Research 2010 Accomplishments 

Pacific Southwest Research Station
Contents

Cover photo: NOAA

3 A Message from the Station Director 18 Fire and Fuels Program

5 PSW Research Station Overview 20 Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics Program

7 Experimental Forests and Ranges 22 PSW Research Station at a Glance

9 Interdisciplinary Strategies 23 Research Partners

12 Conservation of Biodiversity Program 25 PSW Research Station Organization

15 Ecosystem Function and Health Program
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.

About Us

The Pacific Southwest Research Station 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 highest elevations within the 48 contiguous 

States, and the wettest tropical forests. An abundant diversity of 

native plants and animals and nearly 50 percent 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. 
A Message from the Station Director
Steve Dunsky

4

We planned the transformation of PSW’s focus 

from 11 research work units into four sciencebased program areas, setting the stage for 

a thematic-based organization. We also 

consolidated our business operations into a 

one-team model, eliminating redundancies and 

increasing efficiencies throughout PSW. We 

continue to strengthen the communications staff 

to better position them to support the research 

and development outcomes. These moves will 

facilitate greater science integration, maximize 

strategic alliances, and leverage Forest Service 

Research and Development resources. 

The redesign allows us to effectively focus our 

research on the Forest Service Research and 

Development strategic programs and emerging 

research areas.

Strategic Program Areas

3 Wildland Fire and Fuels

3 Invasive Species 

3 Outdoor Recreation 

3 Resource Management and Use 

3 Water, Air, and Soil

3 Wildlife and Fish

3 Inventory and Monitoring 

Emerging Research Areas

3 Climate Change 

3 Biomass and Bioenergy

3 Urban Natural Resources Stewardship

3 Nanotechnology 

3 Water Management and Restoration

This report provides an overview of the Station, 

showcases our recent work and key research 

findings, and highlights the strong effort by our 

world-class scientists, dedicated technicians, and 

skilled support staff. Thank you for your interest 

in our work. Please feel free to contact me with 

comments or suggestions. 

Deanna J. Stouder

Director, Pacific Southwest Research Station 

It is my distinct pleasure to present the 

Pacific Southwest Research Station’s (PSW) 

2010 Research Accomplishments. This 

report shares our key accomplishments and 

scientific advances and provides a glimpse 

at our successes and growing partnerships 

that contribute to our efforts. Our research 

and its findings are a critical element to the 

national dialogue on many diverse elements 

of the Forest Service’s Strategic Plan, and we 

operate in full support of this agenda. Our 

discoveries and unbiased data assist a range 

of stakeholders making land management 

decisions regarding environmental stressors, 

land use change, wildland fire issues, recreation 

needs, invasive species, and other forest and 

enviromental health concerns. I am very proud 

of our scientific research and delivery over the 

years and am delighted to present this report.

During fiscal year 2010, we set the groundwork 

for a significant shift in how we are organized. 
Pacific Southwest Research Station Overview

5

Four Science Programs

1) Conservation of Biodiversity

Protection, conservation, and preservation of 

wildlife, fish, and rare plants; genetic research 

to understand how plants and animals adapt to 

changing environmental conditions; and invasive 

species and sudden oak death research. 

2) Ecosystem Function and Health

Forest function and research protect water, air, 

and soil resources considering the interactive 

effects of climate change, unpredictable 

precipitation, air pollution, and the growing 

threats to ecosystems from pests and pathogens.

3) Fire and Fuels

Fire behavior, forecasting and evaluation 

research; understanding ecosystem effects of 

fire; development of fire management strategies; 

and science to understand the effects of fuel 

management strategies on fire.

4) Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics

Knowledge and tools in natural resource 

management to better serve the public and open 

space to connect urban dwellers with public lands 

through urban forestry and social science research.

In FY10, PSW completed planning an organizational restructuring, to move from 11 research work 

units to four science-based program areas conducting research at eight labs and facilities in 

California and Hawai ́i. The Station also reorganized its Business Operations and Communications 

functions. The redesigned model will improve the Station’s ability to integrate science across 

disciplines and locations, more effectively address complex large-scale issues, and align operational 

processes and procedures for its delivery of science. 

