Understory

While forests are relatively resistant to non-native grass invasion, patches within forests with open canopies or sparse tree cover can be affected. This invasion may lead to changes in fire behavior on the landscape. A team of scientists with the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain Research Stations and Oregon State University used a suite of simulations to examine how non-native grass invasion might alter fire behavior. Their results indicated that forests near invaded patches were more likely to burn and produce crown fires.

Subalpine forests are an important ecological and cultural resource, but recently there have been concerning declines in some major subalpine species. Using Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data, this project used subalpine fir population trends to examine the condition of subalpine ecosystems across the western United States and determined possible drivers of decline. This information is important for subalpine forest conservation, management, and research.

In response to forest practices regulations in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW), a team of researchers from the USDA Forest Service PNW Research Station and Oregon State University developed the UPstream Regional LiDAR Model of Extent of Trout (UPRLIMET) to help identify the upper limit points above which all streams are considered fishless. Since the last partner meeting in October 2023, the UPRLIMET development team has focused on (a) gathering fish-presence data from various sources, (b) refining environmental models, and (c) implementing predictive methods tailored for the autocorrelation ...

Event program for the 2024 National Silviculture Workshop, sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service, July 16-18, 2024, at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center in Tacoma, WA.

This manual documents data collection procedures, codes, standards, and definitions used by the Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis (PNW-FIA) program in the 2024 forest inventory of Guam.

This document describes the standards, codes, methods, and definitions for Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) field data items. The objective is to describe URBAN FIA field procedures that are consistent and uniform across all FIA units. This URBAN FIA guide will serve as the framework for regional FIA programs; individual programs may add regional variables that support their CORE program, but may not change or add to the nationally standard URBAN FIA requirements. Unless otherwise noted, the items in this field guide are considered standard URBAN FIA, that is, the information will be collec...

This manual documents data collection procedures, codes, standards, and definitions used by the Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis (PNW-FIA) program in the 2024 annual forest inventory of Alaska.

This manual documents data collection procedures, codes, standards, and definitions used by the Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis (PNW-FIA) program in the 2024 annual forest inventory of California, Oregon, and Washington.

Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center researchers and collaborators are using the high-resolution wildfire simulation model FSim to explore how future fire regimes might be impacted by climate change.

Effective beginning 5/30/2025This website, and all linked websites under the control of the agency, is under review and content may change.Progress report on the West-Side Fire and Climate Adaptation Research Initiative.