USDA Forest Service

Pacific Southwest Research Station

2011 Accomplishments Report

Serving California, Hawai‘i, and the Pacific Islands

Sherri Eng
Vision and Mission

The Pacific Southwest Research Station is a world 

leader in natural resources research through our 

scientific excellence and responsiveness to the 

needs of current and future generations. Our 

mission is to develop and communicate science 

needed to sustain forest ecosystems and their 

benefits to society.

Patricia Maloney

About Us

The Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) 

represents Forest Service Research and 

Development in California, Hawai‘i, and the U.S.-

affiliated Pacific Islands. Our region has the lowest, 

driest desert in the country, the wettest tropical 

forests, and the highest elevations within the 48 

contiguous States. An abundant diversity of native 

plants and animals and nearly half of the nation's 

threatened and endangered species live in this 

region. At PSW, we develop and deliver science to 

help inform decisions about natural resource 

management, conservation, and environmental 

protection. Much of our work is accomplished in 

cooperation with other research and development 

institutions, such as universities, and state and other 

federal agencies.
I am proud to present 

the Pacific Southwest 

Research Station’s (PSW) 

2011 Accomplishments 

Report. The past year was 

an exciting and dynamic 

period of change and 

growth for PSW as we 

implemented an overall 

station redesign. This 

process organized our 

11 science research units into four programs, 

better aligning us with the Forest Service’s 

Strategic Program Areas. In addition, our business 

support operations were consolidated into a OneTeam Business Operations model, eliminating 

redundancies and ensuring that business processes 

and functions are consistent throughout the station.

Our natural resources research continues to be 

on the cutting edge across many disciplines as 

we strive to respond to the needs of current and 

future generations. Sound, innovative science 

helps restore forests across broad landscapes to 

stimulate rural and urban communities so they 

remain economically, socially, and environmentally 

stable. Our research helps save lives and property 

from wildfires. We reduce fire suppression costs 

by providing tools to assist in fire fighting and fire 

prevention. Science helps create and expand uses 

and markets for wood products, creating jobs that 

lead to economic prosperity across the United States. 

Our science transcends landscapes, watersheds, and 

tropical forests. Urban forestry, where the hardest 

working trees in America are found, is a critical 

and growing component of our body of work. The 

tools we develop enhance urban natural resources 

stewardship and lead to jobs, cleaner air, improved 

human health, and cleaner water. An estimated one 

in five Americans get their drinking water from a 

national forest, and 87 percent of all surface water 

in the United States crosses Forest Service lands. We 

partner with private industry, non-governmental 

organizations, state, local, and tribal governments 

to restore forest health and provide jobs and other 

economic benefits.

Science that makes a difference.

We could not be where we are today without the 

dedicated efforts of our researchers and support 

staff. Several of our members received national 

recognition for their work, contributions, and 

community service. We received two Wings Across 

the Americas awards, including the International 

Cooperation Award by C. John Ralph for his work in 

Costa Rica and the Research and Management 

Partnership Award by Kathryn Purcell, Jared Verner, 

and Sylvia Mori for their work in bird population 

trends in California. Chris Fettig received a USDA 

Merit Award for his research on bark beetles, and 

Armando González-Cabán and Kathie Jermstad both 

received Presidential Volunteer Service Awards for 

their community service. 

I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead as we 

continue to provide sound science to use in helping 

managers plan for climate impacts, adaptation, and 

ecosystem health as we combat threats such as climate 

change, wildland fire, and invasive species. Thank you 

for your interest in the Pacific Southwest Research 

Station, and thank you for your continued support.

Alex

Alexander L. Friend, Ph.D.

Acting Station Director, Pacific Southwest Research Station

Sherri Eng

1
Climate Change, Urban 

Natural Resources 

Stewardship, Water, 

and Wildland Fire

Four strategic plans outline the Pacific 

Southwest Research Station's (PSW) 

direction over the next decade for 

climate change, urban natural resources 

stewardship, water, and wildland fire. 

In each of these areas, PSW's research, 

development, and technology will be 

interdisciplinary and collaborative. 

The strategies reach across PSW's 

research programs and are 

coordinated with the Forest Service 

Pacific Southwest Region, National 

Forests, other Research Stations, 

universities, and other government 

organizations. The plans focus on 

natural resources in California, Hawai‘i, 

and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands.

URBAN NATURAL RESOURCES STEWARDSHIP

More than 80 percent of the 

U.S. population lives in urban 

areas, cities and suburbs. Forest 

Service Research and 

Development strives to foster 

the proper care of natural 

resources and the advancement 

of ecosystem services in urban 

landscapes. PSW and its partners continue to develop 

tools that will assist the citizenry in making appropriate 

planning and management decisions on creating 

healthy and sustainable urban ecosystems for their 

communities. Focus areas include: urban water, green 

infrastructure, humans and fire, and environmental 

justice.

WILDLAND FIRE

The mission of PSW's wildland 

fire research is to provide the 

knowledge and tools that 

managers need to reduce 

negative impacts and enhance 

beneficial effects of fire and fire 

management on society and 

the environment. Our science 

will guide land management practices so they reflect an 

understanding of the diverse impacts of fire and fuels 

management, and of fire's role as a disturbance on a 

regional, as well as global scale; assist individuals and 

communities to recognize their options and accept their 

responsibilities regarding fire safety when living in 

fire-affected ecosystems; and provide fire managers 

with state-of-the-art, science-based knowledge and 

decision support tools.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Our scientists work to enhance 

the nation's ability to store and 

manage carbon, facilitate 

adaptation of species and 

ecosystems, and improve 

management of climate change 

effects on the environment. Our 

climate change research serves 

as a foundation for policy and best management 

practices to sustain ecosystem health, adjust 

management for ecosystem services, and increase 

carbon sequestration (mitigation), all under changing 

climate conditions. Our strategic plan outlines seven 

elements: science, adaptation, mitigation, policy, 

sustainable operations, education and partnerships.

