Pacific Northwest Research Station

Fire and Environmental Research Applications (FERA) Team

2008 Science Accomplishments

Prefire fuel treatments can reduce postfire tree mortality

Scientists are using data collected before and after this prescribed burn near Lakeview, Oregon, to develop a fuel-consumption model for shrub-dominated ecosystems. Credit: Clint Wright

The value of fuel treatments and other silvicultural practices aimed at reducing wildfire hazard and severity had not been conclusively demonstrated over large areas. To address this, scientists capitalized on the 175,000-acre Tripod Fire that burned through many well documented fuel treatments on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in 2006.

Scientists determined the lowest postfire mortality in the forest overstory occurred in areas that had been heavily thinned and received a surface fuel treatment. This indicates that thinning plus surface fuel treatment greatly reduces fire hazard.

These findings validate thinning plus fuel treatments as an effective method forreducing fire hazard and modifying fire behavior and fire severity on the Okanogan- Wenatchee National Forest. The results are also applicable to other dry forests in the West that contain ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forest.

Partners: University of Washington, USDA Forest Service Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

To learn more, contact David L. Peterson at peterson@fs.fed.us.

New model predicts fuel consumption in sagebrush

Before this project, little research had been done to quantify and model fuel consumption in shrub-dominated ecosystems. Quantifying fuel consumption is critical for evaluating fire severity, and for effectively modeling fire effects such as smoke emissions, plant and tree mortality, and wildlife habitat restoration. This project is developing new consumption models for shrub-dominated ecosystems where a substantial portion of the fuelbed is composed of living and upright vegetation. They differ from models for forested systems where most of the fuelbed is composed of dead and down organic matter.

A preliminary model for big sagebrush has been published and incorporated into the fire management decision-support software Consume 3.0. Consume 3.0 has been taught at technical fire management workshops and conferences. Additional models to predict biomass consumption in other shrub-dominated ecosystems such as pine flatwoods, chamise chaparral, and pitch pine scrub are under development.

Partners: Joint Fire Science Program, University of Washington

To learn more, contact Clinton S. Wright at cwright@fs.fed.us.

Station scientists identify climate change adaptation options

Only recently have the Forest Service and other federal agencies begun thinking about ways to adapt to a changing climate. Station scientists contributed to the first effort to summarize adaptation options for national forests and provide the scientific basis for those options. The report, Synthesis and Assessment of Adaptation Options for Climate Change in National Forests, was done as part of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program.

Also, station scientists and the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group have established a long-term science-management partnership with the Olympic National Forest to develop locally focused adaptation options for addressing climate change. Through workshops, presentations, and consultations, they are providing the scientific basis for implementing climate adaptation management and planning on the Olympic National Forest. Further workshops explaining the Olympic National Forest pilot project have been conducted with other national forests in the region, and similarly focused planning processes to address climate change may be implemented on other regional forests.

Outcome: The Olympic National Forest is implementing climate-smart actions in its operational management and long-term planning.

Partners: National Center for Atmospheric Research, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, University of Washington, USDA Forest Service Olympic National Forest

To learn more, contact David L. Peterson at peterson@fs.fed.us.