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Presenter: TBA
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The structure of fire size distributions: a broad view of interacting gradients in wilderness management, spatial climate, and topography in three western regions – May 2013
Presenter: Sandra Haire, Haire Laboratory for Landscape Ecology
Determining the effects of land management on fire regime characteristics is complicated by the interaction of several factors that vary in space and time. First, fire size and frequency are linked to climate conditions, including drought, as well as wind and temperature that define weather conditions during burning. Second, topography and fuels influence ignition locations, fire spread, and behavior which play a role in determining fire frequency and size of individual fire events. Last, and importantly, comprehensive records that quantify where and when various management practices including fire suppression and other strategies occurred are not available at regional scales. Given these challenges, we designed our study to examine the scaling of fire size distributions from 1984-2007 along a “wilderness gradient” in three regions: the Southwest, Northern Rockies, and Sierra Nevada. We constructed the gradient to reflect our expectation that fire size distributions in wilderness interiors, or core areas, had the greatest likelihood of being influenced by natural burning practices. Our expectation was met in one region, but not in the other two. The importance of large fires in structuring fire size distributions decreased in wilderness interiors of the Southwest, but the opposite trend was observed in the other two regions. In both the Sierra Nevada and the Southwest, several variables limited the role of large fires across the wilderness gradient. In contrast, topographic and climate/fuel variables worked in concert to increase the importance of large fires in the Northern Rockies. The unique climatic, topographic, and ecosystem characteristics of each region provided a useful context for understanding the dynamics of fire size distributions and important differences among geographic regions. In this webinar, I present our findings with the goal of painting a picture of the multiple, interacting influences which shape fire size distributions within and around western wilderness. Watch recording here!
Determining the effects of land management on fire regime characteristics is complicated by the interaction of several factors that vary in space and time. First, fire size and frequency are linked to climate conditions, including drought, as well as wind and temperature that define weather conditions during burning. Second, topography and fuels influence ignition locations, fire spread, and behavior which play a role in determining fire frequency and size of individual fire events. Last, and importantly, comprehensive records that quantify where and when various management practices including fire suppression and other strategies occurred are not available at regional scales. Given these challenges, we designed our study to examine the scaling of fire size distributions from 1984-2007 along a “wilderness gradient” in three regions: the Southwest, Northern Rockies, and Sierra Nevada. We constructed the gradient to reflect our expectation that fire size distributions in wilderness interiors, or core areas, had the greatest likelihood of being influenced by natural burning practices. Our expectation was met in one region, but not in the other two. The importance of large fires in structuring fire size distributions decreased in wilderness interiors of the Southwest, but the opposite trend was observed in the other two regions. In both the Sierra Nevada and the Southwest, several variables limited the role of large fires across the wilderness gradient. In contrast, topographic and climate/fuel variables worked in concert to increase the importance of large fires in the Northern Rockies. The unique climatic, topographic, and ecosystem characteristics of each region provided a useful context for understanding the dynamics of fire size distributions and important differences among geographic regions. In this webinar, I present our findings with the goal of painting a picture of the multiple, interacting influences which shape fire size distributions within and around western wilderness. Watch recording here!
