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Full-Text Articles in Wood Science and Pulp, Paper Technology

Burning And Beetles: Why Does Fire Spark Bark Beetle Attack?, Rachel Clark Jan 2009

Burning And Beetles: Why Does Fire Spark Bark Beetle Attack?, Rachel Clark

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Prescribed burning is now a routine technique used in forests. In some cases, these forests have not experienced fi re for decades. Sometimes, prescribed fire can lead to unexpected consequences. In Crater Lake National Park, prescribed burning to restore the mixed conifer forest there began in the late 1970s with unexpected consequences. Eventually researchers, including Jim Agee, determined that bark beetles were inflicting tree damage, and death. Agee’s doctoral student, Dan Perrakis, focused his entire dissertation on trying to understand much more about the connections between fi re, trees, and bark beetles. With Agee, he did a host of interdisciplinary …


Improving A Widely-Used Tree Mortality Model: Better Predictions Change The Landscape, Rachel Clark Jan 2009

Improving A Widely-Used Tree Mortality Model: Better Predictions Change The Landscape, Rachel Clark

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

After wildfire and when planning prescribed burns, those who tend the land must try to predict tree death. Managers and planners need to know the level of fire intensity required to meet tree mortality objectives, decide if and which trees to salvage, and predict future post-fire stand conditions. Models play a vital role in helping take the guesswork out of predicting post-fire tree mortality. One such model—the Ryan and Amman model—is perhaps the most widely used tree mortality model in the United States. It is used in the First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM), BehavePlus, and other similar software programs. …


From Green To Mean: Live Fuels Like To Misbehave, Elise Lequire Jan 2009

From Green To Mean: Live Fuels Like To Misbehave, Elise Lequire

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

In July 1994, a low-intensity surface fire that had been burning on Storm King Mountain in Colorado suddenly intensifi ed, shifting to the shrub canopy and rapidly advancing upslope. Caught off guard, 14 firefi ghters were trapped and lost their lives in the South Canyon Fire. A major contributing factor to this tragedy was lack of awareness of the behavior of fire in live fuels, in this case Gambel oak. Researchers have for decades sought to understand live fuel moisture variability and how it affects the behavior of fi re in carefully controlled laboratory conditions, in prescribed fires, and in …


Using Fire To Manage Invasive Vegetation: The State Of The Art, Elise Lequire Jan 2009

Using Fire To Manage Invasive Vegetation: The State Of The Art, Elise Lequire

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

People have used fire to manipulate the landscape since prehistoric times. The science of using prescribed fire to manage unwanted vegetation is a fairly new phenomenon, and it recently took an important stride forward. Researchers and land managers have compiled a synthesis of the most current knowledge of fire as a tool to manage non-native, invasive plants. The effort began in 2004 with a workshop where about 30 participants were invited to brainstorm the issues, assess the current state of knowledge, and establish the basic principles of the use of fire in the control of weeds. The findings were published …


The Great Lakes Landscape: Understanding Historic And Modern Fire, Rachel Clark Jan 2009

The Great Lakes Landscape: Understanding Historic And Modern Fire, Rachel Clark

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

The Great Lakes region is characterized by diverse ecosystems born of significant glacial activity, a substantial and growing population density characteristic of the east, and until recently, some confusion about how historic and modern fire regimes of the area fit together. Dave Cleland and colleagues used extensive data sources including General Land Offi ce (GLO) Survey data and modern literature to create models and maps that explain how the fire regimes associated with landscape ecosystems have changed from a pre-European era to modern times. They found that historic rotations of forest fires ranged from only a few decades to more …


Fofem: The First-Order Fire Effects Model Adapts To The 21st Century, Marjie Brown Jan 2009

Fofem: The First-Order Fire Effects Model Adapts To The 21st Century, Marjie Brown

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Technology is playing an increasingly pivotal role in the efficiency and effectiveness of fire management. The First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM) is a widely used computer application that predicts the immediate or ‘first-order’ effects of fire: fuel consumption, tree mortality, emissions, and soil heating. FOFEM’s simple operation and comprehensive features have made it a workhorse for fire and resource professionals who need to be able to predict, assess and plan for fire’s effects. Over the last decade FOFEM has undergone several upgrades as developers continue to improve function and expand applicability to meet the growing needs of managers, planners …


Consume 3.0—A Software Tool For Computing Fuel Consumption, Lisa-Natalie Anjozian Jan 2009

Consume 3.0—A Software Tool For Computing Fuel Consumption, Lisa-Natalie Anjozian

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

Knowing when, where and how fire should be applied is critical for land managers planning to use fi re prescriptively for land management goals, or allowing fires ignited naturally to burn. Myriad variables need to be taken into consideration to determine how fire will consume different fuels. Consume, version 3.0 is a user-friendly software that incorporates the Fuel Characteristic Classifi cation System (FCCS) to predict fuel consumption, pollutant emissions, and heat release. A fl exible tool, Consume 3.0 makes these calculations based on fuel loadings, fuel moisture and other environmental factors.


