Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons^™

Long-Term Disturbance Histories Of Managed And Natural Mixed-Hardwood Forests Of Central Indiana, Robert Charles Morrissey

Open Access Dissertations

Over the course of the last century, we have observed changes in forest composition and structure related to changes in disturbance regimes. Reduced frequency and severity of disturbance events has allowed for the ingrowth of shade-tolerant, mesophytic species into forest understories; the result is shifting species compositions and changes in forest structure. In some cases, the loss of masting species, such as oak (Quercus spp.) and hickory (Carya spp.), may also accompany a shift in forest function and further accommodate other species shifts among mammal, insect, and bird populations. Management efforts have been suggested as a possible means …

Las Raíces De La Deforestación En El Departamento Pando, Jeremy Levine-Drizin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research paper examines the phenomenon of the recent trend of deforestation in the Pando department in northwestern Bolivia. Historically, the economy of Pando has always been based primarily in agro-forestal extraction activities that provided income to communities without the need to destroy the surrounding forests. The most important of these agro-forestal products have been rubber (primarily during the beginning of the 20th century) and more recently Castaña (Brazilian Nut). Recently however, as the result of various forces, the inhabitants of Pando have begun to cut down there forests at an alarming rate. The most relevant causes of this phenomenon …

Upland Habitat Quality And Historic Landscape Composition Influence Genetic Variation Of A Pond-Breeding Salamander, Stephen C. Richter, Steve J. Price, Chelsea S. Kross, Jeremiah R. Alexander, Michael E. Dorcas

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Understanding the temporal and spatial scale at which habitat alteration impacts populations is important for conservation and management. Amphibians have declined more than other vertebrates, and pond-breeding species are particularly susceptible to habitat loss and fragmentation because they have terrestrial and aquatic life stages. One approach to management of pond-breeding species is protection of core upland habitat surrounding the breeding pond. We used genetic variation as an indicator of population status in a common amphibian species, spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum), to determine how amount of suitable upland habitat relates to population status in the greater Charlotte, North Carolina, …

Why I Love Grasshopper Sparrows, Michele Patenaude

UVM Libraries Conference Day

Since 2001, Michele (a library circulation supervisor in her day job) has conducted a summer breeding-bird survey of Grasshopper Sparrows at Camp Johnson in Colchester, VT. Named Grasshopper Sparrows because their breeding call sounds like a grasshopper, this little brown bird is endemic to certain types of scrubby grasslands which are becoming more scarce in the Northeast. The Grasshopper Sparrow is also declining and the species is not on the list of Vermont Endangered Birds. Come to this presentation and learn about the bird, how Michele surveys them, why they are endangered, and why Michele loves these quiet, little brown …

Dendrochronological Reconstruction Of Fire, Bogus Basin Area Boise National Forest, Amy L. Cutter

Student Research Initiative

Since people have settled along the Boise Front, there have been very few documented fire disturbances. This is likely an outcome of fire suppression policies. There is evidence, visible as scars on living trees, that the old growth ponderosa pines located on the East Side Trail in the Boise National Forest have withstood multiple fires. Samples were collected by using a chainsaw to remove small, partial cross-sections from several trees. The Boise Front master chronology was used to accurately cross-date the fire-scarred samples using COFECHA. Analysis of the samples revealed ten fire events ranging from 1709 to 1889. The fire …

Wildfire Assessment Using Farsite Fire Modeling: A Case Study In The Chihuahua Desert Of Mexico, John Brakeall

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Chihuahua desert is one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the world, but suffers serious degradation because of changes in fire regimes resulting in large catastrophic fires. My study was conducted in the Sierra La Mojonera (SLM) natural protected area in Mexico. The purpose of this study was to implement the use of FARSITE fire modeling as a fire management tool to develop an integrated fire management plan at SLM.

