Other Forestry and Forest Sciences Commons^™

A General Target For Mvps: Unsupported And Unnecessary, Curtis H. Flather, Gregory D. Hayward, Steven R. Beissinger, Philip A. Stephens

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

In a recent article in TREE [1], we reviewed evidence for a consistent standardized estimate of minimum viable populations (MVPs) across taxa [2–4] and found that the universal MVP of 5000 adults advocated by Traill et al. [5] was unsupported by reanalyses of their data. We identified shortcomings in the original analyses, and found substantial uncertainty in standardized MVP estimates, both within populations of the same species and among species. We concluded that neither data nor theory supported a generally applicable MVP.

No evidence refuting the technical problems that we identified in their original analyzes was presented by Brook …

But Does It Work? The Impact Of Social Media Use On Interpretive Outcomes And Place Attachments At San Francisco Bay Area Parks, Eric Knackmuhs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many parks are now using social media sites to connect with visitors but little is known about how effective these efforts have been. This study examined the influence of social media use on interpretive outcomes and place attachment. Visitors to four parks in the San Francisco Bay Area were surveyed twice, once as they exited the park (n = 529) and a second time via email (n = 216) six to ten weeks after visiting. In both surveys, respondents were asked how they use social media to experience parks and to what extent they experienced interpretive outcomes (intellectual and emotional …

Analyzing Spring Freeze Impacts On Deciduous Forest Productivity Using Modis Satellite Imagery, Karl Lintvedt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The impacts of an April 2007 spring freeze event on the productivity of deciduous broadleaf forest were analyzed using geographic information system (GIS) tools. Forest productivity was modeled using the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), as recorded by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite sensor. Measures of spatial autocorrelation were used to quantify the degree of spatial congruence between a map depicting the severity of the freeze event, and maps modeling forest productivity throughout the year. The results show a geographic correlation between the unseasonably low minimum temperatures sustained during the freeze and the unusually low forest productivity that followed. …

Extent Of Coterminous Us Rangelands: Quantifying Implications Of Differing Agency Perspectives, Matthew Clark Reeves, John E. Mitchell

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Rangeland extent is an important factor for evaluating critical indicators of rangeland sustainability. Rangeland areal extent was determined for the coterminous United States in a geospatial framework by evaluating spatially explicit data from the Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools (LANDFIRE) project describing historic and current vegetative composition, average height, and average cover through the viewpoints of the Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program administered by the US Forest Service. Three types of rangelands were differentiated using the NRI definition encompassing rangelands, afforested rangelands, and transitory …

A Comparative Risk Assessment Framework For Wildland Fire Management: The 2010 Cohesive Strategy Science Report, David E. Calkin, Alan Ager, Matthew P. Thompson, Mark A. Finney, Danny C. Lee, Thomas M. Quigley, Charles W. Mchugh, Karin L. Riley, Julie M. Gilbertson-Day

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The FLAME Act of 2009 requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Interior to submit to Congress a Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy. In this report, we explore the general science available for a risk-based approach to fire and fuels management and suggest analyses that may be applied at multiple scales to inform decisionmaking and tradeoff analysis. We discuss scientific strengths and limitations of wildfire risk assessment frameworks, including the benefit of broad scalability as demonstrated by four recent case studies. We further highlight the role of comparative risk assessment, which extends the analysis to …

Classifying And Mapping Diversity In A Species-Poor System: The Mangrove Meta-Community Of Laguna Chacahua National Park, Oaxaca, Mexico, Elizabeth Kay Weisgerber

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Classifying and Mapping Diversity in a Species-Poor System: the mangrove meta-community of Laguna Chacahua National Park, Oaxaca, Mexico

by

Elizabeth Kay Weisgerber

Both field transects and imagery grid plots were analyzed with the goal of creating a community classification map for the mangrove forest of Parque Nacional Lagunas de Chacahua. In total, data was collected in 49 sites throughout the park, recording measures such as DBH, basal area, estimated dominance, frequency, cover and relative dominance. Field locations were marked and georeferenced with a GPS and grid plots overlaid on satellite imagery of the park were generated via a random …