Prevent Or Reduce Fire With Goats: No Kidding!, Rachel Clark Jan 2009

Prevent Or Reduce Fire With Goats: No Kidding!, Rachel Clark

Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)

In the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) methods for reducing fire hazards such as prescribed burns and mechanical thinning, may be less than ideal in terms of effectiveness, let alone in acceptance by community residents. Kathy Voth may be a harbinger of change. Her work with goat herds to reduce and prevent wildfire provides another option for fuel managers. Goats vigorously eat fire prone vegetation like oakbrush, while trampling parts of the area to bare dirt—such areas treated by goats can stop a fire cold. Voth’s results show the promise of using domesticated animals as part of our fire prevention workforce. …


Ecological Effects Of Prescribed Fire Season: A Literature Review And Synthesis For Managers, Eric E. Knapp, Becky L. Estes, Carl N. Skinner Jan 2009

Ecological Effects Of Prescribed Fire Season: A Literature Review And Synthesis For Managers, Eric E. Knapp, Becky L. Estes, Carl N. Skinner

Joint Fire Science Program Synthesis Reports

Prescribed burning may be conducted at times of the year when fires were infrequent historically, leading to concerns about potential adverse effects on vegetation and wildlife. Historical and prescribed fire regimes for different regions in the continental United States were compared and literature on season of prescribed burning synthesized. In regions and vegetation types where considerable differences in fuel consumption exist among burning seasons, the effects of prescribed fire season appears, for many ecological variables, to be driven more by fire-intensity differences among seasons than by phenology or growth stage of organisms at the time of fire. Where fuel consumption …


Synthesis Of Knowledge On The Effects Of Fire And Thinning Treatments On Understory Vegetation In U.S. Dry Forests, Anne M. Bartuszevige, Patricia L. Kennedy Jan 2009

Synthesis Of Knowledge On The Effects Of Fire And Thinning Treatments On Understory Vegetation In U.S. Dry Forests, Anne M. Bartuszevige, Patricia L. Kennedy

Joint Fire Science Program Synthesis Reports

A century of fire exclusion in dry forests across the United States has resulted in high fuel loads and increasing dominance by fire-intolerant vegetation. Federal, state, and private agencies have adopted a goal of managing forests to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire. Forest managers use a variety of tools to create desired conditions within forests; the most common are prescribed fire and mechanical thinning. These two treatments may be used separately or in combination, depending on restoration goals for the forest stand. Before these treatments can be applied, managers must justify their choice by documenting the effects of the …


Synthesis Of Knowledge On The Effects Of Fire And Fire Surrogates On Wildlife In U.S. Dry Forests, Patricia L. Kennedy, Joseph B. Fontaine Jan 2009

Synthesis Of Knowledge On The Effects Of Fire And Fire Surrogates On Wildlife In U.S. Dry Forests, Patricia L. Kennedy, Joseph B. Fontaine

Joint Fire Science Program Synthesis Reports

Dry forests throughout the United States are fire-dependent ecosystems, and much attention has been given to restoring their ecological function. As such, land managers often are tasked with reintroducing fire via prescribed fire, wildland fire use, and fire-surrogate treatments such as thinning and mastication. During planning, managers frequently are expected to anticipate effects of management actions on wildlife species. This document represents a synthesis of existing knowledge on wildlife responses to fire and fire-surrogate treatments, presented in a useful, management-relevant format. Based on scoping meetings and dialogue with public lands managers from throughout the United States, we provide detailed, species-level, …


A Synthesis Of Post-Fire Road Treatments For Baer Teams: Methods, Treatment Effectiveness, And Decisionmaking Tools For Rehabilitation, Randy B. Foltz, Peter R. Robiohaud, Hakjun Rhee Jan 2009

