Fire moss as a tool for post-wildfire ecosystem restoration

This factsheet is a result of graduate research and has not been peer reviewed beyond graduate committee members. by Chris Ives Increasingly large, frequent, and severe fires across the western United States are creating difficult restoration challenges for land managers. Despite the wide use of current fire restoration techniques, many studies have shown little to …

Bark Beetles and Restoration Treatments

Although bark beetles are a natural part of the ponderosa pine forest ecosystem, it has been the insect most often associated with widespread tree mortality. Therefore, land managers charged with forest restoration use prescribed fire and thinning treatments to promote healthy and resilient stands. Read more!

2016 Fire Ecology & Management Conference

Beyond hazardous fuels: Managing fire for social, economic, and ecological benefits Recordings and field trip info now available! This Southwest Regional Fire Ecology and Management Conference occurred in Tucson, Arizona November 28 – December 2, 2016 in partnership with the Association for Fire Ecology. To view recordings of plenary presentations and some others, click here …

2012 Southwest Fire Ecology Conference (AFE)

Together with Humboldt State University and the Association for Fire Ecology, the Southwest Fire Science Consortium hosted the Southwest Fire Ecology Conference, “Fire Landscapes, Wildlife & People” in Santa Fe, New Mexico February 27-March 1, 2012. 2011 was a record-breaking fire year for the Southwest that underscored the importance of collaboration for defining research needs …

November 2015: Fire effects: Restoration of watersheds and springs

This 1-day workshop/session was held in conjunction with the Society for Ecological Restoration Southwest Chapter Conference. It provided participants with information on trends in fire effects on watersheds, streams, and springs; offered tools to respond to these impacts before and after fires; and fostered discussion on next steps for restoration practitioners. The main focus was …

Carbon Cycling in Southwestern Forests

The intent of this working paper is to explain the basics of the carbon cycle detailing how much carbon moves through vegetation, water, and soils over time. The paper also summarizes where current science suggests that carbon cycling patterns are most likely to change in the coming years to decades, and how management can influence …

April 2015: Planning for the Next Big One: Managing the Post-fire Environment in a Time of Change

The Burned Area Learning Network Workshop Together with the Fire Learning Network, the SWFSC hosted a collaborative workshop to improve advance planning for post wildfire impacts April 16-17, 2015 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Materials and Notes from the workshop can be downloaded below. If you have further questions, contact Anne Bradley with The Nature …

April 15, 2015: Effects of climate variability and accelerated thinning on watershed-scale runoff in Southwestern ponderosa pine forests

Presenter: Marcos Robles, The Nature Conservancy The recent mortality of up to 20% of forests and woodlands in the southwestern United States, along with declining stream flows and projected future water shortages, heightens the need to understand how management practices can enhance forest resilience and functioning under unprecedented scales of drought and wildfire. To address …