Impacts of fire hazard assessment and fuel reduction priorities on mega-fire outcomes: A hypothetical test using the Wallow Fire in Arizona– April 2013
Presenter: Amy Waltz, Program Director of Science Delivery, Ecological Restoration Institute
Uncharacteristically large and severe wildfires, or mega-fires, are occurring with increasing frequency over the last decades in the western United States. The 2011 Wallow Fire, a 538,049-acre (217,740-hectare) fire in the conifer forests of eastern Arizona, provided the opportunity to compare the effectiveness of different hypothetical treatment scenarios at reducing fire effects. To evaluate how treatment scenarios based on different values at risk influence landscape-level fire effects, we used FlamMap to model fire behavior under the following priority scenarios: 1) 2010 pre-fire conditions; 2) a Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) priority (based on national priorities) where stands with high fire risk (Fire Program Analysis data) within WUI boundaries were “treated” to produce lower canopy cover and crown bulk density and fire models more indicative of open-canopied conifer forests; 3) a “Restoration Opportunity” priority, where forests stands in frequent-fire systems that exhibited closed canopy and high tree densities occurring across the landscape were treated as above; and 4) a scenario that represented a blend of 2 and 3. Key findings included: 1) Fuel reduction treatments were effective at reducing fire behavior and reducing risk to prioritized values like communities. 2) WUI-only treatments resulted in large, contiguous areas with unchanged crowning potential across the pre-treatment landscape. Continuous fuels in uncharacteristically high loadings continued to support active and passive crowning in 20,000 – 40,000-acre (~8,000 – ~16,000 hectare) blocks with potential losses to ecological integrity in forests adapted to more frequent fire conditions. 3) Fuel reduction treatments simulated at broader scales had bigger impacts on overall reduction of crown fire within the Wallow Fire perimeter. The continued investment of the majority of treatments in the WUI does provide protection for communities; however, our results suggest this strategy alone will not solve continuing ecological degradation from uncharacteristically severe fire on the greater landscape. Watch the recording here!
Uncharacteristically large and severe wildfires, or mega-fires, are occurring with increasing frequency over the last decades in the western United States. The 2011 Wallow Fire, a 538,049-acre (217,740-hectare) fire in the conifer forests of eastern Arizona, provided the opportunity to compare the effectiveness of different hypothetical treatment scenarios at reducing fire effects. To evaluate how treatment scenarios based on different values at risk influence landscape-level fire effects, we used FlamMap to model fire behavior under the following priority scenarios: 1) 2010 pre-fire conditions; 2) a Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) priority (based on national priorities) where stands with high fire risk (Fire Program Analysis data) within WUI boundaries were “treated” to produce lower canopy cover and crown bulk density and fire models more indicative of open-canopied conifer forests; 3) a “Restoration Opportunity” priority, where forests stands in frequent-fire systems that exhibited closed canopy and high tree densities occurring across the landscape were treated as above; and 4) a scenario that represented a blend of 2 and 3. Key findings included: 1) Fuel reduction treatments were effective at reducing fire behavior and reducing risk to prioritized values like communities. 2) WUI-only treatments resulted in large, contiguous areas with unchanged crowning potential across the pre-treatment landscape. Continuous fuels in uncharacteristically high loadings continued to support active and passive crowning in 20,000 – 40,000-acre (~8,000 – ~16,000 hectare) blocks with potential losses to ecological integrity in forests adapted to more frequent fire conditions. 3) Fuel reduction treatments simulated at broader scales had bigger impacts on overall reduction of crown fire within the Wallow Fire perimeter. The continued investment of the majority of treatments in the WUI does provide protection for communities; however, our results suggest this strategy alone will not solve continuing ecological degradation from uncharacteristically severe fire on the greater landscape. Watch the recording here!
Presenter: Chuck Maxwell (Fire Meteorologist, Southwest Coordination Center, Predictive Services)
Chuck Maxwell will discuss how Predictive Services develops seasonal fire potential predictions and what the outlook is this year for the Southwest. Join this webinar to get an inside view of the data and methods that go into fire season predictions, and equally important where the greatest uncertainty is. The webinar will also walk through the outlook for this year’s fire season and include time for questions and answers. Watch recording here!
Chuck Maxwell will discuss how Predictive Services develops seasonal fire potential predictions and what the outlook is this year for the Southwest. Join this webinar to get an inside view of the data and methods that go into fire season predictions, and equally important where the greatest uncertainty is. The webinar will also walk through the outlook for this year’s fire season and include time for questions and answers. Watch recording here!