A Synthesis Of Post-Fire Road Treatments For Baer Teams: Methods, Treatment Effectiveness, And Decisionmaking Tools For Rehabilitation, Randy B. Foltz, Peter R. Robiohaud, Hakjun Rhee

Joint Fire Science Program Synthesis Reports

We synthesized post-fire road treatment information to assist BAER specialists in making road rehabilitation decisions. We developed a questionnaire; conducted 30 interviews of BAER team engineers and hydrologists; acquired and analyzed gray literature and other relevant publications; and reviewed road rehabilitation procedures and analysis tools. Post-fire road treatments are implemented if the values at risk warrant the treatment and based on regional characteristics, including the timing of first damaging storm and window of implementation. Post-fire peak flow estimation is important when selecting road treatments. Interview results indicate that USGS methods are used for larger watersheds (>5 mi2) …


Synthesis Of Knowledge On The Effects Of Fire And Thinning Treatments On Understory Vegetation In U.S. Dry Forests, Anne M. Bartuszevige, Patricia L. Kennedy Jan 2009

Synthesis Of Knowledge On The Effects Of Fire And Thinning Treatments On Understory Vegetation In U.S. Dry Forests, Anne M. Bartuszevige, Patricia L. Kennedy

Joint Fire Science Program Synthesis Reports

A century of fire exclusion in dry forests across the United States has resulted in high fuel loads and increasing dominance by fire-intolerant vegetation. Federal, state, and private agencies have adopted a goal of managing forests to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire. Forest managers use a variety of tools to create desired conditions within forests; the most common are prescribed fire and mechanical thinning. These two treatments may be used separately or in combination, depending on restoration goals for the forest stand. Before these treatments can be applied, managers must justify their choice by documenting the effects of the …


Effectiveness Of Fuel Treatments For Mitigating Wildfire Severity: A Manager-Focused Review, Final Report, Philip N. Omi, Erik J. Martinson Jan 2009

Effectiveness Of Fuel Treatments For Mitigating Wildfire Severity: A Manager-Focused Review, Final Report, Philip N. Omi, Erik J. Martinson

Joint Fire Science Program Synthesis Reports

The 2008 Request for Applications from the Joint Fire Science Program called for a synthesis of the extant literature that addresses the effectiveness of fuel treatments. We employed a four‐pronged approach to address this task, including several scoping exercises with land managers, a literature review, a meta‐analysis, and development of an online pictorial database.


A Comprehensive Guide To Fuel Management Practices For Dry Mixed Conifer Forests In The Northwestern United States, Theresa B. Jain, Michael Battaglia, Han-Sup Han, Russell T. Graham, Jeremy S. Fried, Christopher R. Keyes, Jonathan Sandquist Jan 2009

A Comprehensive Guide To Fuel Management Practices For Dry Mixed Conifer Forests In The Northwestern United States, Theresa B. Jain, Michael Battaglia, Han-Sup Han, Russell T. Graham, Jeremy S. Fried, Christopher R. Keyes, Jonathan Sandquist

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

This guide describes the benefits, opportunities, and trade-offs concerning fuel treatments in the dry mixed conifer forests of northern California and the Klamath Mountains, Pacific Northwest Interior, northern and central Rocky Mountains, and Utah. Multiple interacting disturbances and diverse physical settings have created a forest mosaic with historically low- to mixed-severity fire regimes. Analysis of forest inventory data found nearly 80 percent of these forests rate hazardous by at least one measure and 20 to 30 percent rate hazardous by multiple measures. Modeled mechanical treatments designed to mimic what is typically implemented, such as thinning, are effective on less than …


A Comparison Of Fire Severity Patterns In The Late 19th And Early 21st Century In A Mixed Conifer Forest Landscape In The Southern Cascades, Alan H. Taylor, Carl N. Skinner, Becky Estes Jan 2009

A Comparison Of Fire Severity Patterns In The Late 19th And Early 21st Century In A Mixed Conifer Forest Landscape In The Southern Cascades, Alan H. Taylor, Carl N. Skinner, Becky Estes

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

The extent and severity of fires in the United States during the last decade has been remarkable. Since 2002, there has been seven years (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012) when over 2.8 million ha have burned, more than twice the previous decade. The extent of recent fire activity has increased risks to lives and property (Cohen 2008; , biodiversity and species-at-risk (Spies et al. 2006), the timber value of forests (Butry et al. 2001) and forests as a carbon sink (Hurteau et al. 2008, 2011). Although one driver of the increase in fire extent, at least in western …


