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New Research Briefs 

Impacts of Repeated Prescribed Burns on Fuel and Forest Conditions in the Sierra Nevada

Treatments and Planting Location Affect Post-Burn Restoration

On a burned site in the northeastern Mojave Desert that is conservation-priority habitat for federally listed desert tortoises, a field experiment was conducted to test different treatments for outplanting greenhouse-propagated seedlings of the native perennial brittlebush (Encelia virginensis). View Research Brief PDF >
 

Post-Fire Recovery Four Decades after Desert Wildfires

Authors studied the recovery of plant communities, soil properties, soil biocrusts and grass as plant fuel on 31 wildfires in the eastern Mojave Desert that had between 1980 and 2007. View Research Brief PDF >

Reducing Fuel while Protecting Soil Biocrusts

Non-native annual grasses, such as red brome (Bromus rubens), have increased the amount and continuity of fine fuels in drylands of the southwestern U.S. Where herbicide is not allowed or may have undesirable non-target effects, one of the alternative treatments that has been proposed and used in more mesic habitats is carbon addition. View Research Brief PDF >
 

Stand Structure in the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir: Research Synthesis

The SSPM can help guide management decisions in mixed conifer/ yellow pine forests of the western US/ California that wish to return forests to historical (pre-European) conditions or prepare them for a changing climate and an uncertain future. View Research Synthesis PDF >

Fire severity impacts on plant species richness

Plants often have characteristics that make them well suited to the common type, frequency, and/or severity of disturbance in ecosystems where they occur. Plant species richness was found to be affected by historical fire regime and severity in coniferous forests of the Western US. View Research Brief PDF >

Upcoming Virtual Events

Fire Ecology Across Boundaries: Connecting Science and Management (Live Stream Symposium at the Natural Areas Association Conference)

Nov 3, 2020 12:00 PM PST
This symposium will focus on how fire can be reintroduced to fireadapted landscapes in the form of prescribed burns to achieve a variety of ecological, conservation, land management and risk abatement objectives. Speakers will be encouraged to give real-life examples of how prescribed fire and other fuel mitigation activities can be used to meet multiple objectives while limiting risk and minimizing disturbance to and complaints from the inhabitants of surrounding areas. More information for the NAA virtual conference >

One day registration here (reduced fee) >
 

California Fire Science Seminar Virtual Series

Sep 10, 2020 – Dec 17, 2020 
This online seminar series will cover the breadth of wildland fire research relevant to California and introduce researchers to new topics and research groups across the state. The series will be held weekly, every Thursday from 3:00 – 4:00 pm (PST). View more information and registration at https://frg.berkeley.edu/california-fire-science-seminar-series/

Sustainable Management of California’s Fire-Prone Landscapes: Using Grazing to Help Keep Communities Safe Webinar Series

Nov 5, 12, & 19, 2020 
The California Range Management Advisory Committee is co-hosting a virtual workshop with the California Fire Science Consortium to discuss the use of prescribed livestock grazing  as a sustainable fuel reduction and environmental management tool.
Three separate workshops will be hosted on different topics from 10am and last for 2 hours with an optional networking option. Registration and more information> 
 

Southern Sierra Prescribed Fire Council: 2020 Annual Meeting and Outreach Event

Nov 17, 2020
Please join the Southern Sierra Prescribed Fire Council for the 2020 Annual Meeting and Outreach, “Fire as a Tool,” scheduled on Zoom on November 17, 2020 from 10:30-2:30. Registration required at http://cemariposa.ucanr.edu
 

Exploring California Climate Change Connections

Dec 2-3, 2020
Please join us in a virtual workshop to explore the latest scientific evidence for the interconnectedness of climate change and its impacts. CalEPA's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment is convening this workshop, which will feature presentations from leading researchers and representatives of tribes and community organizations. Workshop participants will be provided with an opportunity through an online communication platform to submit questions and comments throughout the workshop. Registration and more information >

Safety Summit - Human Dimensions Virtual Conference

May 24-27, 2021
The IAWF 16th Wildland Fire Safety Summit and the 6th Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Conference will address the issues that make the global wildland fire community safe, smart and supported. "A Virtual Conference,
for Real World Problems."
Registration and more information >

External Partners Announcements  

The Wildfire SAFE App - Delivering Real-Time Data to Improve Wildfire Management

The Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS) is a USDA Forest Service, Fire and Aviation Management-supported system that was developed by Forest Service fire behavior researchers as an avenue to increase the utility of remote sensing and spatial data in fire management. It is an integrated, web-based resource to support fire management decisions. View this 2 page PDF of "Science you can use" for a quick intro to the new app and resources to learn more >
 

California Forest Observatory: A Data-Driven Forest Monitoring System

The California Forest Observatory is a data-driven forest and fuels monitoring system. We map the drivers of wildfire hazard across the state—including forest structure, weather, topography & infrastructure—from space. Our regularly-updated, nearly tree-level data is designed to be used by researchers, land managers & policymakers. The data are freely available for non-commercial use by scientists, government agencies, and non-profits. View the about page here>

Visit the mapping tool here >

 
Quantitative Wildfire Risk Assessment - Now Available in IFTDSS

A workflow and tools to perform a Quantitative Wildfire Risk Assessment (QWRA) from the project to the unit scale is now available in IFTDSS. Conducting a QWRA makes land management decisions more effective by characterizing the predicted
benefits and threats from fire on several, often overlapping, values across your landscape. An introductory webinar is available for more information.

Fire Research Roundup

FireScience.gov sites