In recent decades white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle, and fire have increased in extent and caused tree mortality across the western USA. This study used long-term monitoring plots to determine mortality of four white pine species in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
Read MoreA recent paper by Scott Stephens and co-authors asserts that conservation of western forests is still possible, and describes sensible, evidence-based strategies to improve forest ecosystem resilience.
Read MoreThis paper provides statistical comparisons of wildfires and Rx burning in the three Sierra Nevada NPS parks and six adjacent USFS forests for the period from 1968 through 2017.
Read MoreUnderstanding post-fire tree mortality is important for planning restoration fire treatments that modify fire behavior and effects and models that reflect multiple spatial and temporal scales are effective tools.
Read MoreDo fuel reduction treatments result in restored conditions that align with those found in historically frequent-fire forests of the west? A recent paper sets out to answer that question by examining the principles behind fuel reduction and forest restoration projects and identifying situations where the two approaches align and where they may diverge.
Read MoreThe study used models to predict fire behavior differences according to two primary factors: mid-story density (i.e. the ladder fuel layer) and live fuel moisture. This is relevant for prescribed burns because both of these factors can be modified when conducting burns.
Read MoreThis article uses field data from two wildfires (the 2015 Rough Fire and 2016 Cedar Fire) that burned in areas of recent severe tree mortality to examine whether and under what conditions the pre-fire tree mortality affected wildfire severity.
Read MoreThis study compares the costs of prescribed fire and thinning treatments while putting treatment costs in the context of treatment effectiveness.
Read MoreRestoration of landscapes affected by uncharacteristically large and severe wildfires in California requires a science-based framework to address a complexity of issues and concerns. The authors describe a set of ecological restoration principles, a landscape assessment process, and a framework for decision-making to plan and implement restoration projects.
Read MoreThis study uses historical patterns of burn windows to predict burn window likelihood to inform prescribed burning planning and budgeting.
Read MoreThis synthesis summarizes six papers that use a variety of methods to reconstruct the historic forest structure and composition of the mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada.
Read MoreEmploying a robust before-after-control-impact (BACI) study design, researchers assessed how thinning in forests altered forest structural conditions in the short- and longer-term in the Sierra Nevada.
Read MoreA variety of terms are applied to changes in ecosystems around the world to describe some aspect of long-lasting changes in plant communities. Here we evaluate a representative list of analogous terms for processes and patterns involved in vegetation type-conversion, highlighting similarities and differences.
Read MoreThis study compares post-drought forests to historical forests to understand if the recent tree mortality event shifted forests closer to or further from resilient conditions.
Photo credit: Historic conditions in a ponderosa pine stand circa 1917. Source: Sierra National Forest Photo HP0313
Read MoreGiven the changing disturbance regimes and climate, there is a critical need to take decisive and extensive actions in the next 1-2 decades to conserve Sierra Nevada forests. This synthesis provides a summary of how climate change and fire are impacting our Sierra Nevada Mixed Conifer forests and how active management can help mitigate some of these impacts.
Read MoreIn this study, researchers examined the effects of backburning operations in a heavily stocked ponderosa pine plantation during the 2012 Mill Fire.
Read MoreOn a burned site in the northeastern Mojave Desert that is conservation-priority habitat for federally listed desert tortoises, a field experiment was conducted to test different treatments for outplanting greenhouse-propagated seedlings of the native perennial brittlebush (Encelia virginensis).
Read MoreAuthors studied the recovery of plant communities, soil properties, soil biocrusts and grass as plant fuel on 31 wildfires in the eastern Mojave Desert that had between 1980 and 2007.
Read MoreNon-native annual grasses, such as red brome (Bromus rubens), have increased the amount and continuity of fine fuels in drylands of the southwestern U.S. Where herbicide is not allowed or may have undesirable non-target effects, one of the alternative treatments that has been proposed and used in more mesic habitats is carbon addition.
Read MoreThe SSPM can help guide management decisions in mixed conifer/ yellow pine forests of the western US/ California that wish to return forests to historical (pre-European) conditions or prepare them for a changing climate and an uncertain future.
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The California Fire Science Consortium is divided into 4 geographic regions and 1 wildland-urban interface (WUI) team. Statewide coordination of this program is based at UC Berkeley.
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This regional Fire Science Exchange is one of 15 regional fire science exchanges.
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