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The Sierra Nevada Research Center
conducts research in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California,
an ecoregion of national and international significance. With a
full spectrum of research initiatives from long-term, fundamental
research to short-term, tactical applications, the Center seeks
to support conservation, restoration, and sustainable utilization
of lands within the Sierra Nevada ecoregion.
Research Emphasis Areas:
FOREST FUNCTION AND
HEALTH
A team of researchers is making significant contributions to assessing
restoration efforts by defining, quantifying and understanding key
functions that shape forest condition, structure, and composition.
Our research goal is focused on providing forest managers with better
tools for understanding and restoring Sierra Nevada forests. Research
must help understand and describe a middle ground where fire has
an importance ecological role and its controlled reintroduction
to western forests is desired and feasible.
CONSERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL
DIVERSITY
The worldwide loss of biological diversity continues, largely in
response to widespread habitat destruction, over-harvesting, pollution,
and the accidental and otherwise inappropriate introduction of foreign
plants and animals. To conserve the biological diversity of the
Sierra Nevada it will be crucial to identify the vulnerable components
of biological diversity, determine the threats to diversity, understand
the response of organisms and ecosystems to the threats, determine
restoration and recovery techniques, perform adaptive management
projects and monitor recovery.
CLIMATE AND LANDSCAPE
CHANGE
Climate has a profound influence in shaping the environment, natural
resources, the economy, and other aspects of life throughout the
world. High mountain systems, such as the Sierra Nevada, are uniquely
sensitive to anticipated global climate changes and act as "canaries
in the coal mine" to provide early signals of significant climate-driven
changes. The Sierra Nevada Research Center is responding to this
environmental force with a research team that addresses issues ranging
from basic research on ecological response to climate and landscape
change to applications in national forest management, conservation,
and restoration.
WATER AND WATERSHED PROCESSES
Improved knowledge of aquatic and land interactions at local and
watershed scales is essential to evaluate and design land management
alternatives for stream and watershed resources. Restoration of
the Sierra Nevada's forest watersheds to historic or desired conditions
requires active management such as reintroduction of frequent, cool
fires and removal of accumulated fuel loads. This problem area can
address the multiple stressors often acting on aquatic ecosystems
in forests: tree thinning/harvesting, fire, air pollution, climate
variability, land use change, water diversion, grazing, and roads.
INSTITUTIONAL AND POLICY PROCESSES
Current institutional capacities to articulate problems, participate
in strategic planning and investment, and influencepublic land and
resource decision-making varies considerably across jurisdictions
and geography. There is a need to better understand institutional
constraints and opportunities, and how interests interact with resource
management institutions, in the context of public land decision-making.
Research is needed on a broad range of social, economic and institutional
factors that affect landscapes and land use decisions in the Sierra
Nevada and elsewhere.
Research is being conducted by:
Sierra Nevada Research Center
(RWU-4202)
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