Understory

Mastication may moderate fire behavior by reducing fuel bed depth, but high loadings of surface fuels can still result in substantial mortality of residual trees when burned. Even so, it is possible to reduce masticated fuel loads using prescribed fire. In this study, the high soil moisture levels at the time of the burns limited heat penetration into the soil. Under these conditions, the major cause of initial mortality appeared to be due to crown scorch, which can be mitigated by adjusting firing techniques, and burning when air temperature is low.

Ecologically sound fuels management actions are often desired, but ecological and fuels-based management goals may not be synchronous. The MAST treatment generated heavy loadings of woody fuel on the surface, which may inhibit the germination and establishment of shrubs, but also reduced richness of native understory species. Fuel treatments where the masticated material was partially removed by incorporation into the soil or prescribed burning, resulted in greater understory species establishment, but also resulted in higher abundance of fire-stimulated shrubs. The MAST/RX treatment removed t...

The Raider Basin Research Natural Area comprises the upper watersheds of Raider and Hornback creeks. The most distinguishing feature of the RNA is relatively undisturbed stands of old-growth white fir. The white fir stands are characterized by even-aged trees in a closed canopy with more than 80 percent of the overstory being Abies concolor. The sparse herbaceous understory cover typically ranges from 0.2 to 7 percent. Shrubs are uncommon. Other vegetation types within the Raider Basin RNA include whitebark pine forest, northern juniper woodland, montane meadows, subalpine sage scrub, big sage...

The Sacate Ridge Research Natural Area contains excellent representatives of foothill vegetation types such as blue oak woodland, interior live oak woodland, riparian forest, and chaparral. The RNA contains the entire Ross Creek watershed, along with several seasonal streams that drain into Big Creek. The area contains a high concentration of distinctive botanical features including large expanses of blue oak woodland, a diverse type of Ceanothus-dominated chaparral unique to the foothills of eastern Fresno County, two California Native Plant Society (CNPS)-listed rare vascular plants, two CNP...

Scott Camp Creek Research Natural Area lies at the head of Scott Camp Creek, which drains northeast into Siskiyou Lake. It contains four permanent or intermittent small lakes and four marshes/meadows. Scott Camp Creek RNA contains a high concentration of distinctive botanical features including high elevation Port-Orford-cedar stands, four California Native Plant Society-listed rare vascular plants, well-developed fen and aquatic habitats, extensive mixed conifer forest on both gabbro and serpentinite rock types, well-developed alpine talus and scree, montane chaparral, and red fir plant assoc...

The FIA Annual Business Reports evaluate the performance of the FIA program to ensure accountability and transparency to FIA partners, supporters and customers. Modeled on a corporate business report, they contain basic business information about the FIA program including accomplishments, performance measures, plans for the next fiscal year, agreements with other parties, and basic financial and staffing data. These reports are prepared by the National Office staff of the FIA Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington, DC.See more information for fiscal years 2021 and ...

The usual analysis of paired-watershed studies is simple and conclusions are consequently very limited. Linear regression models are computed, relating a response in two similar watersheds, before and after a land treatment is applied to one of them. If there is a significant difference between the regression lines, then the treatment is deemed to have had an effect, and the size of the effect is estimated as the average change in response. Sometimes the magnitude of the effect is estimated for different event size classes after testing subsets of events, but the sample sizes are often too sma...

The Sugar Creek Research Natural Area is distinguished by its exceptional diversity of conifers, unsurpassed in the world. It is also notable for its well-developed and varied Sierran mixed-conifer forest on lower elevation slopes. The area occupies the entire upper watershed of Sugar Creek, thus including portions of all four major vegetation zones characteristic of the mid- to upper elevations of the eastern Klamath Mountains.The area is underlain entirely by granitic rock. Therefore, diversity of plant associations and species is not related to a diversity of parent materials, as is often t...

The FIA Annual Business Reports evaluate the performance of the FIA program to ensure accountability and transparency to FIA partners, supporters and customers. Modeled on a corporate business report, they contain basic business information about the FIA program including accomplishments, performance measures, plans for the next fiscal year, agreements with other parties, and basic financial and staffing data. These reports are prepared by the National Office staff of the FIA Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington, DC.See more information for fiscal years 2021 and ...