Validation Of Smoke Transport Models With Airborne And Lidar Experiments, Shawn P. Urbanski, Wei Min Hao, Vladimir Kovalev Jan 2009

Validation Of Smoke Transport Models With Airborne And Lidar Experiments, Shawn P. Urbanski, Wei Min Hao, Vladimir Kovalev

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

This document reports our success in achieving the objectives and accomplishing the deliverables proposed in the project “Validation of Smoke Transport Models with Airborne and Lidar Experiments”. 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 AFP-2008-1, Task 6. The Background section also provides relates the project purpose material on smoke dispersion and air quality forecasting systems. The goal of Section 2 is to illustrate how the accomplished tasks contribute towards the project objective …


A Synthesis Of Post-Fire Road Treatments For Baer Teams: Methods, Treatment Effectiveness, And Decisionmaking Tools For Rehabilitation, Randy B. Foltz, Peter R. Robiochaud, Hakjun Rhee Jan 2009

A Synthesis Of Post-Fire Road Treatments For Baer Teams: Methods, Treatment Effectiveness, And Decisionmaking Tools For Rehabilitation, Randy B. Foltz, Peter R. Robiochaud, Hakjun Rhee

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

We synthesized post-fire road treatment information to assist BAER specialists in making road rehabilitation decisions. We developed a questionnaire; conducted 30 interviews of BAER team engineers and hydrologists; acquired and analyzed gray literature and other relevant publications; and reviewed road rehabilitation procedures and analysis tools. Post-fire road treatments are implemented if the values at risk warrant the treatment and based on regional characteristics, including the timing of first damaging storm and window of implementation. Post-fire peak flow estimation is important when selecting road treatments. Interview results indicate that USGS methods are used for larger watersheds (>5 mi2) and NRCS …


Creating Stand-Level Prescriptions That Integrate Ecological And Fuel Management Objectives Across The Eastern Cascades – A Workshop, John F. Lehmkuhl, Sue Livingston, Karl Halupka, Eric Knapp, John Bailey, Bill Gaines Jan 2009

Creating Stand-Level Prescriptions That Integrate Ecological And Fuel Management Objectives Across The Eastern Cascades – A Workshop, John F. Lehmkuhl, Sue Livingston, Karl Halupka, Eric Knapp, John Bailey, Bill Gaines

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

The primary goal of this workshop was to develop a range of fuel reduction prescriptions that integrate fuel and ecological objectives specifically related to northern spotted owl (NSO) conservation in dry forests of the Cascade Range in eastern Washington and Oregon and northern California. The workshop was held at the Eagle Crest Resort, Redmond, Oregon, from October 13-15, 2009. Over 200 managers and scientists attended from California, Oregon, and Washington. Most (82%) of the 194 people who formally registered for the workshop worked for federal land management, research, or regulatory agencies. The rest were a mix of university faculty and …


Characterizing Lessons Learned From Federal Biomass Removal Projects, Dennia R. Becker, Dalia Abbas, Kathleen E. Halvorsen, Pamela J. Jakes, Sarah M. Mccaffrey, Cassandra Moseley Jan 2009

Characterizing Lessons Learned From Federal Biomass Removal Projects, Dennia R. Becker, Dalia Abbas, Kathleen E. Halvorsen, Pamela J. Jakes, Sarah M. Mccaffrey, Cassandra Moseley

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

The idea of offsetting the costs of wildfire hazardous fuels reduction treatments by selling the biomass removed is appealing. There are however challenges to biomass utilization that impedes progress. For instance, the lack of biomass processing capacity may impede progress in some regions, while in other regions an inconsistent supply of biomass available for wood products markets limits private investment. Despite efforts to increase biomass utilization, uncertainty exists of regarding the characteristics necessary to stimulate biomass utilization, effectiveness of agency and local efforts, and the role of partnerships in building the types of capacity necessary to expedite biomass removal. The …


Delivery And Demonstration Of Surface Wind Simulation Tool For Fire Management Decision Support, Mark Finney, Larry Bradshaw, Bret Butler Jan 2009

Delivery And Demonstration Of Surface Wind Simulation Tool For Fire Management Decision Support, Mark Finney, Larry Bradshaw, Bret Butler

