Using Lidar To Validate And Strengthen A Long-Range
Smoke Transport Model For Air Quality Forecasting,
2010
US Forest Service
Using Lidar To Validate And Strengthen A Long-Range Smoke Transport Model For Air Quality Forecasting, Joy Drohan
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Researchers have explored the potential and limitations of using lidar, the remote sensing instrument, to provide information on smoke plume dynamics and optical properties. They used a scanning lidar in the smoke-polluted atmospheres near wildfires and prescribed fires to measure the height, dynamics, and three-dimensional dispersion of smoke plumes and the temporal and spatial variations of the optical properties of the smoke particulates. The team has developed and refi ned a measurement methodology and data processing techniques for analysis of data collected from smoky atmospheres by lidar and auxiliary instruments within the smoke-polluted area. They developed, validated, and improved lidar …
Frequencies, Lasers, And Wavelengths: A Quest For Affordable, Landscape Scale Remote Sensing,
2010
US Forest Service
Frequencies, Lasers, And Wavelengths: A Quest For Affordable, Landscape Scale Remote Sensing, Marjie Brown
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
New developments in high-resolution remote sensing systems have demonstrated the potential for generating direct, more accurate, and efficient estimates of fuels and the vegetation characteristics that influence fire behavior at the landscape scale. Two of these direct measurement tools are operated from aircraft and known by their acronyms LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and IFSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar). IFSAR is less costly than LIDAR, and unlike LIDAR, IFSAR sees through clouds and smoke. This project sought to evaluate the utility of IFSAR data for characterizing vegetation structure in the chaparral-dominated landscapes typical over much of southern California. The researchers …
Upland Oak Regeneration,
2010
US Forest Service
Upland Oak Regeneration, Elise Lequire
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Along the ridgetops and in the coves of Kentucky’s Cumberland Plateau, oak forests are in a state of transition. Mature oaks still tower over the forest floor and produce acorns that provide nourishment for wildlife. Those acorns also once ensured new generations of oak from seedlings and saplings. Beneath the canopy, however, a fierce competition for light is placing the future of upland oak forests in jeopardy. Once a frequent visitor that cleared the understory, opened the canopy, and allowed sunlight to penetrate to the forest fl oor, fire has been basically absent for nearly a century. Reintroduced as part …
Exploring Patterns Of Burn Severity In The Biscuit Fire In Southwestern Oregon,
2010
US Forest Service
Exploring Patterns Of Burn Severity In The Biscuit Fire In Southwestern Oregon, Joy Drohan
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Large wildfires are important ecologically and economically, but their behavior and effects are not well understood, especially in the Klamath-Siskiyou region, which is characterized by a diversity of conifers and evergreen sprouting hardwoods, steep topography, variable geology, and strong climatic gradients. These studies used new analytical tools to characterize conditions before and after a large wildfire and to analyze those data across the entire landscape of the fire. Some of the general findings may apply to other forest regions, but the details may be unique to southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. The results improve our understanding of how post-fire management …
After A Southern Pine Beetle Epidemic,
2010
US Forest Service
After A Southern Pine Beetle Epidemic, Jake Delwiche
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Southern pine beetles are a serious insect threat to pine forests in the South, from eastern Texas to Virginia. Beetles attack most pine species by boring through the bark of the tree and constructing long, winding tunnels between the bark and the wood, eventually girdling and killing the tree. They also introduce a fungus called “bluestain,” which further damages conductive systems of the tree. After an outbreak, the area of dead standing timber is usually no longer of commercial value. Forest managers are interested in reducing these fuel hot spots, both to allow forest regeneration and to reduce wildfire risk. …
After The Fire, Follow The Nitrogen,
2010
US Forest Service
After The Fire, Follow The Nitrogen, Jake Delwiche
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Nitrogen availability in soils, streams and associated terrestrial and aquatic vegetation can be infl uenced by both wildfi res and prescribed burns, though typically not to the same degree. Extensive research was done on postfire nitrogen dynamics at several mid-altitude coniferous National Forest sites in Idaho. Sites included both wildfi relocations and prescribed burn projects. By measurement of both ammonium (NH4) and nitrate (NO3) levels, researchers documented over time the effects of both high-intensity wildfi res and lower-intensity prescribed burns on nitrogen transformation processes in soil levels, and nitrogen levels in various ecosystem components. Field measurements demonstrated that the soil, …
Tracing The History Of Fire In The Willamette Valley,
2010
US Forest Service
Tracing The History Of Fire In The Willamette Valley, Elise Lequire
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
The Willamette Valley in northwestern Oregon and southwestern Washington is a fertile agricultural region that supports a variety of farming activities. It is also a densely populated region with extensive urban and suburban development, including residences in the wildland/urban interface. Over the millennia, the valley floor has been shaped by numerous forces, including flooding of the Columbia and Willamette rivers, naturally and human-ignited fires, Euro-American forest clearance, and most recently, agriculture. Over the past 18,000 years the regional climate has undergone major changes. From the big chill of the last great Ice Age, to a period of warming that reached …
