United States

Department 

of Agriculture 2014 Science Accomplishments

Forest

Service
The Pacific Northwest Research Station is a leader in the 

scientific study of natural resources. We generate and communicate 

impartial knowledge to help people understand and make informed 

choices about natural resource management and sustainability.

Our Mission

2

Researchers examine new growth on Douglas-fir as part of a study to better understand 

how Swiss needle cast—a fungal disease—affects its host. 

Barb Lachenbruch
A Message From the Station Director ..................... 5

PNW Research Station: The Setting ............................ 7

Finances and Workforce ........................................................... 8

Funding Partners in 2014 ......................................................... 9

Sharing What We’ve Learned.............................................11

Featured Research...........................................................................17

Climate Change...............................................................................17

Inventory and Monitoring................................................ 25

Fish and Wildlife............................................................................ 33

Natural Disturbances............................................................... 45

Resource Management and 

Landscape Resilience.............................................................. 53 

Socioeconomic Dimensions ......................................... 63

Honors and Awards ...................................................................... 71

PNW Research Station Organization....................... 72

Contents

3

Field crew collect data for the Meadow 

Creek Restoration Project at Starkey 

Experimental Forest and Range, Oregon. 

Photo by Rhonda Mazza.

3
4
2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 5

update the core values of the Pacific Northwest 

Research Station. While our research emphasis 

areas define the work we do, our core values 

define the way we do that work. These values 

are to:

• Reflect the highest standards and quality 

in our work.

• Provide unbiased scientific expertise 

and technology that make a difference 

for people and the natural resources on 

which they depend.

• Be responsive to urgent science information needs identified by society.

• Be accountable and deliver peer-reviewed 

science.

• Care deeply about the systems we live in, 

and work for their betterment.

• Collaborate and communicate frequently 

with others to conduct, share, and apply 

research.

• Focus on the long term while serving 

today’s needs.

• Foster a supportive, inclusive, engaging, 

and safe workplace for a skilled and 

diverse workforce.

• Nurture the next generation of employees.

We have five emphasis areas of research 

at the station. Climate change and the socioeconomic emphasis permeate the other three: 

A Message From the Station Director

Greetings!

The past year was 

a busy one for the 

Pacific Northwest 

Research Station. From 

our laboratories to the 

field, we worked with 

our collaborators to 

uncover new information and produce tools 

that land managers 

and decisionmakers 

can use in the stewardship of forests, riparian, 

and grassland habitats in our region. 

An effort from 2014 that I’m proud to highlight involves our work to develop a framework 

for guiding strategic decisions within the 

station. We will be using this strategic framework over the next 10 years to move the station 

forward in meeting stakeholder needs while 

keeping our science on the cutting edge. We 

took an inclusive, multistepped approach in 

crafting the framework. We asked stakeholders 

from many organizations that use our research 

to review a draft of our framework and participate in interviews and discussion groups. We 

wanted to know: Have we identified key areas 

of research that meet your needs? How can we 

improve communication? We also posed the 

same questions to employees.

Through a facilitated process, we worked with 

employees and stakeholders to reaffirm and 

Robert Mangold

Tim LeBarge

resource management and landscape resilience, natural disturbances, and inventory 

and monitoring. This approach continues the 

station’s journey of integrating research across 

disciplines. 

◀ Grave’s Creek, a tributary of the Rogue River, Oregon. Photo by Janelle Cossey.

Resource Management and 

Landscape Resilience

Natural Disturbances

Inventory and Monitoring

Climate Change

Socioeconomic Dimensions

I’m excited about the upcoming year. We 

are committed to elevating the visibility and 

recognition of our science. We will continue to 

build a case for the benefits of our research by 

positioning ourselves to deliver the science land 

managers need and strengthening relationships 

with our diverse set of partners and stakeholders. With the new strategic framework in place, 

we are aligned to do high-quality relevant work 

that benefits society and maintains the integrity 

and restores the health of ecosystems throughout Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and elsewhere.

Let’s be in touch, 

Station Director Robert Mangold
Measuring photosynthesis in the lath house at the Forestry Sciences Laboratory in 

Olympia, Washington.

Connie Harrington

Climbing up into the forest canopy in Oregon.

A Forest Inventory and Analysis field crew in interior Alaska.

Ken Winterberger
2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 7

Seattle

Olympia

Wenatchee

6

7

Fairbanks

Anchorage

Juneau

Sitka

2

1

3

4

Portland

Corvallis Prineville

8

12

9

11

La

Grande

Seattle

Olympia

Wenatchee

Fairbanks

Anchorage



Juneau

Sitka

Portland

Corvallis Prineville

La

Grande

WASHINGTON

5

10

OREGON

ALASKA

PNW Research Station: The Setting

 Laboratories and Centers

• Alaska Wood Utilization and 

Development Center (Sitka, Alaska)

• Anchorage Forestry Sciences Laboratory

• Boreal Ecology Cooperative Research 

 Unit (Fairbanks, Alaska)

• Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory

• Juneau Forestry Sciences Laboratory

• La Grande Forestry and Range 

Sciences Laboratory

• Olympia Forestry Sciences Laboratory

• Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences 

Laboratory (Seattle, Washington)

• Portland Forestry Sciences Laboratory

• Wenatchee Forestry Sciences Laboratory

• Western Wildland Environmental Threat

Assessment Center (Prineville, Oregon)

 Experimental Areas

1. Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest

2. Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed

3. Héen Latinee Experimental Forest

4. Maybeso Experimental Forest

5. Olympic Experimental State Forest

6. Entiat Experimental Forest 

7. Wind River Experimental Forest

8. Cascade Head Experimental Forest

9. Starkey Experimental Forest and Range

10. H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest

11. Pringle Falls Experimental Forest

12. South Umpqua Experimental Forest 

The Pacific Northwest Research Station is 

one of seven research units in the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.

 Headquarters are in Portland, Oregon.

 11 laboratories and research centers in 

Alaska, Oregon, and Washington.

 12 active experimental areas (forests, 

ranges, and watersheds).

 Research is conducted in more than 

98 research natural areas.

 301 employees (277 permanent and 

24 temporary).
8 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

Incoming funding

Dollars in millions

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

Base research appropriations

Support from clients

2005200620072008200920102011201220132014

Number

Permanent employees by type

Support

Scientists

250

225

200

175

150

125

100

75

50

25

0

2005200620072008200920102011201220132014

Number

Total employees

Total positions

Permanent positions

Temporary positions

2005200620072008200920102011201220132014

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

Finances and Workforce

Two sources of funding support the 

workforce of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) 

Research Station: federal appropriations, which 

contributed 88 percent of the funds in fiscal 

year 2014, and direct client support, which 

comes from organizations in need of scientific 

information.

The numbers below are for the fiscal year 

October 1, 2013, to September 30, 2014.

Incoming funding

 Base research appropriations: 

$40.3 million (88%)

 Client support: $5.5 million (12%)

 Total funding: $45.8 million

Distribution of funds

 Permanent employee cost: $28.8 million (63%)

 Support and operations: $3.9 million (9%)

 Distributed to cooperators: $13.1 million (29%)

 Of the $13.1 million to cooperators, 

92% went to educational institutions

Workforce statistics

 Total station workforce: 301 employees

 Permanent workforce: 277 employees

 Of the permanent workforce, 78 employees 

(26%) are scientists

 Temporary workforce: 24 employees
2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 9

Funding Partners in 2014

Educational Institutions

Boston University

Colorado State University

Humboldt State University

Loyola University

Oregon State University

Portland State University

State University of New York

University of Alaska, Anchorage

University of Alaska, Southeast

University of British Columbia

University of California

University of Georgia

University of Guam

University of Hawaii, Hilo

University of Idaho 

University of Maryland

University of Michigan

University of Minnesota

University of Montana

University of Nevada, Reno

University of New England 

University of Oregon

University of Washington

Western Carolina University

Foreign Institutions

New Zealand Forest Research Institute 

Limited, Scion

Municipal Governments

Cascadia Conservation District

Woodland Park Zoo

Nonprofit Organizations

Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition

Mount St. Helens Institute

Sustainable Northwest 

Willamette Partnership

World Forestry Center

Other Federal Agencies

Department of Agriculture, Office of 

Advocacy and Outreach

Department of Health and Human Services, 

Federal Occupational Health

Department of the Interior, Bureau of 

Land Management

Department of the Interior, Geological Survey

Private Industry

Ecohealth Alliance, Inc., Data Science and 

Research Technology

State Agencies

Alaska Department of Natural Resources

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 

Oregon Department of Forestry 

Oregon Office of Energy

State Board of Higher Education on 

Behalf of Oregon State

Tribes

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla 

Indian Reservation

Cooperators Who Received Funding From the PNW Research Station for Studies

Clients Who Provided Funding to the PNW Research Station for Studies

Educational Institutions

Oregon State University

Wake Forest University

Washington State University

Nonprofit Organization

National Fish and Wildlife Federation

Other Federal Agencies

Environmental Protection Agency

Department of Agriculture, Office of 

the Chief Economist

Department of Commerce, National Marine 

Fisheries Service

Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers

Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, Environmental Resources Branch

Department of the Interior, Bureau of 

Land Management 

Department of the Interior, Fish and 

Wildlife Service 

Department of the Interior, Geological Survey

Department of the Interior, National Park Service

Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Water

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 

Goddard Space Flight Center

Private Industry

Eco Logical Research

ESSA Technologies Ltd.

Green Diamond Resource Company

State Agencies

Alaska Department of Fish and Game
10PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION
2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 11

Sharing What We’ve Learned

The station produced 386 publications in fiscal year 2014. 

This includes station series reports, journal articles, books or 

book chapters, theses and dissertations, and other publications.

 100,448 hard copies of station publications were distributed.

 4,504 station publications were made available online 

through Treesearch.

 10 issues of PNW Science Findings were published and about 

8,000 copies of each issue were distributed or downloaded. 

Web Visitors

 Total number of visits: 106,368

 Total number of page views: 214,465

 Percentage of new visitors: 72%

Twitter

The station’s Twitter account has 1,162 

followers—up from 928 in 2013. Reporters, 

natural resource professionals, and nonprofit groups comprise the majority of 

subscribers, who receive instant electronic 

alerts (tweets) to station news releases, new 

publications, and other information.

RSS Feeds

Readers can receive alerts about new publications by 

subscribing to a ReallySimple Syndication (RSS) feed at 

www.fs.fed.us/pnw/RSS/index.shtml.

A station employee shares information about the Forest Inventory and Analysis program at 

an annual meeting of the Society of American Foresters. Photo by Glenn Christensen.



600

500

400

300

200

100

0

Number of publications

2005200620072008200920102011201220132014

255 journal articles (66%)

28 station series (7%)

48 books or chapters (12%)

6 proceedings (2%)

25 theses and dissertations (6%)

24 other (6%)
SHARING WHAT WE’VE LEARNED

12 

Judy Mason

IN 2014:

~920 people participated in symposia, 

workshops, and webinars sponsored by

the station.

~1,510 people went on field trips led by

station researchers.

~1,040 people participated in conservation 

education activities sponsored by the 

station.

EXPERIMENTAL FORESTS

Bonanza Creek Long-Term Ecological Research 

Symposium: Thirty senior investigators and 

graduate students affiliated with the Bonanza 

The station sponsors learning events each 

year, often in partnership with other agencies, 

organizations, and universities. A few events 

are highlighted below.

Symposia, Workshops, and Tours

H.J. Andrew’s Safety Training Day: This annual 

event co-hosted by the PNW Research Station 

and Oregon State University (OSU) provided 30 

new researchers and students with training in 

the basic safety procedures and best practices 

needed to conduct field work at the Andrews 

Forest and similar environments. In 2014, the 

OSU College of Forestry cited this as a positive 

example of safety training. 

H.J. Andrew’s Long-Term Ecological Reflections: This writers’ program, hosted at H.J. 

Andrews Experimental Forest, celebrated its 

10th anniversary with high-profile collaboration 

among the arts, sciences, and humanities. About 

30 scientists, philosophers, artists, and writers met to envision the next 10 years for this 

program. 

Meadow Creek Workshop and Tours: More 

than 100 partners in the Meadow Creek 

restoration project on the Starkey Experimental 

Forest and Range participated in a workshop 

held at Eastern Oregon University. Participants, 

who attended either onsite or virtually via a 

real-time webinar stream, discussed project 

goals; restoration work; grazing treatments; and 

monitoring responses of vegetation, ungulates, 

fish, and other biota. Station scientists also led 

several tours of the Meadow Creek restoration 

project site. Sixty-eight participants from the 

National Riparian Service Team, a leader in 

cooperative riparian restoration; Evergreen 

A field tour 

through a site 

planted with 

yellow-cedar 

adjacent to 

Héen Latinee 

Experimental 

Forest, Alaska. 

Creek Long-Term Ecological Research site met 

in Fairbanks, Alaska, to discuss research and 

results from the past year. 

Héen Latinee Experimental Forest Tour: 

Station researchers led a field tour of the 

Héen Latinee Experimental Forest and yellowcedar experimental planting areas in Alaska 

on Goldbelt, Inc., lands with the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Goldbelt, Inc. 

The seven participants learned about plans for 

infrastructure development on the forest. 

H.J. Andrew’s Day: This annual event brought 

130 participants to the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest. The audience included scientists; 

students; federal, state, and utility managers; 

and the general public who spent the day learning about current and past research conducted 

on the forest.

A field tour of the Meadow Creek restoration 

project at the Starkey Experimental Forest 

and Range, Oregon. Photo by Rhonda Mazza.


2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 13
SHARING WHAT WE’VE LEARNED

14 

State College; Washington State University; and 

the Australian National University learned about 

the long-term interdisciplinary project, ungulate 

research, and grazing issues. 

Syrup Creek Study Area Silvicultural Tour: 

Station researchers led 25 silviculturists and 

fire managers from the Forest Service’s Pacific 

Northwest Region on a tour of the Syrup Creek 

Study Area on the Starkey Experimental Forest 

and Range in Oregon. Participants learned 

about proposed forest restoration research.

FIRE AND SMOKE

BlueSky Workshop: Station researchers taught 

50 attendees about the BlueSky modeling framework at the International Smoke Symposium in 

College Park, Maryland. Attendees engaged in 

hands-on training and learned about the latest 

improvements to the framework—which simulates the impacts of smoke on air quality—as 

well as how to interpret results, and more. 

Second-Annual Air Resource Advisor Training 

Workshop: Twenty individuals were trained as 

air resource advisors at the second annual Air 

Resource Advisor training workshop in Boise, 

Idaho. Station scientists worked closely with 

an interagency and interdisciplinary group to 

develop the course. Air Resource Advisors are 

technical specialists deployed to wildfires to 

address smoke impacts to air quality and risk to 

public health and safety, transportation safety, 

and fire personnel. 

An instructor demonstrates a weather balloon 

launch at the 2014 Air Resource Advisor Training 

Workshop in Boise, Idaho.

Susan O’Neill

FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS (FIA)

FIA Outreach: Researchers with the FIA 

program conducted outreach at the Oregon and 

California Chapters of the Society of American 

Foresters meetings in Canyonville, Oregon, 

and Tuolumne, California. They distributed 

copies of a regional database application (PNWFIADB 2001–2012), and more than 200 station 

publications and journal articles. Researchers 

also attended the annual meetings of Calforests 

in Napa, California, and the National Indian 

Timber Symposium in Worley, Idaho, which 

drew 250 participants, and distributed 

materials there. 

PNW-FIA Strategy Committee Meeting: 

Sixteen members of the PNW-FIA Strategy 

Committee—a group of industry, nongovernmental organization, state, National Forest 

System, and tribal stakeholders—met in Portland, Oregon, to advise FIA about regional and 

national needs. Committee members annually 

help to coordinate the implementation and 

operation of FIA, guide enhancements, and 

help devise a strategy for PNW-FIA.

Inventorying Alaska’s Forests Workshop: 

Sixty-seven participants convened at a workshop in Anchorage, Alaska, to explore how interagency needs could be met by the FIA program 

and to discuss plans for a pilot inventory of 

interior Alaska. 

FIA Client Meeting and Workshops: PNW-FIA 

organized a forum with 60 regional stakeholders in Sacramento, California, to share current 

research activities using FIA data, provide 

information and updates, and obtain feedback 

from partners to improve the program. PNWFIA also led hands-on workshops in Sacramento 

and Pago Pago, American Samoa, teaching 28 

clients how to analyze and summarize inventory 
SHARING WHAT WE’VE LEARNED

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 15

data to answer their own questions concerning 

resource management. The training focused on 

“PNW-FIADB,” a user-friendly application that 

simplifies the process of working with a large, 

complex dataset. 

OTHER NOTABLE EVENTS

Douglas-Fir Seed Source Movement Trial 

Field Tours: In all, 85 participants with the 

Swiss Needle Cast Cooperative and Washington 

State Department of Natural Resources toured 

sites of the Douglas-Fir Seed Source Movement 

Trial. They learned how Douglas-fir trees from 

a range of geographic locations have been 

growing and surviving since being planted in 

common gardens at various locations.

Joint Aquatic Sciences Symposium: A station 

statistician co-organized a full-day water temperature symposium as part of the Joint Aquatic 

Sciences Meeting in Portland, Oregon. The 

session included 23 oral presentations given by 

invited speakers from across the country and 

abroad, including several station researchers. 

About 200 people attended. 

Moist Mixed-Conifer Synthesis Workshop: 

Authors of The Ecology and Management of 

Mixed-Moist Conifer Forests in Oregon and 

Washington, published by the station in 2014, 

led a 2-day workshop in Pendleton, Oregon. 

Sixty natural resource managers toured an area 

of the Blue Mountains on the Umatilla National 

Forest to learn about large landscapes and likely 

climatic impacts.

Conservation Education

Station scientists make time to share their 

expertise with students and teachers. Classroom 

activities, science fairs, and week-long outdoor 

camps are some of the ways we interact with 

the next generation of scientists. A few of these 

activities from 2014 are highlighted below.

Canopy Connections: This learning program 

for Oregon middle school classes was developed 

by the University of Oregon Environmental 

Leadership Program, The Pacific Tree Climbing Institute, and the PNW Research Station. 

Hosted at H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, 

it gives students an opportunity to climb and 

explore the canopy of an old-growth forest. The 

curriculum integrates science, art, and creative 

writing. In 2014, two hundred fifty students and 

25 teachers participated. 

Conservation Biology Panel: Forty eighth-grade 

students from Jane Goodall Environmental 

Middle School, a multicultural magnet school 

in Salem, Oregon, collected and analyzed data, 

then presented results to expert panelists, 

including a station researcher. Topics ranged 

from long-term trends of amphibian habitat use 

to leaf-out patterns in a nearby park and implications for climate change. 