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

One major source of uncertainty in fire behavior predictions is the spatial variation in winds blowing over mountainous terrain. Fire managers have not had access to “real time” predictions of surface wind flow. With the generous support of the JFSP and additional funding from several USDA Forest Service sources a wind simulation tool has been developed and tested. This project had three primary objectives: 1. Support wildland fire incident management teams with surface wind flow simulations. 2. Validate, improve and document the utility of gridded wind as a fire management decision support tool. 3. Produce technical documentation, including a user’s …


Development And Delivery Of Version 2 Of The Fire And Fuels Extension To The Forest Vegetation Simulator, Nicholas Crookston, Stephanie Rebain, Elizabeth Reinhardt, Gary Dixon Jan 2009

Development And Delivery Of Version 2 Of The Fire And Fuels Extension To The Forest Vegetation Simulator, Nicholas Crookston, Stephanie Rebain, Elizabeth Reinhardt, Gary Dixon

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

This project provided for an improved version of the Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FFE-FVS), a program whose original development was largely financed by the JFSP. The program is widely used by JFSP member agencies and several JFSP-sponsored research projects to support analysis at the stand to large landscape spatial scales. New research results rendered version 1 obsolete and experience with the model demonstrated that some parts of it needed to be improved. Equally important are issues regarding support, training, and system usability. We conducted 42 on-site training sessions over the last 4 years and also …


Does Prescribed Burning In Southern Forests Release Significant Amounts Of Mercury To The Atmosphere?, Thomas A. Waldrop, Mac A. Callahn, John A. Stanturf Jan 2009

Does Prescribed Burning In Southern Forests Release Significant Amounts Of Mercury To The Atmosphere?, Thomas A. Waldrop, Mac A. Callahn, John A. Stanturf

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Mercury (Hg) emissions from prescribed fire present a potential impact on air quality that could motivate regulators to further restrict prescribed burning. Atmospheric deposition of Hg (originating from industrial sources) to forests is well documented, and the prescribed burning of two to four million acres per year in the South recycles an unknown (but potentially significant) amount of Hg into the atmosphere and surface waters by volatilization and post-fire runoff. This and other environmental concerns present a significant challenge to local land managers who use prescribed fire. Our objectives were (1) to estimate local and South-wide emission of Hg due …


Effect Of Mechanical Mastication Followed By Prescribed Fire On Mycorrhizas And Hypogeous Fungi In Mixed Hardwood Chaparral, Darlene Southworth, Jennifer Gibson, Jessica Donohue, Jonathan Frank, Kate Wagner, Jason Lambert, Acacia Baldner Jan 2009

Effect Of Mechanical Mastication Followed By Prescribed Fire On Mycorrhizas And Hypogeous Fungi In Mixed Hardwood Chaparral, Darlene Southworth, Jennifer Gibson, Jessica Donohue, Jonathan Frank, Kate Wagner, Jason Lambert, Acacia Baldner

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of mechanical mastication followed by prescribed fire on mycorrhizal fungi and hypogeous sporocarps. A dense fire-prone mixed hardwood-conifer chaparral comprises a significant component of vegetation at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Prescribed burns, as fuel reduction treatments, are limited by air quality restrictions and narrow climatic conditions appropriate for burnings. Brush mastication is a fast and inexpensive tool commonly used by land managers to reduce ladder fuels. However, a dense layer of chipped debris remains, which, when burned, heats the soil more than ladder fuels. The upper layers of mineral soil …


Synthesis Of Knowledge On The Effects Of Fire And Thinning Treatments On Understory Vegetation In U.S. Dry Forests, Anne M. Bartuszevige, Patricia L. Kennedy Jan 2009

Synthesis Of Knowledge On The Effects Of Fire And Thinning Treatments On Understory Vegetation In U.S. Dry Forests, Anne M. Bartuszevige, Patricia L. Kennedy

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

A century of fire exclusion in dry forests across the United States has resulted in high fuel loads and increasing dominance by fire-intolerant vegetation. Federal, state, and private agencies have adopted a goal of managing forests to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire. Forest managers use a variety of tools to create desired conditions within forests; the most common are prescribed fire and mechanical thinning. These two treatments may be used separately or in combination, depending on restoration goals for the forest stand. Before these treatments can be applied, managers must justify their choice by documenting the effects of the …


Synthesis Of Knowledge On The Effects Of Fire And Fire Surrogates On Wildlife In U.S. Dry Forests, Patricia L. Kennedy, Joseph B. Fontaine Jan 2009