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 …

A Real-Time Risk Assessment Tool Supporting Wildland Fire Decisionmaking, David E. Calkin, Matthew P. Thompson, Mark A. Finney, Kevin D. Hyde

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Development of appropriate management strategies for escaped wildland fires is complex. Fire managers need the ability to identify, in real time, the likelihood that wildfire will affect valuable developed and natural resources (e.g., private structures, public infrastructure, and natural and cultural resources). These determinations help guide where and when aggressive suppression is required to protect values and when fire may be allowed to burn to enhance ecosystem conditions. This article describes the primary components of the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS), a geospatial decision support system developed by the US Forest Service. WFDSS provides state-of-the-art wildfire risk analysis, decision …

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 fire 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.

A ‘Driving Force’ In Developing The Nation’S Forests: The Mcintire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Program., Steven H. Bullard, Perry J. Brown, Catalino A. Blanche, Richard W. Binker, Don H. Thompson

Faculty Publications

The McIntire-Stennis (M-S) Cooperative Forestry Research Program has provided fundamental support for creating and strengthening forestry research and graduate training efforts at colleges and universities across the nation for nearly 50 years. M-S funding has helped produce thousands of forestry scientists and other research professionals, and M-S–supported research has provided critical basic understanding and applied solutions to extend the benefits that flow from forests and related rangelands across the nation over time. The 1962 legislation that created the M-S program authorized funding of up to one-half of the funds appropriated for federal forestry research conducted directly by the USDA. Throughout …

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 …

Performing Pisgah: Endurance Mountain Bikers Generating The National Forest, Cynthia Twyford Fowler

Faculty Scholarship

In Western North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest, the extraordinary performances of endurance athletes imbue public lands with multivocality and sculpt spaces into idealized natures. Endurance mountain bikers generate Pisgah as a meaningful place grounded to specific spaces and particular identities as they perform challenging rides on difficult terrain.

Utilization Of Geographic Information System For Research, Management, And Education In The Natural Resources Management Department At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, David In Yun

Master's Theses

Geographic Information System (GIS) is “an organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information” (ESRI, 1997a). The Natural Resources Management Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, hereafter NRM, was one of the early users of GIS technology. Although GIS was primarily used as an educational tool, it was also used for cataloging and displaying resource information for management planning and research projects. As the computing technology advanced, GIS became more powerful and easier to use. NRM faculty and …

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

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

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 …

Basic Concepts In Forest Valuation And Investment Analysis, Steven H. Bullard, Thomas J. Straka

eBooks

This book was originally intended to supplement lectures in forestry economics at the undergraduate level. It’s currently used for that purpose in ‘Forest Resource Economics’ courses at several universities. The book is also intended, however, to serve as a basic reference for foresters with experience in valuation and investment analysis concepts and methods. It has proven to be a valuable resource in forest valuation and investment analysis workshops for practicing foresters, landowners, and others interested in forestry investments.

Ideal for use in undergraduate and graduate forestry education programs, as well as in forest valuation workshops.

Improved Understanding Of Climate-Fi Re Relationships Along North America’S Pacifi C Coast, Marjie Brown

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

This research expanded our understanding of the climate/wildfi re relationship by identifying major climate controls and translating them into a practical tool, still under development, that managers can use for planning. The focus was on fi reclimate interactions from southern Oregon to Baja California, with emphasis placed on the infl uence of the Pacifi c North American (PNA) climate pattern. Researchers identifi ed and delineated differences in the way fi re activity responded to climate variability on a regional scale with the intent to improve fi re season forecasts along the Pacifi c coast. Strong correlations were found between certain …

Rising Temperatures Trigger Ecological Changes In The Boreal Forest Of Alaska, Shari Anstedt