Conservation Education Tour: Nine people 

with the Tacoma Public School Re-Engagement 

Center visited the Olympia Forestry Sciences 

Laboratory in Washington to learn about forest 

management and tree growth. Two station 

Lina DiGregario

A middle-school student explores the forest canopy as 

part of the Canopy Connections program at H.J. Andrews 

Experimental Forest. 
SHARING WHAT WE’VE LEARNED

16 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

Students with the Inner City Youth Institute 

worked with forest staff to remove tansy ragwort, 

an invasive weed, on the Siuslaw National Forest.

scientists organized the tour for the project, 

which is designed to help students who have 

dropped out of school return and obtain a high 

school diploma. 

Ellie’s Log Field Day: The book Ellie’s Log, 

written about research at H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, inspired a teacher at Fern Ridge 

Middle School in Elmira, Oregon, to devote a 

portion of his spring curriculum to the topics 

covered in the book. This unit culminated with a 

tour of H.J. Andrews, attended by 100 students 

and teachers. 

Forest Camp 2014: About 120 sixth-grade 

students learned about basic ecology and fungi 

during a presentation at Camp Tadmor in 

Lebanon, Oregon, given by station employees in 

partnership with the Siuslaw National Forest. 

Forests Inside Out! In its sixth year, the station and the nonprofit World Forestry Center 

provided a series of 2-day immersive indoor 

and outdoor experiences for 400 children ages 

6 to 10 and family members from diverse and 

underserved communities in the Portland metropolitan area. The program promotes active, 

healthy outdoor lifestyles for young children 

and their families and to create positive and 

direct associations with urban forests, natural 

areas, and national forests. Eight high school 

and college-aged students from the Portland 

area were mentors for the program, two of them 

from the Inner City Youth Institute, another 

youth program sponsored by the station. 

Science Fairs: The station sponsored “Outstanding Natural Resource Science” awards for middle 

and high school students at the Northwest 

Science Expo, a science fair for young scientists, 

engineers, and mathematicians held at Portland 

State University. Station researchers also participated as judges at the event. At the Washington 

State Science and Engineering Fair, for grades 

1 through 12, in Bremerton, Washington, the 

station sponsored a high school, middle school, 

and elementary school “Outstanding Natural 

Resource Science Award” and an “Outstanding 

Statistical Thinking Award.” A station scientist 

also participated as a judge and taught a teacher 

workshop. 

Trout International: More than 100 students in 

Oregon and 25 in Northern Ireland participated 

in “Trout International,” an environmental education, conservation, and cross-cultural connection program for school children. As part of 

the project, a third-grade class at Chapman Hill 

Elementary in Salem, Oregon, a fourth-grade 

class at Timber Hill Elementary in Albany, Oregon, and one school in Northern Ireland hatched 

native trout species in classroom tanks. Oregon 

classrooms hatched rainbow trout, while Irish 

classrooms hatched native dollaghan trout. 

Educational elements presented in both countries focused on the similarities and differences 

between these species of trout and included 

introductory instruction on climate change, 

invasive species, culture, art, and landscape 

change. 

Inner City Youth Institute: The station reached 

about 100 students from Portland inner-city 

high schools through the Inner City Youth Institute (ICYI). The program connects underrepresented youth with careers and experiences in 

natural resources and is a partnership between 

the Forest Service, Oregon State University’s 4-H 

program, and the Bureau of Land Management. 

Students with ICYI attended a natural resources 

career fair held at Mount Hood Community 

College to learn about professional opportunities and participated in hiking and backpacking trips in central Oregon. Their experience 

culminated with a week-long immersive camp 

at Oregon State University, where they experienced campus life, and traveled to the Oregon 

coast where they worked alongside Siuslaw 

National Forest field rangers and trail crew 

members. The camp concluded with student 

presentations to parents and sponsoring agency 

representatives.
17

Climate Change

Climate Change

A draining lake on the Alaska tundra.

Bruce Marcot

A changing climate will trigger change throughout the natural world and ripple into 

human environments.  Our research aims to improve understanding of the effects of 

projected changes in temperature and in timing and volume of precipitation in the Pacific 

Northwest.  From there, our goal is to provide land managers with information they 

can use to manage forests to facilitate adaptation and resiliency into the future.
18

Climate Change

Flooding and subsequent damage to roads and infrastructure, like this may become more 

common as winter precipitation shifts from snow to rain. Above, a washout on the Gifford 

Pinchot National Forest. 

Tom Iraci

 Huge partnership effort in Washington state completes largest

climate-change adaption project

in country. The assessment and

strategies are being used by the

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and

Okanogan-Wenatchee National

Forests and North Cascades and

Mount Rainer National Parks.

 Some vegetative species are more

vulnerable to drought than others.

Scientists identified why piñon

pine, a common species in the

Southwest, dies more quickly than

juniper in drought conditions.

 The climate-based projections

indicate some California ecoregions may see widespread

shifts in vegetation types. The

Pacific Southwest Region will

be using this information in

forest planning.

 In Douglas-fir and true-firdominated dry mixed-conifer

forests of the Northwest, implementing selective harvest and

surface fuel treatments generates

greater climate benefits than no

treatment, when accounting for

in-and out-of-forest effects on

greenhouse gases.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Highlights in 2014

Largest climate change adaptation 

project in the United States completed 

in Washington State

The northern Cascade Range of Washington 

contains diverse ecosystems with thousands of 

plant and animal species. Station scientists helped 

evaluate the projected effects of climate change 

in this region by using an alllands approach that included 

two national forests (Mount 

Baker-Snoqualmie, OkanoganWenatchee) and two national 

parks (North Cascades, Mount Rainier). 

An additional 30 agencies and stakeholders 

participated in a science-management partnership 

that provided climate science education, compiled 

a climate change vulnerability assessment (vegetation, wildlife, water resources, and fisheries), and 

developed an adaptation strategy for the region.

The climate change vulnerability assessment 

found that water may be the most sensitive 

resource. Less snow and more rain may lead 

to greater flooding and damage to roads and 

infrastructure. Fisheries are also expected to be 

very sensitive to low peak flows and high stream 

temperatures in summer.

The assessment and adaptation strategy are 

being used by national forests to meet requirements of the 2012 Planning Rule, so that climate 

change is addressed in planning and management. 

This will encourage management actions that 

reduce negative outcomes of climate change, ease 

the transition of systems to a warmer climate, and 

ensure long-term sustainability of resources.

Contact: David L. Peterson, peterson@fs.fed.us

Partners: University of Washington, 

USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, 

USDI National Park Service 

Citation: Raymond, C.L.; Peterson, D.L.; Rochefort, 

R.M., eds. 2014. Climate change vulnerability and 

adaptation in the North Cascades region. Gen. Tech. 

Rep. PNW-GTR-892. Portland, OR: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest 

Research Station.

Assessment used

by national forests

 to meet 2012

Planning Rule.
CLIMATE CHANGE

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 19

Understanding vegetation vulnerability 

to climate change

Scientists have learned much about historical 

rates and patterns of vegetation change during 

glacial and interglacial epochs; forest growth 

responses to past climatic variability; plant 

physiological responses to higher temperature 

and carbon dioxide levels; and how phenotypic 

plasticity, local adaptation, and migration can 

help individual plants, plant populations, and 

species adapt to changing environments. However, this information had not been adequately 

reviewed, synthesized, and compiled into a form 

that managers can use to 

establish short- and longterm management objectives and adopt appropriate 

management strategies.

A new synthesis reviews 

potential climate change 

impacts on Pacific Northwest vegetation and 

provides a scientific basis 

for developing vulnerability 

assessments and adaptation 

strategies. It focuses on 

five major vegetation types: 

subalpine forests and alpine 

meadows, maritime coniferous forests, dry coniferous 

forests, juniper savannas and woodlands, and 

interior shrub-steppe. Forest managers and 

scientists can use this information for developing science-based plans for managing forests 

and rangelands under changing environmental 

conditions.

Contact: David W. Peterson, 

davepeterson@fs.fed.us

Partners: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest 

Region, USDI Bureau of Land Management Oregon 

and Washington

Citation: Peterson, D.W.; Kerns, B.K.; Dodson, 

E.K. 2014. Climate change effects on vegetation 

in the Pacific Northwest: a review and synthesis 

of the scientific literature and simulation model 

projections. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-900. 

Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 

183 p.

Multihost fungi may facilitate migrations 

of pine species with climate change 

Tree species migration is a complex process 

involving ecological linkages between ecosystems above- and belowground. Trees rely on 

symbiotic relationships with mycorrhizal fungi 

for optimal survival and growth. Mycorrhizal 

networks provide conduits for nutrient exchange 

between tree species. Successful migration of 

tree species may be constrained by the distribution or co-migration of belowground fungi. 

Working in the Deschutes National Forest, 

scientists found remarkable overlap in mycorrhizal fungi species colonizing ponderosa 

and lodgepole pines, which bodes well for the 

This report reviews potential climate change 

impacts on Pacific Northwest vegetation and 

provides a scientific basis for developing vulnerability assessments and adaptation strategies.

Researchers collect soil samples to learn what mycorrhizal fungi are present 

in this stand of lodgepole pine on the Deschutes National Forest. 

Jane E. Smith
migration of ponderosa pine into the historical 

lodgepole pine range. 

Planning for tree species migration with 

climate change is an immediate challenge for 

land managers. Climate change models suggest 

that lodgepole pine will decline in the Pacific 

Northwest by the end of the 21st century. 

As climate change transforms the lodgepole 

pine zone into a warmer, drier environment, 

drought-tolerant ponderosa pine may establish 

within the historical lodgepole pine range. In 

an assisted migration management approach, 

mycorrhizal fungal networks may enhance 

seedling survivorship and growth.

Contact: Jane E. Smith, jsmith01@fs.fed.us

Partners: Deschutes National Forest, Oregon 

State University, University of British Columbia, 

National Science Foundation

Forest stress linked to climate change

Climate change, including increased temperature and decreased precipitation, is expected 

to have profound effects on forest stress, a key 

indicator of forest health. Forest stress can be 

measured in terms of 

lost vigor and leaf area 

and increased mortality 

from drought, insects, 

and disease. Individual 

studies for specific geographical regions and 

key affected species have already demonstrated 

the link between changes in temperature and 

precipitation, but until now there had not been 

a study that systematically examines these 

links across regions and species using a single 

set of methods.

Nationally, forest stress dramatically increased between the late 1980s and the early 2000s, 

corresponding to increasing temperatures and lower precipitation. 

Andrew J. Boone, Bugwood.org

Tool

TimeSync Landsat time series 

visualization and data collection 

tool

Description: 

TimeSync allows users to accurately 

characterize forest change at the plot level 

on an annual basis. It can be used across a 

range of spatial extents, from regional to 

continental. 

Users: 

TimeSync is used by researchers to 

characterize change, map accuracy, and 

provide independent estimates of forest 

change by disturbance agent. Within the 

North American Carbon Program, TimeSync 

has been used to assess the quality of a 

national-level disturbance map and to 

provide independent estimates of forest 

disturbance. These estimates have provided 

characterizations of regional differences in 

disturbance regimes and direct linkages of 

forest stress to climate change. TimeSync 

is also a central component of the nascent 

Landscape Change Monitoring System 

under development by the U.S. Forest 

Service and U.S. Geological Survey. 

Distribution: 

The TimeSync user community has grown 

via word of mouth. A webinar tutorial 

attracted 35 participants in November 

2014. Standalone training modules are 

also available on the TimeSync website.

How to get it: 

http://timesync.forestry.oregonstate.edu/

Contact: 

Warren B. Cohen, wcohen@fs.fed.us

Forest stress increased

dramatically between

 the late 1980s and

 the early 2000s.
CLIMATE CHANGE

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 21

Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood. org

Simulations indicate that greater climate benefits are realized by treating stands of Douglas-fir and true-fir to reduce 

fire hazard compared to not treating them. 

Station scientists provided evidence about 

direct connections between forest health and 

climate change that highlights the need to 

monitor forest to (1) determine where and when 

remedial silvicultural prescriptions should be 

prioritized, and (2) help set realistic expectations of climate change effects on forest health 

and adapt forest policy accordingly. Modeling 

the effects of climate change on forest structure 

and function, in the context of national efforts 

such as the North American Carbon Program, 

can now be better grounded in national-level 

observations. 

The scientists used Landsat satellite annual 

time series data from 1984 through 2012 to 

characterize forest change by disturbance agent 

type, including forest stress. The data were 

visually interpreted using a newly developed 

tool, TimeSync, across 7,200 plots distributed 

throughout the conterminous United States. 

Regional differences were evident, but 

nationally, forest stress dramatically increased 

between the late 1980s and the early 2000s, 

declining somewhat in the mid to late 2000s. 

Seeking a link to climate, the scientists plotted 

annual average summer temperatures and 

precipitation amounts against estimated annual 

forest stress. Results indicate exceptionally high 

correlation between stress and both increased 

temperatures and decreasing precipitation. 

Contact: Warren B. Cohen, wcohen@fs.fed.us

Partners: NASA, USDA Forest Service 

Rocky Mountain Research Station, 

University of Maryland

Simulations reveal climate benefits 

of forest management

What effects do forest restoration efforts have 

on forest carbon levels? To find out, scientists 

used the Forest Vegetation Simulator to simulate 

the silvicultural prescriptions typically used 

by foresters seeking to restore forest health. 

Thirteen different prescriptions were applied to 

several hundred forest inventory and analysis 

plots that comprise a statistically representative sample of current conditions in Douglas-fir and true-fir forests in the northwestern 

United States. The resulting forest stands were 

projected forward for 32 years under four scenarios: no wildfires, and one wildfire at one of 

three times since treatment: 1, 16, or 32 years. 

Over this short period, in the absence of 

wildfire, treatments did not produce net climate 

benefits. However, with fire return intervals of 

20 or 50 years, implementing the most effective treatments generated considerable climate 

benefits when considering carbon stored in the 

forest, carbon in forest products and landfills, 

and substitution benefits from the use of energy 

generated from wood and woody biomass. For 

about half of the forest area where treatment 
CLIMATE CHANGE

22 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

would be effective, sales of merchantable 

lumber and wood-based fuels could more than 

offset the costs of implementing treatments, 

provided that prescriptions were not restricted 

by arbitrary limits on the size of trees that can 

be harvested in the course of implementing 

effective treatments. 

Contact: Jeremy Fried, jsfried@fs.fed.us

Partners: Humboldt State University, University 

of Montana, USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain 

Research Station 

Scientists integrate multidiscipline 

models to estimate impacts of climate 

change and mitigation policies on 

global forestry economics sector

In a Climate Change Impacts and Risk Analysis 

project sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, global-scale socioeconomic, climate 

and climate-impacts models are integrated to 

estimate the effects of policy scenarios crafted 

to mitigate greenhouse gases. Forest Service 

scientists and colleagues worked on one thread 

of this project by estimating the effects of mitigation policies on the global forestry economic 

sector for the 21st century.

By using an integrated assessment model, 

an atmosphere model, and MC2—a dynamic 

global vegetation model developed the PNW 

Research Station—the scientists simulated a 

range of climate change impacts on global forest 

conditions, including shifts in the rate of forest 

growth and carbon sequestration, and shifts in 

Climate change is increasing the incidence of fire in Alaska’s boreal forests.

Bruce Marcot
CLIMATE CHANGE

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 23

species distribution and disturbance regimes. 

Further analysis suggests climate change 

impacts on forest productivity and disturbance 

will vary significantly among global timber 

production regions, which may drive complex 

market dynamics.

Contact: John B. Kim, jbkim@fs.fed.us

Partners: Environmental Protection Agency, 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ohio 

State University

New insights on determinants of 

drought vulnerability in piñon-juniper 

ecosystems

Episodes of drought-induced tree mortality are 

on the increase worldwide, but some species are 

more vulnerable than others. Information about 

the plant functional traits 

that determine species-specific vulnerability to drought 

is needed before vegetation 

models can generate realistic predictions of the fate of woody vegetation 

under episodic drought.

In the southwestern United States, drought-induced mortality events have been particularly 

severe in ecosystems dominated by ponderosa 

pine, piñon pine, and juniper in the last several 

decades. This study focused on leaf osmotic and 

turgor regulation in juniper and piñon pine in a 

multiyear drought mortality field experiment at 

Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico.

Piñon pine, currently a dominant species in parts of the Southwest, is less able to regulate leaf turgor in 

response to fluctuations in available soil water. This makes piñon pine (dead tree in foreground) more 

vulnerable to drought compared to juniper (alive in background). 

Adam Collins

Juniper was able to rapidly regulate its leaf 

osmotic properties and turgor to track fluctuations in soil water availability, whereas piñon 

pine exhibited static behavior in this regard. 

This contrasting behavior resulted in leaves of 

piñon pine losing turgor when the soil was dry. 

The findings were consistent with the greater 

drought resistance of juniper. Because plants 

cannot grow or take up carbon dioxide when 

their cells lose turgor, the inability of piñon pine 

to regulate its turgor may set it on a trajectory 

to drought-induced mortality sooner than 

juniper. The findings should contribute to more 

accurate estimates of thresholds for drought-induced mortality in the two species.

Contact: Rick Meinzer, fmeinzer@fs.fed.us, 

and David Woodruff, dwoodruff@fs.fed.us

Partner: Los Alamos National Laboratory

Piñon pine is

 more susceptible 

to drought

 than juniper.
CLIMATE CHANGE

24 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

Projections indicate that some California 

ecoregions may see widespread shifts in 

vegetation types 

Climate change is expected to profoundly 

affect California’s diverse vegetation. Until 

recently, vegetation simulation results were too 

coarse or incomplete to assess climate change 

impacts at the subregional scale. In an effort 

coordinated by the California Public Interest 

Energy Research Program, scientists worked 

with four climate projections developed by the 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 

The scientists used the MC1 dynamic general 

vegetation model to simulate climate change 

impacts on vegetation at 800-meter resolution, 

suitable for planning at the national forest and 

watershed levels. 

The simulation results show that exposure to 

climate change and sensitivity to this change 

differ greatly by ecoregions in California. Ecoregions projected to have high exposure do not 

necessarily have high sensitivity, and vice versa. 

In many ecoregions, simulation results from 

all four climate projections agree that 60 to 70 

percent of the ecoregion will change vegetation types. Fire is projected to decrease in the 

coastal ecoregions while mediating type-shifts 

in interior forested or shrubland ecoregions. The 

Pacific Southwest Region of the Forest Service 

will be using this information in forest planning.

Contact: John B. Kim, jbkim@fs.fed.us

Partners: University of California Davis, 

USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region

How does drought affect tree 

physiology? 

Phloem is living tissue, part of a plant’s complex 

vascular system. Phloem transports carbohydrates produced by photosynthesis to all parts 

of the plant to fuel growth and respiration. 

Measuring phloem function in trees is difficult, 

and the specific mechanisms involved in phloem 

transport, and how environmental parameters 

influence these processes, are still unknown. 

