Pacific Southwest Research Station

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Science that makes a difference.

The Pacific Southwest Research Station is a world leader in natural resources research through our scientific excellence and responsiveness to the needs of current and future generations.

We represent the research and development branch of the USDA Forest Service in the states of California and Hawaii and the U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands. Our primary work occurs in California (the most populous state with the fifth largest economy in the world) and Hawaii (a strategic location in the Pacific Rim economies and tourism). Our mission is to develop and communicate science needed to sustain forest ecosystems and their benefits to society.

Fisher with Hooded Merganser, Copyright Susan C. Morse, used by permission. New study shows stable fisher population in the Southern Sierra Nevada - After experiencing years of population decline on the West Coast, a recent study examining fisher populations found that—at least in the southern Sierra Nevada—the animal's numbers appear to be stable. [read the full news release.]

PSW Employees Volunteer at the Richmond Edible Forest on MLK Jr. Day - Pacific Southwest Research Station Director Alex Friend plants a lupine on the Richmond Edible Forest. He and 11 other staff members from PSW's Albany, California headquarters volunteered during Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service on Jan. 21 to plant fruit trees, herbs and vegetables on the edible forest in Richmond, California. They joined hundreds of community volunteers who worked on multiple sites along the Richmond Greenway, a former three-mile rail byway, which has been transformed into community gardens, composting sites and recreational space. The edible forest serves as an environmental education site where station scientists and Forest Service land managers teach kids about the benefits of trees and forested landscapes.

Video: Strawberry Guava Biocontrol in Hawaii

U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station scientist Tracy Johnson talks about the use of biocontrol on strawberry guava in Hawaii. [Length: 4:25] For more information on this subject, visit our topic area on Biological Control of Strawberry Guava in Hawaii .

Draft Science Synthesis Report - Science Synthesis to support Forest Plan Revision in the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascades is now available online. [view the full report.]

New Online Tool Estimates Carbon and Energy Impact of Trees - A tree is more than just a landscape design feature. Planting trees on your property can lower energy costs and increase carbon storage, reducing your carbon footprint. A new online tool developed by the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)'s Urban and Community Forestry Program, and EcoLayers can help residential property owners estimate these tangible benefits. [read the full news release.]

Sources and Science: A Guide to Experts at the Pacific Southwest Research Station

The Pacific Southwest (PSW) Research Station carries out the research and development mission of the USDA Forest Service in California, Hawaii, and the U.S.- affiliated Pacific Islands. From the southern chaparral, montane Sierra Nevada, and coastal redwood ecosystems of California, across the ocean to the tropical wet and dry forests of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, our scientists and professionals are dedicated to enhancing knowledge of complex natural resource issues and communicating this knowledge to society.

Browse this inaugural edition of our "experts guide" to meet our researchers, discover the diversity of the scientific work that we do, and see how our science is making a difference—today and tomorrow.

Missed it when it was new? Browse the What's New archive.

Cover image McDonald, Philip M.; Lahore, Lona F. 2013. Life in Challenge Mills, Yuba County, California, 1875–1915, with emphasis on its people, homes, and businesses. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-239. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 55 p.

Cover image Sniezko, Richard A.; Yanchuk, Alvin D.; Kliejunas, John T.; Palmieri, Katharine M.; Alexander, Janice M.; Frankel, Susan J., tech. coords. 2012. Proceedings of the fourth international workshop on the genetics of host-parasite interactions in forestry: Disease and insect resistance in forest trees. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-240. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 372 p.

Cover image Standiford, Richard B.; Weller, Theodore J.; Piirto, Douglas D.; Stuart, John D, technical coordinators. 2012. Managing Sierra Nevada forests. Proceedings of coast redwood forests in a changing California: A symposium for scientists and managers. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-238. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Global Climate Change

Pacific Southwest Global Change - Learn about climate change research and related activities conducted by scientists at the PSW Research Station.
Scientists talking about climate change - Video topics emphasize information of interest to wildland managers and others who want an understanding of the interaction among climate change, forests, wildfire, water supplies, fish and wildlife, and associated values, and the implications for wildland management.
Pacific Southwest Research Station and Region 5 Sustainable Operations Survey Report - Read the results of our sustainable operations survey. Current participation in sustainable operations efforts and ideas for increasing success are presented. For more information contact Pat Winter pwinter@fs.fed.us.