Treesearch

The montane ecosystems of northern California have been subjected to repeated manipulation and active fire suppression for over a century, resulting in changes in community structure that contribute to increased wildfire hazard. Ecosystem restoration via reduction of stand density for wildfire hazard mitigation has received substantial attention in recent years; however, many ecological questions remain unanswered. This study compares belowground effects of two alternative forest thinning treatments designed to restore the large, old tree component of late-seral structure, one of which...

Demographic studies within temperate latitudes often use molt and plumage-based criteria to differentiate age and sex classes (Bayne & Hobson 2002, Brown et al. 2002, Jones et al. 2004). Despite their critical nature (Pyle et al. 2004, DuVal 2005, Doucet et al. 2007), molt and plumage data derived from resident tropical species remain scarce (Dickey & van Rossem 1938, Diamond 1974, Foster 1975, Prys-Jones 1982, Pyle et al. 2004, Ryder & Wolfe 2009, Wolfe et al. in press). To advance our understanding of resident tropical avifauna molt, we studied molt patterns and plumage-based age...

Spring dietary patterns of migrants in tropical latitudes are largely unknown. Here I present diet data derived from an analysis of fecal samples for six migrant landbird species during spring migration along the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. High levels of insectivory were detected for all six species captured. The nature of the data presented is discussed in light of El Niño conditions which immediately preceded the field component of this study. Ultimately, detailed knowledge pertaining to the resources utilized by migrant landbirds will improve our ability to manage Caribbean stopover...

This study uses social constructionism as a basis for understanding the effectiveness of communication about wildfire risk between agency officials and wildland-urban interface (WUI) residents. Risk communication literature demonstrates a welldocumented difference in the way land managers and stakeholders conceptualize risk. This is especially true of fire because management of these hazards have changed so drastically in past decades; fire managers have typically struggled to clearly articulate the current management policy to the public or integrate their specific knowledge in the risk...

The goal of this work was to develop improved tools for the detection of Phytophthora ramorum and P. kernoviae for field and the laboratory use. ImmunoStrip® and ELISA were selected as the test formats for development. Presently, the diagnosis of sudden oak death (SOD) in the national survey of P. ramorum depends on the use of ELISA to pre-screen samples, and then confirms results with PCR and morphological identification. This approach has some disadvantages because the ELISA has a wide spectrum reaction with Phytophthora spp. and cross-reacts with Pythium spp. A faster and more specific...

These proceedings summarize the results of a symposium designed to address current issues of agencies with wildland fire protection responsibility at the federal and state levels in the United States as well as agencies in the international community. The topics discussed at the symposium included regional, national, and global vision of forest fires: common problems and approaches, theory and models for strategic fire planning, economic analysis and modeling for fire management, forest fires and sustainable forest management, public policies and forest management, hazardous fuels treatment...

It is important to evaluate use of urban-proximate outdoor recreation sites by diverse groups and obtain visitor viewpoints about those sites. Of particular importance are day-use sites, which receive a large amount of use but little research emphasis. Managers of urban-proximate day-use sites can better manage with detailed specific information about participation patterns, site preferences, and visitor perceptions. Results are offered from visitor contact surveys conducted at day-use sites on four urban national forests in Southern California between 2001 and 2004, with a focus on areas...

A summary is presented that integrates general information on the causes and effects of wildland fires and emissions with various ecological impacts of forest fires and air pollution in forests and other ecosystems. We also synthesize information on the regional effects of wildland fires on ambient air quality in Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia, and how this may impact visibility and human health and security. In addition, advances in remote sensing (RS), modeling, and management of wildland fires and the resulting air pollution are summarized. We also provide information for...

Several real-time smoke prediction systems have been developed worldwide to help land managers, farmers, and air quality regulators balance land management needs against smoke impacts. Profiled here are four systems that are currently operational for regional domains for North America and Australia, providing forecasts to a well-developed user community. The systems link fire activity data, fuels information, and consumption and emissions models, with weather forecasts and dispersion models to produce a prediction of smoke concentrations from prescribed fires, wildfires, or agricultural...

In Australia the responsibility for management of forests and other public lands rests largely with state governments, and multiple government agencies may be involved in fire management. Whether resulting from wildfire, fuel reduction, or silvicultural operations, biomass burning often stimulates community concerns about hazards from fine particulates and chemical compounds contained in smoke. Management practices and community perceptions of smoke from biomass burning differ from region to region according to social and environmental factors. Recognition of the need for a response to...