Improving our fundamental understanding of 

this central component of the plant’s vascular 

system may provide insight into ways that trees 

will be affected by changing climatic conditions. 

This study examined how sieve cell radius, 

sap sugar concentration, phloem relative water 

content, and sap viscosity vary across a range 

of water stress using tree height as a proxy for 

increasing soil moisture stress. Accounting for 

sugar concentration and water content, the sap 

viscosity and molar concentration of sucrose did 

not vary with tree height, but the viscosity and 

molar concentration of total sugars increased 

with sample height. Combining the decreased 

sieve lumen diameter and increased viscosity 

resulted in a 60-percent reduction in conductivity with increased tree height/water stress.

The development and application of models 

that effectively incorporate the response of 

phloem content and phloem cell anatomy to 

drought as described in this study will represent 

a substantial advancement in our ability to more 

accurately predict plant responses to environmental and competitive stressors. 

Contact: David Woodruff, dwoodruff@fs.fed.us

Some California ecoregions may see a 60- to 70-percent change in vegetation type as the climate changes. 

Above, a dry winter day and an empty spillway in Annadel State Park, California. 

David McSpadden
25

We keep a pulse on forest ecosystems 

through regular inventories and monitoring 

to identify trends in growth, habitat, carbon 

flux, and much more.  This information 

is critical for making sound decisions and 

policy about natural resources.  It 

shapes our understanding of change over 

time in terrestrial, aquatic, and human 

environments as they respond to climate, 

disturbance, insects and pathogens, and 

management policies.  With this 

information, tools and models are developed 

for projecting likely scenarios to help 

prepare for the future.

Inventory and 

Monitoring

Inventory and Monitoring Rhonda Mazza

Sampling a site at Pringle Falls Experimental Forest in Oregon.
26

INVENTORY AND MONITORING

Lichen serve as indicators of air quality 

near natural gas wells

Using lichens to assess air quality on public 

lands is increasingly common, serving as a 

budget-friendly supplement to other monitoring 

networks. Lichens accumulate nutrients, such 

as nitrogen (N), making 

their tissue levels a 

reflection of atmospheric N levels. 

Scientists collected 

two common lichen species, Letharia vulpina

and Usnea lapponica, from the Bridger Wilderness less than 20 miles from a concentration 

of active oil and gas wells in Sublette County, 

Wyoming. They wanted to calibrate N levels 

in lichen with N measurements collected by 

nearby monitoring instruments to determine 

the extent of N dispersal into the wilderness. 

They found that N levels were relatively low, 

although visual signs of damage to lichens 

were evident at sites with the most N deposition. These results mirrored those yielded by 

the monitoring equipment. This is the first 

study to validate use of lichen tissue indicators 

for dry interior forests.

The Clean Air Act mandates that federal land 

managers protect air-quality-related values for 

national parks and wilderness areas. This study 

demonstrates that lichen tissue indicators are a 

simple, accurate tool for N monitoring. 

Contact: Sarah Jovan, sjovan@fs.fed.us

Partners: Montana State University; USDA 

Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis—

Interior West Region, Pacific Northwest Region, 

Pacific Southwest Research Station

Wolf lichen (Letharia vulpine) can be used to monitor levels of atmospheric nitrogen near oil and gas wells. 

Jason Hollinger

Study validates 

 use of lichens as

air quality indicators

for dry interior forests.

 Lichens can be used to detect low level

nitrogen inputs from oil and gas operations.

This information can be used to protect air

quality near wilderness areas.

 Scientists find the fungus-to-plant ratio in

boreal black spruce forest soils is at least

17:1 and is regionally stable. These fungi are

important to seedling establishment, and

play a role in how trees regenerate after fire.

 Scientists find that some Oregon estuaries

had increased potential for complex edge

habitat for rearing juvenile salmonids,

whereas others showed a marked decrease

in potential habitat if sea level rises and

mean high tides increase 1 to 2 meters.

 A small net gain in forest carbon was seen

in Pacific Northwest forests even as effects

of tree growth and afforestation were offset

by fire, insects, logging, and deforestation.

Tracking changes in forest carbon by using

repeated inventory measurements identifies

the magnitude of influence land use change,

management, and disturbances have on

aboveground forest carbon flux.

 The number of structures on private lands

near almost all types of public forest in

Oregon and Washington has more than

doubled between the 1970s and 2000s.

Consequences include increased road

density with more human-caused ignition

of wildfire, higher probability for invasive

species, greater demand for local recreation,

higher fire suppression costs, and increased

complexity for managers trying to reduce

wildfire hazard through fuel treatments.

Highlights in 2014

Inventory and 

Monitoring
2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 27

Tool

New soil respirometer for 

calculating CO2 fluxes 

Description: 

This field instrument is used for extensive 

soil respiration sampling in the challenging 

forest environment. Soil respiration is the flux 

of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) from the soil to the 

atmosphere, and is the largest carbon flux 

from the terrestrial ecosystem. Soil respiration 

is nearly tenfold greater than fossil-fuel 

emissions on a global basis.

The instrument utilizes infrared gas analysis 

technology to calculate CO2 fluxes. It was 

designed to optimally sample the highly 

variable forest ecosystem.

Use: 

This instrument is for those interested in 

estimating and monitoring carbon stocks and 

greenhouse gas fluxes. 

How to get it: 

Seven devices have been built for the PNW 

Research Station. Several of these are being 

used for carbon monitoring in southeast 

Alaska. Contact Mark Nay to obtain a loaner 

for a trial or a demonstration. Plans and parts 

lists for building additional instruments are 

available through the USDA Forest Service 

Missoula Technology and Development 

Center. http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/techdev/

mtdc.htm 

Contact: 

Mark Nay, mnay@fs.fed.us

Fungus-to-plant ratio in boreal black 

spruce forest soils is at least 17 to 1

Molecular techniques have increased our 

ability to study the diversity of fungi in the soil 

and to better understand the key roles that 

fungi play in ecosystems. Knowledge about the 

distribution of species, 

community composition, 

and ecological niche of 

fungi is critical in light of 

global climate change. In 

Alaska’s boreal forests, for example, wildfires 

are increasingly prevalent in tundra and at 

treeline. A critical but often overlooked factor to 

seedling establishment at treeline is the symbiosis with belowground, ectomycorrhizal fungi. 

Ectomycorrhizal fungi provide soil nutrients 

and water to seedlings and protect seedlings 

against pathogens, enhancing their growth 

and reducing drought stress.

Researchers found that the fungus-to-plant 

ratio in boreal black spruce forest soils is at 

least 17:1 and is regionally stable. The global 

extrapolation of this suggests 6 million species 

of fungi, a sixfold increase in diversity from 

previous estimates. Results also illustrate the 

important role ectomycorrhizal fungi-tree interactions play in seedling performance after fire.

This information is being used to improve 

simulation models of treeline dynamics and in 

particular the most current ALFRESCO landscape model with the Scenarios Network for 

Alaska and Arctic Planning. 

Contact: Teresa Hollingsworth, 

thollingsworth@fs.fed.us

Partners: University of Alaska–Fairbanks, 

University of New Mexico

Used as input for 

 simulations of treeline 

dynamics in boreal 

and arctic forests.

Black spruce forests in Interior Alaska host a rich network of belowground fungi. 

Ken Winterberger
28 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

Tool

MHW_Composite: mean high-water composite 

shoreline for southeast Alaska

Description: 

MHW_Composite is a digital geospatial dataset depicting a mean high-water 

shoreline across the entire mainland and island extent of southeast Alaska. 

This dataset compiles maps from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA) that previously existed as 79 separate projects. NOAA 

maps represent the most accurate depiction of mean high-water in Alaska; 

however, only about two-thirds of southeast Alaska has been mapped. To map 

areas of shoreline not covered by NOAA maps, and to update areas where 

existing shoreline data were inaccurate, researchers used the next-best source 

of available data, which included digitizing new lines from high-resolution 

digital orthophotography. Because the non-NOAA source data are not directly 

tied to a tidal station, these lines are a “best guess” approximation of mean 

high-water, hence the name MHW_Composite. MHW_Composite is the most 

accurate and precise continuous shoreline available for southeast Alaska. 

Use:

Shorelines are an essential base layer needed for geospatial analyses. MHW_

Composite will be used by researchers, managers, planners, and students, and 

will be valuable for anyone who needs a digital shoreline dataset. The Tongass 

National Forest is using MHW_Composite to model high and low tide lines. 

MHW_Composite will also be integrated into the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

National Hydrography Dataset, which is the surface water component of The 

National Map. MHW_Composite is a dynamic product that will be updated 

annually in conjunction with updates to the National Hydrography Dataset. 

MHW_Composite has already been used by the Tongass National Forest for 

producing environmental impact statements, and by research analysts with 

the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. MHW_Composite has been used 

by the Pacific Northwest Research Station for developing regional hydrologic 

models that predict freshwater discharge and nutrient flux, and in cooperative 

projects with the USGS and University of Alaska Fairbanks as an input layer for 

LandCarbon, a national carbon assessment.

How to get it: 

The geographic information system (GIS) dataset will be available in 

spring 2015 for download from the Southeast Alaska GIS Library: 

http://seakgis.alaska.edu/.

Contact: 

Frances Biles, fbiles@fs.fed.us

Keeping pace with sea-level rise: insights for Oregon estuaries

Coastal areas are among the most dynamic, productive environments in 

the world, but they have been extensively developed for human uses. Current climate projections predict sea-level rise; alterations in type, timing, 

and intensity of precipitation; and increases in water temperature. Diverse 

estuarine habitats are used for varying lengths of 

time by juvenile salmonids. Sea-level rise may flood 

currently productive salt-marsh habitats, with limited 

potential for these habitats to shift upstream or into 

adjacent floodplains because of human development. 

Land managers and citizens lack the spatially explicit 

data needed to incorporate effects of climate change and sea-level rise 

into planning for habitat improvement projects in estuarine areas. 

Kelly Christiansen

Scientists mapped the current mean high tide and projected mean high tide if 

sea level increases 1 to 2 meters. These changes would affect estuarine habitat 

for salmonids and other species in the Salmon River Estuary, Oregon. 

Habitat for

juvenile salmon

may increase in

some estuaries,

decrease in others.
INVENTORY AND MONITORING

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 29

Scientists developed simple models using 

LiDAR data collected by airborne laser scanners 

to characterize the geomorphology of multiple 

Oregon estuaries. They mapped the margin of 

current mean high tide and contour intervals 

associated with different potential increases. 

They found that some estuaries had increased 

potential for complex edge habitat for rearing 

juvenile salmonids, whereas others showed a 

marked decrease. 

This research can help managers and scientists integrate current science into land use 

management decisions that have broad implications for the future. The scientists plan to work 

with local watershed groups and the state of 

Oregon to expand the use of mapping tools to 

enhance planning for estuarine habitat restoration, recovery, and protection.

Contact: Rebecca Flitcroft, rflitcroft@fs.fed.us

Partners: Coos Watershed Association, 

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 

Oregon State University, South Slough 

National Estuarine Research Reserve 

Using cover-based definition of forest 

land increases estimates of forest land 

A key function of forest inventory is to detect 

changes in the area of forest land over time, 

yet different definitions of forest land are used 

in different regions of the world. The Forest 

Inventory and Analysis program has proposed 

changing its definition of forest land, which 

is based on relative stocking, to better match 

the international definition, which is based on 

canopy cover. This would improve international 

consistency but could affect the ability to quantify true changes in the United States over time. 

This study evaluated the anticipated effects 

of a definitional change on the area classified 

as forest land and its relationship to species 

and forest density in California, Oregon, and 

Washington. Scientists found that western juniper and ponderosa pine forest types will have 

higher estimates of forest land area if using 

a canopy-cover definition, compared to the 

stocking-based definition. The difference will be 

pronounced where land is marginally forested. 

The change in definition may result in an 

additional 360,000 acres of forest land being 

reported on the west coast. Measuring marginal 

forest lands with both metrics for the first cycle 

after implementation should make it possible 

to distinguish real change from definitional 

change, but will require reclassifying older plot 

measurements using the new definition.

Contact: Andrew Gray, agray01@fs.fed.us

Researchers set a seine net to sample the fish communities that use Palouse Slough, Oregon, as part of 

ongoing work to investigate the potential effect of sea-level rise on aquatic communities in estuaries. 

Rebecca Fllitcroft
30 

INVENTORY AND MONITORING

Choice of equations affects estimates 

of tree biomass 

People need accurate biomass equations to 

improve carbon accounting in forests. Station 

scientists developed equations for aboveground 

biomass components of Douglas-fir growing in 

the Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon. 

These site-specific equations were compared 

with nationally generalized equations, other 

published and widely used Pacific Northwest 

equations, recent site-specific equations from 

southwest Washington, and the USDA Forest 

Service Forest Inventory and Analysis program 

approaches. 

This work shows how using different available 

biomass equations can affect estimates of tree 

biomass, and specifically, how similar-sized 

trees generate different equations depending 

on site characteristics. The Douglas-fir/Siskiyou 

equations were generated from data on older 

trees and a lower-productivity site, compared to 

the equations created from younger trees and 

a higher-productivity site in southwest Washington. This work illustrates how site-specific 

approaches will fine tune future carbon assessments and be particularly useful for long-term 

productivity studies, carbon accounting, and 

modeling.

Contact: Mark Nay, mnay@fs.fed.us

Partners: Joint Fire Science Program, 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Western Environmental Research Laboratory, 

USDA Forest Service Siskiyou-Rogue River 

National Forest 

Net forest carbon in Oregon increased 

slightly during the last decade 

A substantial portion of the carbon (C) emitted 

by human activity is apparently being stored in 

forest ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere, 

but the magnitude and cause are not precisely 

understood. Studies have 

tracked these changes in 

forest C using repeated 

inventory measurements 

of nonfederal lands in 

Oregon, and of national 

forests in Oregon and Washington. Although 

the net area of forest land increased in Oregon, 

the net effect of land-use change on C was a 

decrease because forest gains in low-C juniper 

forests were offset by losses in high-C Douglasfir forests. 

On nonfederal lands, C decreased significantly in eastern Oregon owing to the effect of 

western spruce budworm, but increased significantly in western Oregon owing to growth 

on nonfederal public lands. On national forest 

lands, C increases were higher on the west side 

of the Cascade Range, and primarily stayed in 

the live tree pool, compared to lower increases 

on the east side, where most of the increase 

was seen in the down wood pool. Fire led to 

decreased C stores in wilderness areas east of 

the Cascade Range. 

The small impact of recent fires on C storage 

in national forests suggests that fires may not 

be a cause for concern, although investigation 

Tool

An enhanced fuels map uses Fuel 

Characteristic Classification System 

(FCCS) and satellite imagery 

Description: 

This new product for the continental United 

States links mapped FCCS fuelbeds to 

estimates of dominant vegetation cover 

from satellite imagery (MODIS) to refine fuelloading estimates at each point (pixel) on 

the map. By including observed vegetation 

cover, mapped output more accurately 

describes the actual fuels on the ground. 

This is critical for estimating fire effects, 

such as smoke exposure in local airsheds 

and air quality downwind, as well as carbon 

emissions that contribute to greenhouse 

gases. Regular updates using updated 

MODIS products (e.g., Vegetation Continuous 

Fields) will keep the dataset current with 

ongoing application to fire, smoke, and 

carbon management. 

Users: 

This will be a key product for modelers of air 

quality and the carbon cycle. It will be useful 

for regulators creating emissions inventories 

(e.g., Environmental Protection Agency and 

the Western Regional Air Partnership) that 

can also provide inputs for Earth-system 

models (e.g., NASA and the National Center 

for Atmospheric Research). 

Contact: 

Don McKenzie, donaldmckenzie@fs.fed.us

Partners: 

Michigan Technological University, 

NASA, University of Washington

Decreases in eastside forests offset

 by increase in

 forest growth

on west side.
31

INVENTORY AND MONITORING

New housing near the Gifford Pinchot National Forest boundary in Washington. 

Rhonda Mazza

of longer term effects is warranted. Better 

understanding of the magnitude of effects of 

land-use change, management, and disturbance 

on C storage from repeated inventory 

measurements will improve our ability to 

predict the effects of future changes 

in those drivers.

Contact: Andrew Gray, agray01@fs.fed.us

Partners: Oregon State University, USDA Forest 

Service Forest Pacific Northwest Region 

Development bordering public 

forest land in Washington and 

Oregon doubles in 30 years

Development stemming from population 

increases over the last 30 years has greatly 

affected forested lands in the United States. 

To assess and compare increases in development, station scientists counted changes in the 

number of structures on a systematic grid of 

photo-interpreted points around public forest 

land in Washington and Oregon. 

Areas bordering public forest land show 

substantial increases in development. The 

number of structures on private lands near 

almost all types of public forest more than 

doubled between the 1970s and 2000s. Lands 

bordering Washington’s Department of Natural 

Resources lands have more than twice as many 

new structures along their edges compared to 

other public owners. In Oregon, the greatest 

amount of development occurred along the 

edges of forests managed by the Bureau of Land 

Management. The greatest increases in structure density along the borders of public forests 

occurred in Pierce, King, Snohomish, and Clark 

Counties in Washington, and Deschutes County 

in Oregon.

The continuing development pressure along 

the edges of public forests in Washington and 

Oregon has numerous consequences, including 

increased road density with more humancaused ignition of wildfire, higher probability 

of invasive species, greater demand for local 

recreation, higher fire suppression costs, and 

increased complexity for managers trying to 

reduce wildfire hazard through fuel treatments.

Contact: Andrew Gray, agray01@fs.fed.us

Partner: Oregon Department of Forestry
INVENTORY AND MONITORING

32 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

A new database of aerial photos 

establishes a baseline from which 

researchers can measure changes 

in terrestrial conditions in northwestern Alaska. Left, a shrunken 

lake in a white spruce forest. 

Tool

Database of low-altitude photographs and videos of northwestern Alaska 

Description: 

A database has been produced with 19,167 high-resolution 

photographs and 80 minutes of high-resolution videos 

(290,580 frames) taken along three aerial transect in arctic 

and subarctic northwestern Alaska, along with a database of 

the specific global positioning system (GPS) location (latitude-longitude) and content (land and water cover categories) 

in each image, and GPS locations of each flight transect. The 

small-plane flight transects occurred over 3 days time in July 

2013 over 1,609 miles, totaling 17 hours 46 minutes of flight 

time, and covered five administrative units of the National Park 

Service and one of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Project 

collaborators include the USDA Forest Service, U.S. Geological 

Survey, National Park Service, and Alaska Ecoscience. 

Use: 

This product serves as a massive, detailed baseline from which 

future (and, in some locations, past) changes in terrestrial 

conditions can be measured, particularly from climate change 

effects. It is expected to provide a legacy for many such 

studies to come. The work was initiated to track effects of 

climate change on arctic and subarctic tundra. Worldwide, 

these are the most rapidly affected areas and can serve as 

an early warning of impending ecosystem changes in lower 

latitudes. 