Business Operations

PSW reorganized its Business Operations to 

ensure that the right person is in the right place 

to effectively and efficiently support the Station’s 

business processes and functions. The new 

organization provides:

3 Common levels of support; 

3 Improved workforce depth; 

3 Targeted business-operations communication;

3 Timely and accurate service; and

3 Active employee development planning. 

Communications

PSW restructured its Communications Group to 

better meet the needs of the Station’s scientists by 

ensuring the timely, efficient, and effective delivery 

of special science products that communicate PSW 

science findings to technical and non-technical 

audiences. The Communications Group synthesizes 

and proactively distributes PSW science products 

and knowledge through diverse venues and ensures 

solid media contacts and a strong web presence.
North Mountain

San Dimas

San Joaquin

Teakettle

StanislausTuolumne

Challenge Sagehen Caspar 

Creek

Swain 

Mountain

Blacks

Mountain

Redwood

Onion Creek 

Hilo

HETF

Davis

Albany

Fresno

Riverside

Redding

Placerville

Arcata

CALIFORNIA

HAWAI ́I 13

10

9

11

12

8

4

5 6

7

2

3

1

PSW Laboratory Locations 

PSW Experimental Forests and Ranges

6

3 8 laboratories in California and Hawai ́i

3 13 active experimental areas (range, watershed, 

and experimental forests)

3 Research also conducted in more than 90 research 

natural areas (RNAs)

3 Pacific Southwest Research Station is one of 

5 research stations in the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service

3 Headquarters in Albany, California

1. Redwood 8. Stanislaus-Tuolumne

2. Blacks Mountain 9. San Joaquin

3. Swain Mountain 10. Teakettle

4. Caspar Creek 11. San Dimas

5. Challenge 12. North Mountain

6. Sagehen 13. Hawaii Experimental 

Tropical Forest 7. Onion Creek

Arcata Albany

Redding Fresno

Placerville Riverside

Davis Hilo
7

Experimental Forests and Ranges

One of the greatest assets that the USDA Forest 

Service manages is its national network of 81 

Experimental Forests and Ranges. Thirteen of these 

Experimental Forests and Ranges are located in 

California and Hawai ́i. Pacific Southwest Research 

Station (PSW) Experimental Forests and Ranges have 

a long legacy of significant research ranging from 

the establishment of two of the newest Experimental 

Forests in the United States (Hawai ́i Tropical and 

Sagehen) to research on other PSW Experimental 

Forests dating back to the 1930s. Long-term 

experiments and datasets collected and maintained 

in close partnerships with the states and with 

universities make the system of Experimental Forests 

and Ranges unique.

PSW’s Experimental Forest and Range system 

includes ecotones sensitive to such natural and 

anthropogenic factors as climate change and 

diminished air quality. With a long history of data 

collection and replicated experiments, they also 

constitute the nation’s western-most extension of 

long-term manipulative studies that can address 

matters of concern to the United States and the 

world. Because of these assets, several of our 

installations are core sites of the National Ecological 

Observatory Network, a continental-scale research 

platform for discovering and understanding the 

impacts of climate change, land-use change, and 

invasive species on ecosystems.

Experimental Forests and Ranges were originally 

created to represent the major forest types of the 

United States so that they could serve as “outdoor 

classrooms” for land managers to learn how to better 

manage their forests. These important functions—

research, education, and demonstration—continue 

to this day. 

PSW Experimental Forest Locations

3 Blacks Mountain

3 Caspar Creek

3 Challenge

3 Hawai ́i

3 North Mountain

3 Onion Creek

3 Redwood

3 Sagehen

3 San Dimas

3 San Joaquin

3 Stanislaus-Tuolumne

3 Swain Mountain

3 Teakettle

Hawai ́i Experimental Tropical Forest
San Dimas Experimental Forest 8
Interdisciplinary Strategies: 

Climate Change, Urban Natural Resources Stewardship, Water, and Wildland Fire George Gonzalez

9

Four strategic plans outline the Pacific Southwest Research Station’s 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 foundational 

programs and are coordinated with the National Forests, the Forest Service Pacific 

Southwest Region, other Research Stations, universities, other government organizations. 

