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The Anaktuvuk River Fire was the largest, highest-severity wildfire recorded on Alaska’s North Slope since records began in 1956. The 2007 Anaktuvuk River Fire was an order of magnitude larger than the average fire size in the historic record for northern Alaska and indices of severity were substantially higher than for other recorded tundra burns. An interdisciplinary team assessed fire effects including burn severity, potential plant community shifts, and effects on permafrost and active layers. Observers monumented, photographed, and measured 24 burned and 17 unburned reference transects, starting the year after the fire, and spanning the range of vegetation types and burn severities.
Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus and C. minimus) historically inhabited much of the sagebrush-dominated habitat of North America. Today, sage-grouse populations are declining throughout most of their range. Population dynamics of sage-grouse are marked by strong cyclic behavior. Adult survival is high, but is offset by low juvenile survival, resulting in low productivity. Habitat for sage-grouse varies strongly by life-history stage. Critical habitat components include adequate canopy cover of tall grasses (? 18 cm) and medium height shrubs (40?80 cm) for nesting, abundant forbs and insects for brood rearing, and availability of herbaceous riparian species for late-growing season foraging. Fire ecology of...
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These data were compiled for the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to identify and quantify the spatial distribution of fine fuels in relation to wildfire management across jurisdictional boundaries. Objective(s) of our study were to map the 2021 annual distribution of the biomass (kg/ha) of fine fuels (grasses, shrubs, and forbs) for the whole of the Altar Valley, AZ, including the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. These data represent estimated biomass of fine fuels (kg/ha) at a 10-m resolution. These data were collected/created in September through October 2021 for the Altar Valley, located in Pima County, AZ, USA. These data were collected/created by the U.S. Geological...
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The avian community of peatland habitats were surveyed along belt transects established in multiple units of Seney National Wildlife Refuge, representing peatland habitats dominated by a range of sedge to shrub cover at varying levels. Surveys were conducted during the 3-week period of mid-May to early June and again during mid-June-early July in three years (2007–2009). Three datasets are included here 1) data of presence/absence of breeding bird species detected in each 100-m segment of belt transects, 2) four-letter codes for bird species, and 3) environmental and land-cover attributes summarized for 200-m buffers around the bird-survey segments (100m x 100m), and number of years since each segment was burned,...
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The USGS Western Ecological Research Center (WERC) comprises a dispersed science community collocated with DOI agencies, academic institutions, or proximal to critical ecosystems. WERC scientists conduct peer-reviewed research using innovative tools to provide natural resource managers with the knowledge to address challenges to ecosystem function and service in Pacific West landscapes. Four Scientific Themes define the research of WERC scientists: Species and Landscape Response to Human Activity Renewable energy development, urbanization, water abatement, prescribed fires, barriers to movement, and invasive species are among key factors that impact Pacific western US natural resources. To identify potential impacts...
Understanding the effect of variation in climate on large-fire occurrence across broad geographic areas is central to effective fire hazard assessment. The El Nin?o? Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) affect winter temperature and precipitation regimes in western North America through mid-latitude teleconnections. This study examines relationships of ENSO and the PDO to drought-induced fire occurrence in subalpine forests of three study areas across the Rocky Mountains: Jasper National Park (JNP, northern Rockies), Yellowstone National Park (YNP, central Rockies) and Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP, southern Rockies) over the 1700?1975 period. Large-scale climatic anomalies...
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Aim The recent concern that quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) has been declining in parts of western North America due to fire suppression is largely based on trends during the latter part of the 20th century. The aim of the current study was to compare the extent of aspen in the modern landscape with its extent in the late 19th century prior to fire suppression, and to assess the effects of elevation, late-19th century fires, and pre-fire forest composition on the successional status of aspen. Location North-west Colorado, USA. Methods We used a georeferenced 1898 map and modern maps to examine trends in aspen dominance since the late 19th century in a 348,586 ha area of White River and Routt National...
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As a result of climate change, a warmer and drier climate has led to an increase in wildfire severity. Severe wildfires can cause whitebark pine mortality during all life stages. Conversely, low intensity fires may enhance whitebark pine persistence by removing competing species that are less fire tolerant. However, low intensity fires have been suppressed because of an increase in recreational development and urbanization. Thus, a decline in low intensity fires has reduced whitebark pine persistence by increasing species encroachment while simultaneously, increases in wildfire severity are increasing whitebark pine mortality
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The 2007 Anaktuvuk River Fire was an order of magnitude larger than the average fire sizein the historic record for northern Alaska and indices of severity were substantially higherthan for other recorded tundra burns. An interdisciplinary team assessed fire effectsincluding burn severity, potential plant community shifts, and effects on permafrost andactive layers. Observers monumented, photographed, and measured 24 burned and 17unburned reference transects, starting the year after the fire, and spanning the range ofvegetation types and burn severities. Three independent ocular estimates of burn severityat varying scales were made, two ground-based indices and one aerial index. Remotelysensed data and indices were...


    map background search result map search result map Influences of infrequent fire, elevation and pre-fire vegetation on the persistence of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) in the Flat Tops area, Colorado, USA USGS Western Ecological Research Center Findings of Anaktuvuk River Fire Recovery Study, 2007-2011 Anaktuvuk River Fire Monitoring Breeding bird species in peatland habitats, Seney NWR, 2007-2009 Predicted biomass of fine fuel for Altar Valley, Arizona, 2021 Whitebark Pine- Wildfire Severity Influences of infrequent fire, elevation and pre-fire vegetation on the persistence of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) in the Flat Tops area, Colorado, USA Predicted biomass of fine fuel for Altar Valley, Arizona, 2021 Findings of Anaktuvuk River Fire Recovery Study, 2007-2011 Anaktuvuk River Fire Monitoring Breeding bird species in peatland habitats, Seney NWR, 2007-2009 Whitebark Pine- Wildfire Severity