Firebreaks proved to detain 100% of wildfire outbreaks. The rosetophilous scrub experienced the fastest rate of fire spread and lowland creosote bush scrub experienced the slowest rate of …

“Hariyo Ban Nepalko Dhan” (“Nepal’S Wealth Is The Green Forest”): The People’S Participation In Structuring Sustainable Development Through Community Forestry, Natasha Eulberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Community forestry has a long history in Nepal, and despite the nationalization of the country’s forests in the mid-twentieth century, current legislation determines that rights and execution of community forest management lies largely with community forest user groups (CFUGs). This research questions to what extent CFUGs truly represent autonomous bodies with the full power and ability to manage and utilize community forests and forest resources. This research also seeks to determine the impact and distribution of CFUG operations and benefits on CFUG members, and the ways in which CFUG management practices have impacted how group members perceive and interact with …

Agent-Based Modeling Of Harvest Decisions By Small Scale Forest Landowners In Maine, Usa, Jessica Leahy, Erika Reeves, Kathleen Bell, Crista L. Straub, Jeremy Wilson

Publications

Small-scale forests are an excellent example of coupled social-ecological systems, which involve human and biophysical subsystems with complex two-way feedback interactions. The multifaceted nature of landowner decisions drives a significant need to better understand decision-making processes, reactions to policy, and combined impacts on ecosystems in a comprehensive manner. Small-scale forests require an integrated approach to modeling the social and biophysical components comprehensively. Agent-based modeling involves modeling individualistic behavior and interpreting patterns that emerge. The interaction between agents and their environments makes this a valuable tool to assess repeated decisions of individual landowners responding to changing environmental conditions. Agent-based models can …

Public Procurement And Private Certification: The Case Of The Uk Tpp, Alex Latu

Transnational Business Governance Interactions Working Papers

Forestry certification schemes have been considered the paradigmatic instance of a new form of private governance that may challenge state-centered authority and public policy-making. Although governments and intergovernmental organizations are certainly not the schemes' "main architects", they are more involved in the overall effects of forestry certification than is often emphasized, notably through procurement policies. This paper examines a particularly interaction of private and public governance organizations, in the realm of forestry certification, among the UK government's Timber Procurement Policy (TPP), a governmental demand-side policy tool, and two major certification schemes — the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Program …

Uncertainty Associated With Estimating A Short-Term (1–3 Hr) Particulate Matter Concentration From A Human-Sighted Visual Range, William C. Malm, Bret A. Schichtel

JFSP Research Project Reports

Several state air quality agencies have developed policies to issue air quality health index (AQI) warnings based on low values of visual range (V_r). Vr has been defined in the context of how far away a black object has to be such that it is just noticeable or visible. This distance at which a landscape feature can just be detected is referred to as the V_r. AQI warnings are based on the levels of particulates (PM_2.5) resulting from fire smoke, often with less than 24-hr average concentrations. Because monitoring data are not available in …

A Fire Severity Mapping System For Real-Time Fire Management Applications And Long-Term Planning: The Firesev Project, Robert E. Keane, Penny M. Morgan, Gregory K. Dillon, Pamela G. Sikkink, Eva C. Karau, Zack A. Holden, Stacy A. Drury

JFSP Research Project Reports

Accurate, consistent, and timely fire severity maps are needed in all phases of fire management including planning, managing, and rehabilitating wildfires. The problem is that fire severity maps are commonly developed from satellite imagery that is difficult to use for planning wildfire responses before a fire has actually happened and can’t be used for real-time wildfire management because of the timing of the imagery delivery. Moreover, imagery is difficult to use for controlled fires such as prescribed burning. This study, called FIRESEV (FIRE SEVerity Mapping Tools) created a comprehensive set of tools and protocols to deliver, create, and evaluate fire …

An Investigation Of The Differences Between Real Time Mesoscale Analysis And Observed Meteorological Conditions At Raws Stations In The Northeast United States, Joseph J. Charney, Shiyuan Zhong, Michael T. Kiefer, Xiaoqing Zhu, Greg Soter, Adam Cinderich

JFSP Research Project Reports

This project investigates the differences between the gridded meteorological fields produced by the Real Time Mesoscale Analysis (RTMA) and observed meteorological conditions at Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS) for two years in the northeastern United States. National Weather Service (NWS) fire weather forecasts are produced using the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD), which is a gridded analysis of meteorological fields generated by forecasters at NWS forecast offices nationwide. The NDFD is verified by comparing its gridded meteorological fields against the RTMA, which is an advanced modeling and data assimilation system that provides the best-available hourly gridded estimate of surface and …

Archival Of Eastern U.S. Fire Scar History Data, Michael C. Stambaugh, Joseph M. Marschall, Richard P. Guyette

JFSP Research Project Reports

Fire scar histories are a critical fire data source because they form a foundation for defining fire regimes. The objective of this project was to properly archive the data (fire scar event chronologies, tree-ring chronologies) and metadata of eastern U.S. fire scar study sites developed under project #06-3-1-16, “Developing and Using Fire Scar Histories in the Southern and Eastern United States”, PI: Richard Guyette. Datasets to be archived included tree-ring chronologies (annual resolution), fire event chronologies (annual to seasonal resolution), and wood samples. Crossdated tree-ring measurements used to date fire scars have been submitted to the International Tree-Ring Databank. All …

