Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Wood Shreds On Post-Fire Erosion,
2012
USDA Forest Service
Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Wood Shreds On Post-Fire Erosion, Peter R. Robichaud, Randy B. Foltz, Charles G. Showers, James S. Groenier, Rory Sternke, Louise E. Ashmun, Robert E. Brown, Peter Jordan
Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports
Agricultural straw mulching is a commonly used post-fire hillslope erosion control treatment that is aerially applied by helicopter. While widely used and reasonably effective at reducing erosion, agricultural straw is not native to the forest environment. There is a growing consensus among Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams that mulch made from native forest material would be preferable to agricultural straw. Wood shred mulch made from post-fire road hazard trees is an alternative to agricultural straw. An optimized blend of sizes of wood shreds was effective in reducing sediment yields in both indoor rainfall simulation and outdoor field experiments. Several …
Identification Of Necessary Conditions For Arctic Transport Of Smoke From United States Fires,
2012
U.S. Forest Service
Identification Of Necessary Conditions For Arctic Transport Of Smoke From United States Fires, Narasimhan K. Larkin, Jennifer L. Dewinter, Tara M. Strand, Steven G. Brown, Sean M. Brown, Sean M. Raffuse, Jonathan Callahan, Kenneth J. Craig, Robert C. Solomon, Hilary R. Hafner
Joint Fire Science Program Research Project Reports
The deposition of black carbon (BC), a dark absorbing aerosol, is a significant contributor to observed warming trends in the Arctic (Hansen and Nazarenko, 2004; Jacobson et al., 2007). Biomass burning outside of the Arctic, including wildland prescribed fires, is a major potential source of Arctic BC. Therefore, limiting or eliminating spring prescribed burning has been suggested to Congress as a BC reduction technique (e.g., Zender, 2007). However, there are large uncertainties in the current estimates of the sources, source regions, and transport and transformation pathways of BC transported to the Arctic region (Shindell et al., 2008; Hegg et al., …
Timber Talk, Vol. 50, No. 4, November 1, 2012,
2012
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Timber Talk, Vol. 50, No. 4, November 1, 2012
Timber Talk: Nebraska Forest Industry Newsletter
Lumber Market News ; Hardwood Lumber Price Trends—Green; Hardwood Lumber Price Trends—Kiln Dried.; Wood Products: Good for the Environment; Opening Faces; Sawing For Grade Increases Value; Nebraska Forestry Spotlight; The 2 X 4 Revolutionized Construction; The Trading Post; Timber Sales
Knowledge Exchange: A Two-Way Street,
2011
National Interagency Fire Center
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 …
Preparing Tomorrow’S Fire Professionals: Integration Of Education, Training, And Experience Through Science-Management Partnerships,
2011
Gail Wells Communication
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.
After The Fire Is Out,
2011
National Interagency Fire Center
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 …
Study Of Metamerism And Inconstancy Of Basic Color System Used In Wood Grain Laminates,
2011
Western Michigan University
Study Of Metamerism And Inconstancy Of Basic Color System Used In Wood Grain Laminates, Awadhoot Vijaykant Shendye
Masters Theses
In product gravure printing, many spot color inks are used. Because the use of spot colors tends to be customer specific, they are typically mixed in house by the gravure printer to satisfy the requirements of a specific customer order. Printers are often concerned about the best utilization of inks, and their recyclability, if possible, to make the production more sustainable. Spot colors may exhibit metameric behavior. This tendency causes problems in color matching, as these products are viewed in a standardized environment, using light source D50 or D65 , but are viewed under fluorescent lighting at the …
Synthesis Of Knowledge Of Extreme Fire Behavior: Volume I For Fire Managers,
2011
Northwest Interagency Coordination Center
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 …
Improved Understanding Of Climate-Fi Re Relationships
Along North America’S Pacifi C Coast,
2011
US Forest Service
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,
2011
US Forest Service
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,
2011
US Forest Service
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,
2011
US Forest Service
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,
2011
US Forest Service
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,
2011
US Forest Service
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,
2011
US Forest Service
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,
2011
US Forest Service
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,
2011
US Forest Service
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?,
2011
US Forest Service
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,
2011
US Forest Sercive
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,
2011
US Forest Service
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 …