Distribution: 

The full information set of photographs, videos, and associated 

maps and databases are being made available on a U.S. Geological Survey website, and have been 

provided also to the National Park Service 

for their posting. 

How to get it: 

Contact Bruce G. Marcot, 

bmarcot@fs.fed.us

Bruce Marcot
Fish and Wildlife

As a steward of public lands, the Forest Service works to enhance and 

restore habitat for the wildlife and fish that live in national forests and grasslands 

and the waterways that flow through these lands.  Station scientists provide 

tools and knowledge that land managers and decisionmakers can use to minimize 

the effects of fire, urbanization, disease, and climate change on habitat. 

33

Fish and Wildlife

Ryan Peek

Foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii ).
Fish and Wildlife

34

	 New technical guide offers comprehensive guidance for wildlife

habitat monitoring on public lands

in the United States. It has been

endorsed in the science review of

bioregional monitoring for national

forests in the Sierra Nevada and by

the Association of Fish and Wildlife

Agencies for state wildlife action

plans.

	 Scientists project the effects of

climate change on ecosystems

and wildlife habitats in northwest

Alaska. Projections indicate

increases in some ecosystems

and decreases in others and

associated changes in dependent

birds and mammals. Declines will

occur in half of the 50 bird and

mammal species currently used

for subsistence hunting and trapping.

	 Offshore abundance of marbled

murrelets is most strongly

associated with amount and

pattern of adjacent suitable forest

nesting habitat. Prior to this

study, it was unclear if abundance

of this threatened species was

more heavily influenced by

nesting habitat or by availability

of forage in nearshore marine waters.

	 The salmonid species Oncorhynchus mykiss can become seagoing steelhead or freshwater

rainbow trout. Lipid accumulation

and metabolic rate appear to

influence which life history young

O. mykiss will assume.

FISH AND WILDLIFE

National technical guide provides a 

foundation for monitoring wildlife 

habitat on national forests

Information about the status and trends of wildlife 

habitat is fundamental for meeting the mission and 

legal and policy requirements of the Forest Service. 

Many techniques have been used to monitor wildlife 

habitat in the Forest Service, but 

no comprehensive guide existed 

to provide standardized protocols for habitat monitoring. 

To that end, working with 

partners, Forest Service scientists and managers from three 

research stations, eight regions, and the Washington 

office published a national, multichaptered book. 

This technical guide provides current, scientifically 

credible, and practical protocols to inventory and 

monitor terrestrial wildlife habitat. It is written for 

Endorsed by

Association of

Fish and Wildlife 

Agencies for use in

state wildlife

action plans.

A new technical guide provides standardized protocols for habitat monitoring. The American marten (above) is 

one of the species featured as a case example for habitat monitoring. 

resource professionals (e.g., ecologists, silviculturists, and planners) charged with forest planning, 

project impacts analysis, and habitat monitoring 

at ranger district, national forest or grassland, 

and regional levels. The book also offers guidance 

to other agencies and organizations in the use of 

standardized, contemporary approaches for wildlife 

habitat monitoring. 

Contact: Mary Rowland, mrowland@fs.fed.us 

Partners: USDA Forest Service, Northern Research 

Station, Rocky Mountain Research Station; Washington 

office, Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Unit and Ecosystem 

Management Coordination; Forest Service Regions 1, 

2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, and 10; Forest Inventory and Analysis; 

Remote Sensing Applications Center; University of 

Massachusetts; and Western Ecosystems Technology, 

Inc.

Citation: Rowland, M.M.; Vojta, C.D. tech. eds. 2013. A 

technical guide for monitoring wildlife habitat. Gen. 

Tech. Rep. WO-GTR-89. Washington, DC: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service. 400 p. 

http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/45213. 

Highlights in 2014

Michael Mengak
FISH AND WILDLIFE

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 35

Bruce Marcot

Projecting the effects of climate change 

on ecosystems and wildlife habitats in 

northwest Alaska

Climate change is affecting terrestrial and 

aquatic ecosystems and associated wildlife 

habitats in the arctic and subarctic more rapidly 

than anywhere else. Such changes are likely 

to reduce snow-based 

access to areas used for 

hunting and trapping 

and alter the abundance 

and availability of wildlife, including species used for subsistence by 

native Alaskans and local communities. 

To project the effects of such changes over 

the 21st century in northwest Alaska, scientists 

developed a set of state-transition models and 

wildlife-habitat relationship models that summarize knowledge on the extent and transitions 

of ecosystems and wildlife habitats and their 

biophysical drivers. 

Projections indicate habitat increases in 

some ecosystems and decreases in others, with 

associated changes in dependent birds and 

mammals. Expansion of tall shrubs and trees, 

increase in fire, vegetation succession, and melting of permafrost are some of the major disturbances that will drive the transitions. Of the 201 

bird and mammal species currently occurring in 

the area, the model projects that 52 percent will 

experience habitat expansion, 45 percent will 

see habitat contractions, and only 3 percent will 

have no change. Declines will occur in half of 

the 50 bird and mammal species currently used 

for subsistence hunting and trapping. 

These results were shared with federal 

agencies in the region and presented at public 

conferences and information sessions for local 

communities. 

Contact: Bruce G. Marcot, bmarcot@fs.fed.us

Partners: USDI Geological Survey and National 

Park Service 

Offshore abundance of marbled 

murrelets is most strongly associated 

with amount and pattern of adjacent 

suitable forest nesting habitat

The marbled murrelet is a threatened species 

of seabird that forages on small fish and 

invertebrates in nearshore marine waters, 

and nests inland on limbs of large coniferous 

trees. A major objective of the Northwest 

Forest Plan is to conserve the bird’s nesting 

habitat. However, because the bird forages in 

ocean waters, managers have not been certain 

if conservation of nesting habitat is key to the 

species conservation or if marine factors that 

influence the bird’s prey are more important.

Scientists developed a model that evaluates 

the relative contributions of a set of marine variables and nesting habitat variables. They found 

that the nesting habitat variables were the 

strongest contributor to predictions of murrelet 

Declines projected for

25 bird and mammal

species currently

used for subsistence.

Nick Hatch

Nesting habitat for the sea-going marbled 

murrelet is critical to its conservation. 

Climate-induced 

habitat changes 

will affect birds and 

other wildlife in 

northwest Alaska. 

Melting permafrost, 

for example, can 

cause tundra lakes 

to drain. Some 

species will likely 

benefit from these 

changes, while 

others will not. 
FISH AND WILDLIFE

36 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION Mark Lisac, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

abundance, which means that conservation of 

nesting habitat appears essential to conservation of murrelet populations. 

This work has been immediately applied by 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service managers who 

are tasked with consulting on projects that 

may harm marbled murrelets. It has also been 

applied by Forest Service and U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service managers in setting policy for 

management of nesting habitat within the range 

of the murrelet. The work also has informed 

the marbled murrelet effectiveness monitoring 

group about the relevance of habitat monitoring in assessing effectiveness of the Northwest 

Forest Plan.

Contact: Martin G. Raphael, mraphael@fs.fed.us

Partners: California Department of Fish and 

Wildlife, Oregon Department of Forestry, 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDI Bureau of 

Land Management, Washington Department 

of Natural Resources

Lipid accumulation and metabolic 

rate influence steelhead vs. rainbow 

trout life history

Protecting and restoring freshwater habitats for 

steelhead in the face of potential climate change 

impacts is a major challenge. Many populations 

of steelhead are protected 

by the Endangered Species 

Act. Steelhead are the seagoing form of Oncorhynchus mykiss, whereas 

rainbow trout (also O. mykiss), reside lifelong in 

freshwater. The offspring of either form may opt 

for the opposite life history, but the mechanisms 

for this are not well understood.

Five coordinated, independent studies 

addressed aspects of how life-history expression relates to habitat, water temperature, sex, 

metabolic rates, and lipid levels. To conduct this 

research, the scientists used a novel, nonlethal 

method for genetically determining the sex of 

salmon smolts. 

Scientist found that steelhead spawn in areas 

that contain both suitable spawning gravels 

and nearby juvenile rearing habitat. Lipid 

accumulation was related to metabolic rate and 

life history: fish with lower metabolic rates and 

higher lipid levels tended to be rainbows. Lipid 

levels decreased at higher temperatures, and 

fish with lower lipid levels tended to be steelhead and female. In fact, 70 percent of steelhead 

were female. This was true for 65 to 70 percent 

of steelhead smolts from northern California to 

southeast Alaska to central Idaho.

This work makes a major contribution to 

understanding the life-history expression in 

O. mykiss and other species that exhibit similar 

variation in life histories. It provides insight for 

the variation in life-history expression between 

sexes and challenges the notion that faster 

growing fish tend to be sea-going steelhead. 

Contact: Gordon Reeves, greeves@fs.fed.us

Partners: National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration—Fisheries, Oregon State 

University, U.S. Geological Survey

Lipid levels decrease at

 higher temperatures;

 fish with lower lipid

 levels tended to be

 female steelhead.

Rainbow trout or 

steelhead? A novel 

study begins to 

unravel how the 

life-history expression 

of Oncorhynchus 

mykiss relates to 

habitat, water 

temperature, sex, 

metabolic rates, 

and lipid levels. 
2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 37

In-stream habitat restoration benefits 

Chinook salmon and steelhead trout 

Station scientists and cooperators evaluated 

the effectiveness of in-stream habitat restoration structures to enhance rearing habitat for 

juvenile salmonids for a fifth study year 

(2009–2013). Habitat restoration structures 

consisted of engineered logjams and rock 

barbs extending from banks of streams in the 

Entiat River watershed of the upper Columbia 

River basin. More Chinook salmon continue 

to be found in microhabitats with restoration 

structures compared to those without 

restoration structures early in the season. 

Deeper water around restoration structures 

appears to be the mechanism leading to 

increased Chinook salmon abundance. Steelhead trout were much more variable in their 

use of restored vs. unrestored microhabitats. 

These results are being used by restoration 

planners and by a larger monitoring program to 

further inform the design and implementation 

of additional restoration structures in the same 

watershed and in other watersheds throughout 

the upper Columbia River basin. 

Contact: Karl Polivka, kpolivka@fs.fed.us

Partners: Cascadia Conservation District, 

Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring 

Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration—Fisheries, U.S. Bureau of 

Reclamation 

Adding down wood to riparian areas following timber harvest helps create moist microhabitats favored by 

red-backed salamanders. 

Martin Raphael

Salamander benefits from large 

amounts of wood debris along 

headwater streams following 

clearcutting 

Woodland salamanders may be used to 

monitor biodiversity and ecosystem integrity 

following forest disturbance. As part of a study 

of alternative riparian buffer treatments along 

headwater streams, scientists trapped western 

red-backed salamanders (Plethodon vehiculum) before and after treatments to determine 

treatment effects. Their goal was to learn how 

alternative buffering strategies could be used to 

conserve and protect headwater streams during 

timber harvest. 

They found that the reduced forest canopy 

caused by clearcut harvest and partial clearcut 

harvest (forest islands on fragile sites in a clearcut landscape) had detrimental effects on moist 

micro-environments used by salamanders.

Retaining dead downwood plus adding 

three to six times more dead downwood than 

occurred before harvest to create moist microenvironments seemed to lessen the expected 

adverse treatment effects on salamanders in 

clearcut areas.

Contact: Martin G. Raphael, mraphael@fs.fed.us

Partner: Washington Department of 

Natural Resources 
38 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

result in a comprehensive set of best management practices for recovery of riparian systems 

that include effective ungulate management in 

the intermountain West. 

Contact: Michael Wisdom, mwisdom@fs.fed.us

Partners: Bonneville Power Administration; 

Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission; 

Grande Ronde Model Watershed; Oregon 

Department of Fish and Wildlife; Oregon State 

University; USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest 

Region, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Terrestrial salamanders in managed 

forest headwater basins move nearer 

to streams

Station scientists examined terrestrial salamanders in managed headwater forest stands in 

western Oregon from 1998 to 2009. They found 

that headwater riparian areas may act as habitat 

“funnels” for these animals, where movements 

are concentrated within and along narrow 

streamside zones. 

An innovative, multidisciplinary 

riparian restoration project

Federal agencies have spent millions of dollars 

restoring streams and riparian habitats to 

recover endangered salmonids, including 

placement of woody debris and planting 

native shrubs and trees to stabilize banks and 

mediate stream temperatures. Small mammals, 

birds, and native pollinators may also benefit 

from stream restoration. However, browsing 

by native and domestic ungulates such as 

cattle, elk, and mule deer can dramatically 

affect riparian vegetation, even eliminating 

key species such as willows.

Knowledge about effects of cattle versus 

deer/elk herbivory on shrub recovery is 

limited, posing major obstacles in designing 

best ungulate management practices to 

improve riparian systems for salmonids. 

Moreover, knowledge is limited about effects 

of climate change on stream temperature, 

and how these effects may be ameliorated 

by restoration plantings. To address these 

complex and important issues, the PNW 

Research Station initiated a long-term research 

project at Meadow Creek within the Starkey 

Experimental Forest and Range.

This project offers novel opportunities for 

cross-cutting research to understand links 

between abiotic and biotic systems in arid 

environments. The integrative approach 

addresses holistic management of complex 

riparian ecosystems and their multiple stressors. The Meadow Creek restoration project will 

The Meadow Creek restoration project at the Starkey 

Experimental Forest and Range is examining how 

browsing by native and domestic ungulates such as 

cattle, elk, and mule deer affects riparian vegetation 

and subsequently stream water temperatures, native 

pollinators, small mammal populations, and more. The 

findings will be used to design best ungulate management practices to improve riparian systems. 

Rhonda Mazza

Artificial covers, such as boards, facilitate the 

study of salamander movements at this study 

site in the Oregon Coast Range. 

Matt Kluber
FISH AND WILDLIFE

The scientists provide options for where 

and how to enhance ground surface habitat 

connectivity for sensitive salamander species in 

forests in the west Cascades. Positioning upland 

down wood in “chains” extending out from 

riparian area funnels may facilitate overland 

habitat connectivity for salamander dispersal. 

At larger spatial scales, landscape chains of 

connectivity may be designed with log links 

connecting riparian and upland areas. This 

work may inform riparian forest management 

and riparian-upland management decisions.

Contact: Dede Olson, dedeolson@fs.fed.us

Partner: Oregon State University

Terrestrial mollusks respond to 

logging in riparian areas

Little is known about the biology and response 

to environmental change of native, terrestrial 

mollusks in the Pacific Northwest. Most people 

simply regard slugs and snails as garden pests, 

but most often the actual culprits are introduced nonnative species. Because of mollusk 

affinities to moist environments, the effect of 

human-caused habitat alteration from logging 

is assumed to be detrimental but is largely 

unknown. This uncertainty is problematic 

because federal agencies are required to 

account for impacts to sensitive, native mollusks as part of their project environmental 

analyses. Several mollusk species are being 

considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act. 

Station scientists evaluated the response of 

terrestrial mollusks within three different buffer 

configurations along small streams in western 

Washington. The buffers consisted of 30-meterwide fixed-width corridors, clearcuts with no 

buffers, and unlogged controls. Mollusks were 

sampled both before and after logging.

The scientists found that mollusk communities varied among sites relative to vegetative 

composition, the amount of understory cover, 

and the presence of seeps or small wetland 

features in the riparian areas. After logging, 

Tool

FrogLog—

Global Bd mapping project

Description: 

This publication provides a comprehensive 

summary of the known occurrence of the 

amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium 

dendrobatitis (Bd), as of June 2014. 

Use: 

Global natural resource managers, scientists, 

and conservationists use locality maps 

of Bd sites for amphibian species threat 

assessments, to make local decisions for Bd

inventory and monitoring, and to develop 

study plans for new investigations of Bd

ecology and epidemiology and Bd-host 

interactions. The synthesis is used by 

biologists and naturalists to gain knowledge 

of the pathogen and infected amphibian 

species. The U.S. watershed-scale maps 

are used to make informed decisions 

about water draws and use of pathogen 

disinfection protocols for firefighting and 

other land management practices.

Distribution: 

Froglog is internationally distributed via 

the Internet and email listservers. U.S. 

watershed maps were distributed to all 

Forest Service regions in the Western United 

States and Bureau of Land Management/ 

Oregon upon request from the agencies. 

How to get it: 

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/lwm/aem/

people/olson.html

Contact: 

Dede Olson, dedeolson@fs.fed.us

The Malone jumping-slug (Hemphillia malonei) 

is one of seven species of jumping-slugs found in 

the Pacific Northwest.

Robin Shoal
FISH AND WILDLIFE

40 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

slug and snail abundance were significantly different between streams with 

no buffers and control streams. Mollusk abundance differed significantly 

between fixed-width buffers and streams with no buffers. The effect was 

relatively small, however, suggesting that site variability may override the 

effects of logging. These findings illustrate that site differences can affect 

mollusk community structure and influence resiliency to disturbances such 

as logging. This research contributes to our understanding of a little-studied but important component of Pacific Northwest forest biodiversity.

Contact: Alex Foster, alexfoster@fs.fed.us

Partners: University of Washington, USDA Forest Service Olympic National 

Forest, Washington Department of Natural Resources

Conservation assessments and maps 

for regionally sensitive species

Scientists compiled comprehensive summaries of the biology and ecology 

of two regionally sensitive salamanders: Cope’s giant salamander and Van 

Dyke’s salamander. Natural resource managers use species conservation 

assessments to develop science-based management alternatives when they 

have a proposed land-use action within the range of a state or federally listed species. The Interagency Special Status and Sensitive Species 

Program for the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management notifies 

regional agency biologists about the availability of these conversation 

assessments. 

Scientists also mapped two sensitive turtle species in the region: the 

western pond turtle and painted turtle. This is the first publication to 

compile locations across the United States and Canada. It included maps of 

known locations by date, demonstrating accrual of knowledge and showing 

where re-surveys may be needed to learn if the species are still present at 

historical sites. Natural resource managers use these types of locality maps 

of species sites for status assessments. Gaps in locations may be used to 

target geographic areas for new surveys, whereas known locations may 

be useful for development of monitoring programs.

Contact: Dede Olson, dedeolson@fs.fed.us

Tool

Salamander News—

monthly newsletter 

reaches worldwide 

audience

Description: 

This newsletter provides 

science, management, and 

educational information about 

salamanders as part of an 

annual campaign “2014 Year 

of the Salamander” to raise 

awareness for salamander 

conservation. Monthly newsletter issues have reported on 

educational and citizen science 

programs, conservation 

challenges, the Appalachian 

salamander biodiversity 

hotspot, various taxonomic 

groups, diseases, threats to 

habitats, state and federal 

programs, interviews with leaders working with salamanders, 

and many other topics.

Use: 

Sixty groups across the world have become partners in the Year of 

the Salamander, and link to the Web page from their own websites. 