Archiving Of Data On Occurrence Of Breeding Birds Associated With Fire Treatments And Controls, Erica Fleishman, Jeanne C. Chambers, David S. Dobkin

JFSP Research Project Reports

Since 2001, we have collected data on occupancy and relative abundance of Greater Sage- Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and other species of breeding birds in the central Great Basin, and characterized the vegetation structure and composition of breeding birds’ habitats, through four projects supported by the Joint Fire Science Program (00-2-15, 01B-3-3-01, 05-2-1- 94, and 09-1-08-4). These projects collectively have generated dozens of refereed publications, dozens of invited papers or presentations, multiple M.S. theses and Ph.D. dissertations, and many workshops and field tours. Bird data included in refereed publications to date were based on point counts with a fixed radius of …

Bark Beetles, Fuels And Future Fire Hazard In Contrasting Conifer Forests Of Greater Yellowstone, Monica G. Turner, William H. Romme, Philip A. Townsend, Roy A. Renkin, Daniel C. Donato, Martin Simard, Brian J. Harvey, Jacob M. Griffin

JFSP Research Project Reports

The extent and severity of bark beetle (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) epidemics and the frequency of large, severe fires have reached unprecedented levels in recent decades, and these trends are expected to continue with ongoing climate change. Insects and fire have tremendous ecological and economic effects in western forests, yet their interactions are poorly understood. We combined field studies and simulation modeling to understand how bark beetle infestation and post-outbreak management affect fire hazard in two widespread but contrasting forest types, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) in northwestern Wyoming. We directly addressed key …

Characterization Of Masticated Fuelbeds And Fuel Treatment Effectiveness In Southeastern Us Pine Ecosystems., L N. Kobziar, Alan J. Long, Wayne C. Zipperer, Jesse K. Kreye

JFSP Research Project Reports

Mechanical fuels treatments are being widely used in fire prone ecosystems where fuel loading poses a hazard, yet little research examining fuel dynamics, fire behavior, and ecological effects exists, especially in the southeastern US. In order to broaden our understanding of these treatments, effects of mechanical mastication ("mowing") were examined in a common pine ecosystem of the southeastern US Coastal Plain, where the post-mastication fuel environment is unique among ecosystems where mastication is being employed. Foliar litter dominates surface fuels after understory mastication in palmetto/gallberry pine flatwoods, however rapid recovery of shrubs quickly regains control over fire behavior. Treatments were …

Assessing The Compatibility Of Fuel Treatments, Wildfire Risk, And Conservation Of Northern Spotted Owl Habitats And Populations In The Eastern Cascades: A Multi-Scale Analysis., Martin G. Raphael, Paul Hessburg, Rebecca Kennedy, John Lehmkuhl, Bruce G. Marcot, Robert Scheller, Peter Singleton, Thomas Spies

JFSP Research Project Reports

National Forests in the dry forest provinces on the east-side of the Oregon and Washington Cascades have been managed under the guidelines of local Forest Plans and the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP), both of which specify large areas of late-successional reserves (LSRs). In contrast, the recently-released USDI Fish and Wildlife Service Revised Recovery Plan (RRP) for the Northern Spotted Owl (NSO) calls for development of dynamic and shifting mosaics in the dry forests, and retention of LSRs in moist forests of eastern Cascades of Oregon and Washington, to address NSO habitat and wildfire concerns. Our objectives in this study were …

Archiving Data For The National Fire And Fire Surrogate Study (Ffs), James Mclver

JFSP Research Project Reports

This final report describes the results of the project ‘Archiving Data for the National Fire and Fire Surrogate study (FFS)’, which was funded by the Joint Fire Science Program ($9,982; Project 12-­‐04-­‐ 01-­‐7) under Task Statement RFA 2012-­‐4 (Dataset Archival Task). To complete this project, we gathered, documented, and archived the complete dataset for the National Fire and Fire Surrogate study, including pre-­‐treatment data, and post-­‐treatment data collected through four years after treatment. The FFS was originally funded by the JFSP in spring 2000 and was completed in spring 2006, at which time a final report was submitted. The study …

Characterizing Crown Biomass And Crown Profiles In Conifer Forests Of The Interior Northwest, David Affleck, Carl Seielstad, John Goodburn, Lloyd Queen, Robert Keane