Implementing the Mexican spotted owl revised recovery plan: Conducting fire management in owl habitat– February 2013
Presenters: Bill Block (USFS RMRS) and Shaula Hedwall (USFWS)
The Mexican Spotted Owl Recovery Plan, First Revision, was released on December 17, 2012. The Recovery Team used the best available science to delineate actions we think are required to recover and protect the owl. This Recovery Plan presents realistic and attainable goals for recovering the owl, involving forest habitat management and vigilant monitoring. The goals are flexible in that they allow local land managers to make site-specific decisions. To accomplish the recovery of the Mexican spotted owl, the recovery strategy has five key elements designed to conserve the subspecies throughout its range: 1) protect existing populations; 2) manage for habitat into the future; 3) manage threats; 4) monitor populations and habitats; and, 5) build partnerships to facilitate recovery. The webinar presentation will briefly summarize all of the components of the plan, but focus on recovery recommendations dealing with fire and fire management. Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
The Mexican Spotted Owl Recovery Plan, First Revision, was released on December 17, 2012. The Recovery Team used the best available science to delineate actions we think are required to recover and protect the owl. This Recovery Plan presents realistic and attainable goals for recovering the owl, involving forest habitat management and vigilant monitoring. The goals are flexible in that they allow local land managers to make site-specific decisions. To accomplish the recovery of the Mexican spotted owl, the recovery strategy has five key elements designed to conserve the subspecies throughout its range: 1) protect existing populations; 2) manage for habitat into the future; 3) manage threats; 4) monitor populations and habitats; and, 5) build partnerships to facilitate recovery. The webinar presentation will briefly summarize all of the components of the plan, but focus on recovery recommendations dealing with fire and fire management. Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Presenter: Park Williams
Dr. Williams will discuss his recent work to derive a forest drought-stress index (FDSI) for the southwestern United States using a comprehensive tree-ring data set representing AD 1000–2007. This FDSI is linked to measures of forest productivity, mortality, bark-beetle outbreak and wildfire. If climate models are accurate, the mean forest drought-stress by the 2050s will exceed that of the most severe droughts in the past 1,000 years. Collectively, the results foreshadow twenty-first-century changes in forest structures and compositions, with transition of forests in the southwestern United States, and perhaps water-limited forests globally, towards distributions unfamiliar to modern civilization. See related publication here. Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Dr. Williams will discuss his recent work to derive a forest drought-stress index (FDSI) for the southwestern United States using a comprehensive tree-ring data set representing AD 1000–2007. This FDSI is linked to measures of forest productivity, mortality, bark-beetle outbreak and wildfire. If climate models are accurate, the mean forest drought-stress by the 2050s will exceed that of the most severe droughts in the past 1,000 years. Collectively, the results foreshadow twenty-first-century changes in forest structures and compositions, with transition of forests in the southwestern United States, and perhaps water-limited forests globally, towards distributions unfamiliar to modern civilization. See related publication here. Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Presenter: Paul Werth
Extreme fire behavior 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. This webinar will summarize the recent JFSP publication that connects the weather, fuel, and topographic factors that contribute to development of extreme fire behavior. See related publication here. Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Extreme fire behavior 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. This webinar will summarize the recent JFSP publication that connects the weather, fuel, and topographic factors that contribute to development of extreme fire behavior. See related publication here. Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Presenter: Kevin Ryan
This webinar will provide an introduction to the new edition of the Rainbow series that provides e fire and land management professionals and policy makers with a greater understanding of the value of cultural resource protection and the methods available to evaluate and mitigate risks to cultural resources.
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
This webinar will provide an introduction to the new edition of the Rainbow series that provides e fire and land management professionals and policy makers with a greater understanding of the value of cultural resource protection and the methods available to evaluate and mitigate risks to cultural resources.
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Presenter: Yeon-Su Kim (Northern Arizona University) and Diane Vosick (Ecological Restoration Institute)
What are the economic values of landscape-level ecological restoration and hazardous fuel treatments? The Ecological Restoration Institute at Northern Arizona University (ERI) assembled a team of wildland fire economists to conduct a rapid evidence-based assessment, as well as to design a timely and efficient way to answer the emerging questions. In this Webinar, we will present some of our preliminary findings and innovations, not just in addressing the sharp increase in fire suppression costs and damages, but more importantly in enhancing natural resource and ecosystem service values.
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
What are the economic values of landscape-level ecological restoration and hazardous fuel treatments? The Ecological Restoration Institute at Northern Arizona University (ERI) assembled a team of wildland fire economists to conduct a rapid evidence-based assessment, as well as to design a timely and efficient way to answer the emerging questions. In this Webinar, we will present some of our preliminary findings and innovations, not just in addressing the sharp increase in fire suppression costs and damages, but more importantly in enhancing natural resource and ecosystem service values.