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Fundamentally different from the rest of the forest types in the United States, Alaska’s boreal forest covers a signifi cant amount of acreage in an increasingly variable climate. With its high latitude location, predictions reveal that this region will be the first to experience the effects of global climate change. In fact, natives of this region are already dealing with warmer temperatures and a changing landscape. As a result, researchers conducted a study to help gather more information about this area and to better understand the effects of climate change and how those effects influence fire and fuels management. An …

Mastication On Red Mountain: Investigating Fuel Loads And Fire Effects, Shari Anstedt

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Although complete fire exclusion is a thing of the past in the Sierra Nevada, fire and fuel managers must still contend with dense forests and higher fuel loads that have built up over time. Controlled fire is a helpful fuel reduction method, but it can be tricky to manage, especially in an area with excessive fuels, or in plantations with trees having smaller diameters and lower crowns, which are more susceptible to heat damage. Mastication can also be a useful fuel treatment and has become a popular alternative, but includes its own set of drawbacks and uncertainties. Since little research …

Assessing Post-Fire Treatment Effects And Burn Severity On The Sandy Loam Soils Of Oregon, Shari Anstedt

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Fire helps reduce dead and accumulated vegetation and enriches the soil by releasing nutrients bound in litter. But when fuel loads are too high and wildfi res burn too hot, problems may arise. A perfect example of this is the 2003 Booth and Bear Butte (B&B) fire in central Oregon, which consumed more than 90,000 acres of mixed conifer forest. On the surface, the effects on trees and vegetation seemed obvious, but what about the wildfi re effects on what we don’t see? How do post-fi re management activities support or impede forest recovery? Furthermore, how were the soils, and …

Ok-Fire: Weather-Based Decision Support For Wildland Fire Management, Shari Anstedt

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

There’s a lot of wildland in Oklahoma—and as a result, a lot of potential for fire. To help prepare for wildfire and perform fi re management activities, land managers previously used weather, fire danger, and smoke management products provided by the Oklahoma Mesonet, the state’s automated weather station network. But unfortunately, the products were not easily found or easy to use, and very little user training was provided. Fire managers also expressed the need for multi-day forecasting capabilities to help anticipate periods of high fire danger and severe wildfi re conditions and to improve pre-burn planning and management. These critical …

Fire History Study Reveals Surprises About Mixed-Pine Ecology In Eastern Upper Michigan, Joy Drohan

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Mixed red and white pine forests in eastern Upper Michigan saw frequent fires, about every 50–60 years, before Euro-American settlement. Post-settlement, the fire cycle has lengthened and forest composition has shifted to include more jack pine and fi re-sensitive deciduous trees, increasing fuel loadings and changing wildlife habitat along the way. In cooperation with researchers and land managers at Seney National Wildlife Refuge, researchers at The Ohio State University are working out details of combining mechanical treatments with prescribed fire to restore mixed-pine forests dominated by red and white pine. In particular, their findings about red pine ecology could change …

Assessing Mechanical Mastication And Thinning-Piling-Burning Treatments On The Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands Of Southwestern Colorado, Shari Anstedt

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

New knowledge of fire regimes in the pinyon-juniper woodlands of the interior western United States has altered management views. Once known as being at low wildfire risk, these woodlands are now at a higher risk for severe wildfires because of high tree densities exacerbated by ongoing drought and region-wide bark beetle (Ips confusus) infestation. To help reduce fuels and fi re hazards and to create defensible space in the wildland urban interface, regional land managers have conducted thinning-piling-burning treatments. Recently, however, a different treatment has been used—mechanical mastication. Although mechanical mastication is typically more cost effective, there is concern about …

Following The Smoke Trail, Jake Delwiche

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Public land administrators and air quality managers need better information on the potential contribution of wildland fires vs. anthropogenic sources on possible exceedances of air quality standards. To obtain more precise information in California, a composite network was established for monitoring ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ammonia (NH3), gaseous nitric acid (HNO3) and particulate matter (PM). The network was located in the Sierra Nevada region of central California. The network provided data for estimates of distribution of air pollutants from urban and agricultural activities, and measured contributions of area wildland fi res on ground levels of pollutants. Information was also …