The plans focus on natural resources in California, Hawai ́i and the U.S.- affiliated 

Pacific Islands. 

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. 

Urban Natural Resources Stewardship 

More than 80 percent of the U.S. population 

lives in urban areas, cities and suburbs, with an 

increasingly large proportion of new construction 

occurring in the urban-wildland interface. Urban 

dwellers are inextricably linked with natural 

environments and their urban ecosystems. The 

concept of “urban natural resources stewardship” 

links environmental health with community health 

and well-being. FS R&D plays a significant role 

in the development of science and technology 

transfer for the proper care of natural resources 

and the advancement of ecosystem services in 

urban landscapes. Scientific tools developed by 

PSW and its partners 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. 
Joey Chong

Amy Lind

10

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 provides 

the necessary research upon which to base 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, especially 

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. 

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 at regional, as well as global scales; 

assist individuals and communities to recognize 

their options and accept their responsibilities with 

regards to fire safety when living in fire-affected 

ecosystems; and provide fire managers with stateof-the-art science-based knowledge and decision 

support tools. 

Katie Moriarty

Conservation of Biodiversity Program

12

Biological diversity, defined simply as the dynamic variety of life and its processes, 

is threatened globally as a result of a myriad of natural disturbances and human 

stressors. The Conservation of Biodiversity Program conducts research on genes, 

species, populations, communities, and the processes necessary to conserve and restore 

biodiversity and functioning ecosystems. Biodiversity is important because it is essential 

to the long-term sustainability of native ecosystems and the services they provide. 

About the Program

Containing a vast diversity of ecosystems and high 

levels of endemism (species found nowhere else in 

the world), California, Hawai ́i and the U.S.-affiliated 

Pacific Islands comprise of the most biologically 

diverse environments on Earth.

In California, National Forest System lands occupy 

20 percent of the land base, represent all major 

forest ecosystem types, and support the majority of 

terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity in the state. As 

the most isolated archipelago on Earth, 90 percent of 

Hawai ́i’s 10,000 native species are endemic. Within 

this geographic area reside thousands of oceanic 

islands, elevational clines from coastal to alpine 

ecosystems in temperate and tropical ecosystems, 

some of the tallest mountains in the world, the 

oldest trees in the world, and a broad diversity of 

governments and cultures. 

Ecologists and land managers recognize that the 

conservation of biological diversity is vitally important 

to the long-term sustainability of nature, culture and 

economies. Through the Conservation of Biodiversity 

Program, the Pacific Southwest Research Station 

will conduct research to enhance the conservation 

of species and habitats, and the restoration and 

maintenance of degraded ecosystems.

Conservation of Biodiversity 

research focuses on four areas:

3 Determine environmental conditions 

needed for terrestrial species persistence;

3 Identify conditions that can support 

aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services;

3 Determine the genetic origins of traits 

that can enhance tree adaptability and 

utility; and

3 Develop innovative approaches to reduce 

ecological impacts of non-native species.

Pictured: Humboldt marten (Martes americana 

humboldtensis).
Ryan Peek

Sherri Eng

13

Restoration of endangered tropical forest 

ecosystems using a “hybrid” community approach

Invasive plant species have become so pervasive 

in the endangered lowland tropical forests of 

Hawai ́i that it is not cost-effective or practical to 

eradicate them. Our scientists are studying how 

to stabilize and restore native ecosystems through 

hybrid communities of native and non-invasive 

exotic species. 