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Presenter: Vita Wright (Northern Rockies Fire Science Network)
Recent science communication studies of the federal fire management community suggest managers access research via informal information networks, and that these networks vary by both agency and position. We used a phone survey to understand the informal science communication networks of fire professionals in two of the Joint Fire Science Program’s regional knowledge exchange consortia: the Northern Rockies Fire Science Network and the Southwest Fire Science Consortium. In these two regions, we sampled federal and tribal decision makers, fire management officers, fire ecologists, and fuels specialists to determine: 1) who they go to for scientific information about fuels or fire effects science, 2) why they go to these individuals, and 3) how they communicate with these individuals. Informal science communication networks varied by both professional position and information type (fuels vs. fire effects), with fuels specialists being universally important informants about science. In contrast to a broadcast approach to science communication, a more strategic approach based on understanding the characteristics of fire science communication networks is expected to shorten time lags to diffusion.
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Recent science communication studies of the federal fire management community suggest managers access research via informal information networks, and that these networks vary by both agency and position. We used a phone survey to understand the informal science communication networks of fire professionals in two of the Joint Fire Science Program’s regional knowledge exchange consortia: the Northern Rockies Fire Science Network and the Southwest Fire Science Consortium. In these two regions, we sampled federal and tribal decision makers, fire management officers, fire ecologists, and fuels specialists to determine: 1) who they go to for scientific information about fuels or fire effects science, 2) why they go to these individuals, and 3) how they communicate with these individuals. Informal science communication networks varied by both professional position and information type (fuels vs. fire effects), with fuels specialists being universally important informants about science. In contrast to a broadcast approach to science communication, a more strategic approach based on understanding the characteristics of fire science communication networks is expected to shorten time lags to diffusion.
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Presenters: Steve Barrett & Jeff Jones (NIFTT University of Idaho)
The FRCC Mapping Tool quantifies the departure of vegetation conditions and fire regimes from a set of reference conditions representing the historical range of variation. The tool, which operates from an ArcGIS platform, derives several metrics of departure (e.g., vegetation composition and structure, fire severity, and fire frequency) by comparing current conditions to reference conditions. FRCC Mapping Tool outputs can be used to develop management plans and treatment strategies aimed at restoring vegetation conditions and/or disturbance regimes. Learn more at: www.frcc.gov.
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
The FRCC Mapping Tool quantifies the departure of vegetation conditions and fire regimes from a set of reference conditions representing the historical range of variation. The tool, which operates from an ArcGIS platform, derives several metrics of departure (e.g., vegetation composition and structure, fire severity, and fire frequency) by comparing current conditions to reference conditions. FRCC Mapping Tool outputs can be used to develop management plans and treatment strategies aimed at restoring vegetation conditions and/or disturbance regimes. Learn more at: www.frcc.gov.
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Presenter: Kathy Schon (NIFTT University of Idaho)
Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) is an interagency, standardized tool for determining the degree of departure from reference condition vegetation structure and composition and fire regimes.
Listen to a recording of this webinar here.
Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) is an interagency, standardized tool for determining the degree of departure from reference condition vegetation structure and composition and fire regimes.
Listen to a recording of this webinar here.
Presenters: Eva Strand & Josh Hyde (NIFTT University of Idaho)
WFAT provides an interface between ArcMap, FlamMap 5, and the First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM), combining their strengths into a spatial fire behavior and fire effects analysis tool in GIS. In the webinar, you will learn how to use WFAT to locate potential fuel treatment units, develop a prescription for those units, and evaluate the effect of the proposed treatment on potential fire behavior and fire effects. WFAT saves fire managers the time and effort of converting data between multiple formats for use in ArcMap and FlamMap 5, and gives managers the option of using downloadable LANDFIRE layers as their input GIS layers. Learn more at: www.niftt.gov (see NIFTT Tools and User Documents).