The monthly news issues get about 5,000 views from a wide 

international audience. Newsletter articles are used by biologists, 

naturalists, and the public to gain knowledge of the taxon, and are 

used for educational purposes by various organizations.

How to get it: 

http://www.yearofthesalamander.org

Contact: 

Dede Olson, dedeolson@fs.fed.us

Upland salamander species such as this 

ensatina (Ensatina eschscholtzii) use 

riparian corridors to move about the 

landscape.

Matt Kluber
FISH AND WILDLIFE

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 41

Pygmy rabbits use nutritional and 

chemical cues while making foraging 

decisions

Pygmy rabbits are dietary specialists that feed 

on sagebrush and forage on specific plants more 

than others within a foraging patch. These small 

rabbits are endangered in Washington state and 

considered a sensitive species throughout the 

Great Basin.

For herbivores, nutrient intake is limited by 

the relatively low nutritional quality of plants 

and their high concentrations of potentially 

toxic defensive compounds, referred to as plant 

secondary metabolites. Scientists hypothesized 

that plants with evidence of heavy browsing by 

pygmy rabbits would have higher dietary quality than plants that were not browsed. 

They found that sagebrush plants containing higher crude protein had greater odds of 

being browsed by pygmy rabbits than plants 

with lower protein, whereas the opposite was 

observed for certain secondary metabolites. 

The scientists concluded that pygmy rabbits 

use nutritional and chemical cues while making 

foraging decisions. These rabbits can occupy 

foraging patches near their burrows for multiple 

years, and their constant browsing may influence the nutritional and secondary metabolite 

constituents of these plants. This indicates that 

dietary quality of the landscape is an important 

parameter to consider when planning and implementing conservation and restoration strategies 

for pygmy rabbit habitat. 

Contact: Rick Kelsey, rkelsey@fs.fed.us

Partners: Boise State University, University of 

Alaska, University of Idaho, Washington State 

University

Panel evaluates techniques to 

control raptors preying on western 

snowy plovers 

Raptors, particularly northern harriers and 

great horned owls, prey on western snowy 

plovers—a federally threatened seabird that 

lives along the Pacific coast. A seven-member 

expert panel reviewed 

the feasibility and 

efficacy of 26 humane 

raptor-control techniques. The panel also identified information 

and monitoring methods to help inform raptor 

control management as well as extenuating considerations for policy application such as cost 

consideration, training personnel, workloads, 

and information management. 

The raptor control techniques identified with 

the highest potential feasibility and effectiveness included lethal removal, and use of various 

trapping methods, including a cube trap, a 

Pygmy rabbits, an 

endangered species 

in Washington state, 

selectively browse 

on sagebrush plants 

with higher levels of 

crude protein. 

Plover monitoring

refined based on

panel’s suggestions.

Western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus).

Boise State University

Michael L. Baird, flickr.bairdphotos.com
FISH AND WILDLIFE

42 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

Swedish style goshawk trap, and a dho-gaza 

net trap. The panel also identified a need for 

monitoring plover nest sites with cameras and 

observers.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is applying 

these findings at designated western snowy 

plover recovery sites along the Oregon coast. 

The findings have also been shared with the 

U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management for use at their sites. To date, several 

instances of potential raptor predation have 

been thwarted by using the identified techniques, and plover monitoring is being refined 

based on the panel’s suggestions. 

Contact: Bruce G. Marcot, bmarcot@fs.fed.us

Partner: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Using LiDAR to evaluate habitat 

characteristics for the red-cockaded 

woodpecker

The red-cockaded woodpecker is a federally 

endangered forest-dwelling bird that occupies 

a narrow ecological niche in southern pine 

forests. The recovery plan for the woodpecker 

describes specific habitat requirements to 

sustain existing populations and facilitate 

population expansion. 

Current efforts to characterize habitats

involve labor-intensive installation and measurement of field plots. This research showed 

that LiDAR data collected by an airborne laser 

scanner can be used to describe vegetation 

structure, specific size classes of trees, and 

spatial arrangement across 

large land areas while 

maintaining high spatial 

resolution. Scientists combined the LiDAR data with 

data measured on forest 

inventory plots to develop 

layers describing specific 

attributes for softwood and 

hardwood vegetation. This 

allowed them to evaluate 

habitat conditions for the 

red-cockaded woodpecker 

using the guidelines specified in the recovery plan.

This method provides an alternative to the 

plot-based methods currently used to assess 

and report habitat conditions. The method also 

allows spatially explicit mapping of forest conditions over large land areas, allowing managers 

to identify areas where vegetation management 

could transform existing conditions into those 

more suitable for the woodpecker.

Contact: Robert J. McGaughey, 

bmcgaughey@fs.fed.us

Partners: Department of Energy Savannah 

River Site, North Carolina State University, USDA 

Forest Service Southern Research Station

New tool: A self-adjusting, expandable 

telemetry collar for elk

Forest Service scientists at the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range in eastern Oregon 

collaborated with the Oregon Department of 

Fish and Wildlife to successfully develop and 

deploy a novel expandable telemetry collar for 

male elk. The collar is safe, humane, and effective in collecting location and survival data for 

research and management of wild male cervids 

(deer and elk). 

Successful placement of telemetry collars on 

male deer and elk has been extremely challenging because their neck size can increase substantially during the rut, and their bodies grow 

substantially as they mature. The new expandable collar is used on yearling or adult male elk 

for telemetry tracking of animal locations and 

survival estimation. The majority of collars were Pink salmon in the Tye River, Washington. Jon Dickey
FISH AND WILDLIFE

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 43

Behavior and nutritional condition 

buffer elk against direct and indirect 

effects of climate

Changes in net energy balance strongly 

influence animal fitness; thus natural selection 

should favor behaviors that buffer individual 

animals against negative effects of environmental variation. However, little is known about 

how energy balances in animals are affected by 

climate, animal condition, and behavior.

Scientists studied elk in two contrasting ecosystems—montane forest at the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range in eastern Oregon and 

an arid high desert in Idaho—to test the hypothesis that elk behavior from spring to autumn 

varies as a function of contrasting climates and 

by the nutritional condition of individual elk. In 

the high desert, elk selected sites that required 

less energy for them to maintain body temperature rather than areas with the highest quality 

forage. By contrast, elk at Starkey selected sites 

that provided high-quality forage even if they 

had to expend more energy in thermoregulation. 

At the Starkey sites, the nutritional condition of 

an individual elk did not affect its foraging-site 

selection. In the desert, however, elk in poorest 

condition at winter’s end strongly selected areas 

that reduced thermoregulatory costs during 

summer. 

This study highlights the importance of 

understanding the roles of animal behavior and 

nutritional condition in buffering individuals 

against effects of climate. As climate warms in 

areas occupied by elk, managers can use this 

information to balance habitat management 

for sites that reduce thermoregulatory costs vs. 

those that provide high-quality forage.

Contact: Mary Rowland, mrowland@fs.fed.us, 

or Michael Wisdom, mwisdom@fs.fed.us

Partners: Idaho State University, Princeton 

University, University of Idaho, University of 

Wisconsin–Madison, Wyoming Cooperative 

Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

successfully worn by elk over a 1- to 3-year 

period. No deaths or injuries were attributed 

to the collars, and recaptured animals were in 

excellent health after wearing the collars for 

long periods. 

This new technology represents a breakthrough opportunity to gain desired knowledge 

on ecology of male cervids throughout the 

world, which has been difficult in the past. 

Use of the expandable collar technology will 

allow implementation of important new lines 

of research needed to address long-standing 

knowledge voids of keen interest regarding ecology and management of male deer and elk.

Contact: Brian Dick, bldick@fs.fed.us, or 

Michael Wisdom, mwisdom@fs.fed.us

An expandable elk collar, invented at Starkey Experimental Forest and Range, allows researchers to more 

easily monitor individual elk. 

Brian Dick
FISH AND WILDLIFE

44 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

Co-mingling of cattle and elk may 

facilitate disease transmission between 

the two species

The potential for disease transmission between 

wild and domestic ungulates is increasing 

throughout the world, with substantial economic and ecological ramifications. Estimating the probability of disease transmission 

on ranges co-occupied by wild and domestic 

ungulates, however, is notoriously difficult. 

The first step for estimating the potential for 

between-species disease transmission is to 

quantify the proximity between individuals of 

different species in space and time. 

Station scientists and partners assessed the 

likelihood of disease transmission between 

domestic and wild ungulates by using longterm location data on cattle, elk, and mule deer 

collected at the PNW Research Station’s Starkey 

Experimental Forest and Range. They used novel 

statistical methods to estimate the frequency 

at which domestic and wild ungulates, tracked 

with global positioning system collars, would 

occur in proximity sufficiently close for disease 

transmission to potentially occur. 

The scientists found that elk and cattle had 

rare co-mingling events, but when the two 

species did meet, they were closer to each other 

than expected, based on general space use by 

these species. This pattern also held for deer 

and elk, but not for deer and cattle. Understanding the causes for such events is important 

for designing grazing practices that minimize 

wild ungulate–livestock contacts. Co-mingling 

between domestic and wild ungulates, although 

rare, may facilitate disease transmission. This 

is a critical issue across the world where cooccupied ranges are common.

Contact: Mary Rowland, mrowland@fs.fed.us, 

or Michael Wisdom, mwisdom@fs.fed.us

Partners: Oregon Department of Fish and 

Wildlife, University of Calgary, University of 

California, University of Wyoming

Rhonda Mazza

Although their meetings are infrequent, range cattle and elk do co-mingle for periods long enough to 

possibly transmit disease from one species to the other. 
Natural

Disturbances

45

Fire, insects, disease: these events disrupt forest succession and nudge the stand along 

a different developmental trajectory.  As the climate changes, forests and rangelands will 

be more vulnerable to these disturbances, which may be uncharacteristically severe.  We 

provide information and tools that allow land managers to anticipate these disturbances and 

take action to reduce or ameliorate the effects of these stressors.  This includes developing 

and improving models of fire dynamics and smoke behaviors, and understanding disturbance 

interactions between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Natural Disturbances

PNW scientists provided smoke modeling support for the 2014 Carlton Complex Fire in 

north-central Washington. 

Kari Greer
Natural

Disturbances

46 

The BlueSky smoke modeling framework received

major improvements in 2014:

	 A new GoogleTM map display of BlueSky shows

near-surface particulate matter concentrations

calculated for various resolutions and domains

by the BlueSky smoke modeling framework.

This allows users to easily navigate the daily

suite of BlueSky forecast simulations.

	 A new trajectory tool provides an interface to

the HYSPLIT model to calculate trajectories

with results displayed in a Google map interface and available in Google EarthTM. Specifying

a trajectory initiation height is a means of

simulating plume rise from a wildland fire.

	 The air quality monitoring data viewer links

into the Environmental Protection Agency’s

AirNow Tech database of air quality monitoring

data. A Google map interface allows a user to

easily select a desired location by either clicking

or entering latitude/longitude values.

Fuel and Fire Tools now integrates stand-alone

versions of the Fuel Characteristic Classification

System Consume, Fire Emission Production Simulator, and Pile Calculator. The system allows users

to develop fuelbeds and predict fire behavior, fuel

consumption, and rate of heat release during wildland fires. 

Safe Separation Distance was developed to provide recommended fire-safe separation distance

between a person and a fire in the presence of a

given terrain slope and a range of windspeeds.

This preliminary safety zone rule was released

in July 2014 for the upcoming fire season.

Highlights in 2014

NATURAL DISTURBANCES

Summer 2014 saw significant fires occur 

across the Pacific Northwest, with accompanying large smoke impacts. Station 

scientists, working with Washington Office 

Fire and Aviation Management to support 

the Wildland Fire Air Quality Response 

Program, responded to these fires. They 

Output from the BlueSky smoke modeling framework showing projected smoke dispersal for the 

day from the 2014 King Fire in the Eldorado National Forest.

provided smoke projections and updated 

smoke science tools that were used by 

incident operations to inform communities about anticipated smoke conditions. 

A record number (25) of air resource 

advisors were dispatched to wildfire 

incidents to deliver smoke modeling, 

Delivering smoke science to incident operations 
NATURAL DISTURBANCES

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 47

monitoring, and messaging information to the 

incident operators and other state, local, and 

tribal agencies.

The centerpiece of this science is the BlueSky 

smoke modeling framework, which received 

major scientific improvements in 2014. It now 

generates particle simulations, parallelized 

computer modeling, multiple model domains 

(CONUS and regional) and high-resolution (as 

fine as 1 km) domains. Results now provide 

information about how smoke interacts with 

terrain in complex valleys and flows. 

This work was recognized by the Pacific 

Southwest Region with a Regional Forester 

Honor Award in 2013. Further appreciation 

came in August 2014: Praising the system, an 

air resource advisor deployed on the Klamath 

National Forest in northern California stated, 

“Model outputs are accurate.” For a modeling 

system, higher praise cannot be achieved! The 

area is very remote with complex terrain and 

meteorological interactions, and the modeling 

products helped the air resource advisors provide timely and detailed air quality forecasts to 

communities affected by smoke. 

Contact: Sim Larkin, larkin@fs.fed.us 

Partners: Desert Research Institute; National 

Weather Service; University of Washington; 

USDA Forest Service Air Program, and Fire 

and Aviation Management

Tools

The BlueSky Smoke Modeling 

Framework v3.5.1

Description: 

The BlueSky Smoke Modeling Framework 

links together fire information, mapped fuels 

information, fuel consumption models, fire 

emission models, plume rise algorithms, and 

atmospheric dispersion models to calculate 

emissions and downwind smoke dispersion 

from wildland fires. Version 3.5.1 represents 

significant improvements to the framework 

such as particle mode simulations with 

the HYSPLIT dispersion model, parallelized 

computing, and integration with highresolution meteorology from partners 

such as the Desert Research Institute, 

National Weather Service, and University 

of Washington. 

Use: 

BlueSky is used by Air Resource Advisors; 

state, local and tribal air quality and health 

agencies; and prescribed burn planners. 

It helps inform agencies about potential 

smoke impacts to the public and wildland 

firefighters as well as transportation safety 

issues on wildland fire operations. It aids in 

go/no-go decisions on prescription burns. 

Distribution: 

Use of BlueSky is taught in National Wildland 

Fire Training classes and Air Resource Advisor 

Training Workshops. Scientific developments 

are shared at conferences and symposia 

such as the International Smoke Symposium, 

American Meteorological Fire and Forest 

Meteorology, American Geophysical Union, 

and Fire and Fuels Conference.

How to get it: 

Daily forecasts for a variety of domains are 

available at http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/airfire. 

Contact: 

Sim Larkin, larkin@fs.fed.us 

Google Map display of the 

BlueSky output products 

Description: 

A new Google MapTM display of BlueSky 

output products became available in 2014. 

The display shows near-surface particulate 

matter concentrations calculated for various 

resolutions and domains by the BlueSky Smoke 

Modeling Framework. This allows users to easily 

navigate the daily suite of BlueSky forecast 

simulations and makes the model outputs 

easily accessible to computers that do not have 

the capacity to show Google EarthTM output.

Use:

This tool is used by anyone accessing the daily 

BlueSky forecasts such as Air Resource Advisors 

and state, local, and tribal air quality and health 

agencies. It has been widely adopted.

Distribution: 

This tool was first unveiled at the 2014 Air 

Resource Advisor Training Workshop and 

will be taught in upcoming classes offered 

through National Wildland Fire Training.

How to get it: 

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/airfire 

Contact:

Sim Larkin, larkin@fs.fed.us
NATURAL DISTURBANCES

48 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

density and chemical composition. They also 

collected remotely sensed measurements of the 

smoke plume. Measurements were made of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, black 

carbon, elemental carbon, total carbon, aerosol 

absorption and scattering properties, volatile 

organic compounds, and particulates (PM2.5) 

from instruments deployed aboard an aircraft, 

a tethered balloon sampling system, and at the 

ground. Modeling studies are underway.

Contact: Susan O'Neill, smoneill@fs.fed.us

Partners: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

National Weather Service, Nez Perce Tribe, USDA 

Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, 

Washington State Department of Ecology, 

Washington State University

Regional fire professionals use new 

field guide to learn about conducting 

fuel inventories 

Some of California’s most destructive and 

costly wildfires have occurred in wildlands 

near San Francisco and surrounding cities. 

The 1991 East Bay Hills Fire in Oakland and 

Berkeley, for example, killed 25 people and 

destroyed more than 3,000 structures. 

Scientists photographed and inventoried 

sites characteristic of fuel types found 

throughout the East Bay area of California. 

This information was published as a field guide 

to assist regional fire management staff with 

fuel planning and fire hazard assessment in the 

wildlands and adjoining urban interface areas. 

Wildland Fires, Carbon, and Climate: 

The U.S. Forest Service Greenhouse 

Gas–Black Carbon Report

In response to questions from Congress, a 

working group of scientific experts from across 

the Forest Service and partnering universities 

convened to summarize the current state-of-thescience on wildland fires, carbon, climate, and 

their linkages. The Pacific Northwest Research 

Station contributed its expertise to this effort. 

In 2014, the group’s final report was published 

as a collection of connected peer-reviewed journal articles in a special edition of the journal 

Forest Ecology and Management.

Contact: Sim Larkin, larkin@fs.fed.us

Partners: George Mason University, 

University of Montana, USDA Forest Service 

Research Stations (all) 

Smoke measurements from field 

burning first step in modeling smoke 

concentrations from agricultural burns

A comprehensive field campaign was undertaken to measure smoke from crop residue 

burns of Kentucky bluegrass in northern Idaho 

and wheat fields in eastern Washington. The 

project goal was to help 

smoke management agencies predict the amount of 

smoke from agricultural 

burns as well as the behavior of the plumes. 

Researchers developed 

a comprehensive sampling strategy, unprecedented for studying agricultural smoke. They 

characterize the preburned field, and measured 

the ground, near-ground, and downwind smoke 

A helium-filled, tethered aerostat with monitoring equipment records smoke emissions data during a field burn 

near Walla Walla, Washington. 

Rob Elleman

Information is

being used to

build models that

project the

amount and

behavior of smoke.
NATURAL DISTURBANCES

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 49

The latest volume of the National Fuel Photo Series documents fuel 

types common to East San Francisco Bay. These guides are useful to 

fire managers planning treatments, and the photos have proven useful 

in discussions of proposed treatment options with citizens and public 

officials.

Following the publication of the field guide, fire management staff 

from the East Bay Regional Park District and the Hills Emergency 

Forum conducted two training sessions for 35 regional fire professionals from local fire departments, the East Bay Municipal Utility 

District, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the City of Oakland, 

and CalFire. Training included basic fuels concepts, then moved on 

to how the field guide was constructed, and finally how to conduct 

a fuels inventory using the field guide. 

