Fact Sheets

The expansion of the grass-fire cycle in the deserts of North American is driving ecosystem level transformation from patchy desert scrub to invasive grassland. A novel fire regime in the Sonoran Desert is forcing a new approach to land management. Unprecedented large-scale fires in recent years, especially in 2005 and 2020, have been driven by … Read more “Fire in…

Visualizations like interactive maps, 3D videos, and virtual reality simulations are becoming popular tools for communicating with public and professional audiences about wildfire behavior and risk. Sharing information as visualizations requires careful consideration of how content might affect those who view it, particularly during and after wildfire events when the likelihood of causing or exacerbating … Read more “Using Wildfire…

Existing social inequities lead to unequal impacts to community members when experiencing drought and wildfire in the Southwest. Many of these disparities are not considered or included in the production and distribution of drought data and information. Community Wildfire Protection Plans present an opportunity to address equity and justice issues in wildfire information and planning. … Read more “Centering Equity…

Download a PDF of the Fact Sheet Here or scroll down to learn more. Related Content

Download a PDF of the Fact Sheet Here or scroll down to learn more. Related Content

Download the PDF here or scroll down to learn more about Best Available Science Information (BASI).

Download a PDF of the fact sheet here and read the entire science synthesis report here.

This is part of an ongoing effort to respect tribal sovereignty and treaty rights by supporting tribal use of fire as part of cultural and ecological resilience, and seeks to increase capacities, ameliorate challenges, and share examples that can guide tribes across the Southwest. In 2023, we gathered virtually to explore issues facing tribes relating … Read more “Southwest Tribal…

Fire Moss: Natural colonization and post-fire rehabilitation trials by Henry Grover, Northern Arizona University

Resources for predicting and mitigating smoke impacts of wildland fires PDF. Working Paper 40, August 2018, by Caleb Stotts, Pete Lahm, and Claudia Standish Factsheet also available here. Fact Sheet, August 2018, by Caleb Stotts, Pete Lahm, and Claudia Standish Fire managers use prescribed fire and some wildfires to meet resource management objectives, like restoring and maintaining … Read more “Resources for…

Forest fuel treatments are used by managers for ecological restoration and reducing fire hazard. Due to past management decisions and long-term fire exclusion, forests are more dense and are susceptible to severe wildfires. Fuel treatments aim to reduce the intensity and size of wildfires, increase species diversity, and restore forests to their historical condition. Read … Read more “What is…

This factsheet is a result of graduate research and has not been peer reviewed beyond graduate committee members. by Chris Ives Increasingly large, frequent, and severe fires across the western United States are creating difficult restoration challenges for land managers. Despite the wide use of current fire restoration techniques, many studies have shown little to … Read more “Fire moss…

Although bark beetles are a natural part of the ponderosa pine forest ecosystem, it has been the insect most often associated with widespread tree mortality. Therefore, land managers charged with forest restoration use prescribed fire and thinning treatments to promote healthy and resilient stands. Read more!

The intent of this working paper is to explain the basics of the carbon cycle detailing how much carbon moves through vegetation, water, and soils over time. The paper also summarizes where current science suggests that carbon cycling patterns are most likely to change in the coming years to decades, and how management can influence … Read more “Carbon Cycling…

View fact sheet. Written by Dr. Molly Hunter, February 2011