JFSP Research Project Reports

Detailed and accurate models of conifer crown biomass and its distribution are needed for a range of forest management and planning applications, ranging from fuels treatment designs to forest carbon inventory and monitoring. This project focused on the development and integration of novel data collection strategies and analytical methods to better inform crown biomass and fuels estimation for coniferous forests in the interior northwest. Crown biomass data were collected for 7 important conifer species across the interior northwest using randomized branch sampling strategies, and terrestrial laser scanning was used to characterize crown profiles and internal heterogeneity. Results highlight (1) the …

Consequences Of Alternative Response Strategies To Wildland Fires In The Northern Rockies And Southwest In 2007 And 2008., Carol Miller, Aldo Leopold

JFSP Research Project Reports

This project addressed JFSP project announcement FA-FRA09-001, and the task statement “Trade-off assessments of AMR decisions”. The project evaluated the consequences of alternative responses to 2007 and 2008 wildland fires in three wilderness areas. Specifically, it examined alternative initial response strategies and what could have happened if ignitions had been allowed to burn. Consequences were quantified in terms of area and type of area burned, days of fire activity, and impact on landscape scale fire risk. Situational factors were also examined for their influence on the response strategy and outcome. Simulations of three case study extended duration fires were also …

Crown Fire Behavior Characteristics And Prediction In Conifer Forests: A State-Of-Knowledge Synthesis, Martin E. Alexander Dr., Miguel G. Cruz Dr., Nicole M. Vaillant, David L. Peterson

JFSP Research Project Reports

Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) project 09-S-03-1 was undertaken in response to JFSP Project Announcement No. FA-RFA09-0002 with respect to a synthesis on extreme fire behavior or more specifically a review and analysis of the literature dealing with certain features of crown fire behavior in conifer forests in the United States and adjacent regions of Canada. The key findings presented are organized along nine topical areas: types of crown fires; crown fire initiation; crown fire propagation; crown fire rate of spread; crown fire intensity and flame zone characteristics; crown fire area and perimeter growth; crown fire spotting activity; models, systems, …

Data Archival For Fire Studies In The Coastal Plain, Piedmont, And Southern Appalachian Mountains, Ross J. Phillips, Thomas A. Waldrop, Mac A. Callaham

JFSP Research Project Reports

Datasets from on-going and previous fire studies in the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Southern Appalachian regions in the southeastern U.S. dating back over the past 50 years were compiled and publically made available to other interested persons. The projects included for this data archival have helped to advanced fire science and provided much needed information about fire effects on ecosystem components. The research from these projects has demonstrated how returning fire to once fire-adapted communities is an on-going process that needs to be repeated frequently. They also have given some insight into alternative treatments that may be used for fuel …

Deterministic And Empirical Assessment Of Smoke’S Contribution To Ozone (Deasco3), Charles T. Moore Jr., David Randall, Matthew Mavko, Ralph Morris, Bouyoung Koo, Mark Fitch, Michael George, Michael Barna, John Vimont, Bret Anderson, Anne Acheson

JFSP Research Project Reports

This document reports our success in achieving the objectives and accomplishing the deliverables proposed in the project “Deterministic and Empirical Assessment of Smoke’s Contribution to Ozone (DEASCO3). This final report is divided into four sections. Section 1, the Background, describes the purpose of the project and summarizes the project objectives and how accomplishment of these objectives addresses the original research solicitation JFSP Project Announcement No. FA-RFA011-0001, Task 6: Fire smoke and ozone standards analysis. The Background section also provides context for the time and issues related to the project purpose, in terms of how the Project Team addressed delivery of …

Decision-Support Tools For Conserving Greater Sage-Grouse During Fire And Fuels Management Projects In Pinyon And Juniper Woodlands, Erica Fleishman, Jeanne C. Chambers, David S. Dobkin, Brett G. Dickson

JFSP Research Project Reports

Prescribed fire and other fuels management treatments have been suggested as mechanisms to slow expansion of pinyon and juniper woodlands while minimizing potential expansion of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and increasing habitat quality and quantity for Greater Sage- Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). These treatments also may reduce the probability of severe wildfires, which can have undesirable effects on social, economic, cultural, and ecological values. However, achieving long-term goals related to fire and fuels may conflict with short-term goals related to survival and viability of native species. Fire can fragment high-quality habitat for species associated with woodlands, including more than 20 native species …

