Fuels & Fuel Treatments

Open book with a bar chart on left page and line graph and lines simulating text on the right page

Cumulative watershed effects of fuel management in the western United States

View synthesis.

This synthesis contains 14 chapters that cover fire and forests, machinery, erosion processes, water yield and quality, soil and riparian impacts, aquatic and landscape effects, and predictive tools and procedures. These chapters provide an overview of our current understanding of the cumulative watershed effects of fuel management in the western United States.

A closed bound booklet with binoculars

Guide for quantifying fuels in sagebrush steppe and juniper woodlands of the Great Basin

View guide.

This guide is based on vegetation and fuels data collected by Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP) researchers at study sites in six states throughout the Great Basin for two years prior to implementing land management treatments. It is divided into four sub-guides (one sagebrush and three woodland) based on regional differences in site physiognomy and ecology: sagebrush steppe, pinyon-juniper, Utah juniper, and western juniper.

A closed bound booklet with binoculars

Pinon and juniper field guide: asking the right questions to select appropriate management actions

View field guide.

This field guide provides substantial evidence that pinon-juniper woodlands have experienced major expansion in their distribution since the late 1800s by encroaching into surrounding landscapes once dominated by shrubs and herbaceous vegetation. Both infilling and expansion affects soil resources, plant community structure and composition, water and nutrient cycles, forage production, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and fire patterns across the landscape. Another impact is the shift from historic fire regimes to larger and more intense wildfires that are increasingly determining the future of this landscape.

Open book with a bar chart on left page and line graph and lines simulating text on the right page

Biology, ecology, and management of western juniper

View synthesis.

This synthesis documents what is known about the history, biology, ecology, and management of western juniper. This synthesis will provide guidance for defining long-term goals, setting management priorities, and developing management plans and strategies related to western juniper. It is separated into six major sections: 1) distribution and history of woodland expansion, 2) life history and biology, 3) ecology; 4) hydrology, 5) restoration and management, and 6) management guidelines.

Open book with lines simulating text on left and right pages

New technology for fuel breaks and green strips in urban interface and wildland areas

View article.

This study used BehavePlus to model fire behavior in fuel breaks created by treating annual grasses with herbicides and releasing perennial bunch grasses. Flame height reductions of up to 90% were possible.

Synthesis/Technical Report icon

Invasive plants and fire in the deserts of North America

View synthesis.

This synthesis discusses that fire can be used to either control invasive species or to restore historical fire regimes. However, the decision to use fire as a management tool must consider the potential interrelationships between fire and invasive species. Historical fire regimes did not occur in the presence of many invasive plants that are currently widespread, and the use of fire may not be a feasible or appropriate management action if fire-tolerant invasive plants are present. The management of fire and invasive plants must be closely integrated for each to be managed effectively.

Narrow your search

Stay Connected