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
WFAT provides an interface between ArcMap, FlamMap 5, and the First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM), combining their strengths into a spatial fire behavior and fire effects analysis tool in GIS. In the webinar, you will learn how to use WFAT to locate potential fuel treatment units, develop a prescription for those units, and evaluate the effect of the proposed treatment on potential fire behavior and fire effects. WFAT saves fire managers the time and effort of converting data between multiple formats for use in ArcMap and FlamMap 5, and gives managers the option of using downloadable LANDFIRE layers as their input GIS layers. Learn more at: www.niftt.gov (see NIFTT Tools and User Documents).
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Presenter: Duncan Lutes (RMRS Fire Modeling Institute, Missoula, MT)
FOFEM is a computer program for predicting first order fire effects including tree mortality, fuel consumption, smoke production, and soil heating caused by prescribed fire or wildfire. In this webinar you will learn about the FOFEM algorithms, how to prepare the input data, run the tool and interpret outputs. Learn more at: www.firelab.org/science-applications/fire-fuel/111-fofem
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
FOFEM is a computer program for predicting first order fire effects including tree mortality, fuel consumption, smoke production, and soil heating caused by prescribed fire or wildfire. In this webinar you will learn about the FOFEM algorithms, how to prepare the input data, run the tool and interpret outputs. Learn more at: www.firelab.org/science-applications/fire-fuel/111-fofem
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Presenters: Tobin Smail & Charley Martin (US Geological Survey)
The LANDFIRE Total Fuel Change Tool (LFTFC) allows users to edit LANDFIRE fuels attributes and associated layers directly with an ArcMap Toolbar. This webinar provides an overview of LFTFC’s capabilities to edit and add rule sets for changing fuel attributes based on existing vegetation type (EVT), existing vegetation cover (EVC), existing vegetation height (EVH), biophysical settings (BPS), and disturbance which are GIS layers that are downloadable from LANDFIRE (www.landfire.gov). Fuel characteristics can be updated for both surface and canopy fuels and graphs can be created for easy interpretation.
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
The LANDFIRE Total Fuel Change Tool (LFTFC) allows users to edit LANDFIRE fuels attributes and associated layers directly with an ArcMap Toolbar. This webinar provides an overview of LFTFC’s capabilities to edit and add rule sets for changing fuel attributes based on existing vegetation type (EVT), existing vegetation cover (EVC), existing vegetation height (EVH), biophysical settings (BPS), and disturbance which are GIS layers that are downloadable from LANDFIRE (www.landfire.gov). Fuel characteristics can be updated for both surface and canopy fuels and graphs can be created for easy interpretation.
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Presenters: Chris Toney (US Forest Service, RMRS/LANDFIRE Project)
Jeff Jones (RMRS Wildland Fire Management RD&A, Whitefish, MT)
The LANDFIRE Data Access Tool (LFDAT) allows users to download LANDFIRE layers from the data distribution site directly into ArcMap. The download extent is defined by the user within ArcMap. The tool allows the user to: Re‐project LANDFIRE data into locally used projections; Create & download a Landscape (lcp) file for use with FlamMap & FARSITE; Deconstruct an lcp file to create individual ArcGrids; and Join attribute data to ArcGrids. In the webinar you will learn how to access, install, and use LFDAT. Learn more at: www.landfire.gov/datatool.php
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Jeff Jones (RMRS Wildland Fire Management RD&A, Whitefish, MT)
The LANDFIRE Data Access Tool (LFDAT) allows users to download LANDFIRE layers from the data distribution site directly into ArcMap. The download extent is defined by the user within ArcMap. The tool allows the user to: Re‐project LANDFIRE data into locally used projections; Create & download a Landscape (lcp) file for use with FlamMap & FARSITE; Deconstruct an lcp file to create individual ArcGrids; and Join attribute data to ArcGrids. In the webinar you will learn how to access, install, and use LFDAT. Learn more at: www.landfire.gov/datatool.php
Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
Hydrologic Impacts of High Severity Wildfire: Learning from the Past & Preparing for the Future – January 2012
Presenter: Dan Neary (RMRS)
Fires are increasing in size, frequency, and severity. Simultaneously, development continues in the wildland-urban interface and the number of people living in or visiting forest areas is growing. Understanding the post-fire hydrologic response of watersheds as observed on the Schultz Fire of 2010, is paramount for effective risk management and mitigation of post-fire hydrologic and geomorphic hazards. Equally important is educating communities that are at high-risk for post-fire flooding and sedimentation hazards. This presentation encompasses research on hydrologic and geomorphic impacts of past fires such as the Schultz Fire, a real-time perspective on recent post-fire hazards and mitigation (including the 2010 Schultz Fire and others) and identifies some high-risk areas where opportunity exists to educate and prepare the public for post-fire hazards before the flames.
