Articles

A new manuscript, the first of its kind since the Forest Service began producing Tree Canopy Cover data for the National Land Cover Database in 2011, documents a redesigned and rebuilt production workflow that delivers reliable and repeatable methods for users who rely on the Tree Canopy Cover dataset.

Firefighters create firelines to stop fire spread and support wildfire suppression tactics. This year, researchers developed a way to track and understand fireline performance in near-real time.

Scientists created a guidebook to help silviculturists transform even-aged ponderosa pine forests to muli-aged structures.

Researchers from the Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis Program have worked on a NASA mission called EDGE (Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer), which measures changes in the world’s forests. The mission was competitively selected in January of 2026 for an expected launch in 2030.

Scientists identified bird biodiversity hotspots and found that if fires occur in these areas, about 30% of the hotspots will burn at high severity.

Increasing drought negatively impacts most wildlife worldwide. However, large gaps in our understanding remain, which makes managing this threat difficult.

What if it were possible to detect the presence of rare species simply by sampling the air?

Canada lynx show strong selection for unburned areas within wildfire perimeters.

The likelihood that a fireline or other potential control feature will prevent, slow, or otherwise alter wildfire behavior is not fixed—it can change substantially as wind, humidity, vegetation, and terrain conditions change. Fire managers from the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest along with researcher Jesse Young and colleagues coproduced research about wildfire containment-effectiveness.

New research advances understanding of how federal agencies have used aerial resources on wildfires. It quantifies the impact of various characteristics of a fire incident—including fuel moisture, weather, slope, access to water, and proximity to people and infrastructure—on how quickly aircraft arrive at a fire after it is discovered.

The Social Science Research Group (SSRG) for wildfire has built a Communication Alliance, or CommA, which brings together people from multiple organizations (including federal, state, local, international, independent, etc.) directly involved in wildland fire operations and communities.

Forests and grasslands provide some of the cleanest, most reliable water in the country. But in a world with limited budgets, it can be difficult to justify long-term planning costs without knowing the value of present and future water benefits.

A new online modeling tool for predicting impacts of introduced species using the case study of preying mantid invasions in western Montana grasslands is available.

Scientists are looking at the link between environmental conditions, wildlife, and animal-borne pathogens to predict how natural and human-caused changes may influence disease. A new framework explores the dynamics of these diseases over large spatial and temporal scales.

Wildflowers offer a diverse array of nutrients from pollen and nectar which are important for wild pollinator communities. A new study shows that different wild bee species have a range of nutritional needs, requiring nutritionally diverse plant communities to better support them.

A new project examines various combinations of fuel reduction treatment activities across the elevational gradient of forest types along the Front Range of the southern Rocky Mountains to understand how burn severity is altered when challenged with wildfire.

Where can managers maximize restoration work for High-Five pine species? Using 30 years of field data and current knowledge of blister rust, new models developed by Forest Service scientists identify areas likely to be at risk and help prioritize areas for restoration and maintenance of healthy populations.

Forest managers have continued challenges with exotic plant species following timber harvest. A new project looks at understory responses for seven years post-timber harvest across ten timber sales on the Black Hills National Forest.

Researchers are working to get ahead of smooth brome invasion and determine management options for both the public and private land managers.

Educational materials and demonstrations by smaller NGOs may help landowners consider the benefits of prescribed fire on or near the Dakota Prairie Grassland.