The Big Comeback: Prefire Understory Plants Return After The Hayman Fire,
2010
US Forest Service
The Big Comeback: Prefire Understory Plants Return After The Hayman Fire, Marjie Brown
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Researchers took advantage of data collected prior to Colorado’s 2002 Hayman Fire to examine the effects of mixedseverity wildfire on understory plant community development during the first five postfire years. Some declines in species richness and cover were observed immediately following fire, but by postfire year five, they met or exceeded prefire levels, even in severely burned areas. Changes in upland community composition, where they were observed, were primarily due to the postfire recruitment of new species (particularly native short-lived forbs), rather than due to a loss of prefire species. While exotic richness and cover generally increased as fire severity …
Challenges To Implementing “Best Available Science”,
2010
US Forest Service
Challenges To Implementing “Best Available Science”, Shari Anstedt
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Interagency wildland fire policy directs manager to apply “best available science” to management plans and activities. But what does “best available science” mean? With a vague defi nition of this concept and few guidelines for delivering or integrating science into management, it can be difficult for scientists to effectively provide managers with the science they need. As a result, valuable information and tools can go unused. To better understand the factors infl uencing research use, principal investigator Vita Wright conducted a literature review, agency meetings, in-depth interviews, and a survey of approximately 500 fi re and fuels specialists and decision …
New Tool Helps With The Tough Post-Fire Decisions,
2010
US Forest Service
New Tool Helps With The Tough Post-Fire Decisions, Jake Delwiche
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
After a wildfire is extinguished, the work is not done. In the U.S., many public natural resource agencies immediately begin considering appropriate post-fire steps. The most widely used system is the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) process. The purpose of BAER is to assess the effects of the fire and to make recommendations for appropriate next steps to protect health and safety, to prevent further loss of property or habitat, and to stabilize the fire area to allow revegetation and appropriate future use. Advanced mapping and measurement tools are available and widely used to define and describe affected areas. Another …
Using Satellite Imagery Analysis Together With Computer Simulation May Improve Burn Severity Mapping,
2010
US Forest Service
Using Satellite Imagery Analysis Together With Computer Simulation May Improve Burn Severity Mapping, Joy Drohan
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
This project compared and contrasted the utility and limitations of satellite-imagery and computer simulation modeling approaches to mapping fire effects and burn severity. The goal was to provide resource managers with tools to more effectively meet burned area rehabilitation objectives and manage fire on landscapes. Using satellite imagery analysis together with simulation modeling may improve burn severity mapping. The results of this study are being integrated into a comprehensive spatially explicit software analysis package for wildfi re and prescribed fire management decision support.
Baer Truth: Fertilization And Yarrow Show Promise For Restoring Vegetation Cover After Fire On The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest,
2010
US Forest Service
Baer Truth: Fertilization And Yarrow Show Promise For Restoring Vegetation Cover After Fire On The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Marjie Brown
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
For this study, researchers tested the effectiveness of seeding and fertilization treatments for increasing total live plant cover and reducing bare soil during the first 2 years following wildfire in dry mixed-conifer forests of north-central Washington state. Results suggest that fertilization treatments can increase the effectiveness of seeding treatments and stimulate regrowth of surviving native vegetation after fire, particularly in forest types with understory vegetation dominated by species that resprout. Yarrow seed was a surprising performer, especially in combination with fertilization. Effectiveness of treatments varied greatly depending on site characteristics that included elevation, precipitation and postfi re plant survival.
Baer Truth: Fertilization And Yarrow Show Promise For Restoring Vegetation Cover After Fire On The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest,
2010
US Forest Service
Baer Truth: Fertilization And Yarrow Show Promise For Restoring Vegetation Cover After Fire On The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Marjie Brown
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
For this study, researchers tested the effectiveness of seeding and fertilization treatments for increasing total live plant cover and reducing bare soil during the first 2 years following wildfire in dry mixed-conifer forests of north-central Washington state. Results suggest that fertilization treatments can increase the effectiveness of seeding treatments and stimulate regrowth of surviving native vegetation after fire, particularly in forest types with understory vegetation dominated by species that resprout. Yarrow seed was a surprising performer, especially in combination with fertilization. Effectiveness of treatments varied greatly depending on site characteristics that included elevation, precipitation and postfi re plant survival.