Contact: Clint Wright, cwright@fs.fed.us

Partners: East Bay Regional Park District, Hills Emergency Forum

Citation: Wright, C.S.; Vihnanek, R.E. 2014. Stereo photo series for 

quantifying natural fuels. Volume XIII: grasslands, shrublands, oak-bay 

woodlands, and eucalyptus forests in the East Bay of California. Gen. 

Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-893. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 39 p.

Tools

Trajectory Tool

Description:

Trajectories are a computationally 

fast and easy means of tracking 

where a parcel of air will travel in a 

3-dimensional meteorological field 

given a starting location and height 

in the atmosphere. The AirFire 

trajectory tool provides an interface 

to the HYSPLIT model to calculate 

trajectories with results displayed 

in a Google MapTM interface and 

available in Google EarthTM. Specifying a trajectory initiation height 

is a means of simulating plume rise 

from a wildland fire.

Use: 

The trajectory tool is part of the 

suite of tools available to Air 

Resource Advisors.

Distribution: 

The trajectory tool was first 

unveiled at the 2014 Air Resource 

Advisor Training Workshop and 

will be taught in upcoming classes 

offered through National Wildland 

Fire Training.

How to get it: 

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/airfire

Contact: 

Sim Larkin, larkin@fs.fed.us

Air Quality Monitoring 

Data Viewer

Description: 

The air quality monitoring data 

viewer links into the Environmental 

Protection Agency’s AirNow Tech 

database of air quality monitoring 

data and displays the data in terms 

of raw hourly data, 3-hour rolling 

means, 24-hour rolling means, and 

box plots against a background 

color-coded to the Air Quality 

Index if the user chooses. A Google 

MapTM interface allows a user to 

easily select a desired location by 

either clicking or entering latitude/

longitude values.

Use: 

The air quality monitoring data 

viewer tool is part of the suite of 

tools available to Air Resource 

Advisors.

Distribution: 

The air quality monitoring data 

viewer tool was first unveiled at the 

2014 Air Resource Advisor Training 

Workshop and will be taught in 

upcoming classes offered through 

National Wildland Fire Training.

How to get it: 

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/airfire

Contact: 

Sim Larkin, larkin@fs.fed.us
NATURAL DISTURBANCES

50 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

Fuel Characteristic Classification 

System fuel map for South 

America

The characteristics and spatial distribution of fuels are critical for assessing how wildland fire will affect the 

globe with regards to fire hazard, fuel 

consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, 

and other fire effects. 

This is especially true 

in South America, where vast areas 

of tropical forests and savannas burn 

every year. However, fuel maps are difficult to generate and do not exist for 

many countries throughout the world, 

including many in South America. 

To remedy this, researchers used 

the Fuel Characteristic Classification 

System to quantitatively describe 

98 fuelbeds. They then generated a 

fuelbed map for South America. The 

map can be used to assess areas of 

South America for potential fire hazard, fire behavior, fuel consumption, 

and greenhouse gas emission under a 

variety of environmental conditions, 

enabling managers to better plan for 

wildland fire events and assess their 

potential impacts.

Contact: Roger Ottmar, rottmar@fs.fed.us

Partners: Michigan Tech Research 

Institute, Spanish Ministry for Science 

and Innovation, University of Alcala

Tool 

Fuel and Fire Tools (FFT) Version 2.2

Description: 

FFT integrates stand-alone versions of the Fuel Characteristic 

Classification System, Consume, Fire Emission Production Simulator, and the Pile Calculator. No specific operating system is 

required. The system allows users to develop fuelbeds and 

predict fire behavior, fuel consumption, and rate of heat release 

during wildland fires. 

Use: 

FFT is routinely used by land managers and fire planners, air 

quality regulators, and researchers for fire and fuels planning 

and ecological assessments. 

Distribution: 

FFT is distributed via the Web. It has been demonstrated at 

several informal and formal workshops and training venues for 

land managers and regulators throughout the United States in 

2014 with additional demonstrations expected in 2015. 

How to get it: 

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera/fft 

Contact: 

Roger Ottmar, rottmar@fs.fed.us 

Researchers measure vegetation coverage prior to a pile 

burning experiment on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National 

Forest, Washington. 

Robert Vihnanek

Gaining understanding of bark 

beetle effects on fire behavior 

by using physics-based models

Bark beetle outbreaks are a major 

disturbance in forests throughout 

western North America, affecting 

ecological processes and social and 

economic values. 

There is scientific disagreement 

regarding how the beetle-killed 

trees affect wildfire behavior. To 

that end, scientists addressed the 

question using physic-based models, 

rather than the more established 

empirically based fire models. 

Physics-based models directly 

capture the processes involved 

(e.g., altered winds) and account for 

complex fuel characteristics (e.g., the 

state, amount, and distribution of 

vegetation). 

Results from physics-based model 

simulations suggest that bark-beetlecaused tree mortality alters wildfire behavior through a number of 

interacting physical processes. These 

include the influence of the spatial 

pattern of the dead trees on the 

windflow, heat transfer, and crownfuel loading relative to surface-fire 

intensity. A judicious use of physics-based models can lead to a more 

complete understanding of how bark 

Maps help fuel

managers plan

for wildland fire.
D. Gallego

NATURAL DISTURBANCES

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 51

In Spain, Aleppo pines that were attacked by the Mediterranean pine shoot beetle had a greater 

drought stress and subsequently produced more than twice the amount of ethanol compared to 

neighboring pines that were not attacked. 

beetle mortality can influence fire behavior. 

These findings provide a focus for more complete studies that combine field measurements 

and computer modeling.

Contact: William Mell, wemell@fs.fed.us

Partners: Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, 

Colorado State University, Los Alamos National 

Laboratory, University of Idaho, USDA Forest 

Service Rocky Mountain Research Station

Ethanol accumulation during severe 

drought may signal tree vulnerability 

to bark beetles

Tree mortality from temperature-driven 

drought is occurring in forests around the 

world, often in conjunction with bark beetle outbreaks. Measurable parameters that can predict 

which water-stressed trees are most vulnerable 

to bark beetles prior to being attacked remain 

elusive. 

Working in Spain, scientists examined levels 

of ethanol, water, and monoterpenes in the stem 

tissues from two groups of drought-stressed 

Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis): those freshly 

attacked by mature Mediterranean pine shoot 

beetles (Tomicus destruens), and neighboring 

trees that were not attacked. The attacked 

trees were more water-stressed and contained 

over twice the amount of ethanol than the 

neighboring attack-free trees. Concentrations of 

monoterpenes, the volatile compounds in pine 

resin, were higher in the phloem of attacked 

trees, but probably not a strong influence on 

host tree selection. This beetle’s preference for 

trees with higher ethanol is consistent with 

their known attraction to ethanol in traps.

This is the first report of elevated ethanol 

concentrations in tissues of trees experiencing 

natural drought stress. It suggests that ethanol 

measurements may allow early detection of 

trees most vulnerable to attack by some bark 

beetles. 

Contact: Rick Kelsey, rkelsey@fs.fed.us

Partners: Universidad De Murcia, Spain; 

University of Valladolid, Palencia, Spain

Stand-level factors influence sensitivity 

of aspen mortality to climate in Western 

United States

Recent incidence of sudden aspen decline has 

increased interest in understanding and predicting aspen mortality in the western United States. 

Previous research has highlighted drought as 

a major contributing factor to sudden aspen 

decline. However aspen sensitivity to drought 

is likely to differ between forest stands and 

individual trees. Factors such as competition, 
Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

NATURAL DISTURBANCES

52 

Researchers found that aspen mortality rates increased with summer temperatures and were influenced by the 

structure, productivity, and age of the stand, as well as individual tree size and incidence of disease.

Tool 

Safe Separation Distance

Description: 

Safe Separation Distance provides 

recommended fire-safe separation 

distance between a person and a 

fire in the presence of a given terrain 

slope and a range of windspeeds. 

It is rule based but was developed 

from physics-based computer simulations. This preliminary safety zone 

rule was released in July 2014 for the 

upcoming fire season. An update is 

expected next year. This effort was 

funded by the Joint Fire Science 

Program.

Use: 

Provides an extra margin of safety 

for all wildland fire personnel.

Distribution: 

http://www.firescience.gov/

Contact: 

William Mell, wmell@fs.fed.us

tree size, and disease are likely to mediate the trees’ 

responses to climate. 

A team of scientists from the U.S. Forest Service, 

U.S. Geological Survey, and University of Wyoming 

examined patterns of aspen mortality across the 

western United States. They found that although 

mortality rates increased with summer temperatures, mortality rates also were influenced by the 

structure, productivity, and age of the stand, as well 

as by individual tree size and incidence of disease. 

These results highlight the importance of local forest dynamics and biotic interactions (e.g., disease) 

in shaping geographic patterns in tree mortality.

The scientists are developing aspen mortality 

risk maps for the southwestern United States to 

be distributed to forest managers in the region. 

Contact: David M. Bell, dmbell@fs.fed.us

Partners: University of Wyoming, 

U.S. Geological Survey
Resource 

Management

53

 and Landscape Resilience

Unprecedented stresses on forest ecosystems, including wildland fire, 

climate change, and land use change complicate the ability of land managers and policymakers to provide sustainable forests, rangelands, and watersheds.  Our research 

provides information and tools for assessing tradeoffs associated with improving and 

restoring natural resources.  It is leading to improved understanding of the effects 

of restoration and management activities on ecosystem resilience. 

Dede Olson

Station leadership met with the district ranger and staff from the Siuslaw National Forest to 

discuss research needs and opportunities at Cascade Head Research Natural Area, Oregon.
50

 Genetic analysis of yellow-cedar trees in

Alaska rules out the likelihood of finding

local sources for genetic solutions to

yellow-cedar decline. Findings suggest

looking for climate tolerance in yellowcedar growing outside Alaska.

 A landscape approach is needed to restore

mixed-conifer forests in eastern Oregon

and Washington. A new publi-cation

synthesizes the best available science

about these forests; it will be used to

guide restoration projects in the region.

 Scientists assessed how fuel treatments

influenced fire behavior during the 2011

Wallow Fire in Arizona and New Mexico.

Their findings suggest that an effective

fuel treatment is highly site-specific.

These results can be used to estimate the

distance from the treatment edge that fire

severity can be expected to be reduced

under a specific set of landscape, fuel, and

environmental conditions.

 Variable-retention timber harvests call for

retaining live trees, snags, and logs in the

harvest unit. Retention abundance and

pattern can influence rates of overstory

tree mortality following harvest. This

information is useful to forest managers

of Douglas-fir/western hemlock forests

in western Oregon, Washington, and

British Columbia and to any management

community considering implementation

of variable-retention harvest systems.

Highlights in 2014

Resource

Management

54 

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Genetic analysis shows the scale and 

pattern of spatial genetic variation in 

yellow-cedar 

Yellow-cedar trees (Callitropsis nootkatensis) 

in Alaska are suffering from a decline induced 

by climate change. A lack of genetic information about the species limits deliberate gene 

conservation efforts 

to mitigate declines 

in population fitness. 

Improvements in 

DNA sequencing 

technology have made it possible to develop 

genetic markers inexpensively, and these are 

being applied to yellow-cedar management in 

Alaska.

Genetic analysis shows that yellow-cedar 

is a diverse and highly mobile species. Pollen 

records indicate that the species appeared 

about 2,000 years ago in southeast Alaska. 

Yellow-cedar can live up to 2,000 years, so this 

recent expansion—in evolutionary terms—

means there is not much molecular variation 

for traits such as cold hardiness and growth 

rate within the populations growing in southeast Alaska. 

These results point to limited potential for 

finding genetic solutions for cedar decline 

within Alaska and point to greater potential for 

identifying climate tolerance in geographically 

distant sources such as yellow-cedar growing 

in British Columbia, Washington, or Oregon. 

This information may inform the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service’s consideration of a petition to 

list Alaska yellow-cedar under the Endangered 

Species Act.

Contact: Richard Cronn, rcronn@fs.fed.us

Partners: USDA Forest Service Alaska Region, 

Forest Health and Protection 

Findings suggest looking

for climate-tolerance in

yellow-cedar growing

outside Alaska.

A yellow-cedar tree in the Olympic National Forest, 

Washington. 

Marshalll Murray
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND LANDSCAPE RESILIENCE

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 55

Synthesis on mixed-conifer forest 

science provides scientific and practical 

guidance to landscape restoration 

Millions of acres of mixed-conifer forest across 

the western United States have been adversely 

affected by drought and insect outbreaks. The 

forests are overloaded with fuels, priming them 

for unusually severe 

and extensive wildfires. 

Public support for forest 

restoration has grown, 

but natural resource 

managers and policymakers are awash in information, with little 

time to assimilate and interpret the science. 

Contacts: Paul Hessburg, phessburg@fs.fed.us; 

Tom Spies, tspies@fs.fed.us 

Partners: Oregon State University; University of 

California-Berkeley; University of Florida; University 

of Montana; USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest 

Region, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Pacific 

Southwest Research Station

Citation: Stine, P.; Hessburg, P.F.; Spies, T.A. (et al.). 

2014. The ecology and management of moist mixedconifer forests in eastern Oregon and Washington: 

a synthesis of the relevant biophysical science and 

implications for future land management. Gen. Tech. 

Rep. PNW-GTR-897. Portland, OR: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest 

Research Station. 254 p.

Making model results useful for 

vulnerability assessments 

It is still uncommon for national forests to use 

output from fine-scale, dynamic global vegetation models in vulnerability assessments. Technical, administrative, and social barriers exist.

As part of a science-management partnership, 

Forest Service scientists performed simulations 

of vegetation response to climate change for 

four national forests in the Blue Mountains, 

Oregon, for use in vulnerability assessments. 

The simulation results under business-as-usual 

scenarios suggest starkly different future forest 

conditions for three of the four national forests 

in the study area. This may cause some forest 

managers to be more reluctant to adopt them. 

However, output from dynamic global vegetation models can be used to structure discussion 

of the dynamic nature of vegetation change 

in relation to more commonly available model 

output.

To that end, Forest Service and university 

scientists developed a comprehensive synthesis of the best available science about these 

forests in eastern Oregon and Washington. It 

calls for a significant change in the culture and 

emphasis of vegetation management projects in 

the region. The findings in this synthesis will 

be applied to forest- and project-level planning 

and to restoration projects on national forests 

throughout eastern Oregon and Washington. To 

date, this is the first synthesis and review that 

has provided scientific guidance on landscape 

restoration and practical guidance for diagnosing and designing landscape restoration 

projects. 

Findings will be

applied to restoration

projects on national

forests in eastern

Oregon and Washington.

Ready for restoration: a forest stand on the Malheur National Forest, Oregon. 

Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service, Bigwood.org
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND LANDSCAPE RESILIENCE

56 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

Key lessons from this coordinated work with 

the national forests include (1) strategically 

selecting a small number of climate change 

scenarios that capture the range of variability in 

future conditions simplified results; (2) collecting and integrating data from managers for use 

in simulations increased support and interest 

in applying output; (3) a structured, regionally 

focused, and hierarchical calibration of the 

dynamic global vegetation models produced 

well-validated results; (4) simple approaches to 

quantifying uncertainty in simulation results 

facilitated communication; and (5) interpretation 

Transparent environmental 

management decisions

The Ecosystem Management Decision Support 

(EMDS) system is a spatially enabled decision 

support framework for environmental analysis 

and planning. The system has steadily evolved 

since it was first released by the Pacific Northwest Research Station in 1997. It remains one of 

the state-of-the-art decision support solutions 

for environmental analysis and planning. 

The longstanding success of EMDS can be 

attributed to its rational approach to spatial 

decision support that is transparent and repeatable. A newly published book documents diverse 

applications of EMDS spanning many different 

problem areas, spatial scales, and geographic 

contexts. Many of the applications described 

in the book have contributed to formulating 

environmental management policy.

Contact: Keith M. Reynolds, kreynolds@fs.fed.us

Partners: InfoHarvest, Inc.; National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration; Rules of Thumb, Inc.; 

The Nature Conservancy; University of California–

Santa Barbara; University of Cantabria (Spain); 

University of Colorado; University of Redlands; 

USDA Forest Service Okanogan-Wenatchee National 

Forest, Northern Region, Pacific Northwest Region, 

and Rocky Mountain Research Station; Washington 

Department of Natural Resources

Citation: Reynolds, K.M.; Hessburg, P.F.; Bourgeron, 

P.S., eds. 2014. Making transparent environmental 

management decisions: applications of the 

Ecosystem Management Decision Support system. 

Berlin: Springer. 337 p.

of model results in a holistic context in relation 

to multiple lines of evidence produced balanced 

guidance. This demonstrates the importance of 

using model output as a forum for discussion 

along with other information, rather than using 

model outputs in an inappropriately predictive 

sense.

These lessons are being applied to other 

national forests in the Pacific Northwest to 

contribute in vulnerability assessments.

Contact: John B. Kim, jbkim@fs.fed.us

Partners: USDA Forest Service Malheur, Umatilla, 

and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests

An interdisciplinary team on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest used the Ecosystem Management 

Decision Support system to identify priority areas for restoration treatments within the forest’s Naches 

Ranger District. 

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 57

The findings suggest that there may be multiple paths to fuel treatment design around the 

wildland-urban interface.

Contact: Morris Johnson, mcjohnson@fs.fed.us

Partners: University of Washington, USDA Forest 

Service Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest

Seeding in disturbed areas after fuel 

reduction helps establish native plants 

but may not mitigate spread of exotic 

grasses

Western juniper has spread across the interior 

Pacific Northwest since the late 1800s. Management goals for many juniper woodlands now 

focus on reducing tree densities. After thinning, 

the disturbed areas are frequently seeded to 

help restore vegetation quickly and combat 

exotic plant invasion. 

To assess the efficacy of this practice, 

scientists seeded plots using two seed mixes 

in postburned slash piles and skid trails after 

juniper cutting on the Crooked River National 

Grassland, Oregon. Two years later, some seeded 

areas had higher total species richness, higher 

native species richness, higher cover of seeded 

species, and higher overall cover compared 

to areas that were not seeded. But seeding 

effectiveness in mitigating exotic species spread 

varied. Neither seed mix lowered exotic grass 

cover. Areas cut and burned by slash, areas cut 

and used for skid trails, and even uncut and 

undisturbed plots were invaded by exotic 

annual grasses.

Fuel treatments moderated fire behavior 

and effects at Arizona’s Wallow Fire

The Wallow Fire was the largest in Arizona 

state history; it burned more than 539,000 

acres between May and June 2011. Portions 

of the area that burned during the fire had 

undergone fuel reduction treatments as part of 

the White Mountain Stewardship Contract following the massive Rodeo-Chediski Fire, which 

destroyed 465 homes in 2002. This management history gave station scientists and their 

colleagues an unexpected opportunity to study 

how effective two alternative fuel treatments 

were in reducing the severity of the Wallow Fire, 

particularly in the wildland-urban interface, a 

critical area on the landscape where a forest or 

wildland intersects with development.