WATER

Approximately 87 percent of our 

country's fresh water supply 

originates from forests and 

agricultural lands. More than 200 

million people rely on their 

drinking water from public and 

private forests and grasslands. 

PSW's research helps inform 

future management decisions to protect water-related 

goods and services, such as abundant and clean drinking 

water, fish and wildlife habitat, slowing of storm runoff, 

and water-related recreational opportunities. Our water 

strategy plan concentrates on four critical components: 

projecting the impacts of disturbance (i.e. climate change 

and air pollution on water and the resulting goods and 

services); understanding the watershed processes that 

will be impacted by these disturbances; identifying 

critical aquatic species at risk and developing appropriate 

tools and management practices to mitigate adverse 

impacts; and developing best management practices 

and tools to maintain watershed health in natural 

ecosystems and for urban areas to help mitigate the 

impact of a changing water supply. 

Steve McKelvey

Sherri Eng Sherri Eng

Paula Peper

2
Pacific Southwest Research Station Overview

Research is organized into four science 

programs:

1) Conservation of Biodiversity

Station scientists conduct research on genes, species, 

habitats, landscapes, and the biological processes 

necessary to maintain diversity of organisms and 

functioning ecosystems. Research focuses on enhancing 

the conservation, ecology, and evolution of species and 

habitats, and the restoration and maintenance of 

degraded ecosystems.

 2) Ecosystem Function and Health

Station scientists examine forest function and conduct 

research to protect and preserve water, air, and soil 

resources while considering the effects of climate change, 

unpredictable precipitation, air pollution, and growing 

threats from pests and pathogens.

3) Fire and Fuels

Station scientists conduct research on how fire behavior 

affects fuel types and conditions and how physical 

properties of fuels influence fire severity and intensity. 

Research includes decision-support models that analyze 

risk, resource allocation economics, and fire danger 

forecasting. 

4) Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics

Station scientists examine the interconnections of people 

and natural resources. Research focuses on developing 

knowledge and tools in natural resource management to 

better serve the public, and to connect urban dwellers 

with public lands through urban forestry and social 

science research.

•	 Headquarters in Albany, California

•	 8 laboratories in California and Hawai‘i

•	 14 active Experimental Areas (range, watershed, and experimental forests)

•	 Research also conducted in more than 90 research natural areas (RNAs)

•	 Pacific Southwest Research Station is one of five research stations in the U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service

•	 169 permanent employees, of which 47 are research scientists.

Station Headquarters

Lab Location

Experimental Forests,

Ranges, Watersheds

CALIFORNIA

HAWAI‘I North Mountain

San Dimas

San Joaquin

Teakettle

StanislausTuolumne

Challenge Sagehen

Caspar 

Creek

Swain 

Mountain

Blacks

Mountain

Redwood 

Onion Creek 

Davis

Albany

Fresno

Riverside

Redding

Placerville

Arcata

King’s River

Hilo

HETF

3
Funding

•	 Total funding: $22.3 million

- Base research appropriations: $19.4 million

- Granted to partner organizations : $10.3 million

- Support from clients awarded to PSW scientists: $5.2 million

Workforce

•	 Total number of PSW employees: 252

- Permanent employees: 169

Science staff: 108

Operations staff: 44

Administrative staff: 17

- Temporary employees: 83

Web Metrics

•	 People visiting the PSW web site, www.fs.fed.us/psw: 51,458 

•	 Number of visits to the PSW web site: 75,419

•	 Countries or territories web site visits originated from: 187 

•	 Followers on Twitter (since launch in May 2011): 100+

•	 Page views of PSW publications through Treesearch: 17,448

Publications

•	 Total publications: 289 

- Refereed Publications: 135

- Peer-reviewed publications: 51

- Other publications: 103

Pacific Southwest Research Station at a Glance:

4
Community Service

Richmond Edible Forest

For the past two years, PSW has 

partnered with Urban Tilth, a 

Richmond, California-based nonprofit community organization aimed 

at building a more sustainable, 

healthy, and just food system. On 

January 17, 2011—Martin Luther King, 

Jr. National Day of Service—Station 

employees helped “green” a section 

of the Richmond Greenway, which 

will serve as a location for the future 

planting of an edible forest. The 

community event was part of the 

Richmond Edible Forest Project, 

which the Station helped fund with a 

U.S. Forest Service More Kids in the 

Woods program grant. The project is 

a partnership between the U.S. Forest 

Service, Urban Tilth, the City of 

Richmond, and the West Contra Costa 

Unified School District. The More Kids 

in the Woods program's goal is to 

work with community partners to 

help America's youth learn more 

about their local environment and 

careers in natural resources.

The partnership engages 700 

underserved youth in education 

programs to learn how to install 

“edible forests” in Richmond parks 

and school areas. The edible forests 

are also environmental education 

sites where Station scientists and 

Forest Service land managers can 

teach kids about the benefits of trees 

and forested landscapes. After the 

traditional storytelling. To facilitate 

these experiences, greenhouses have 

been purchased and assembled at 

two Hawai‘i Island public charter 

schools, which will provide a working 

classroom for the students and a 

source of native planting materials 

for future restoration efforts. 