Fires are increasing in size, frequency, and severity. Simultaneously, development continues in the wildland-urban interface and the number of people living in or visiting forest areas is growing. Understanding the post-fire hydrologic response of watersheds as observed on the Schultz Fire of 2010, is paramount for effective risk management and mitigation of post-fire hydrologic and geomorphic hazards. Equally important is educating communities that are at high-risk for post-fire flooding and sedimentation hazards. This presentation encompasses research on hydrologic and geomorphic impacts of past fires such as the Schultz Fire, a real-time perspective on recent post-fire hazards and mitigation (including the 2010 Schultz Fire and others) and identifies some high-risk areas where opportunity exists to educate and prepare the public for post-fire hazards before the flames.
- Listen to a recording of this webinar here!
- Paper: Wildfire, rain, and floods: A case study of the June 2010 Schultz wildfire, Flagstaff, Arizona
- Papers from Fire effects on soil properties: proceedings of the 3rd international meeting of fire effects on soil properties:
- Post-fire rill and gully formation, Schultz Fire 2010, Arizona, USA
- Depositional characteristics of post-fire flooding following the Schultz Fire
- Rock gabion, rock armoring, and culvert treatments contributing to and reducing erosion during post-wildfire flooding, Schultz Fire
- Geomorphic aspects of post-fire soil erosion, Schultz Fire 2010
Presenter: Thomas Kolb
In this webinar Dr. Thomas Kolb summarized the key findings of a six-year study of impacts of intense fire and fuel-reduction thinning on the carbon and water balances of ponderosa pine forests in Arizona. The results should be of interest to fire and forest managers and climate change scientists who want more information about impacts of disturbance on forest carbon sequestration, and to water managers and hydrologists who want more information on impacts of forest disturbance on downstream water supply.
Listen to a recording of this webinar here.
In this webinar Dr. Thomas Kolb summarized the key findings of a six-year study of impacts of intense fire and fuel-reduction thinning on the carbon and water balances of ponderosa pine forests in Arizona. The results should be of interest to fire and forest managers and climate change scientists who want more information about impacts of disturbance on forest carbon sequestration, and to water managers and hydrologists who want more information on impacts of forest disturbance on downstream water supply.
Listen to a recording of this webinar here.
A small team was assembled to work with the Apache-Sitgreave National Forest and local partners to assess the effects of the fuel treatments and compile a report with the findings. The report “How Fuel Treatments Saved Homes from the 2011 Wallow Fire” was the product of this effort. Personnel from the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and the Southwestern Region Office will talk about the effects of fuel treatments and communities affected by the Wallow Fire.
Top-down regional climate patterns result in high spatial fire synchrony among Southwest forests. At landscape scales, however bottom-up (topography) patterns are also important in determining fire history and tree age structure variability. The distinct fire histories from these two study areas provided natural age structure experiments that indicated tree age cohorts occurred during periods of reduced fire frequencies. In some instances these periods were likely caused by climatic variability creating synchronous age cohorts across the region. At other times, extended fire intervals were a function of local topography. Overall, these studies demonstrated that landscape and climatic variations combine to produce complex spatial and temporal variations in fire history and tree age structures.
The webinar covered the guide’s definition of mixed conifer, past land use and management activities, fire regimes and historic conditions, and impact of altered fire regimes in mixed conifer forests of the southwest. Since Euro-American settlement, many mixed conifer forests have become more homogeneous and can therefore facilitate larger, higher-severity fires than those that occurred historically. Increasing heterogeneity in mixed conifer forests at the landscape scale to approximate historic conditions is important for achieving many management objectives, from fuel reduction to wildlife habitat. Dr. Evans also discussed effectiveness and impacts of different fuels treatment techniques such as prescribed fire, silvicultural treatments, and combinations of cutting and burning in mixed conifer forests. The Guide also draws on interviews with 75 managers and experts and the webinar included the synthesis of their insights into the impediments to management and ways of overcoming them. For example, smoke management and wildlife habitat protections are two common issues that can make treatments more complicated, though not impossible.
