There are several ways to evaluate fuel treatment effectiveness: observations, case studies, mathematical models, and empirical studies. Within these four categories, there are several methods that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of fuel treatments both immediately after treatment and over time. This paper summarizes the goals, effects, and advantages of various treatment actions; …
This working paper covers three topics to guide treatments in mixed-conifer forests of the Southwest: 1) describes the current knowledge of mixed-conifer historical reference conditions for fire regimes, stand structure, and species composition in the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico and adjacent areas); 2) provides field diagnostics to assess reference conditions; and 3) offers land managers …
Read more “SW Mixed Conifer Forests: Evaluating Reference Conditions to Guide Fuel Treatments”
Presenters: Charlotte Reemts, an Ecologist for the Nature Conservancy and Helen Poulos, Wesleyan University Charlotte and Helen teamed up to present this webinar that connected science and management of fire in the Davis Mountains of west Texas. Three wildfires burned through the pinyon-juniper-oak forests of the Davis Mountains in 2011 and 2012. Fuel treatments (prescribed fire, …
Read more “August 21, 2013: Effects of fuel treatments on wildfire severity”
Vast stands of ponderosa pine stretch across the Gila National Forest, a testament to the role of fire in this corner of the Southwest. For decades, fire managers on the Gila have been reintroducing fire back on to the landscape. This video introduces some of the people behind the story of fire on the Gila National Forest.
Click here for accompanying “The Fire Laboratory” write up containing more detail.
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 …
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 …
A one day field trip to both the White and Donaldson Fires near Ruidoso, New Mexico that reviewed how both fires burned in the same year (2011) with very different effects. We visited unburned and burned areas that received mastication and other fuels treatments, discussed treatments and how they may have affected fire behavior, fire …
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 …
We hosted a one day joint meeting and field trip for the New Mexico Prescribed Fire Council and the New Mexico Interagency Coordinating Group to help bridge the role of the two groups and create an opportunity for sharing of information and building contacts. On the field trip, we took the group to the Chupadera …
This was an interactive workshop with regional scientists and land managers, breakout sessions that allowed for open dialogue with participants and presenters, and time for one on one with presenters and others. Topics covered: The ecology of forests and fire of Northern New Mexico Current conditions in our forests and Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) communities …
Read more “November 2013: Living with Fire in Northern New Mexico: Fire, Forests and Communities”
