Science You Can Use

More than 100 years of fire exclusion, logging, grazing, and other human activities have contributed to uncharacteristically high tree densities in the dry conifer forests of the western United States. Mechanical forest treatments using heavy machinery or chainsaws to remove trees are being used widely to create a more open and diverse overstory, especially in situations where prescribed fire is not feasible. It has not been clear how these treatments affect the understory, particularly over longer time frames. To help managers better assess what is happening in the understory, Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) researchers Arièl Demarest and Paula Fornwalt recently published a study that looked at responses shortly after mechanical treatment (1-2 years) and over a longer time frame (4-6 years), across a wide environmental gradient in dry conifer forests of the Colorado Front Range.

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The REPLANT Act, part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, directs the Forest Service to plant more than a billion trees on 4 million acres of deforested national forest lands over the next decade. Most of these lands were burned by severe wildfire, and are not reforesting naturally due to a lack of seed sources and unfavorable climatic conditions. Currently, there are several bottlenecks in the planting pipeline, so maximizing the survival and growth of seedlings is critical.

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In the western United States, wildfire activity has increased the exposure of communities to fires that can devastate lives and destroy homes and businesses. As fires encroach on urban areas, protecting communities from wildfire impacts is a top priority for fire managers. Scientists studying wildland fire in the wildland urban interface (WUI) are particularly interested in using historical data and analytic models to understand how to reduce risks to the WUI.

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Limber pine is an ecologically vital species that provides food for wildlife, facilitates the establishment of other tree species, and grows where other species struggle. A nonnative disease, white pine blister rust (WPBR), and native bark beetles are killing limber pines faster than they can grow back.

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In the United States, more than 1,400 native plant nurseries produce more than a billion seedlings for reforestation and restoration projects every year. Many years of monitoring and research have shown that seedling survival of native plants can be greater when the plants are grown in nurseries and outplanted compared to direct seeding or natural regeneration. Production of high-quality seedlings reduces costs and improves seedling survival and growth after outplanting.

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Scientists have spent decades trying to understand how to best promote resilient forests and reduce fuels. A golden endeavor certainly. Is the best approach using a series of prescribed burns? Or is it mechanically cutting trees? Or does the additive effect of both cutting and burning provide the best alchemy?

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More high-severity wildfire is occurring in the U.S. West and affecting people and forests in challenging ways. In places where mitigating high-severity wildfire is desirable, returning low-severity fire through fuel treatments is common practice. The last quantitative review of fuel treatment research happened 10 years ago. Much has been learned since then.

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Satellite, radar, and strategically placed Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS) are a few of the many technologies used to gather data and predict weather. Yet, some weather events are still unpredictable. A morning forecast for a chance of storms in the afternoon can transform into a major thunderstorm in the middle of an alpine hike.

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Archaea, bacteria, fungi, and viruses are organisms that comprise the soil microbiome and play a crucial role in the health of the world's forests. The soil microbiome is vital in cycling important nutrients needed by vegetation (e.g., nitrogen), stabilizing soil organic matter, and forming essential symbioses with plants, such as the ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) that are obligate symbiotic partners of the conifer tree species that dominate forests of western North America.

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Public support is crucial for successful fuels management, but vocal opposition can mask broader yet quieter community acceptance. It is helpful for land managers to have a picture of all perspectives, not just the most vocal ones. And what do communities think about fuels treatments?

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