Search Results:
View article.
Fuel treatments can substantially reduce smoke emission from subsequent wildfires and if located in consideration of meteorological patterns, these fuel treatments can reduce ambient concentrations of PM2.5.
Access workshop resources.
The Conservation Biology Institute, the Great Basin LCC, Oregon State University, and EcoAdapt hosted a workshop that presented a series of decision support tools for land managers in the PNW. You can access the tools discussed at the workshop, from this webpage.
View article.
We demonstrate that fire had differing effects on morphogroups of biocrusts, as crustose lichens were observed to be free of char. Mosses demonstrated char, suggesting that they may have experienced a reduction in cover, but they were not lost from the site, following fire. This finding could benefit studies on the restoration of biocrusts, because biocrusts may not need to be reintroduced to a site following fire. Studies related to the physiology of morphogroups and their susceptibility to fire would add to our understanding of this phenomena.
View article.
Our modeling approach identifies spatial and temporal patterns of wildfire potential and risk, which is critical information to guide decision-making. Because the drivers behind risk shift over time, strategies to mitigate risk may need to account for multiple drivers simultaneously.
Webinar recording.
Dendrochronology: The trees that surround us have a story to tell, yet so many of us have no idea what that story is. What is dendrochronology? How old is the oldest recorded tree? Can trees get scars? Where are some of the oldest forests located? These are just some of the questions we aim to answer with our guest Dr. Justin DeRose, Assistant Professor of Silviculture and Applied Forest Ecology at Utah State University.
Webinar recording.
In 2018, in response to calls from Congress to accelerate cross-boundary fire hazard reduction and improve forest resilience, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) published the Shared Stewardship Strategy (USFS 2018). The document emphasizes partnership with the states, Tribes, and collaborative partners in order to identify priority areas for management, coordinate work across jurisdictions, and leverage diverse capacities. Key aspects of the
Strategy are as follows: 1) working with states to set priorities, particularly through State Forest Action Plans (SFAPs), share in the ownership of risks presented by fire, and coordinate planning and action; 2) using a suite of scientific tools to model and map fire risk, largely through Scenario Investment Planning processes (Ager et al. 2019), to identify the most strategic places to invest in forest management; 3) utilizing tools such as the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA), stewardship contracts, and categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to facilitate and accelerate forest management work; and 4) pursuing other related goals, such as working with stakeholders to develop outcome-based performance indicators, streamline internal agency processes, and expand the use of risk management principles in fire management.
View article.
The Nature Conservancy and the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture have long-term goals to reintroduce fire into U.S. ecosystems at ecologically relevant spatial and temporal scales. Building on decades of collaborative work, a Master Participating Agreement was signed in March 2017 to increase overall fire management capacity through training and education. In October 2017, The Nature Conservancy hosted a cross-boundary fire training, education, research, and restoration-related event for 2 weeks at Sycan Marsh Preserve in Oregon. Eighty people from 15 organizations applied prescribed fire on over 1,200 acres (490 ha). Managers and scientists participated
in the applied learning and training exercise. The exercise was a success; operational and research objectives were met, as indicated by multiagency, multidisciplinary fire research, and effectiveness monitoring. This paper describes a paradigm shift of fire-adapted, cross-boundary, multiagency landscape-scale restoration. Participants integrated adaptive management and translational ecology so that applied controlled burning incorporated
the most up-to-date scientifically informed management decisions. Scientists worked with practitioners to advance their understanding of the challenges being addressed by managers. The model program has stimulated an exponential increase in landscape scale and ecologically relevant dry forest restoration in eastern Oregon. Collaboration between managers and scientists is foundational in the long-term success of fire-adapted restoration. Examples of effects of prescribed fire on ecosystem services in the project area, such as increased resilience of trees in drought years, are also provided.
Webinar recording.
In this deep dive webinar, Dr. Becky Kerns and collaborating scientists will present and synthesize results from a Joint Fire Science funded project aimed at understanding the current and future Ventenata dubia (ventenata) invasion in the Blue Mountains Ecoregion. Wildfires in 2014 and 2015 in the ecoregion reportedly spread in an unusual fashion owing to this invasive annual grass. Concern was raised that ventenata might be a “game-changer” for wildfire. Results from our studies show that ventenata has ecosystem transformation potential and influences landscape-scale fire across the ecoregion. In this webinar we report these findings and the management implications, as well as place our results in the context of other plant invasion research. The webinar includes 90 minutes of scientific presentations with short Q&A, and ends with a 30-minute wrap up and panel discussion. Talks will adhere to the following agenda to allow attendees to join and leave the meeting for specific talks, if desired.
View abstracts.
Abstracts of recent publications on climate change and land management in the West. Prepared by Louisa Evers, Science and Climate Change Coordinator, Bureau of Land Management, Oregon-Washington State Office.
Webinar recording.
The IBHS test chamber is a unique facility to study the effects of wind on fire. The test chamber area is equal to four basketball courts which allows researchers to perform large scale wind and fire tests. The test chamber is equipped with 105 fans that can generate gusty wind ranging from 12 to 120 mph. In this presentation, we will share our experience on creating realistic gusty wind and its effects on full-scale fire tests. Then, we will talk about our ongoing collaborative research projects with USFS, NIST and Cal Fire. Finally, we will describe our role in building codes and public policy.