Fish And Forest Management: Not Necessarily At Odds, Joy Drohan

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Resource managers of lands harboring sensitive aquatic species face tough choices. They could manage forests to reduce their wildfire potential, while possibly harming the sensitive species habitat, or they could leave forests untreated for wildfire, risking an uncharacteristic fire that may drastically alter critical aquatic species habitat. This study sought to develop a decision support framework to help managers understand the potential impacts of fire and resulting disturbances, such as debris flows, in this puzzle. The resulting fish population persistence model, Integrating Forests, Fish, and Fire (IF3), relies on existing geographic information system (GIS) data to discern where human impacts …

Can Archeology Survive A Fire?, Jake Delwiche

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Most public lands include not only natural resource values, but also signifi cant cultural resources from both historic and prehistoric occupation. In some cases, the cultural resources are the reason for establishment of a park or monument. Responsibilities of the managers of these lands include protecting these cultural resources and balancing their protection with protection of the natural resources. This is essential to having a good understanding of the potential effect of fire— whether a prescribed fire or a wildfire—on the cultural resources. A recent scientifi c project funded by the Joint Fire Science Program studied the potential impact of …

Saving The Cypress: Restoring Fire To Rare, At-Risk Species, Christina Frame

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Many populations of Baker and Macnab cypress are dying without signs of regeneration. The Forest Service is currently implementing controlled burning across a range of vegetation types in northern California, but because there is little information about how such treatments will affect rare, endemic plant communities, cypress stands have been excluded from such treatments. However, these fire-adapted species cannot survive extended periods of fire exclusion. To effectively manage the cypress and prevent further decline of the species, land managers need information on factors that promote cypress regeneration. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine if fire is indeed …

Evaluating Bark Beetle And Wildfi Re Dynamics In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Shari Anstedt

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

In the western United States, bark beetle outbreaks are at a record high—and of grave concern to forest managers and other stakeholders. There is a common belief that the high amounts of dead fuels produced by bark beetle infestations increase the chance of active crown fires. However, little is known about how bark beetle outbreaks and wildfire interact, and how that interaction influences the overall ecosystem structure and potential fi re behavior. To better understand bark beetle/wildfire dynamics, a study was conducted in beetle-infested areas of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) in northwestern Wyoming and adjacent portions of Montana and …

A Project In Two Parts: Developing Fire Histories For The Eastern U.S. And Creating A Climate-Based Continental Fire Frequency Model To Fill Data Gaps, Christina Frame

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Tree-ring dated fire scars provide long-term records of fire frequency, giving land managers valuable baseline information about the fire regimes that existed prior to Euro-American settlement. However, for the East, fire history data prove diffi cult to acquire because the generally moister climate of the region causes rapid decay of wood. In an endeavor to fill data gaps, the research team collected fire scar data in the states of Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The second part of the project used this newly collected fi re history data combined with previously collected records to parameterize and calibrate …

Reducing Fuels Through Mulching Treatments: What Are The Ecological Effects?, Christina Frame

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Many areas in the western U.S. are being thinned to reduce fire hazard and spread. Often the most economical solution for the disposal of the thinned biomass is to grind and leave the material onsite. These treatments are assumed to reduce the ability of the forest to carry a crown fire, but the effects of the added material on forest ecosystems are poorly known because such treatments do not have a natural analogue. Managers and the public are interested in understanding the impacts of the addition of this woody material on forest ecosystems so they can evaluate the benefi ts …

Ponderosa Pine Biomass Relationships Vary With Site Treatment And Site Productivity, Joy Drohan

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Allometric equations, which express biomass as a function of tree size, are often used to estimate the amount of fuel in a site’s canopy. Most managers assume that one allometric equation per species is suffi cient, or that any error introduced by extrapolation is irrelevant. This work showed, however, that the allometric biomass relationship for ponderosa pine likely changes over space and time. The researchers concluded that for maximum accuracy, allometric equations for ponderosa pine should account for stand management history and site productivity. Thinned trees replaced their foliage within about 4 years, and 8–10 years post-thinning, growth had stabilized. …