Educator workshops are designed to 

provide teachers with the background 

and support to expand curricula to 

include Starts with a Seed material.

The program has demonstrated the 

value of a “grow” literacy for 

participants through field-based 

learning, and workshops which 

reinforce and integrate current forest 

restoration practices with Hawaiian 

culture. 

Starts with a Seed

In 2011, the USDA Forest Service 

awarded $33,000 through its More 

Kids in the Woods initiative to the 

Pacific Southwest Research Station 

and Pacific Southwest Region to 

launch the Starts with a Seed 

program with the goal of providing 

children of Hawai‘i Island greater 

opportunities to experience the great 

outdoors, learn about nature, and 

build a lasting commitment to 

conservation and land stewardship. 

Station and State and Private Forestry 

staff based at the Institute of Pacific 

Islands Forestry in Hilo, Hawai‘i, in 

collaboration with community 

partners, have developed a program 

aimed at boosting environmental 

literacy for K-12 students attending 

public schools on the east side of 

Hawai‘i Island. Station and watershed 

partners contribute scientific 

knowledge, access to forests, and 

forest restoration sites. 

Through the program, more than 150 

students in the past six months have 

learned about native plants, 

ecological restoration and 

environmental sustainability. 

Students will continue taking field 

trips during the school year to 

experience Hawaiian forests, grow 

native plants, help restore native bird 

habitats and learn about Hawai‘i's rich 

ecology and culture through 

first edible forest garden is installed, 

the project will offer a series of edible 

forest garden workshops for school 

and community gardeners and parks 

and recreation department staffs 

from across the Bay Area. The 

Richmond Edible Forest Project 

continues to provide invaluable 

resources and training to employ 

youth to create, maintain and use 

gardens at multiple sites on public 

lands throughout the greater 

Richmond area.

Cheyenne Perry

Hao Tran

5
Hawaii Experimental Tropical Forest (HETF)

HETF is a unique representative of native forests that 

contain many of Hawai‘i's rare plants, but also our worst 

invasive species. Researchers are focusing their efforts 

on multiple density plots within the HETF initially and 

will continue a broader inventory over the years to 

come. The data collection team witnesses and 

documents first-hand the changes occurring in our 

Hawaiian landscapes, presenting a snapshot of the 

degree of invasive encroachment that will serve as a 

benchmark for trends in future species adaptations and/

or extinctions. This allows scientists and managers to 

access the data collected to see the changes in forest 

species composition, carbon storage, and disturbance 

as the data is collected. This long-term inventory will 

provide many opportunities to students for future crew 

positions and to policy makers and land managers as a 

resource for answering critical conservation questions.

Kings River Experimental Watershed (KREW)

The Forest Health and Research Project is designed to 

conduct thinning and prescribed fire treatments at a 

watershed scale. These treatments are intended to 

improve forest health in a financially viable way, reduce 

the risk of catastrophic fire, and ultimately benefit water 

production and quality for downstream users. The 

research will lead to information that will be 

instrumental in future land management planning for 

Sierra Nevada forests.

San Joaquin Experimental Range (SJER)

Station scientists are currently in the process of 

examining avian population trends and predicting the 

effects of climate change using long-term data. The 

Monitoring Bird Population Trends in California Oak 

Woodlands project, conducted on the SJER, was 

selected as a “Wings Across the Americas” Research and 

Partnership Award winner in 2011.

Caspar Creek Experimental Watershed (CCEW)

Over a 20-year period, much of the second-growth 

redwood and Douglas-fir forests within the CCEW were 

either selectively tractor-logged or partially cable 

clear-cut. Land use treatments influence hydrologic 

processes, watershed recovery timeframes, and 

restoration responses. Examination of long-term CCEW 

sediment records provided insight to the relative 

magnitudes and durations of sediment production from 

differing management practices. Ongoing erosion 

assessments indicate that much of the eroded sediment 

mobilized in the watershed originates along tractor and 

truck routes and delivers to streams during high 

flows—even decades after tractor-logging. Forest 

managers can use this legacy effect data and improved 

understanding of hydrologic response when designing 

future harvests and prescribing watershed 

rehabilitation treatments to restore natural drainage 

and hydrologic function.

Recent activities and achievements on PSW's Experimental Areas:

USDA Forest Service

6
Teakettle Experimental Forest (TEF)

Western forest managers use fuel treatments to reduce 

the risk of high-severity wildfire and restore forests to a 

more open, fire-resistant structure. Fuel treatments 

often employ thinning and/or prescribed burning. 

Effective treatments lower the risk of large carbon loss 

from high-severity fire, and can increase available 

resources for leave trees, accelerating growth, and 

carbon sequestration. Station scientists quantified the 

carbon consequences of different levels of thinning and 

burning treatments immediately and seven years after 

treatment at TEF. Although removing larger trees in 

overstory thinning treatments increased fire resistance, 

carbon cost was substantially higher. From measured 

growth rates, Station scientists estimate that understory 

thin and burn treatments will re-sequester all the 

carbon removed and emitted in as few as 15 years after 

treatment, whereas overstory thinning treatments will 

continue to have net negative carbon balance for many 

more years because of the removal of many large trees.

