Past Consortium Events

SWFSC Main Page What is the SWFSC? Partners Newsletters Spring 2012 Winter 2012 Fall 2011 Summer 2011 Spring 2011 Winter 2011 Fall 2010 Summer 2010 Spring 2010 Calendar of Events Events & Webinars Upcoming Past Outreach Materials Protecting Old Trees from Prescribed Burning Fact Sheet: Methods for Estimating Surface Live Fuel Loading Join our mailing list   First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM) Presenter: Duncan Lutes (RMRS Fire Modeling Institute, Missoula, MT) FOFEM is a computer program for predicting first order fire effects including tree mortality, fuel consumption, smoke production, and soil heating caused by prescribed fire or wildfire. In this webinar you will learn about the FOFEM algorithms, how to prepare the input data, run the tool and interpret outputs. Learn more at: www.firelab.org/science-applications/fire-fuel/111-fofem Listen to a recording here. LANDFIRE Total Fuel Change Tool Presenters: Tobin Smail & Charley Martin, US Geological Survey The LANDFIRE Total Fuel Change Tool (LFTFC) allows users to edit LANDFIRE fuels attributes and associated layers directly with an ArcMap Toolbar. This webinar provides an overview of LFTFC’s capabilities to edit and add rule sets for changing fuel attributes based on existing vegetation type (EVT), existing vegetation cover (EVC), existing vegetation height (EVH), biophysical settings (BPS), and disturbance which are GIS layers that are downloadable from LANDFIRE (www.landfire.gov). Fuel characteristics can be updated for both surface and canopy fuels and graphs can be created for easy interpretation. Listen to a recording here. Southwest Fire Ecology Conference "Fire, Landscapes, Wildlife & People: Building Alliances for Restoring Ecosystem Resilience" The conference was a tremendous success. We will post links to information from the conference as soon as we can. Thank you to all those to sponsored, organized, presented, or participated in the conference. Webinar: LANDFIRE Data Access Tool 12pm to 1pm mountain standard time, Wednesday, February 15th, 2012 Presenters: Chris Toney (US Forest Service, RMRS/LANDFIRE Project)                Jeff Jones (RMRS Wildland Fire Management RD&A, Whitefish, MT) The LANDFIRE Data Access Tool (LFDAT) allows users to download LANDFIRE layers from the data distribution site directly into ArcMap. The download extent is defined by the user within ArcMap. The tool allows the user to: Re‐project LANDFIRE data into locally used projections; Create & download a Landscape (lcp) file for use with FlamMap & FARSITE; Deconstruct an lcp file to create individual ArcGrids; and Join attribute data to ArcGrids. In the webinar you will learn how to access, install, and use LFDAT. Learn more at: www.landfire.gov/datatool.php Listen to a recording here. Webinar: Hydrologic Impacts of High Severity Wildfire: Learning from the Past and Preparing for the Future Fires are increasing in size, frequency, and severity. Simultaneously, development continues in the wildland-urban interface and the number of people living in or visiting forest areas is growing. Understanding the post-fire hydrologic response of watersheds as observed on the Schultz Fire of 2010, is paramount for effective risk management and mitigation of post-fire hydrologic and geomorphic hazards. Equally important is educating communities that are at high-risk for post-fire flooding and sedimentation hazards. This presentation encompasses research on hydrologic and geomorphic impacts of past fires such as the Schultz Fire, a real-time perspective on recent post-fire hazards and mitigation (including the 2010 Schultz Fire and others) and identifies some high-risk areas where opportunity exists to educate and prepare the public for post-fire hazards before the flames. Listen to a recording here. Paper: Wildfire, rain, and floods: A case study of the June 2010 Schultz wildfire, Flagstaff, Arizona Papers from Fire effects on soil properties: proceedings of the 3rd international meeting of fire effects on soil properties: Post-fire rill and gully formation, Schultz Fire 2010, Arizona, USA Depositional characteristics of post-fire flooding following the Schultz Fire Rock gabion, rock armoring, and culvert treatments contributing to and reducing erosion during post-wildfire flooding, Schultz Fire Geomorphic aspects of post-fire soil erosion, Schultz Fire 2010 Carbon and water balances of southwestern ponderosa pine forests In this webinar Dr. Thomas Kolb summarized the key findings of a six-year study of impacts of intense fire and fuel-reduction thinning on the carbon and water balances of ponderosa pine forests in Arizona. The results should be of interest to fire and forest managers and climate change scientists who want more information about impacts of disturbance on forest carbon sequestration, and to water managers and hydrologists who want more information on impacts of forest disturbance on downstream water supply. Listen to a recording here. Fuel Treatment Effectiveness on the Wallow Fire A small team was assembled to work with the Apache-Sitgreave National Forest and local partners to assess the effects of the fuel treatments and compile a report with the findings. The report "How Fuel Treatments Saved Homes from the 2011 Wallow Fire" was the product of this effort. Personnel from the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and the Southwestern Region Office will talk about the effects of fuel treatments and communities affected by the Wallow Fire. Listen to a recording here. Report:How Fuel Treatments Saved Homes from the Wallow Fire Fire history and age structure patterns at landscape scales Top-down regional climate patterns result in high spatial fire synchrony among Southwest forests. At landscape scales, however bottom-up (topography) patterns are also important in determining fire