May 2022 | A Publication of the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station

RMRS Supports Fire Management with Cutting Edge Tools

Potential Operational Delineations (PODs) Pre-season preparedness work is critical to success when the fire starts. Scientists at RMRS co-developed PODs to pre-plan for fire using a risk management approach, and to give land managers a formal process for developing landscape-scale wildfire response options before fires start. PODs combine local fire knowledge with advanced spatial analytics to help managers develop a common understanding of risks, management opportunities, and desired outcomes to determine fire management objectives.  Read more about PODs.... WindNinja: A Diagnostic Wind Model WindNinja is a computer program developed by scientsits at RMRS that computes spatially varying wind fields for wildland fire and other applications requiring high resolution wind prediction in complex terrain. Wind is one of the most influential environmental factors affecting wildland fire behavior. The complex terrain of fire-prone landscapes causes local changes in wind speed and direction that are not predicted well by standard weather models or expert judgment. WindNinja was developed to help fire managers predict these winds. Read more about WindNinja....

WildfireSAFE: Inform Risk-based Decision Making Safe and effective wildland firefighting operations require access to real-time, actionable intelligence about the wildland fire environment. Historically, this information has been difficult to collect and disseminate and failed to provide access to the best-available science to inform decision making. RMRS's WildfireSAFE tool fills this gap for firefighters and managers on the ground. Watch the webinar.... The Aviation Use Summary RMRS scientists developed the Aviation Use Summary (AUS), a decision support framework to help track the location, timing, and amount of aircraft use in fire suppression; this information is presented in a way that helps guide decision makers through a structured risk assessment and a repeatable check-in process. Extensive use in large fire support has demonstrated the effectiveness of the framework and related limitations. Watch the webinar....

Wildfire Risk to Communities Wildfire Risk to Communities informs the public about wildfire risk and connects communities with resources to mitigate risk. It includes interactive maps of risk to homes, wildfire exposure types, and wildfire likelihood. This information can help community leaders understand how risk varies across a state, region, or county and prioritize actions to mitigate risk. Read more on our website.... Firesheds and the Fireshed Registry Scientists at RMRS created the Fireshed Registry to show where fuel treatments are needed to stop fire transmission from national forests to developed areas. The Fireshed Registry is a geospatial dashboard for land managers and decision makers to view and map a vast array of data related to wildfire transmission and management. Read more about firesheds....

Hot off the Press Comparison of fire-produced gases from wind tunnel and small field experimental burns Composition of pyrolysis gases for wildland fuels is often determined using ground samples heated in non-oxidising environments. Results are applied to wildland fires where fuels change spatially and temporally, resulting in variable fire behaviour with variable heating. Though historically used, applicability of traditional pyrolysis results to the wildland fire setting is unknown. Great Basin bristlecone pine mortality: Causal factors and management implications High-elevation five-needle pines are foundational species and iconic components of subalpine forests across western North America. Because they often grow at environmental extremes, high-elevation pines are vulnerable to changing climate conditions. Influence of UAS flight altitude and speed on aboveground biomass prediction The management of low-density savannah and woodland forests for carbon storage presents a mechanism to offset the expense of ecologically informed forest management strategies. Do metapopulations and management matter for relict headwater bull trout populations in a warming climate? Mountain headwater streams have emerged as important climate refuges for native cold-water species due to their slow climate velocities and extreme physical conditions that inhibit non-native invasions. Species persisting in refuges often do so as fragmented, relict populations from broader historical distributions that are subject to ongoing habitat reductions and increasing isolation as climate change progresses.

Webinars Missed any webinars? Recordings are available:  Science for Managers Webinar: Too much, too little or just right? Forest regeneration in fire-adapted landscapes Co-hosted by the Rocky Mountain Research Station and Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes WildfireSAFE: A tool to provide rapid, actionable intelligence to inform risk-based decision making for wildland fire operations Spring 2020 Science You Can Use Webinar Series

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About Science You Can Use

In a few minutes we highlight the newest findings by RMRS scientists for use by land management professionals and those who influence decisions about managing land. The US Forest Service RMRS Science You Can Use is published regularly by: Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) US Forest Service 240 W Prospect Rd Fort Collins, CO 80521 Nehalem Clark, Bulletin Editor / Science Delivery [email protected] Jessica M. Brewen Bulletin Editor / Science Delivery [email protected] Follow us on social media: Twitter | Facebook

View all SYCU Publications Visit the RMRS Website Forest Service Research (FS R&D) works with partners to deliver the knowledge and tools that land managers need to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of our Nation's forests and grasslands for present and future generations. The Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) is one of seven FS R&D units, rooted in the geography of the Interior West, and integrated into a national program with global applications. RMRS science improves lives and landscapes. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.