Stanislaus-Tuolomne Experimental Forest (STEF)

Station scientists are working collaboratively with the 

Stanislaus National Forest to implement a study of 

forest management and treatments that mimic historic 

forest structure. Historically, forests were more spatially 

heterogeneous than they are today, and the STEF 

structure fosters replication and the ability to study 

these exceptional characteristics in a unique 

environment.

Sagehen Experimental Forest (SEF)

The National Forest System, PSW, and UC Berkeley have 

partnered at SEF since 1951, hosting hundreds of 

scientific studies over the last 60 years. The earliest 

studies were groundbreaking fisheries and wildlife 

studies. Currently, a unique combination of 

collaboration, science, and forest management are 

working together in an interactive and novel way. The 

proposal is the result of an extensive, 16-month 

collaborative effort to design an integrated, innovative 

approach for applying the most recent science to 

enhance marten habitat, restore forest stand ecological 

conditions, and manage fire and fuels on national forest 

lands within the Sagehen Experimental Forest and 

adjacent Tahoe National Forest.

Sherri Eng

77
Research focuses on the following areas:

•	 Determine how biophysical factors influence the function and

productivity of tropical, subtropical and temperate ecosystems;

•	 Quantify and predict ecosystem responses and adaptation to

environmental stressors;

•	 Define and measure the impacts of biotic and abiotic stresses on

hydrological and atmospheric systems; and

•	 Develop models andtools, andevaluate management options forrestoring,

sustaining and enhancing ecosystem function and productivity. 

Our forests and wildland ecosystems are exceedingly 

diverse and provide a wide array of societal goods and 

services. From clean water, timber and non-timber 

products, and carbon sequestration to recreational use, 

aesthetic beauty, and native biodiversity, these ecosystems 

are national treasures that contribute to the prosperity of 

current and future generations. A growing list of 

environmental pressures, including climate and land-use 

change, water scarcity, and an increasing human population, 

threaten the health and integrity of these ecosystems. 

The Ecosystem Function and Health Program focuses 

on the interactions among changes in or brought about by 

biotic and abiotic factors, such as temperature and 

precipitation, invasive species, air pollution, insects, 

pathogens, and past and current land management 

actions. Station scientists conduct research that provides an 

integrated understanding of the biophysical conditions that 

threaten ecosystem resilience, including how 

environmental changes are initiated and progress, what 

thresholds are associated with these changes, and what the 

consequences are of crossing identified thresholds. 

Ecosystem Function and Health

 Rich MacKenzie

Sherri Eng

8
New approach sheds light on how streamflow shifts impact aquatic ecosystems

Station scientists are incorporating a Distributed Hydrology, Soils, and Vegetation Model in a threetiered approach to examine how climate change, invasive species, and their potential interactions 

impact the hydrological and ecological function of Hawaiian streams. This approach is expected to 

yield diverse and robust data sets for understanding how stream ecosystems will respond to shifts in 

streamflow resulting from multiple stressors, including climate change and invasive species.

Air pollutant measuring at high elevation sites in White Mountains

Station scientists took the first measurements of surface ozone concentrations in California's White 

Mountains, including the two highest sampling elevations ever reported for a North American study. 

These normally pristine, remote, high altitude sites have recorded elevated ozone concentrations 

related to a number of regional and long-range transport events of pollutants. These repeated 

measurements will help in understanding long-term trends in changes of ozone concentrations in 

North America, as well as long-range transport of air pollution across the Pacific from Asia. approach to 

examine how climate change, invasive species, and their potential interactions impact the hydrological 

and ecological function of Hawaiian streams. This approach is expected to yield diverse and robust 

data sets for understanding how stream ecosystems will respond to shifts in streamflow resulting from 

multiple stressors, including climate change and invasive species.

2011 Research Highlights

Scientists study bark beetles in attempt to control infestations

Since the 1990s, bark beetles have killed billions of conifers and hardwoods 

from Alaska to Mexico. Station scientists are conducting extensive research 

on several species of beetle, in an effort to predict, prevent and mitigate 

outbreaks in North American forests. Station scientists were able to isolate 

and chemically determine an attractant pheromone that can be used to 

detect walnut twig beetle populations in the wild. This beetle is a vector of 

a fungus that can cause tree mortality in one to three years. They also 

identified several behavioral chemicals that appear to deter the beetles 

from flying and landing. Station scientists used genetic markers to 

discover that a novel form of blue-stain fungus is causing Chinese pines to 

release more attractants for red turpentine beetle, which is a vector for this 

fungus and was introduced from North America. There are concerns of a 

“boomerang effect,” meaning that the new fungus may find its way back 

to North America and contribute to more severe red turpentine beetle 

outbreaks in North American forests. Station scientists developed a novel 

assay to determine the toxicity to the mountain pine beetle of two new 

insecticides, and a third holds promise for control of another insect, the 

ambermarked birch leafminer in interior Alaska.

Koa reforestation in Hawai‘i

Planting in Hawai‘i's Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge has produced 

a network of Acacia koa tree corridors in otherwise deforested grasslands. 

Koa root-suckering has the potential to enhance reforestation efforts. At 

the recent 2011 Hawaii Conservation Conference, Station scientists 

provided managers with the first information on koa clonal stand 

structure, sucker survival, growth rates, and rates of encroachment into 

grassland. Their findings indicated that grasslands between planted 

corridors will eventually be colonized by root suckers, despite grass 

competition. 