history and tree age structure variability. The distinct fire histories from these two study areas provided natural age structure experiments that indicated tree age cohorts occurred during periods of reduced fire frequencies. In some instances these periods were likely caused by climatic variability creating synchronous age cohorts across the region. At other times, extended fire intervals were a function of local topography. Overall, these studies demonstrated that landscape and climatic variations combine to produce complex spatial and temporal variations in fire history and tree age structures. Iniguez et al. 2009. Spatially and temporally variable fire regime Rincon Peak, Arizona, US. Iniguez et al. 2008. Topography affected landscape fire history patterns in southern Arizona, USA. A recording of the webinar with audio Santa Fe Watershed Forum and Field Trip A large and diverse group of collaborators has successfully initiated restoration of ponderosa pine forests in the Santa Fe municipal watershed, which provides up to 50% of Santa Fe's water. Follow-up prescribed fire treatments within sight of the state capital building have been successful in-part due to continuing outreach to maintain high levels of public support. The goal of this forum and field trip was to share lessons learned and the science behind the ongoing restoration efforts in the Santa Fe Watershed to managers in other municipal watersheds at high risk of catastrophic fire. Presentations from the field trip are available here Fuels Treatment Practices for Mixed Conifer Forests in the Southwest The webinar covered the guide’s definition of mixed conifer, past land use and management activities, fire regimes and historic conditions, and impact of altered fire regimes in mixed conifer forests of the southwest. Since Euro-American settlement, many mixed conifer forests have become more homogeneous and can therefore facilitate larger, higher-severity fires than those that occurred historically. Increasing heterogeneity in mixed conifer forests at the landscape scale to approximate historic conditions is important for achieving many management objectives, from fuel reduction to wildlife habitat. Dr. Evans also discussed effectiveness and impacts of different fuels treatment techniques such as prescribed fire, silvicultural treatments, and combinations of cutting and burning in mixed conifer forests. The Guide also draws on interviews with 75 managers and experts and the webinar included the synthesis of their insights into the impediments to management and ways of overcoming them. For example, smoke management and wildlife habitat protections are two common issues that can make treatments more complicated, though not impossible. The report is available for download here online discussion group focused on mixed conifer fuel treatments for questions, comments, and suggestions at: groups.google.com/group/mixed-conifer A recording of the webinar with audio Southwest Climate Change Initiative Marcos Robles of the The Nature Conservancy presented information from the Southwest Climate Change Initiative. The Initiative is a collaborative effort started by The Nature Conservancy in 2008 to provide climate science information to natural resource managers in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah so that they can begin responding to climate change. First, Marcos presented the results of a regional climate change assessment where TNC has evaluated the effects of recent temperature change on from 1951-2006 on major habitats and species across Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. Major habitats are current vegetation grouped into plant communities with a common set of dominant plants, regional climate, and disturbance regimes. TNC has also characterize habitats by the number of species of conservation concern that are found within them. Species of conservation concern are those species listed under the Endangered Species Act or those species with a global conservation status of critically imperiled, imperiled or vulnerable. Second, Marcos presented the results from two landscape sites in the Southwest, the Four Forest Restoration Initiative Area in Arizona and the Jemez Mountains in New Mexico, where managers and scientists have initiated planning activities to adjust fire management strategies given what is known about climate change impacts. The regional report is available for download here: http://azconservation.org The landscape site reports are available here: http://nmconservation.org A recording of the webinar with audio Southwest Interagency Fuels Workshop Facilitated discussions, presentations, and workshops on restoration and fuels treatments in southwestern vegetation types. Presentations are available here. Effectiveness of post-fire seeding and herbicide treatments to battle cheatgrass in Zion National Park Fine fuels from non-native, annual brome grasses have overcome native plants across much of Zion Canyon in Zion National Park. This invasion threatens the single road that provides access into—and escape from—the canyon, creating a threat to human life should a large wildfire occur there. In addition, native riparian plant communities in Zion Canyon have been degraded by non-native plants, and recurrent fire caused by annual grasses could further reduce native plant diversity. Results from this study suggest that burning can have a more lasting effect than annual mowing in reducing fine fuel loads, extending the period between repeated maintenance treatments. When burning is coupled with fall herbicide application, added control can extend the maintenance interval even further through reduction of brome grass density Webinar Presentation A recording of the webinar with audio 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

 

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