In a nutshell: Learn about the potential uses of biological soil crust sods (biocrust sods) for degraded soils restoration and as fire and fuel breaks in desert environments. Date/Time: Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at 11am AZ / 12 pm Mountain Time Description: Biocrust sods (portable islands of lichens, mosses, cyanobacteria, and other organisms that form …
In a nutshell: Presenters discuss the reactions and resilience of two mesic and xeric species to climate variability in Saguaro National Park to consider what their adaptive patterns may look like under hotter and drier conditions in the near future. Recorded on: Tuesday, June 17, 2025 Description: At the upper elevations of Saguaro National Park, …
Watersheds in the Southwest can be greatly impacted by wildfire events. Read our synthesis to learn about nature-based solutions, case studies, and other resources that can help ameliorate post-fire flooding.
The Southwest Fire Science Consortium has recognized the growing need for science on how to protect the sensitive ecology of the Sonoran Desert from the dual, and related, threats of invasive grass spread and wildfire. We have worked diligently on collaborative efforts aimed at meeting the need of land managers in the Desert. Read the …
Recent research shows that fuel treatments can benefit the understory in southwestern forests. Grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs contribute to the overall health of a forest. What happens to these plants after thinning and prescribed fire? Read our fact sheet to find out!
In a nutshell: In a landscape with increasingly frequent severe wildfires, freshwater ecosystems are emerging as an important part of wildfire management. This presentation touches on the role of beaver dams and their analogs in creating wetlands, the nexus between freshwater systems and fire, and how this information can be utilized to enact policy change …
Read more “Pre- and Post-Fire Impacts of Beaver Dams and Beaver Dam Analogs”
In a nutshell: Dr. Connor Crouch presents on three threats facing quaking aspen in the Southwest – climate, pests and disease, and livestock browse – and three management objectives and strategies that can be implemented to improve aspen resilience and adaptive capacity, leaving attendees with actionable suggestions for resource management. Recorded on: Wednesday, January 22, …
This is the story of the Santa Clara Creek Watershed that serves as the primary water source, cultural identity, and spiritual sanctuary to the Pueblo of Santa Clara. Since 1998, three large wildfires impacted Santa Clara Creek, resulting in largely denuded slopes, exposed soils gave way, and leading to large-scale catastrophic flooding. In the wake …
In a nutshell: Following a severe wildfire, recovery efforts can benefit from using “Engineering With Nature” principles to utilize existing materials on the landscape for slope stabilization, erosion control, and stream restoration. Learn about the successes and lessons learned with these techniques in Santa Clara Canyon, NM after the destructive Las Conchas Fire. Recorded on: …
Read more “Post-Wildfire Recovery Through The Principles of Engineering with Nature”
In a nutshell: Tips for planting trees after severe fire in the Southwest, we learn how microclimates, nurse plants, and biochar impact survival of seedlings. We also learn how these techniques can be scaled-up to improve replanting efforts across an entire landscape. Description: Across the southwestern United States, high-severity wildfire is resulting in increasingly large …
Read more “Increasing Post-Wildfire Planted Seedling Survival”