Synthesis Of Knowledge On The Effects Of Fire And Fire Surrogates On Wildlife In U.S. Dry Forests, Patricia L. Kennedy, Joseph B. Fontaine

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Dry forests throughout the United States are fire-dependent ecosystems, and much attention has been given to restoring their ecological function. As such, land managers often are tasked with reintroducing fire via prescribed fire, wildland fire use, and fire-surrogate treatments such as thinning and mastication. During planning, managers frequently are expected to anticipate effects of management actions on wildlife species. This document represents a synthesis of existing knowledge on wildlife responses to fire and fire-surrogate treatments, presented in a useful, management-relevant format. Based on scoping meetings and dialogue with public lands managers from throughout the United States, we provide detailed, species-level, …


Effects Of Prescribed Fire On Biological Soil Crusts And Their Subsequent Recovery In A Great Basin Juniper Woodland, Steven D. Warren, Larry L. St.Clair, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Paul Kugrens Jan 2009

Effects Of Prescribed Fire On Biological Soil Crusts And Their Subsequent Recovery In A Great Basin Juniper Woodland, Steven D. Warren, Larry L. St.Clair, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Paul Kugrens

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

A prescribed burn was conducted in a juniper woodland approximately 40 km south of Tooele, Utah on 05 October 2006. Conditions were sub-optimal, and the fire did not encroach into mid- or late-successional areas; only the early-successional area burned successfully. This study evaluated the effects of the prescribed burn on biological soil crusts that occupy the soil surface and are important for soil stability, soil nutrient cycling, and the germination and survival of vascular plants. Biological soil crusts are composed primarily of cyanobacteria, green algae, lichens and mosses. Mosses were rare under juniper trees, so the effects of the fire …


Effects Of Fuels/Fire Risk Reduction Treatments Using Hydro-Mow Or Thinning On Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystem Components Within The Wildland-Urbaninterface., Gerard J. Gottfried, Steven T. Overby, Philip A. Kemp, Cara Macmillan Jan 2009

Effects Of Fuels/Fire Risk Reduction Treatments Using Hydro-Mow Or Thinning On Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystem Components Within The Wildland-Urbaninterface., Gerard J. Gottfried, Steven T. Overby, Philip A. Kemp, Cara Macmillan

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Pinyon-juniper woodlands are a dominant vegetation type throughout the Interior West on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the USDI Bureau of Land Management. The woodlands have traditionally been viewed as having a low risk of wildfires because of the lack of a continuous and dense ground cover and low tree stand densities. However, stand densities are often high and are increasing in many areas and wildfires, often resulting in loss of lives and property, will occur under conditions of low humidity, high temperatures and wind speeds, and an ignition source. Woodlands commonly surround or are adjacent to …


Ecological Effects Of Prescribed Fire Season: A Literature Review And Synthesis For Managers, Eric Knapp, Becky Estes, Carl N. Skinner Jan 2009

Ecological Effects Of Prescribed Fire Season: A Literature Review And Synthesis For Managers, Eric Knapp, Becky Estes, Carl N. Skinner

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

Prescribed burning may be conducted at times of the year when fires were infrequent historically, leading to concerns about potential adverse effects on vegetation and wildlife. Historical and prescribed fire regimes for different regions in the continental United States were compared and literature on season of prescribed burning synthesized. In regions and vegetation types where considerable differences in fuel consumption exist among burning seasons, the effects of prescribed fire season appears, for many ecological variables, to be driven more by fire-intensity differences among seasons than by phenology or growth stage of organisms at the time of fire. Where fuel consumption …


Epidemic Southern Pine Beetle Attacks: A Problem Of Fuel-Loading Or An Opportunity For Management?, Thomas A. Waldrop, G. Geoffrey Wang, Knight Cox Jan 2009

Epidemic Southern Pine Beetle Attacks: A Problem Of Fuel-Loading Or An Opportunity For Management?, Thomas A. Waldrop, G. Geoffrey Wang, Knight Cox

Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports

The Piedmont Region of South Carolina experienced one of the heaviest attacks of southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis Zimm.) in history during the early part of this decade. Managers with both commercial objectives and restoration objectives needed information on how prescribed burning or mechanical treatments can be used to reduce the heavy fuels resulting from these attacks, without neglecting their primary management objectives. Prescribed burning is of concern because intensities are expected to be high and fires may damage soils, neighboring trees, or target vegetation. Methods of predicting fire behavior and fuel consumption are unavailable. Mechanical treatments will reduce fuels …