We have great news to share with everyone: The Southwest Fire Science Consortium proposal has been approved by the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP).Now that funding has been secured we have quite a bit of work ahead of us. We are in the process of hiring a Consortium coordinator and filling out the executive board. We also need volunteers from all the Consortium partners to sit on the review committee. The review committee will help direct the Consortium by identifying topics for workshops, webinars, and field trips. Interested individuals should contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

What is the Southwest Fire Science Consortium? The consortium will be a way for managers, scientists, and policy makers to interact and share science in ways that can effectively move new information to management practices.

• For more background information click here.
• A copy of the proposal is available here.
• Register here to receive updates and information about the SW Fire Science Consortium.

Meetings and Webinars

The SW Fire Science Consortium is planning to host a number of webinar, workshops, and field trips each year.

• New events will be announced soon.

Past Events

• A Synthesis of the Science on Forests and Carbon for U.S. Forests
  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.
  • A Synthesis of the Science on Forests and Carbon for U.S. Forests
  • A general overview of the forest carbon cycle (internet video)
  • Further Reading
  • Webinar Presentation
  • A recording of the webinar with audio
  
  
• Post-wildfire Seeding: Effectiveness, Trends, Manager Perceptions in Forests across the West
  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.
  Click here for a recording of the webinar.
  
  
• Ecological Impact of Mastication, March 2, 2010
  Please join us for a SW Fire Science Consortium webinar. 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.
  
  
• Consortium Workshops
  The workshops focused on creating a final draft of the SW Fire Science Consortium proposal. Workshops also featured presentations by fire science researchers.
  • Jan 12, 2010 Tucson - Agenda
  • Evaluation and diffusion of innovations - Gigi Owens
  • Knowledge Exchange and Technology Transfer - Gregg Garfin 
  • Science Priorities for Managing Buffelgrass Invasion & Altered Wildfire Regime in the Sonoran Desert - Julio Betancourt and others
  • Sky Islands ecosystems and landscapes - Don Falk
    
  
  
  • Jan 14, 2010 Albuquerque - Agenda 
  • Estancia Basin Watershed and Forest Health Experimental Monitoring Project - David Lightfoot and others
  • Hazardous Fuels Treatments& Fire Management - Lann Moore
  • Evaluation of LANDFIRE National Data at the Local Level - Lara Wood-Miller and Peter Rich
  
  
  • Jan 20, 2010 Flagstaff - Agenda