They found that, during the 2011 Wallow 

Fire, homes were as protected by conservative 

fuel treatments designed to reduce fire severity 

while still providing forest cover and wildlife 

habitat as they were by the more intensive fuel 

treatments. As the fire moved from untreated 

to treated areas, it became less severe as it 

transitioned from a crown fire to a ground fire. 

The distance into the treated area where fire 

severity was reduced differed depending on the 

intensity of the fuel reduction treatment. 

During the 2011 Wallow Fire, conservative fuel treatments designed to reduce fire severity while still 

providing forest cover and wildlife habitat were just as effective at protecting homes, compared to more 

intensive fuel treatment. 

Tim Sexton
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND LANDSCAPE RESILIENCE

58 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

In the short term, the fuel reduction activities 

further facilitated conversion of this woodland 

to an exotic grassland, but longer term evaluation is needed. In low-elevation juniper woodlands that have been invaded by exotic species, 

extensive exotic species control may be needed 

to limit invasion and promote native vegetation 

after fuel-reduction activities. 

Contact: Becky Kerns, bkerns@fs.fed.us

Partners: Oregon State University, USDA Forest 

Service Malheur National Forest and Crooked 

River National Grassland 

Provisional seed zones developed to 

guide restoration of native species

The use of well-adapted and ecologically appropriate plant materials is core to a successful restoration program. Knowledge of local adaptation 

and population differentiation in adaptive traits, 

however, is lacking 

for many species, 

especially for shrubs, 

grasses, and forbs 

used in restoration. 

Station scientists developed generalized 

provisional seed zones that can be applied to 

any plant species in the United States to help 

guide seed movement. Because plants are, 

in general, largely adapted to differences in 

climate as determined by cold temperatures 

and aridity, the scientists mapped seed zones 

by using the intersection of discrete bands of 

high-resolution climate data for minimum winter temperature and aridity as measured by the 

annual heat:moisture index. Ecoregions can be 

used to further refine seed improvement within 

provisional seed zones, dependent upon local 

knowledge and acceptable risk. 

The proposed provisional seed zones delineate areas of climatic similarity, which when 

combined with areas of general ecological 

similarity may be an effective starting point 

for guiding seed transfer of species used in 

restoration.

The provisional seed zones developed from 

this research are being incorporated into the 

restoration plans of the national forests in the 

Pacific Northwest and of the Bureau of Land 

Management. 

Contact: Brad St. Clair, bstclair@fs.fed.us

Partners: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest 

Region and Rocky Mountain Research Station

Citation: Bower, A.D.; St. Clair, J.B.; Erickson, V. 2014. 

Generalized provisional seed zones for native plants. 

Ecological Applications. 24: 913–919.

Crooked River National Grassland, Oregon, with 

Mount Jefferson in the background. The area in 

the foreground was reseeded with native species, 

such as yarrow, following juniper removal. 

Forest Service and BLM

use these seed zones

in restoration plans for

areas of Pacific Northwest.

Michelle Day

A forestry technician collects seeds from bluebunch wheatgrass in the Blue Mountains, Washington. This work contributed to research that 

identified seed zones for this native grass that is 

often used to reseed burned areas and minimize 

erosion.

Brad St. Clair
2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 59

Former prairies transitioned to Douglas-fir 

forests over 60 years following infrequent 

and low-intensity fires 

Scientists analyzed the growth rings on 242 

Douglas-fir stumps in six recently harvested sites 

at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to identify year of tree establishment, timing of natural 

disturbances, and periods of growth release and 

suppression. They compared these data to historical records from the General Land Office Survey 

to identify how forest colonization of the former 

prairies occurred following suspension of burning 

by Native Americans in the 1850s. 

They learned that current stands established 

via three or more waves of regeneration unique to 

each site. Each wave was associated with low-intensity disturbances—probably fire. Although highly 

variable, such disturbances occurred on average 

every 37 years. Growth rates and crown characteristics of the dominant trees indicated that the rate 

of site occupancy occurred faster on sites of better 

quality. The rate of tree establishment peaked and 

abruptly declined beginning around 1940, after 

which few natural disturbances were detected.

This information will be useful for developing 

prescriptions for natural regeneration of Douglasfir and for planning savanna and prairie restoration. It will be used to identify the appropriate 

size of forest canopy openings and conifer planting density and points to the need for reducing 

competing understory vegetation. 

Contact: David H. Peter, dpeter@fs.fed.us

Partner: U.S. Department of Defense Joint 

Base Lewis-McChord 

A researcher analyzes the growth rings of a Douglas-fir to piece together the history of the stand as 

the land transitioned from prairie to forest. 

Dave Peter

Information can be used

to determine a variablewidth buffer around

fish-bearing streams.

New tools developed to accurately 

assess sunlight in forested landscapes

Sunlight controls major ecological processes, 

but it is difficult to accurately assess how much 

sunlight reaches the ground or a stream. Its 

ephemeral nature, affected by daily and seasonal cycles, topography, and shading from 

vegetation, contributes to this challenge. 

By using innovative 

analyses, specially developed software, and 

high-density airborne LiDAR data, scientists 

have found a way to generate an unbiased, 

precise assessment of solar illumination. 

Scientists have computed mean growth 

season illumination indices for several stream 

reaches in Deschutes, Ochoco, and Malheur 

National Forests. Shading regimes in riparian areas influence stream temperature and 

fisheries habitat. Because of this research, it 

is now possible to quantify change in shading 

conditions. It’s also possible to identify the landscape elements responsible for providing shade 

to specific locations of interest and generate 

summaries over periods. 
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND LANDSCAPE RESILIENCE

60 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

Hydrologists and ecologists with the Pacific 

Northwest Region will be using these tools 

to determine a variable-width buffer around 

fish-bearing streams where forest thinning of 

prespecified intensity will not reduce shading 

below a certain threshold.

Contact: Demetrios Gatziolis, dgatziolis@fs.fed.us

Partners: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest 

Region, Willamette, Ochoco, Malheur, and Siuslaw 

National Forests; USDI Bureau of Land Management 

Oregon and Washington

New herbicides tested for efficacy 

against Scotch broom

Three recently developed herbicides provided 

excellent preemergent control of Scotch broom 

from simulated seed banks, killing up to 89 

percent of germinating seedlings. Differences 

in cost effectiveness among the three products 

give vegetation managers clear choices in selecting a suitable treatment.

Scotch broom is a large, nonnative shrub that 

has invaded forest sites throughout the Pacific 

Northwest. Because it develops a long-lived seed 

bank, the species can persist on a given site for 

decades. In a series of growth chamber studies, 

scientists compared three of the newer synthetic auxin herbicides (aminocyclopyrachlor, 

aminopyralid, and clopyralid) for their ability 

to control germinating Scotch broom seedlings 

from simulated seed banks. Low rates of each 

herbicide (<50 percent of the maximum labeled 

rate) killed 60 to 80 percent of seedlings, 

whereas maximum rates controlled up to 89 

percent of seedlings. Cost per unit seedling mortality for aminopyralid was 57 percent of that 

for clopyralid and 42 percent of that for aminocyclopyrachlor. With half-lives of 30 to 50 days, 

the herbicides retained much of their efficacy 

throughout the 90-day duration of the studies, 

making them suitable for controlling germinating broom seedlings under field conditions.

Contact: Timothy B. Harrington, 

tharrington@fs.fed.us

Partners: Dow AgroSciences, LLC; 

DuPont Corporation

Accurate assessments of the amount of sunlight 

reaching the ground can contribute to forest 

growth and yield models, assessment of regeneration potential, and support tactical decisionmaking.

Scotch broom, a 

large, nonnative 

shrub, readily 

invades recently 

harvested sites 

throughout the 

Pacific Northwest.

Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service, Bigwood.org
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND LANDSCAPE RESILIENCE

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 61

Mortality of retained trees can 

compromise the ecological objectives 

of variable-retention harvest 

Variable-retention timber harvests call for 

retaining live trees, snags, and logs in the 

harvest unit. These remnant elements can be a 

seed source for the regenerating stand, mitigate 

harsh microclimates, and 

provide structure, which 

promotes persistence of 

plant and animal species 

through the disturbance 

period.

Harvest regulations on federal lands in western Oregon and Washington stipulate leaving at 

least 15 percent of the overstory, with 70 percent of that in aggregates 0.2 hectare or larger. 

However, there is much latitude with respect to 

the proportion of overstory trees retained and 

their distribution as aggregates 

or dispersed individuals. Ten-year 

monitoring of the Demonstration of Ecosystem Management 

Options (DEMO) study shows that 

retention abundance and pattern 

can influence rates of overstory 

tree mortality occurring following harvest.

Scientists found that low 

levels of dispersed retention led 

to greater mortality among the 

retained trees. This suggests that 

minimum standards may result 

in greater risk of mortality and 

compromise the intended ecological functioning 

of the retention harvest. Conversely, decreased 

rates of mortality in larger 1-hectare retention 

aggregates suggest that edge creation may 

benefit the functioning of trees retained within 

aggregates. 

Although variable-retention harvest practices 

have been increasingly used worldwide over the 

past two decades, the DEMO project provides 

the most direct evidence for assessing the 

efficacy of varying abundance and pattern of 

overstory retention. It provides a proof-of-concept for “ecological silviculture” as a management strategy that is being discussed regionally 

by federal agencies and legislators. 

Contact: Paul D. Anderson, pdanderson@fs.fed.us

Partners: University of Washington, USDA Forest 

Service Gifford Pinchot and Umpqua National 

Forests, Washington Department of Natural 

Resources

Alaska spruce forests yield lessons 

that can help forest managers across 

the globe

Forests with structural complexity provided 

by trees and plants of many shapes and sizes 

often have more biodiversity than forests with 

uniform structure. Forest managers often are 

interested in encouraging this variety and 

all the ecological processes and functions it 

supports. 

In Sitka spruce forests in southeast Alaska, 

forest management practices using clearcutting 

beginning in the early 1950s have resulted in 

forests with uniformly sized trees and little 

understory vegetation or wildlife habitat. Scientists synthesized management options that 

improve biodiversity and structural complexity 

in Sitka spruce forests in Alaska and applied 

them to Sitka spruce forests and plantations 

elsewhere in the world, with particular emphasis on Great Britain and Ireland. For example, 

including broadleaved species such as alder or 

birch can provide more complexity. Researchers 

also explored the role of fungi in increasing 

both biological and structural diversity in Sitka 

spruce forests

Contact: Robert Deal, rdeal@fs.fed.us

Partner: Ireland Department of Agriculture

Tree mortality

decreased when

trees were retained

in groups 1-hectare

or larger.

Remaining trees are more likely to survive when retained in groups. 

Tom Iraci
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND LANDSCAPE RESILIENCE

62 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

Ungulate herbivory maintains shrub 

diversity in forests in the absence of 

disturbance 

Herbivory by elk, cattle, and other ungulates 

can dramatically affect vegetation in forest 

understories. However, little is known about 

how ungulate herbivory interacts with episodic 

disturbances such as fire and fuels removal. 

This knowledge is important because ungulates 

can potentially alter shrub and conifer composition in ways that increase fuel loading and fire 

risk.

Over 6 years, scientists evaluated shrub 

responses to grazing pressure by cattle and elk 

in forested areas where fuel had been reduced 

by mechanical means, followed by prescribed 

burning, and in untreated forested sites at Starkey Experimental Forest and Range. Their findings suggest that without fuels reduction and 

ungulate herbivory, shrub diversity is reduced. 

Increased dominance was observed in species 

that would have been suppressed by ungulates 

and fuels removal. Ungulate herbivory, even at 

low intensities, can be used to suppress dominant shrub species and maintain diversity in the 

absence of episodic disturbances. 

Contacts: Michael Wisdom, mwisdom@fs.fed.us

Partners: Oregon State University, San Diego Zoo 

Global Conservation Program

Managing forests to retain water

As the climate warms, drought and associated water stress on vegetation are emerging 

as critical issues underlying a host of forest 

disturbances, including fire, insect and disease 

attacks, and forest dieback. Forest landscapes 

have historically been seen as sources of water 

for downstream uses. Given the changing risks 

to forests, a new paradigm suggests managing 

forests to provide sufficient water to maintain 

healthy vegetation. Although management 

actions cannot stop droughts from occurring, 

Elk, deer, and cattle herbivory can help maintain vegetation diversity. Above, a study site at the Starkey 

Experimental Forest and Range that was thinned and fenced to exclude ungulate herbivory. 

many strategies potentially could be used to 

increase water availability for vegetation in 

forests. For example, modeling studies suggest 

that specific strategies, including thinning or 

mulching, can be sufficient to keep forests 

below water stress levels at which tree mortality 

occurs. These kinds of strategies could be used 

to offset, mitigate, or potentially forestall water 

stress, thereby increasing forest health and 

resilience. 

Contact: Gordon Grant, ggrant@fs.fed.us

Rhonda Mazza
63

Socioeconomic

Dimensions

Patterns of land use, recreation, and economic development are 

changing.  Quality of life increasingly depends on understanding the 

human values and choices that sustain the environment, promote public health, 

support rural economies, and reduce conflict.  Our research improves 

understanding of the interactions between socioeconomic and biophysical 

systems at the landscape scale. It identifies and evaluates the goods, services, and 

benefits produced by ecosystems and management.  We also develop tools 

for land managers to use when evaluating local economic and social conditions.

Socioeconomic Dimensions Jenna Tilt

A housing development in Snoqualmie, Washington, 25 miles east of Seattle, with the 

Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest as its backyard.
An included app

lets users quickly

assess if wood

energy is financially

feasible for them.

USDA Forest Service

Socioeconomic

Dimensions

 The eBook, Community Biomass

Handbook, and related application

help users set objectives, define project

scopes, and conduct a preliminary

financial appraisal for a range of

options. It features in-text financial

calculators and links to video case

studies. With just a few inputs, users

can estimate capital investment and

operations costs, biomass requirements, and return on investment. 

 Stitching the West Back Together:

Conservation of Working Landscapes—This new book highlights

ways for individual landowners to join

together to protect open spaces and

working landscapes. Featuring the

perspectives of farmers, ranchers,

scholars, foresters, and conservationists, the book encourages a

vision of collaboration and argues

for a new public policy of interdependence between public and private

landowners.

 Tree planting campaign in Portland,

Oregon, more effectively reaches better

educated residents, inadvertently exacerbating environmental inequality.

 Considering the impact to local quality of life when attempting to build a

sustainable tourism industry promotes

more positive interactions between

local people and visitors.

Highlights in 2014

64 

SOCIOECONOMIC DIMENSIONS

Community Biomass Handbook 

guides businesses seeking to replace 

fossil fuels with wood energy

The Forest Service is promoting the development of wood energy projects that create new 

jobs and help save energy while improving forest health. With the increasing interest in alternatives to fossil fuels and 

the availability of grants 

and loans for wood energy 

projects, small businesses, 

nonprofit organizations, 

tribes, and state and local 

agencies are trying to assess whether they could 

bring wood energy to their community. 

In line with this effort, the station released 

an eBook containing a wood energy financial 

application that allows users to quickly assess 

whether wood energy is a feasible option for 

their community or small business. Accompanying the app is a Community Biomass Handbook 

that provides background information and case 

studies, answers to project development questions, and a checklist of possible products and 

investment considerations. For iPad and Mac 

users, this interactive handbook is available

The Community Biomass Handbook is interactive, allowing users to easily assess 

the feasibility of prospective projects.
SOCIOECONOMIC DIMENSIONS

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 65

for free download at the iTunes bookstore. A 

PDF version of the handbook and a Web-based 

version of the financial application are also 

available.

Contact: Eini Lowell, elowell@fs.fed.us

Partners: Bihn Systems, The Beck Group, 

University of Minnesota 

Citation: Becker, D.; Lowell, E.; Bihn, D.; Anderson, 

R.; Taff, S. 2014. Community biomass handbook. 

Volume I: Thermal wood energy. Gen. Tech. Rep. 

PNW-GTR-899. Portland, OR: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest 

Research Station. 93 p. 

Integrating tribal stewardship practices, 

traditional knowledge, and science to 

address climate change

Tribes have been adapting to change for thousands of years. Environmental disturbances 

such as land use change, wildfire, and climate 

change can threaten many values for American Indians and Alaska Natives. With climate 

causing potential shifts in the distribution and 

composition of some plant and animal species, 

tribes could lose their cultural traditions and 

in turn their identities. Some tribes are leading 

the way in innovative thinking and planning for 

management of threats to natural resources. 

Many tribes use traditional practices such as 

controlled burning to manage forests and make 

them more resilient to climate change impacts. 

A new synthesis examines the challenges 

associated with bringing traditional knowledge 

and scientific research together, and reviews 

Prices for forest biomass, rather than the cost of diesel fuel, appear to 

be the key determinant in the feasibility of using forest biomass for 

energy production.

how federal policies and administrative 

practices help or hinder the incorporation 

of traditional knowledge into climate 

change adaptation strategies. 

Contact: Linda Kruger, lkruger@fs.fed.us

Partner: Oregon State University

Citation: Vinyeta, K.; Lynn, K. 2013. Exploring 

the role of traditional ecological knowledge 

in climate change initiatives. Gen. Tech. Rep. 

PNW-GTR-879. Portland, OR: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific 

Northwest Research Station. 37 p.

Economic feasibility of biomass 

energy depends on biomass prices

The use of forest treatment byproducts, 

like treetops and limbs or small trees, 

holds promise as an alternative energy 

source that could help reduce reliance 

on fossil fuels, create less pollution, and 

increase opportunities for rural employment. But removing this material from 

forests remains an expensive, labor-intensive hurdle. Collecting, grinding, and 

transporting forest biomass requires the 

use of diesel fuel, which has seen price 

fluctuations in recent years. 

Scientists examined the effects of 

increases in diesel fuel costs on delivery of 

biomass in western Montana, as well as the 

financial impact of changes in delivered biomass 

price. Their study found that the financial 

feasibility of using forest biomass for energy 

production is much more sensitive to changes 

in biomass prices than to the cost of diesel fuel 

used to process and transport the biomass. 

Contact: Susan Hummel, shummel@fs.fed.us

Partners: University of Montana, USDA Forest 

Service Rocky Mountain Research Station
SOCIOECONOMIC DIMENSIONS

66 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

Sustainable working landscapes are 

critical to biodiversity conservation in 

the West

Conflict among different interest groups in the 

West over how land should be managed often 

makes the news. A new book, Stitching the 

West Back Together, turns the focus toward 

more positive examples of ranchers, 

forest managers, and 

conservation groups 

working to find common ground. The authors highlight ways 

for individual landowners to join together to 

protect open spaces and working landscapes, 

and to “stitch” pieces of the landscape back 

together into functional, ecologically and 

economically healthy wholes. They provide 

examples of conservation efforts that cross ownership and management boundaries, provide 

case studies of sustainable working rangelands, 

and discuss management and policy strategies 

such as conservation easements, renewable 

energy incentives, and payments for ecosystem 

services. Featuring the perspectives of farmers, 

ranchers, scholars, foresters, and conservationists, the book encourages a vision of collaboration and argues for a new public policy of 

interdependence between public and private 

landowners. 