Feral pigs impact native Hawaiian forests

Hawaiian native forests are undergoing substantial change due to invasion 

by nonnative, feral pigs (Sus scrofa), but few studies have quantified how 

pigs impact forest function and processes. Focusing on changes in soil 

biogeochemistry, Station scientists found that the presence of nonnative, 

feral pigs strongly influences soil respiration, which in turn has the 

potential to substantially alter terrestrial carbon-cycling in native forests. 

Andrzej Bytnerowicz

 Dr. Runzhi Zhang

Paul Scowcroft

9
Fire and Fuels

Managing fire and the vegetation conditions that fuel fire 

is a paramount challenge to land managers throughout 

most of California, Hawai‘i and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific 

Islands. The mission of the Fire and Fuels Program is to 

provide scientific findings that will improve management 

actions intended to enhance resiliency and sustainability of 

wildland ecosystems affected by fire, and reduce the 

potential for adverse effects resulting from wildland fire, 

including loss of life and property.

Research focuses on the following areas:

•	 Improve measurement, modeling, and prediction of wildland fire and

weather phenomena in complex landscapes and fuels;

•	 Determine the ecological effects of fire and fire removal on landscapes

throughout California, Hawai‘i, and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands;

•	 Evaluate the short and long-term outcomes of fuels, fire, and post-fire

management strategies;

•	 Determine and quantify the interactions between climate, vegetation,

and fire in the face of climate change and improve our understanding

and predictability of these interactions in order to manage forests and

wildlands more effectively; and

•	 Describe and quantify uncertainty and risk in a science-based

decision-making framework for fire and land management planning.

Joey Chong

Steve McKelvey

10
Brandon Collins

2011 Research Highlights

Scientists examine trends in Northern California wildfires

Station scientists compared current forest structure in recently-burned and 

unburned areas to early 20th century forest structure. They found that in 

the areas burned recently under moderate-severity, tree density and 

canopy-cover was similar to that based on Forest Service timber surveys 

conducted in 1911. Low-severity burned areas and areas not recently 

burned had higher tree density and canopy cover than the 1911 estimates. 

Results emphasize an important distinction with regard to using fire to 

restore forests, and can be used by managers and ecologists in restoring 

Sierra Nevada mixed conifer systems.

Pollen and charcoal records shed light on the effects of climate change 

on Klamath Mountain vegetation

Station scientists sought to examine the long-term influence of soil 

nutrient constraints on vegetation distribution in subalpine forests. They 

studied Klamath Mountain pollen and charcoal records dating back 15,000 

years, and found that trees and shrubs growing in more fertile soil were 

less stable (i.e., more responsive to changing climatic conditions than 

vegetation growing in nutrient-limited soil). The combination of these 

dynamics may help explain high levels of plant diversity in the Klamath 

Mountains, and may provide insights for conservation strategies and 

management of complex ecosystems.

Hydromulch serves as effective method for controlling erosion

Wildfires can make chaparral watersheds susceptible to accelerated 

erosion. Hydromulch, a mixture of paper that dries to a crust, is a relatively 

new erosion-control treatment. Station scientists compared sediment 

fluxes and the impact on vegetation regrowth on plots treated with aerial 

hydromulch (delivered by helicopter) versus untreated controls for three 

wildfires in Southern California. They found that aerial hydromulch 

treatment did reduce bare ground, and at least some of this cover 

persisted through the first postfire winter rainy season. Aerial hydromulch 

reduced hillslope erosion from small and medium rainstorms. Hydromulch 

also had no effect on seedling density, regrowing plant cover, or species 

richness. Hence, in chaparral watersheds, aerial hydromulch can be an 

effective stabilizer for postfire erosion control.

Prescribed burns may reduce forest health

Station scientists examined annual changes in forest structure in old-growth plots immediately before, 

and up to eight years after prescribed fire at Sequoia National Park. They found fire-induced 

reductions in stem density, reductions in live stem biomass, and preferential survival of large trees. 

Mortality rates also remained significantly above background rates up to six years 

after the fires. The results bear witness to the need to consider long-term fire effects in prescriptive 

treatments.

Mastication and prescribed burns together may improve forest resiliency

Mechanical mastication is the process of converting ladder fuels, such as shrubs and small trees, into 

compact surface fuels. Prescribed burns in masticated fuels were used at two sites to study effects on 

fire behavior and residual trees. Based on observations from these burns, Station scientists created 

custom computer fuel models, which allowed for computer simulation of potential wildfire conditions 

in masticated stands. These simulations showed that masticating in combination with prescribed 

burning may be a useful tool for moderating fire behavior. This work also shows managers that further 

reducing masticated material with prescribed burns could help better achieve the objectives of 

reducing wildfire hazard while improving resilience of the remaining stand to wildfire. 

11
Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics

Research focuses on the following areas:

•	 Determine the relationships among human uses, human values,

ecosystem services, and management;

•	 Ascertain the roles of changing demographics, urbanization,

socioeconomics, and technology on use and sustainability of natural

resources; and

•	 Examine the impacts of public policies on ecological and social

patterns and processes along rural-to-urban gradients.

The interconnection between humans and nature is complex and enduring. 

People need and yearn for the resources that only nature can provide: clean 

water, clean air, natural scenic beauty, and a connection to the land and wildlife. 

The Pacific Southwest Research Station strives to maintain forests, sustain 

functioning ecosystems in urban and wildland areas, enhance and protect quality 

of life, and ensure benefits to society through interdisciplinary research that 

examines urban ecosystems and social dynamics of natural resources 

conservation, management, and restoration.

The Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics Program conducts research 

and communicates science needed to understand and enhance the 

interconnections among ecosystems, people, and societies. 

Paula Peper

12
2011 Research Highlights

One million trees for L.A.

The day after Antonio Villaraigosa was elected mayor of the City of Los 

Angeles, he announced his plan to plant 1 million trees over the next 

several years. The Mayor called upon Station scientists to help determine if 

space exists for 1 million additional trees, identify potential tree planting 

sites, and estimate future benefits from planting. Using geographic 

information systems, aerial photographs, and remote sensing data, Station 

scientists found 2.4 million potential tree sites. They also estimated that 

over 35 years, 1 million new trees could capture 14-21 billion gallons of 

stormwater, reduce air pollution by up to 10,000 tons, and save about 1 

million mega-watt hours of electricity. Based on these factors, total 

economic benefits from this project are estimated at $1.3 to $1.9 billion. 

“Million Trees LA” has planted more than 300,000 trees to date, and the 

Station has helped the program target residential neighborhoods and 

commercial areas with the least tree canopy cover. 

Collaboration with Spain yields new modeling system to estimate fire 

suppression costs

Historically, forest fire budgets in Spain have not been subjected to 

rigorous economic analysis indicative of the returns on investments in fire 

management protection programs. New economic realities are forcing 

agencies with fire protection responsibilities to formally justify their fire 

protection budget requests. To assist with this effort, Station scientists 

partnered with Spain's National Forest System to develop a modeling 

system called SINAMI (Sistema Nacional de Analisis para el Manejo de 

Incendios or National Fire Management Analysis System). SINAMI uses 

analyses to determine the most efficient fire management program and 

budget level for fire protection for a simulated fire season by providing 

information on the number of fires and area affected by fire intensity level, 

as well as the number and type of firefighting resources used through the 

simulated fire season. This work helps managers make informed decisions 

on how to allocate firefighting resources, potentially reducing fire 

suppression costs. 

Building public trust important in influencing conservation-related behaviors

Through a synthesis of multiple studies, Station scientists and a collaborator revealed the influential 

role of public trust in specific areas for the Forest Service. Influences of trust are shown in perception of 

agency messages designed to guide recreationist behavior; acceptance of management actions to 

reduce environmental risk; and attitudes and behaviors related to conservation. Conservation-related 

organizations, natural resource management agencies, and related entities can benefit from the 

findings by ensuring that their efforts address trust-building and trust-maintenance as a part of their 

ongoing interactions with publics and endeavors to foster conservation-related behaviors. 

New tool helps improve air quality

Urban trees can produce a number of benefits, among them improved air quality. However, biogenic 

volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emitted by some species are ozone precursors; therefore, air 

management districts have a need to modify plans for tree-planting to favor species that emit lower 

levels of BVOCs. Station scientists developed a Tree BVOC Index, a prescriptive approach that provides 

an estimate of projected and actual emission reductions and gives users a realistic target and a 

method to monitor progress. 

George Gonzalez

13
Our geographic area includes oceanic islands, elevational clines from coastal to 

alpine ecosystems in temperate and tropical ecosystems, and species and 

communities that occur nowhere else in the world. The area faces significant 

species extirpations and extinctions, with remaining natural areas continuing to 

be threatened. 

The Conservation of Biodiversity program provides high-quality, relevant 

information across the conservation continuum: status, threats, vulnerable 

components, response of organisms and ecosystems to threats, tradeoffs in 

desired management outcomes, efficacy of management approaches through 

adaptive management, restoration and recovery techniques and tools, and 

effectiveness monitoring and evaluation techniques. 

Research focuses on the following areas:

•	 Determine environmental conditions needed for terrestrial species

persistence;

•	 Identify conditions that can support aquatic biodiversity and

ecosystem services;

•	 Determine the genetic origins of traits that can enhance tree

adaptability and utility; and

•	 Develop innovative approaches to reduce ecological impacts of nonnative species.

Conservation of Biodiversity

Ted Weller Tracy Johnson

Amy Lind

14
Brazilian scale insect used as biocontrol of invasive strawberry guava

Over the last two decades, Station scientists in Hawai‘i, along with researchers in Florida and Brazil, 

have researched biological control as a new tool for managing strawberry guava, an invasive tree in 

Hawaiian forests. Station scientists discovered that a Brazilian scale insect, Tectococcus ovatus, could be 

used to serve as a natural control of strawberry guava. The insect will slow the spread of the trees, but 

will not harm any native plants or insects. After completing an environmental assessment of the 

biocontrol, the State of Hawai‘i issued an initial release in late 2011.

Green energy, kind energy: How to reduce bat fatalities at wind energy facilities

Fatalities of migratory bats at wind energy facilities have become a frequent occurrence. An interactive 

tool developed by Station researchers helps wind energy facility operators make informed decisions 

on efficient ways to reduce impacts on migratory bats. Station researchers found that certain 

combinations of wind speed, temperature, time of day, and season were good predictors of bat 

presence. Their tool allows users to visualize how changes in date and weather conditions affect the 

probability of bat presence. 

Genetic mapping of trees aids in developing bioenergy feedstocks

Station scientists successfully identified the genes that control the formation of cambium, direct the 

patterning of woody tissues derived from the cambium, and regulate how the cells derived from the 

cambium differentiate. Together, these genes give fundamental insights into how the woody growth 

of tree stems is regulated, and provide specific targets for tailoring woody growth for applications 

including bioenergy feedstocks. 

