltcedar) in south-western states is controversial because it affects habitat of the federally endangered South-western Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus). These songbirds sometimes nest in tamarisk where floodplain-level invasion replaces native habitats. Biologic control, with the saltcedar leaf beetle (Diorhabda elongate), began along the Virgin River, Utah, in 2006, enhancing the need for comprehensive understanding of the tamarisk-flycatcher relationship. We used maximum entropy (Maxent) modeling to separately quantify the current extent of dense tamarisk habitat (>50% cover) and the potential extent of …

A Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis Of Risk Perception And Treatment Options As Related To Wildfires In The Usda Fs Region 3 National Forests, Ingrid M. Martin, Wade E. Martin, Carol B. Raish

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

As the incidence of devastating fires rises, managing the risk posed by these fires has become critical. This report provides important information to examine the ways that different groups or disaster subcultures develop the mentalities or perceived realities that affect their views and responses concerning risk and disaster preparedness. Fire risk beliefs and attitudes of individuals and groups from four geographic areas in the Southwest (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Region 3, Arizona and New Mexico) surrounding the Kaibab, Tonto, Santa Fe, and Lincoln National Forests are presented. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, we collected information from three …

Forest Policy And Community-Based Conservation In Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Brittany N. Taylor

CMC Senior Theses

Review of forestry policy and deforestation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a look at REDD, national parks, forest certification systems, non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and a focus on community-based conservation.

Overcoming The Obstacles To Sustainability In Ghana, Ashley M. Scott

CMC Senior Theses

For several decades following its independence from Great Britain, Ghana’s policies continued to promote over-extraction of natural resources to the detriment of its economy and rural communities. Agricultural and forestry policy has gradually evolved to foster more sustainable and equitable practices, as in building partnerships with the private sector to fund infrastructure improvements. Policy has recently recognized the dire need to adopt agricultural practices and means of forest resource extraction that are compatible with ecological stewardship. However, many shortcomings are still apparent. Large logging operations completely disregard forestry regulations with impunity, whereas rural sustenance extractors are severely punished in the …

Preparing Tomorrow’S Fire Professionals: Integration Of Education, Training, And Experience Through Science-Management Partnerships, Gail Wells

Joint Fire Science Program Digests

In this issue of Fire Science Digest, we explore the career and preparation challenges faced by forest and rangeland fi re professionals, both new and seasoned. As the job description grows more complex, a well-rounded background in current and emerging areas of fi re science and fi re management becomes critical. Today’s top professionals are approaching retirement, and tomorrow’s fi re professionals need to be adequately prepared to succeed them.

After The Fire Is Out, Elise Lequire

Joint Fire Science Program Digests

Even before firefighters have left a burn site, a second wave of specialists is deployed. Their task: to assess the burn site; determine the level of risk to life, property, and ecological resources; and determine quickly the most effective postfire treatments for emergency stabilization and initial rehabilitation of the site. For the past 13 years, the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) has funded research on this critical phase of work, which often goes unnoticed after the fire is out. With support from the JFSP, scientists have made great strides in improving the tools available to assess postfire risks and evaluate …

Knowledge Exchange: A Two-Way Street, Elise Lequire

Joint Fire Science Program Digests

The best available science is of little use if it gathers dust on the shelves of library stacks or is deeply embedded on an obscure website. A key part of the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) mission is to ensure research on wildland fire science is readily available to practitioners in a useful format so it can help support sound management decisions. The JFSP has made great inroads in this arena on a national level, but managers short on time often have to sift through an overload of information that may not be specific to their region. In the next …

Timber Talk, Vol. 49, No. 2, June 1, 2011

Timber Talk: Nebraska Forest Industry Newsletter

Lumber Market News ; Hardwood Lumber Price Trends—Green; Hardwood Lumber Price Trends—Kiln Dried; New Nebraska “Secondary Processor” Directory; Sand Creek Post and Beam Named 2011 Nebraska Small Business of the Year; Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac; The Trouble With Ethanol; Trends — From One Saw Doctor’s Perspective; Nebraska Forestry Industry Spotlight; The Trading Post; Timber Sales

Accuracy And User Variation Associated With Slope Measurement Using A Laser Hypsometer, C. Hastings, R. C. Weih Jr., H. O. Liechty, R. Harris

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Slope measurements are often necessary for assessing features and processes within the natural environment. Land managers often use handheld equipment rather than more complicated surveying equipment in order to measure slopes and to conduct field work efficiently. One type of handheld device used to measure slope is a laser clinometer. In order to determine the accuracy and user error associated with this type of clinometer, slope measurements were taken at multiple locations using two types of equipment: 1) a Haglof Sweden Vertex III Hypsometer with a laser clinometer function and 2) a Topcon GTS-603/AF electronic survey total station which can …

Modeling Loblolly Pine Aboveground Live Biomass In A Mature Pine-Hardwood Stand: A Cautionary Tale, D. C. Bragg

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Carbon sequestration in forests is a growing area of interest for researchers and land managers. Calculating the quantity of carbon stored in forest biomass seems to be a straightforward task, but it is highly dependent on the function(s) used to construct the stand. For instance, there are a number of possible equations to predict aboveground live biomass for loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) growing in southeastern Arkansas. Depending on stem diameter at breast height (DBH), biomass varied considerably between four different prediction systems for loblolly pine. According to the tested models, individual tree oven-dry biomass for a 50 cm DBH loblolly …

The Green Legacy Project: Evaluating Campus Tree Benefits, Joy Fritschle, Gary Coutu, Joan Welch, Gerard Hertel

Geography & Planning Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Offshore Wind Energy Outreach: Wind Farm Visual Simulation, Erik Edward Nordman

Erik Edward Nordman

No abstract provided.

Public Perceptions Of Offshore Wind In Michigan's Upper Pennisula, Celia Haven, Victorial Pebbles, John Hummer, Erik Edward Nordman Ph.D.

Erik Edward Nordman

No abstract provided.

Status Of Offshore Wind Energy In Michigan's Great Lakes - Fact Sheet, Erik Edward Nordman

Erik Edward Nordman

No abstract provided.

Citizen Views On Offshore Wind Energy In Lake Michigan - Fact Sheet, Erik Edward Nordman Ph.D., Betty Gajewski

Erik Edward Nordman

No abstract provided.