Contact: Susan Charnley, scharnley@fs.fed.us

Partner: University of Arizona

Citation: Charnley, S.; Sheridan, T.E.; Nabhan, 

G.P., eds. 2014. Stitching the West back together: 

conservation of working landscapes. Chicago, IL: 

University of Chicago Press. 352 p.

Advances in biomass-derived fuels yield 

limited commercial production 

For decades, researchers and entrepreneurs 

have tried to produce liquid fuels from lignocellulosic biomass for transportation vehicles with 

little commercial success. Although successful 

feedstocks and processes have been identified, 

inherent disadvantages such as transportation 

logistics that biofuels face vs. petroleum fuels 

remain a significant barrier. Scientists summarized recent progress in commercializing 

biomass-derived fuels, offering a discussion 

of national and international trends in implementing biofuels, and the status of commercial 

biofuels facilities. They also examined the 

current status of lignocellulosic transportation 

fuel production as well as near-term prospects 

for commercialization. 

Contact: Dave Nicholls, dlnicholls@fs.fed.us

Partner: USDA Forest Service Forest Products 

Laboratory

Private forest landowners consider 

fuel conditions and past wildfires in 

their risk-mitigation decisions

Policymakers seek ways to encourage fuels 

reduction by private forest landowners to 

augment similar efforts on federal and state 

lands. Because private forest lands influence 

the connectivity of 

hazardous fuel and 

potential movement 

of fire across the 

landscape, these 

Authors call for a new public

policy of interdependence

between public and

private landowners.

This new publication highlights ways 

to collectively protect open spaces 

and working landscapes.

Study leads to landscape

model to be used by

Pacific Northwest Region

in forest planning.

Private forest landowners assess their wildfire risk.

A. Paige Fischer
SOCIOECONOMIC DIMENSIONS

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 67

lands offer significant potential for reducing 

wildfire risk if managed appropriately. Motivating landowners to contribute to landscape-level 

wildfire protection requires an understanding 

of factors that underlie landowner behavior 

regarding wildfire. Researchers examined which 

factors influence wildfire risk perceptions and 

mitigation behavior among private nonindustrial forestland owners in central Oregon.

The conceptual framework behind this study 

formed the basis for further investigation of 

homeowners’ “defensible space” activities in 

fire-prone forests as part the Forests, People, 

Fire study funded by the National Science 

Foundation. The study also has resulted in the 

development of a landscape simulation model 

that the national forests in the region plan to 

use as input in their upcoming forest planning 

processes. 

Contact: Jeff Kline, jkline@fs.fed.us

Partner: Oregon State University

Tree planting and environmental justice 

Many cities have ambitious tree-planting 

goals but do not have the resources to reach 

these goals alone. Therefore, cities often create 

policies that encourage private citizens to plant 

trees. By studying factors 

that influence people’s 

tendency to follow up 

on incentive programs 

and plant trees on their property in Portland, 

Oregon, scientists identified some trends in who 

Homeowners with

existing trees are more

likely to plant more.

is most likely to plant and also barriers that 

appear to deter people from planting. 

People who live in census blocks with lower 

high school graduation rates, for example, were 

less likely to plant trees, whereas homeowners 

with existing street trees or who had lived in an 

older house were more likely to plant additional 

trees. With many studies showing the health 

and well-being benefits of urban trees, the success or failure of a tree-planting program takes 

on environmental justice implications. Results 

from this study suggest that tree-planting programs may inadvertently exacerbate environmental inequality.

Contact: Geof Donovan, gdonovan@fs.fed.us

A "Plant it Portland" sign from the nonprofit organization, Friends of Trees, encourages Portland 

residence to plant trees. 

Seattle homeowners show increased 

interest in fruit trees

For urban planning and urban forestry to be 

effective, it is important to understand the social 

context of a city, including the attitudes of residents toward trees and other natural settings. 

Scientists developed a Web-based survey for 

single-family homeowners across the city and 

asked people what plans they had for future tree 

planting and care. Homeowners reported they 

will plant fewer trees in the future than they did 

in the past, with the exception of fruit trees: 19 

percent of surveyed homeowners had planted 

a fruit tree in the past, yet 42 percent say they 

will do so in the future, perhaps revealing interest in urban agriculture, food security, and local 

food production.

Contact: Kathleen Wolf, kwolf@fs.fed.us

Partners: City of Seattle, University of Washington

Considering the impacts of ex-urban 

housing developments in advance could 

reduce community conflicts later

Housing developments are likely to remain a 

common approach for supporting rising population in the United States. Scientists examined 

the impacts these communities have on their 

physical and social environment. Looking 

specifically at the Snoqualmie Valley outside 

of Seattle, Washington, they found that large 

planned communities can substantially change 

an area. Social perceptions of these changes 

Rhonda Mazza
SOCIOECONOMIC DIMENSIONS

68 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

sometimes led to conflict. For example, the large 

influx of residents and the creation of a new city 

center within a few miles of the historic downtown drove a wedge between new and existing 

residents, leading to relocation of critical city 

services and a cultural rift. Community leaders 

and planners could work closely with developers 

of future planned communities to consider the 

impacts of a development before people move 

in to help mitigate competition for services, 

overloading of city infrastructure, and access to 

public lands and open spaces. 

Contact: Lee Cerveny, lcerveny@fs.fed.us

Partner: Oregon State University

Citizen participation benefits 

community decisions in Sitka, Alaska

Some tourism proponents in Sitka, Alaska, have 

worked hard to expand its tourism base within 

the past two decades. This process has led to 

tension at times among residents, local government, the local Alaska Native tribe, the chamber 

of commerce, and the tourism bureau. Scientists organized a community forum, reviewed 

planning documents, and identified differences 

in government-led approaches versus citizen-led 

approaches. 

They found that planning exercises that considered the impacts of tourism on local quality 

of life and sense of community are more likely 

to create a sustainable tourism environment 

that promotes positive interactions between 

local people and visitors. This case study will be 

useful to practitioners interested in collaborative decisionmaking. 

Contact: Linda Kruger, lkruger@fs.fed.us

Partner: Michigan State University

Beargrass faces pressure from the 

commercial floral industry

Many hikers in the West are familiar with 

beargrass, a member of the lily family. It 

decorates mountain meadows with its showy 

white flowers clustered on a single stalk. 

Beargrass provides food and habitat for many 

kinds of wildlife and has long been used by 

Native Americans for basketry, medicines, 

and regalia. Scientists studied the natural and 

cultural history of this plant, including its 

importance to pollinators, traditional harvest 

practices of tribes, and how it is affected 

by natural disturbances such as fire. They 

also examined the impact of the commercial 

floral industry, which generates more than 

$200 million a year in the Pacific Northwest. 

Although disturbance by fire has been 

declining, the impact of leaf harvest by the 

floral industry is causing shifts in disturbance 

within beargrass habitat. This study helps 

clarify the ecological importance of beargrass 

and identifies knowledge gaps and potential 

conflicts in human use.

Contact: Susan Hummel, shummel@fs.fed.us

Partner: USDA Forest Service Northern 

Research Station

Beargrass is a culturally important plant to tribes in the Northwest. It is also extensively harvested by the 

commercial floral industry. 

Chris Schnepf, University of Idaho, Bugwood.org
SOCIOECONOMIC DIMENSIONS

2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 69

Demonstrating value of national forest 

management by shifting focus to 

ecosystem services

The new forest planning rule requires forest 

planners to address ecosystem services in 

national forest plans. By extension, although 

not required, forest managers may consider 

ecosystem service outcomes 

in project-level assessments. 

The Forest Service hopes 

that the ecosystem services 

concept will enable planners 

and managers to tell a richer story to Congress 

and the public about the benefits and tradeoffs 

associated with managing national forests; 

support decisions that promote sustainability; 

and facilitate collaborative partnerships with 

local communities, cities, and other entities that 

benefit from forest ecosystem services. 

The Forest Service has already made a considerable effort to develop methods for measuring 

public uses and values and incorporate them 

into national forest planning documents and 

project-level assessments. Yet, these efforts 

have not led to their widespread use in national 

forest management. In light of this history, this 

research examined the challenges and opportunities involved in applying ecosystem services 

to national forest management.

This research is being used by the USDA 

Forest Service Washington Office, Ecosystem 

Services Valuation Framework Working Group, 

to develop directives outlining a nationally 

consistent framework for addressing ecosystem 

services in national forest planning and project 

implementation. The group Environmental 

Defense Fund also is drawing on the research 

to identify challenges in evaluating ecosystem 

services and to develop a set of guiding principles and best practices that they will propose to 

state and federal agencies.

Contact: Jeff Kline, jkline@fs.fed.us

Partners: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

Oregon State University

Forest Service,

Environmental

Defense Fund

using this research.

Experimental forests have untapped 

potential for social science research 

Experimental forests and rangelands offer 

an unparalleled opportunity for long-term 

research and monitoring across a wide range 

of forest types. The research in these areas 

has traditionally focused on biophysical 

science. Thirty-five percent of experimental 

forests and ranges are within 50 miles of an 

urban center and offer recreation and education opportunities. These research areas can 

be used to better understand the dynamics 

of human interactions with nature through 

social science.

H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon.

Lina DiGregario
SOCIOECONOMIC DIMENSIONS

70 PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

Scientists explored human interactions with experimental forests 

and ranges through surveys and a literature review to identify 

patterns of visitor use. They found that these research areas are 

widely used, and that the most common activities are hiking, 

hunting, and wildlife viewing. 

Contact: Susan Charnley, scharnley@fs.fed.us

Virtual community encourages open and creative 

knowledge sharing among NEPA practitioners

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires transparency in federal decisionmaking processes, and allows for 

public participation in government. Many Forest Service activities depend on the successful completion of NEPA processes. 

Yet inefficiencies and fragmentation in the current 

system have made it difficult for practitioners to 

implement NEPA processes and work together. 

Scientists helped NEPA practitioners connect with 

each other by establishing a virtual community of 

practice (eForest) and hosting a monthly webinar 

series (NEPA Knowledge Café). They hosted 12 NEPA Knowledge 

Café webinars in 2014 with an average attendance of 100 people 

a month. Membership in eForest has hit 575, and it serves as a 

venue for exchanging knowledge among NEPA practitioners and 

scientists. Users can initiate exchange by asking questions or 

raising issues with the community as a whole or within smaller 

“neighborhood” groups. 

Contact: David Seesholtz, dseesholtz@fs.fed.us

Monthly 

webinars

attract 100

attendees,

on average.

H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest. 

Photo by Theresa Valentine.
Chief’s Excellence in Science and Technology Award

Research biologist David L. Peterson was recognized by the U.S. Forest 

Service Chief for his work to develop and deliver scientific principles, partnerships, and actions for adaptation to climate change in national forests.

Chief’s Sustaining Forests and Grasslands Award

Nancy Grulke, Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment 

Center Director, was recognized by the U.S. Forest Service Chief for her 

work as part of the Inter-Agency ForWarn Team.

Deputy Chief Distinguished Science Award

Paul Hennon, research plant pathologist, received a Distinguished Science 

Award from the U.S. Forest Service Research and Development Deputy 

Chief for his research on forest diseases and the health and sustainability 

of Alaska yellow-cedar forests. 

Deputy Chief Science Delivery Award

Deanna Olson, a research ecologist, received a Science Delivery Award 

from the U.S. Forest Service’s Deputy Chief for Research and Development 

for excellence in sustained science productivity and technology transfer. 

She was recognized for serving biodiversity and natural resource management in the United States with global applications.

ESRI—Best Data Integration

Starkey Experimental Forest and Range researchers were recognized 

by ESRI, the world’s leading geographic information systems company, 

with third place in the “Best Data Integration” category in the company’s 

national poster contest. The researchers’ poster highlighted applications 

of new landscape models for elk. 

Journal of Mammalogy Associate Editor

Keith Aubry, a research wildlife biologist, is a new associate editor of 

the Journal of Mammalogy. During the 3-year term, he will be helping to 

direct the peer-review process for manuscripts submitted to the journal.

President-Elect of the Cooper Ornithological Society

Martin Raphael, a research wildlife biologist, is president-elect of 

the Cooper Ornithological Society. He was elected because of his 

long history of leadership in the society and outstanding record of 

ornithological accomplishments.

Honors and Awards

71

Regional Forester Honor Award

Research meteorologists Sim Larkin and Miriam Rorig and research 

air quality engineer Susan O’Neill received this award for “Leading in 

a Natural Resource Environment” from the U.S. Forest Service Pacific 

Southwest Region in 2013.The researchers were part of an interagency 

team that was recognized for its response to the 2013 wildfires in California, which included the 250,000-acre Rim Fire. 

Rise to the Future Lifetime Achievement Award

Research fisheries biologist Gordon Reeves received the Forest Service’s 

“Rise to the Future Lifetime Achievement Award.” He was recognized for 

his research on the impacts of climate change on aquatic and riparian 

ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska and for his holistic, fieldbased research perspective. He also was honored for his long-standing 

commitment to communicating research with decisionmakers and for 

mentoring the next generation of fisheries scientists.

USDA Protecting Natural Resources Award

Eric Forsman, a research wildlife biologist, was recognized by the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture for his sustained contributions to understanding the ecology and management of the northern spotted owl in the Pacific 

Northwest. Forsman began conducting research on the spotted owl in the 

1970s as a graduate student and today, as a world-renowned expert on the 

raptor, is frequently consulted for his expertise. 

USDA Honor Award

Catherine Parks, a research ecologist, was honored for her international 

work in Afghanistan. Parks assisted with the evacuation and recovery of 

wounded personnel in Afghanistan, helped to create the Afghan Agricultural Tool Kit, and managed agricultural operations in the country. 

Worthy Coelacanth Award

Pete Bisson, an emeritus scientist, was honored by the WashingtonBritish Columbia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. The Worthy 

Coelacanth award is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to fisheries management and science over 

the course of their career.
PNW 

Research 

Station 

Organization

72

Station Director

Robert Mangold

	 P.O. Box 3890

	 Portland, OR 97208-3890

	 Phone: 503-808-2100

	 E-mail: rmangold@fs.fed.us

Assistant Station Director 

for Administration

Lesley Kelly

	 P.O. Box 3890

	 Portland, OR 97208-3890

	 Phone: 503-808-2102

	 E-mail: lakelly@fs.fed.us

Assistant Station Director for

Communications and Applications

Cynthia Miner

	 P.O. Box 3890

	 Portland, OR 97208-3890

	 Phone: 503-808-2135

	 E-mail: clminer@fs.fed.us

Assistant Station Director for 

Program Development

Katherine Smith

	 P.O. Box 3890

	 Portland, OR 97208-3890

	 Phone: 503-808-2104

	 E-mail: klsmith@fs.fed.us

Assistant Station Director for

Research

Borys Tkacz

	 P.O. Box 3890

	 Portland, OR 97208-3890

	 Phone: 503-808-2115

	 E-mail: btkacz@fs.fed.us

Programs

Ecological Process and Function

	 	 Paul Anderson

	 	 Forestry Sciences Laboratory

	 	 3200 SW Jefferson Way

	 	 Corvallis, OR 97331

	 	 Phone: 541-758-7786

	 	 E-mail: pdanderson@fs.fed.us

Goods, Services, and Values

	 	 Simon Kihia

	 	 Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory

	 	 400 N. 34th Street, Suite 201

	 	 Seattle, WA 98103

	 	 Phone: 206-732-7846

	 	 E-mail: smkihia@fs.fed.us

Land and Watershed Management

	 	 Susan Alexander

	 	 Forestry Sciences Laboratory

	 	 11175 Auke Lake Way

	 	 Juneau, AK 99801

	 	 Phone: 907-586-7801

	 	 E-mail: salexander@fs.fed.us

Resource Monitoring and Assessment

	 	 Gretchen Nicholas

	 	 Forestry Sciences Laboratory

	 	 620 SW Main St., Suite 400

	 	 Portland, OR 97205

	 	 Phone: 503-808-2034

	 	 E-mail: gnicholas@fs.fed.us

Threat Characterization and Management

	 	 Maureen Hyzer

	 	 Forestry Sciences Laboratory

	 	 1133 N. Western Ave.

	 	 Wenatchee, WA 98801

	 	 Phone: 509-664-1712

	 	 E-mail: mhyzer@fs.fed.us

Western Wildland Environmental 

Threat Assessment Center

Nancy Grulke

	 	 3160 NE3rd St.

	 	 Prineville, OR 97754

	 	 Phone: 541-416-6583

	 	 E-mail: ngrulke@fs.fed.us

Aligning a transect in Josephine County, Oregon. Photo by Janelle Cossey.
Crystalline frost. Photo by Connie Harrington.

Online Supplements

2014 Science Accomplishments of the Pacific Northwest Research Station

is available online, along with all 2014 publications by Pacific Northwest 

Research Station scientists, at http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sa/2014/.

Credits

Assistant Director for Communications and Applications—Cynthia L. Miner

Managing Editor—Rhonda Mazza

Writer—Rhonda Mazza

Publishing Director—Frank Vanni

Graphic design—Keith Routman and Rhonda Mazza

Cover photograph by Tom Iraci, with graphic treatment by Frank Vanni

All uncredited photographs—U.S. Forest Service staff

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture

Forest 

Service

The Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is dedicated to the principle of 

multiple use management of the Nation’s forest resources for sustained yields of wood, water, 

forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through forestry research, cooperation with the States and 

private forest owners, and management of the national forests and national grasslands, it 

strives—as directed by Congress—to provide increasingly greater service to a growing Nation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and 

activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual 

orientation, marital status, family status, status as a parent (in education and training programs 

and activities), because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance 

program, or retaliation. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs or activities.) 

If you require this information in alternative format (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), contact 

the USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (Voice or TDD).

If you require information about this program, activity, or facility in a language other than English, 

contact the agency office responsible for the program or activity, or any USDA office. 

To file a complaint alleging discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call toll free, (866) 632-9992 

(Voice). TDD users can contact USDA through local relay or the Federal relay at (800) 877-

8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (relay voice users). You may use USDA Program Discrimination 

Complaint Forms AD-3027 or AD-3027s (Spanish) which can be found at: http://www.ascr.usda.

gov/complaint_filing_cust.html or upon request from a local Forest Service office. USDA is an 

equal opportunity provider and employer. 
February 2015

Pacific Northwest Research Station

1220 SW Third Ave., Suite 1400

P.O. Box 3890

Portland, OR 97208-3890

www.fs.fed.us/pnw/