Treesearch

We tested 3-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one (MCH) and novel semiochemicals as potential spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis Kirby) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) repellents over multiple years in Utah and Colorado trapping bioassays. MCH is a known spruce beetle repellent and our testing revealed Acer kairomone blend (AKB) and isophorone plus sulcatone as repellents. We subsequently tested these semiochemicals for area and single tree protection to prevent spruce beetle attacks at locations in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Alaska. Individual tree protection trials found...

We develop a spatial-dynamic optimization model of landscape scale, jointly produced ecosystem services on a forest at-risk of catastrophic wildfire. We show optimal fuel management strategies vary over time in response to biomass growth dynamics, how biomass contributes to ecosystem services, the implied tradeoffs and complementarities between ecosystem service values, and the spatial dynamics of fire spread. Fuel reduction strategies increase expected ecosystem service values in the future by lowering the probability ecosystem services will be lost to catastrophic fire. However, fuel...

Kill‐site investigations can yield valuable data about elusive predators and predator–prey interactions, provided the predator species can be definitively identified as the one responsible for the predation event. The traditional method of visually analyzing prey remains to identify predators is prone to observer bias and may be particularly challenging when few remains are present or in systems with congeneric predators. Other potential evidence left by predators, such as scat, may be difficult to reliably link to the responsible predator, whereas tracking requires adequate substrate...

Native fish conservation areas (NFCAs) are watersheds where management emphasizes proactive conservation and restoration for longterm persistence of native fish assemblages while allowing for compatible uses. Native fish conservation areas are intended to complement traditional fisheries management approaches that are often reactive to population stressors and focused on single-species conservation efforts rather than complete assemblages. We identified potential NFCAs in the upper Snake River basin above Hells Canyon Dam using a process that ranked all subwatersheds (Hydrologic Unit Code...

Shared stewardship is about working together in an integrated way to make decisions for the land. The USDA Forest Service (USFS) works collaboratively with stakeholders to set landscape-scale priorities and to invest in projects that will have the most impact. USFS Research & Development has played a key role in developing and supporting the USDA Shared Stewardship Strategy. Shared stewardship has always been, and will always be, a part of the way we do business at the Rocky Mountain Research Station.

The social, economic, and ecological impacts of wildfire are an increasing concern in many areas of the world. In North America, the U.S. state of California stands out in terms of recent - 2017 and 2018 - high-loss fire events. California provides an interesting case study to examine the social, economic, and ecological conditions that influence and are affected by wildfire. California is the most populated U.S. state with an estimated 2018 population of over 39 million, or 12 percent of the total U.S. population. The California population is highly urbanized - 94 percent - with 1.8...

Fire science emphasizes that mitigation actions on residential property, including structural hardening and maintaining defensible space, can reduce the risk of wildfire at a home. Accordingly, a rich body of social science literature investigates the determinants of wildfire risk mitigation behaviors of residents living in fire-prone areas. Here, we investigate relationships among wildfire hazards, residents’ risk perceptions, and conditions associated with mitigation actions using a combination of simulated wildfire conditions, household survey responses, and professionally assessed...

Pekania pennanti (Fisher) is a generalist mesocarnivore that has been documented to prey on a diversity of mammals, but there have been no previous documented incidents of a Fisher hunting and killing a semi-aquatic mammal. Here, we report a first-hand observation and DNA evidence of a Fisher hunting and killing an Ondatra zibethicus (Muskrat) from inside a beaver lodge along a lakeshore.

Soil erosion has been recognized as a significant environmental malady in the United States for over 200 years. Numerous attempts have been made to model and quantify the issue, yet significant issues remain that hinder the accuracy and effectiveness of such models. This manuscript describes an attempt to model soil erosion and concomitant sedimentation with the Unit Stream Power Erosion and Deposition (USPED) model at an active military training installation. The model accurately determined both soil erosion and sediment deposition on a spatial basis at 83% of 60 randomly assigned points...

Monitoring is a system for detecting trends over a period of time in areas such as habitat, water, and more. Herein we focus on animal populations and evaluate common quantitative methods for monitoring wildlife species. Animal distribution, abundance, survival, and productivity are examples of important biological parameters that can show trends based on ecosystem condition. Although there are different monitoring types (Morrison and Marcot 1995), monitoring is at its best with targeted (or focused) monitoring (Nichols and Williams 2006), when specific goals and objectives are identified...