2011 Research Highlights

Forest management: Effect of landscape practices on the fisher

The fisher (Martes pennant) lives primarily in forests in the Sierra Nevada, 

which are typically susceptible to high-intensity wildfire. Station scientists 

characterized important vegetation attributes within the home ranges of 

16 female fishers and used their distribution as a baseline against which 

the effects of forest management options can be compared. They used 

statistical analysis to identify individual and composite environmental 

conditions that best defined their home ranges and then used these as a 

reference for evaluating landscape change (i.e. forest thinning), fire, and no 

treatment.

Assessing California golden trout vulnerability to climate change

The California golden trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita) is one of the 

few native high-elevation fishes in the Sierra Nevada. Their native stream 

habitat is being impacted by cattle grazing through reduced streamside 

vegetation and widened channels with shallow stream depths, which 

commonly leads to warmer water temperatures. They have also been 

threatened by exotic trout, genetic introgression, and degraded habitat, 

and now face further stress from climate warming. One important 

management response to climate warming will be to ensure that habitats 

are more resilient to predicted changes in water temperature, flow, and 

snow pack. Station scientists are identifying which stream areas in the 

Golden Trout Wilderness are most vulnerable to warming and will 

prioritize sites for restoration. 

Going with the flow: Creating habitat for amphibians in regulated rivers

In regulated rivers, relicensing of hydropower projects can provide an 

opportunity to change flow regimes and reduce negative effects on 

sensitive aquatic biota. The volume of flow, timing and ramping rate of 

spring spills, and magnitude of aseasonal pulsed flows have potentially 

negative effects on the early life stages of amphibians. Station scientists 

and collaborators used two-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling to 

model habitat suitability under several pulsed flow scenarios to evaluate 

potential effects of flow variation. They conducted analyses on usable 

habitat area, as well as measured the risk of scour or stranding, to quantify 

potential loss under different flow scenarios. 

Kathleen Matthews

Rebecca Green

15
Funding Partners for 2011

Cooperators Who Received Funding for Studies From PSW

2nd Nature, LLC.

BMP Ecosciences

Brigham Young University

California Conservation Corps (Americorps)

California Polytechnic State University, San 

Luis Obispo

California Tahoe Conservancy

Carnegie Institution of Washington

Centre for Agricultural Bioscience 

International 

Clemson University

Colorado State University

Coral Reef Research, Palau

Desert Research Institute

Eco-Ascension Research and Consulting

EcoLayers, Inc.

EcoStats LLC

El Dorado County, California

Em Consulting, LLC

Forest Research Agency, United Kingdom

Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization

Humboldt State University

Integral Ecology Research Center

Klamath Bird Observatory

Kupu - Americorps

Northern Arizona University

Oregon State University

Phytosphere Research

Portland State University

PRBO Conservation Science

Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation 

District

Smithsonian Institution

Southern California Coastal Water Research 

Project

The Nature Conservancy

Three Sisters Farm

University of Alabama, Huntsville

University of California Cooperative 

Extension, Humboldt/Del Norte

University of California Cooperative 

Extension, Marin

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Davis

University of California, Merced

University of California, Riverside

University of California, San Diego

University of California, Santa Barbara

University of Colorado

University of Hamburg, Germany

University of Hawaii Center for Island 

Climate Adaptation and Policy

University of Hawaii, Hilo

University of Idaho

University of Maryland, College Park

University of Montana

University of Nevada, Reno

University of North Carolina 

University of Tuscia, Italy

University of Utah

University of Washington

Urban Tilth

U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural 

Research Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture - Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service

U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services - Federal Occupational Health 

U.S. Department of the Interior - U.S. 

Geological Survey

U.S. Department of the Interior - Bureau of 

Land Management

U.S. Department of the Interior - National 

Park Service

Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State 

University

Washington State University

West Virginia University

Clients Who Provided Funding for Studies to PSW

Bat Conservation International

California Department of Forestry & Fire 

Protection

California Department of Parks & 

Recreation

California Energy Commission (CEC)

California Forestry Association

Carnegie Institute for Science

Colorado State University

Conservation Biology Institute

Denver Department of Parks & Recreation

Forest Research and Management 

Institute, Romania

Green Mountain College

Hawaii Department of Land & Resource

ICF Jones & Stokes

Lang, Railsback & Associates

Los Angeles Department of Water & Power

Montana State University

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

New York Botanical Garden

Oregon Department of Forestry

Pacific Island Climate Change Cooperative

Sacramento Tree Foundation

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

Sierra Nevada Public Lands Management Act

Stanford University

The Nature Conservancy

University of British Columbia, Canada

University of California, Davis

University of Maryland

University of Nevada, Reno

U.S. Department of Agriculture - Animal 

and Plant Health Inspection Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture - National 

Institute of Food and Agriculture

U.S. Department of Defense Strategic 

Environmental Research and 

Development Program (SERDP)

U.S. Department of the Interior - Bureau of 

Land Management

U.S. Department of the Interior - National 

Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior - U.S. Fish & 

Wildlife Service

U.S. Department of the Interior - U.S. 

Geological Survey

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Wood Buffalo Environmental Association, 

Canada

16
Awards

Wings Across the Americas

C. John Ralph, a research wildlife biologist and team 

leader of the Wildlife Team, won the International 

Cooperation Award for his "Establishment of a Network 

of Bird Monitoring in Costa Rica" project.

