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Estimating Greenhouse Gas Emissions From A Waste Lagoon, Arturo I. Quintanar, Rezaul Mamood, Nanh Lovanh, Justin M. Rawley, Evi Becerra-Acosta, John H. Loughrin Jan 2013

Estimating Greenhouse Gas Emissions From A Waste Lagoon, Arturo I. Quintanar, Rezaul Mamood, Nanh Lovanh, Justin M. Rawley, Evi Becerra-Acosta, John H. Loughrin

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

A cost-effective approach was used to investigate the relationship between emission of the greenhouse gases (GHG), namely, CO2, CH4, and N2O and energy fluxes from a swine waste lagoon. Energy fluxes were calculated using the Penman method. The energy fluxes showed a diurnal pattern as expected of such fluxes. We found that air temperature and latent energy, lagoon surface temperature and solar radiation, as well as air temperature and wind speed can be used to predict for CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions, respectively. Comparison of observed and predicted …

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Emergent Sandbar Dynamics In The Lower Platte River In Eastern Nebraska: Methods And Results Of Pilot Study, 2011, Jason S. Alexander, Devin M. Schultze, Ronald B. Zelt Jan 2013

Emergent Sandbar Dynamics In The Lower Platte River In Eastern Nebraska: Methods And Results Of Pilot Study, 2011, Jason S. Alexander, Devin M. Schultze, Ronald B. Zelt

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The lower Platte River corridor provides important habitats for two State- and federally listed bird species: the interior least tern (terns; Sternula antillarum athallassos) and the piping plover (plovers; Charadrius melodus). However, many of the natural morphological and hydrological characteristics of the Platte River have been altered substantially by water development, channelization, hydropower operations, and invasive vegetation encroachment, which have decreased the abundance of high-quality nesting and foraging habitat for terns and plovers. The lower Platte River (LPR), defined as 103 miles (mi) of the Platte River between its confluence with the Loup River and its confluence with the Missouri …

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Comparison Of Water Consumption In Two Riparian Vegetation Communities Along The Central Platte River, Nebraska, 2008–09 And 2011, Brent M. Hall, David L. Rus Jan 2013

Comparison Of Water Consumption In Two Riparian Vegetation Communities Along The Central Platte River, Nebraska, 2008–09 And 2011, Brent M. Hall, David L. Rus

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The Platte River is a vital natural resource for the people, plants, and animals of Nebraska. A recent study quantified water use by riparian woodlands along central reaches of the Platte River, Nebraska, finding that water use was mainly regulated below maximum predicted levels. A comparative study was launched through a cooperative partnership between the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Central Platte Natural Resources District, the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, and the Nebraska Environmental Trust to compare water use of a riparian woodland with that of a grazed riparian grassland along the central Platte River. This report describes …

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Modeling Rain-Fed Maize Vulnerability To Droughts Using The Standardized Precipitation Index From Satellite Estimated Rainfall-Southern Malawi Case Study, Harikishan Jayanthi, Gregory J. Husak, Chris Funk, Tamuka Magadzire, Adams Chavula, James P. Verdin Jan 2013

Modeling Rain-Fed Maize Vulnerability To Droughts Using The Standardized Precipitation Index From Satellite Estimated Rainfall-Southern Malawi Case Study, Harikishan Jayanthi, Gregory J. Husak, Chris Funk, Tamuka Magadzire, Adams Chavula, James P. Verdin

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

During 1990s, disaster risk reduction emerged as a novel, proactive approach to managing risks from natural hazards. The World Bank, USAlD, and other international donor agencies began making efforts to mainstream disaster risk reduction in countries whose population and economies were heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture. This approach has more significance in light of the increasing climatic hazard patterns and the climate scenarios projected for different hazard prone countries in the world. The Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) has been monitoring the food security issues in the sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and in Haiti. FEWS NET monitors the rainfall …

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Ixodid Ticks Associated With Feral Swine In Texas, David M. Sanders, Anthony L. Schuster, P. Wesley Mccardle, Otto F. Strey, Terry L. Blankenship, Pete D. Teel Jan 2013

Ixodid Ticks Associated With Feral Swine In Texas, David M. Sanders, Anthony L. Schuster, P. Wesley Mccardle, Otto F. Strey, Terry L. Blankenship, Pete D. Teel

United States Army: Publications

Ixodid ticks were collected from feral swine in eight Texas ecoregions from 2008-2011. Sixty-two percent of 806 feral swine were infested with one or more of the following species: Amblyomma americanum, A. cajennense, A. maculatum, Dermacentor albipictus, D. halli, D. variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis. Juvenile and adult feral swine of both sexes were found to serve as host to ixodid ticks. Longitudinal surveys of feral swine at four geographic locations show persistent year-round tick infestations of all gender-age classes for tick species common to their respective geographic locations and …

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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 Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 (Vr). 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 Vr. AQI warnings are based on the levels of particulates (PM2.5) resulting from fire smoke, often with less than 24-hr average concentrations. Because monitoring data are not available in …

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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 Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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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 Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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Archival Of Eastern U.S. Fire Scar History Data, Michael C. Stambaugh, Joseph M. Marschall, Richard P. Guyette Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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Archiving Data For The National Fire And Fire Surrogate Study (Ffs), James Mclver Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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Archiving Of Data On Occurrence Of Breeding Birds Associated With Fire Treatments And Controls, Erica Fleishman, Jeanne C. Chambers, David S. Dobkin Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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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 Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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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 Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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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 Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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Characterizing Crown Biomass And Crown Profiles In Conifer Forests Of The Interior Northwest, David Affleck, Carl Seielstad, John Goodburn, Lloyd Queen, Robert Keane Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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Consequences Of Alternative Response Strategies To Wildland Fires In The Northern Rockies And Southwest In 2007 And 2008., Carol Miller, Aldo Leopold Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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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 Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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, …