Taming Non-Native Grasses In Zion National Park,
2010
US Forest Service
Taming Non-Native Grasses In Zion National Park, Marjie Brown
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Fine fuels from non-native, annual brome grasses have overcome native plants across much of Zion Canyon in Zion National Park. This invasion threatens the single road that provides access into—and escape from—the canyon, creating a threat to human life should a large wildfi re occur there. In addition, native riparian plant communities in Zion Canyon have been degraded by non-native plants, and recurrent fire caused by annual grasses could further reduce native plant diversity. Results from this study suggest that burning can have a more lasting effect than annual mowing in reducing fine fuel loads, extending the period between repeated …
A Need And A Concern: Reducing Fuels In The Riparian Areas Of Southwestern Oregon,
2010
US Forest Service
A Need And A Concern: Reducing Fuels In The Riparian Areas Of Southwestern Oregon, Shari Anstedt
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Sophisticated in composition but small in scale, a riparian area is a fertile ecosystem of various plant and animal species that occurs along watercourses or water bodies. In the Applegate River sub-basin of southwestern Oregon, there is little understanding on how prescribed fi re may affect these areas. According to several studies, fire was historically an important component in some western riparian areas of both intermittent and perennial streams, burning at the same frequency and intensity as the associated upland areas. Due to a lack of supportive documentation and locally-pertinent data and the perception that the complex ecosystems may be …
Reptiles And Amphibians In An Upland Longleaf Pine Forest,
2010
US Forest Service
Reptiles And Amphibians In An Upland Longleaf Pine Forest, Elise Lequire
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Longleaf pine forests are prime real estate for the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker, which nests in cavities in older trees. While researchers and state and federal agencies carefully monitor and encourage the survival of this endangered species, beneath the canopy, a rich diversity of less mobile species abounds. Much attention has been focused on the use of prescribed fire to improve longleaf pine habitat for its own sake, and for the woodpecker. Very little is known about the effects of fi re on the herpetofauna. In the Oakmulgee Ranger District of the Talladega National Forest in Alabama, scientists have measured the …
Going Underground: Studying Fuel Treatment Effects On The Mycorrhizal Community Of Northern California,
2010
US Forest Service
Going Underground: Studying Fuel Treatment Effects On The Mycorrhizal Community Of Northern California, Shari Anstedt
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
On the southeastern edge of the Klamath Mountains in northern California, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area’s low elevation plant communities are characterized by an assortment of oaks and conifers with an understory of dense chaparral. Mechanical mastication of shrubs and small trees has become a popular method of fuels management. Although mastication expands the list of options for fire managers, the ecological impacts and long-term effects are virtually unknown. In particular, mechanical mastication essentially rearranges fuels and leaves behind a dense layer of slash on the ground. Burning this debris can potentially heat the soil and adversely affect the roots of …
Forecast For The Great Basin,
2010
US Forest Service
Forecast For The Great Basin, Elise Lequire
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Across the Great Basin, human activity since the 19th century has altered fire regimes, land-cover patterns, and the distribution of animals and plants in ways that may be irreversible. Expansion of native pinyon and juniper trees and non-native cheatgrass into areas dominated by sagebrush is hypothesized to be increasing the frequency, extent, and severity of wildfi re. Land uses such as grazing by domestic livestock and diversion of water for irrigation have greatly reduced the extent of riparian vegetation that supports many species of birds, butterfl ies, and other animals. For more than 20 years, changes in land cover have …
Managing For Fish And Fire: A Balancing Act In The Gila National Forest,
2010
US Forest Service
Managing For Fish And Fire: A Balancing Act In The Gila National Forest, Elise Lequire
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
The Gila National Forest in southwestern New Mexico harbors two imperiled aquatic species in its mid-to-high elevation streams, the Gila chub and the Gila trout. Modern and historical land use pressures, and the introduction of non-native fishes, have reduced the range of the Gila trout to a handful of headwater streams. The remaining populations are highly fragmented. The Gila National Forest was an early pioneer in the use of naturally ignited wildfire to achieve resource benefi ts. Fish populations can be harmed by fire in some cases, however, even when they have evolved with fire. This occurs when populations dwindle …
Seeing Through The Haze: A Tool For Apportioning Emission Sources For Use In Smoke Management Programs,
2010
US Forest Sercive
Seeing Through The Haze: A Tool For Apportioning Emission Sources For Use In Smoke Management Programs, Christina Frame
Joint Fire Science Program Briefs (2007-2012)
Evidence shows that smoke from fires (wildfi re, controlled burning, and agricultural burning) is contributing signifi cantly to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and haze in many urban and rural areas, affecting health, visibility, and ecosystems. In addition to the primary particulate matter directly emitted by fires, gaseous organic compounds are emitted that transform into “secondary” particulate matter downwind from fires, which contributes notably to PM2.5 and haze. States and tribes are required to implement programs to reduce emissions to meet the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) National Ambient Air Quality Standards and Regional Haze Rule, and central to …