Research wildlife biologist Kathryn Purcell, project 

leader Jared Verner, and statistician Sylvia Mori were 

selected for the Research and Management Partnership 

Award for their "Monitoring Bird Population Trends in 

California Oak Woodlands" project.

Benchmark Paper

Geologist Leslie Reid's paper, "Sediment production 

from forest road surfaces," was selected as one of 29 

Benchmark Papers in Forest Hydrology to be featured in 

a new volume published by the International 

Association of Hydrological Sciences. Reid's paper, 

which she co-authored with University of Washington 

geology professor Thomas Dunne, evaluated the effect 

of traffic levels on sediment production from gravelsurfaced logging roads.

USDA Merit Award

Chris Fettig, a research entomologist and team leader 

of the Invasives and Threats Team, received a USDA 

Merit Award in recognition of his exceptional 

productivity and impact of his research on bark beetles.

Business Operations Deputy Chief's Award

The PSW Business Operations Design Team was awarded 

the Excellence in Business Operations Support Award for 

creating a more effective, efficient, and streamlined 

operations function that stands as a model for 

implementation throughout the Agency. The one-team 

approach created a reporting structure from Station 

headquarters to field locations to align the business 

processes with research programs. The critical element to 

success is a primary, unwavering focus on customer 

service in the areas of office services, workforce, 

procurement, engineering, facilities management, and 

budget tracking. Group members are Christine Hansen, 

Rochelle Selvin, Christine Aldrete, Christine Nelson, 

Jacey Goddard, Pam Holton, Jean Hitz, Debbie 

Tarantino, Elnora Porter, Ella Whitfield, Rochelle 

Mullins, Warren Hanna, Joe F. Brown, and Chris Fettig.

President's Call to Service Award

Armando González-Cabán, a research economist, 

received the prestigious President's Call to Service

 Award in 2011 for his extensive volunteer contributions

 to the Concilio for the Spanish Speaking at the Centro 

de Niños, a Riverside, California-based non-profit 

dedicated to providing childcare services and bilingual 

instruction to children of underserved and financially 

needy families in the area. González-Cabán held many 

positions on the organization's board of directors, 

including board member, secretary, treasurer, and 

three terms as board chair. During his tenure as board 

chairman, he directed the expansion of the Concilio 

from two to four centers and saw an increase of children 

served nearly triple from 45 to 120. He also helped launch 

a holiday food basket program, and food and toy drives.

Presidential Volunteer Service Award

Kathie Jermstad, a research biologist, earned the 

Presidential Volunteer Service Award for her 

contributions to the Adult Community Volunteer 

Program at Marshall Medical Center in Placerville, 

California.

Sherri Eng

17
PSW-Albany (Headquarters)

800 Buchanan Street

West Annex Building

Albany, CA 94710-0011 

Phone: (510) 559-6300

Fax: (510) 559-6440 

PSW-Arcata

1700 Bayview Drive

Arcata, CA 95521-6013 

Phone: (707) 825-2900

Fax: (707) 825-2901 

PSW-Davis

1731 Research Park Dr.

Davis, CA 95618 

Phone: (530) 759-1700 

Fax: (530) 747-0241 

PSW-Fresno

2081 E. Sierra Avenue

Fresno, CA 93710-4639 

Phone: (559) 323-3200

Fax: (559) 297-3355 

PSW-Hilo, Institute of 

Pacific Islands Forestry

60 Nowelo Street 

Hilo, HI 96720 

Phone: (808) 933-8121

Fax: (808) 933-8120

PSW-Placerville, Institute 

of Forest Genetics

2480 Carson Road

Placerville, CA 95667 

Phone: (530) 622-1225

Fax: (530) 622-2633 

PSW-Redding

3644 Avtech Parkway

Redding, CA 96002 

Phone: (530) 226-2530

Fax: (530) 226-5091 

PSW-Riverside

4955 Canyon Crest Drive

Riverside, CA 92507 

Phone: (951) 680-1500

Fax: (951) 680-1501 

Locations

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, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic 

information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 

720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 

795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal equal opportunity provider and employer.

PSW Research Station Organization

Acting Station Director

Dr. Alexander L. Friend 

(510) 559-6310

afriend@fs.fed.us

Assistant Director, Research

Dr. Jane L. Hayes

(510) 559-6313

jlhayes@fs.fed.us

Assistant Director, Business Operations

Alfred Kwok

(510) 559-6310

alkwok@fs.fed.us

Director of Communications

Michael E. Sullivan

(510) 559-6434

mesullivan@fs.fed.us

Director of Research Planning

Caitlin Heavey 

(510) 559-6312

clheavey@fs.fed.us

Conservation of Biodiversity 

Dr. Patricia Manley

(808) 854-2601

pmanley@fs.fed.us

Ecosystem Function and Health

Dr. David Levinson

(530) 226-2543

dlevinson@fs.fed.us

Fire and Fuels 

Dr. Rick Bottoms

(530) 759-1703

rmbottoms@fs.fed.us

Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics

Dr. Deborah Chavez

(951) 680-1558

dchavez@fs.fed.us

Program Managers

March 2012 Electronic version available at www.fs.fed.us/psw/about/accomplishments/

Credits 

Director of Communications—Michael Sullivan

Writers—Sherri Eng, Caitlin Heavey, and Michael Sullivan

Graphic design—Beth Purcille

Web design—Keiko Williams