Developing High Quality Syntheses: Guidelines For Syntheses That Meet Fire Managers’ Needs And Are Scientifically Defensible, Jane Kapler Smith

JFSP Research Project Reports

What constitutes a high-quality synthesis for wildland managers? Syntheses are often requested by managers and many have been produced by scientists, but they may not always hit the mark. This project integrated guidelines from the literature with reflections from interviews with natural resource professionals (scientists, managers, and science delivery specialists) to develop guidelines for increasing the usefulness of syntheses for managers. Different kinds of syntheses serve different needs. Narrative syntheses are the most common form published for wildland managers. This format allows the author to include background information and incorporate detailed explanations and case studies. Peer-reviewed literature reviews and systematic …

The Economic Effects Of Large Wildfires, Cassandra Mosley Dr., Krista Gebert, Pamela Jakes Dr., Laura Leete Dr., Max Nielsen-Pincus Dr., Emily Jane Davis Dr., Autumn Ellison, Cody Evers, Branden Rishel, Shiloh Sundstrom

JFSP Research Project Reports

Large wildfires disrupt the lives of workers, families, and employers. However, fire suppression and recovery efforts may provide economic opportunities. Unlike with other natural hazards, there has been little research about how wildfires affect local economies. The purpose of this project was to analyze the effects of large wildfires on labor markets and examine how fire suppression spending may mediate these effects. Main findings from this research suggest that (1) in the short term, labor market impacts from large wildfires are positive during the course of a fire, (2) in the long-­‐term, large wildfires lead to greater economic instability by …

Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory: Documenting And Preserving The Past For The Future Of Wildland Fire Research, Kristine Lee, Diane Smith

JFSP Research Project Reports

The Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory’s Documenting and Preserving the Past for the Future of Wildland Fire Research has 1) identified early Rothermel and Anderson research records from the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s; 2) cataloged research data, correspondence, draft manuscripts, and photographs; 3) using archival-quality supplies, re-filed the materials in a secure storage area; 4) scanned and copied all slides and photo documentation discovered to date (more than 4500) to the Fire Lab’s “O” drive; and 5) entered references to all catalog databases and photographs into the Metavist program. Research data and documentation discovered to date include one of the earliest …

Does Season Of Burning Affect Fuel Dynamics In Southeastern Forests?, Clinton S. Wright, Robert E. Vilnanek, James B. Cronan, J. Kevin Hiers, Brett Williams, Eugene Watkins, Greg Titus, Jennifer Hinckley

JFSP Research Project Reports

Land managers in the southeastern United States (U.S.) have actively used prescribed fire, primarily in the winter or dormant season, as a tool to control the growth of understory vegetation since the middle of the last century. There is evidence, however, that burning during the growing season may have different, and in some cases more desirable effects on ecosystem processes, vegetation structure, vegetation composition and, by virtue of these factors, understory fuels and potential fire behavior. We conducted an experiment to document and test for potential differences in the rate of fuel re-growth and accumulation following prescribed fires during the …

Effectiveness And Longevity Of Fuel Treatments In Coniferous Forests Across California, Nicole M. Vaillant, Erin Noonan-Wright, Scott Dailey, Carol Ewell, Alicia Reiner

JFSP Research Project Reports

Longevity of fuel treatment effectiveness to alter potential fire behavior is a critical question for managers preparing plans for fuel hazard reduction, prescribed burning, fire management, forest thinning, and other land management activities. Results from this study will help to reduce uncertainty associated with plan prioritization and maintenance activities. From 2001 to 2006, permanent plots were established in areas planned for hazardous fuel reduction treatments across 14 National Forests in California. Treatments included prescribed fire and mechanical methods (i.e., thinning of various sizes and intensities followed by a surface fuel treatment). After treatment, plots were re-measured at various intervals up …

Development Of Modeling Tools For Predicting Smoke Dispersion From Low-Intensity Fires, Warren E. Heilman, Shiyuan Zhong, John L. Hom Dr., Joseph J. Charney

JFSP Research Project Reports

Of particular concern to fire and air-quality management communities throughout the U.S. are the behavior and air-quality impacts of low-intensity prescribed fires for fuels management. For example, smoke from prescribed fires, which often occur in wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas and in areas where forest vegetation has a significant impact on the local meteorology, can linger for relatively long periods of time and have an adverse effect on human health. Smoke from wildland fires can also reduce visibility over roads and highways in the vicinity of and downwind of these fires, reducing the safety of our transportation system. The planning for …