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Data Archival For Fire Studies In The Coastal Plain, Piedmont, And Southern Appalachian Mountains, Ross J. Phillips, Thomas A. Waldrop, Mac A. Callaham Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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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 Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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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 Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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Developing High Quality Syntheses: Guidelines For Syntheses That Meet Fire Managers’ Needs And Are Scientifically Defensible, Jane Kapler Smith Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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Development Of Modeling Tools For Predicting Smoke Dispersion From Low-Intensity Fires, Warren E. Heilman, Shiyuan Zhong, John L. Hom Dr., Joseph J. Charney Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory: Documenting And Preserving The Past For The Future Of Wildland Fire Research, Kristine Lee, Diane Smith Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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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 Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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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 Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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Effectiveness And Longevity Of Fuel Treatments In Coniferous Forests Across California, Nicole M. Vaillant, Erin Noonan-Wright, Scott Dailey, Carol Ewell, Alicia Reiner Jan 2013

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

Joint Fire Science Program 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 …

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Effects Of Stand-Replacing Wildfire On Ecosystem Carbon Pools In Lake States Jack Pine Forests, David E. Rothstein, John Bradford, Richard Corner, Katherine Chumack, Michael Cook, Ehsan Razavy-Toosi Jan 2013

Effects Of Stand-Replacing Wildfire On Ecosystem Carbon Pools In Lake States Jack Pine Forests, David E. Rothstein, John Bradford, Richard Corner, Katherine Chumack, Michael Cook, Ehsan Razavy-Toosi

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

A key barrier to resolving uncertainty about the effects of fire on ecosystem C balance is the fact that fire effects on ecosystem C budgets are manifested over decadal time scales, meaning that we are largely forced to draw inferences using space-for-time substitution, or chronosequence, studies. Whereas chronosequences allow us to study processes occurring over long time scales, they are almost never re-sampled to verify the temporal trajectory of response variables, raising questions about the validity of chronosequence estimates of post-fire C dynamics. We re-sampled a well-studied fire chronosequence of jack pine (Pinus banksiana) forests in Michigan, providing a unique …

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Evaluating Post-Fire Successional Trajectories After A Large High-Severity Wildfire, Peter Z. Fule, Carolyn Hull Sieg, Kristin L. Shive Jan 2013

Evaluating Post-Fire Successional Trajectories After A Large High-Severity Wildfire, Peter Z. Fule, Carolyn Hull Sieg, Kristin L. Shive

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

This study took advantage of permanent plots in the then-largest severe fire in the Southwest to assess fire effects on (1) successional trajectory, (2) plant community changes, including persistence of post-fire seeding and presence of non-native species, and (3) and fuel dynamics. Each objective resulted in a separate study and publication. Abstracts summarizing each objective studied are presented below. (1) Simulating post-wildfire forest trajectories under alternative climate and management scenarios. (2) Pre-fire fuel reduction treatments influence plant communities and exotic species 9 years after a large wildfire. (3) Pre-wildfire fuel reduction treatments result in more resilient forest structure a decade …

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Experimental Determination Of Secondary Organic Aerosol Production From Biomass Combustion, Jeffrey Collett, Allen Robinson, Timothy Larson, Sonia Kreidenweis, Bret Schichtel Jan 2013

Experimental Determination Of Secondary Organic Aerosol Production From Biomass Combustion, Jeffrey Collett, Allen Robinson, Timothy Larson, Sonia Kreidenweis, Bret Schichtel

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

This project, a collaboration between Colorado State University (CSU), Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), the University of Washington (UW), and the National Park Service (NPS), investigated the atmospheric aging of biomass burning plumes in order to examine changes in both primary particle emissions and the production of additional, secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Included in the project were chamber studies to directly study smoke aging as well as analyses of ambient samples to look for evidence of smoke aging and SOA formation in the ambient atmosphere. CMU conducted smog chamber studies to investigate the atmospheric evolution of fine particle and organic aerosol …

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Fire And Fish Dynamics In A Changing Climate: Broad- And Local-Scale Effects Of Fire-Induced Water Temperature Changes On Native And Nonnative Fish Communities, Michael K. Young, Lisa Eby, Lisa Holsinger, Daniel J. Isaak, Robert E. Keane Jan 2013

Fire And Fish Dynamics In A Changing Climate: Broad- And Local-Scale Effects Of Fire-Induced Water Temperature Changes On Native And Nonnative Fish Communities, Michael K. Young, Lisa Eby, Lisa Holsinger, Daniel J. Isaak, Robert E. Keane

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Fire is a key natural disturbance that affects the distribution and abundance of native fishes in the Rocky Mountain West. In the absence of migratory individuals from undisturbed portions of a watershed, persistence of native fish populations depends on the conditions of the post-fire stream environment. Stream temperatures typically warm after fire, and remain elevated until riparian vegetation recovers. An additional threat to native species is that nonnative fishes have invaded many waters, and these species tolerate or prefer warmer water temperatures. Thus, forecasting the long-term effects of fire on native fish populations requires an understanding of fire dynamics (size, …

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