- The report is available for download here
- online discussion group focused on mixed conifer fuel treatments for questions, comments, and suggestions at: groups.google.com/group/mixed-conifer
- Listen to a recording of this webinar here.
Marcos Robles of the The Nature Conservancy presented information from the Southwest Climate Change Initiative. The Initiative is a collaborative effort started by The Nature Conservancy in 2008 to provide climate science information to natural resource managers in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah so that they can begin responding to climate change. First, Marcos presented the results of a regional climate change assessment where TNC has evaluated the effects of recent temperature change on from 1951-2006 on major habitats and species across Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. Major habitats are current vegetation grouped into plant communities with a common set of dominant plants, regional climate, and disturbance regimes. TNC has also characterize habitats by the number of species of conservation concern that are found within them. Species of conservation concern are those species listed under the Endangered Species Act or those species with a global conservation status of critically imperiled, imperiled or vulnerable. Second, Marcos presented the results from two landscape sites in the Southwest, the Four Forest Restoration Initiative Area in Arizona and the Jemez Mountains in New Mexico, where managers and scientists have initiated planning activities to adjust fire management strategies given what is known about climate change impacts.
- The regional report is available for download here: http://azconservation.org
- The landscape site reports are available here: http://nmconservation.org
- Listen to a recording of this webinar here.
Effectiveness of post-fire seeding & herbicide treatments to battle cheatgrass in Zion Nat’l Park – February 2011
Dr. Andrea Thode presenting. 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 wildfire 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 maintenance treatments. When burning is coupled with fall herbicide application, added control can extend the maintenance interval even further through reduction of brome grass density
Dr. Mike Ryan, USDA Forest Service Research Forest Ecologist, presented a scientific synthesis of the forest carbon cycle. The synthesis covers the entire US, but Dr. Ryan focused on the western US for this webinar. Forests play a key role in the carbon cycle and their growth and harvested wood products currently offsets 12-19% of U.S. fossil fuel emissions. The cycle of forest growth, death, and regeneration and the use of wood removed from the forest complicate efforts to understand and measure forest carbon pools and flows. The synthesis explains these processes and examines the science behind mechanisms proposed for increasing the amount of carbon stored in forests and using wood to offset fossil fuel use.
Post-wildfire Seeding: Effectiveness, Trends, Manager Perceptions in Forests across the West– June 2010
Dr. Pete Fule presented results from the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) project synthesizing existing information on post-wildfire seeding (JFSP ID 08-2-1-11). The webinar covered key findings from an evidence-based systematic review conducted to examine the effectiveness and effects of post-fire seeding treatments on soil stabilization and plant community recovery in forested ecosystems in the western U.S. In addition, Pete presented results from a review of U.S. Forest Service Burned Area Reports which the team used to determine overall trends in post-fire seeding from 1970-2009. The team’s work also covered the current perceptions of post-wildfire seeding decisions and activities based on interviews and telephone surveys of fire managers.
Listen to a recording of the webinar here.
Listen to a recording of the webinar here.
We are happy to have Dr. Mike Battaglia present results from the Joint Fire Science Project on the Ecological Impact of Mastication. Mike will report on the impact of mastication on the chemical and physical conditions of the forest floor, vegetation regrowth, and fuel development. The study includes 18 sites across four ecosystems of the southern Rocky Mountains and the Colorado Plateau: lodgepole pine, mixed conifer, ponderosa pine, and piñon– juniper. These sites were distributed Colorado and represent treatments across several federal, state, and other land agencies implemented between 2004 and 2006. Results from the study will help managers understand the impacts of the addition of masticated material on forest ecosystems so that they can evaluate the potential benefits and costs of these treatments.
View the powerpoint presentation from the webinar here.
View the powerpoint presentation from the webinar here.