Climate change may substantially change 

hydrology and aquatic biota in tropical 

stream ecosystems 

Our scientists are studying variation in hydrology 

and aquatic species along a precipitation gradient 

in Hawai ́i to learn how species are likely to 

respond to predicted declines in precipitation from 

climate change.

Old habits die hard: Sierra Nevada yellowlegged frog’s faithful habits lead to decline 

Our scientists have found that the Sierra Nevada 

yellow-legged frog, recently designated as a 

candidate endangered species, consistently 

returns to previously occupied habitats despite 

their condition—good or bad. The species has 

disappeared from 90 percent of its historic localities. 

2010 Research Highlights 

Threading the needle: Reducing fire risk while 

maintaining habitat needs of old-forest associates 

Management of fire-suppressed forests brings 

the challenge of risk of loss from fire and loss of 

habitat for dependent species. Our scientists are 

studying the habitat requirements of the fisher, a 

species restricted to the southern Sierra Nevada, 

to help guide management practices that will 

promote forest health and biodiversity.

Evidence of Sierra Nevada subspecies of the 

great gray owl 

Our scientists and colleagues studied the genetic 

diversity of the great gray owl (Strix nebulosa) in 

western North America and found that the isolated 

Sierra Nevada population is genetically distinct. 

Historic Critchfield Memorial Herbarium goes 

digital: Believed to be the largest collection of 

pine specimens in the world

The USDA Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest 

Research Station, Institute of Forest Genetics, 

Placerville, CA, has released the online version of 

its historic Critchfield Memorial Herbarium. The 

website includes collection information, as well 

as a photograph of each specimen. With over 

4,000 specimens, it is believed to be the largest 

collection of pines in the world.

Awards 

Dr. Tracy Johnson received the 2010 NFS Invasive 

Species Program Award for his outstanding 

leadership in developing an invertebrate 

biocontrol agent to control strawberry guava, an 

invasive plant. 

Pictured: Foothill Yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii).
14

Whitebark pine seedlings sprout in the greenhouse at the Pacific Southwest Research Station’s Institute of Forest Genetics in 

Placerville, CA. They are used to test for resistance to white pine blister rust, an invasive fungal pathogen that threatens survival of 

high-elevation white pines throughout California.

Selected Publications

Blakesley, J.A.; Seamans, M.E.; Connor, M.M.; 

Franklin, A.B.; White, G.C.; Gutierrez, R.J.; Hines, 

J.E.; Nichols, J.D.; Munton, T.E.; Shaw, D.W.H.; 

Keane, J.J.; Steger, G.N.; McDonald, T.L. 2010. 

Population dynamics of the California spotted owl in 

the Sierra Nevada, California. Wildlife Monographs 

174(1): 1-36.

Hull, J.M.; Keane, J.J.; Tell, L.A.; Ernest, H.B. 2010. 

West Nile virus anti-body surveillance in three Sierra 

Nevada raptors of conservation concern. Condor 

112(1): 168-172.

Kupferberg, S.J., A. Catenazzi, K. Lunde, A.J. Lind, 

and W.J. Palen. 2009. Parasitic copepod (Lernaea 

cyprinacea) outbreaks in foothill yellow-legged frogs 

(Rana boylii) linked to unusually warm summers in 

northern California. Copeia 3: 529-537.

Matthews, K.R.; Preisler, H. 2010. Site fidelity of 

the declining amphibian Rana sierra (Sierra Nevada 

yellow-legged frog) in the Sierra Nevada. Canadian 

Journal Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences 67(2): 243-255.

Purcell, K.L.; Mazzoni, A.K.; Mori, Sylvia R.; 

Boroski, Brian B. 2009. Resting structures and resting 

habitat of fishers in the southern Sierra Nevada, 

California. Forest Ecology and Management 258(12): 

2696-2706.

Welsh, H.H., Jr.; Wheeler, C.A.; Lind, A.J. 2010. 

Spatial ecology of the aquatic garter snake, 

Thamnophis atratus, in a free-flowing stream 

environment. Copeia 2010(1): 75-85.
Ecosystem Function and Health Program

15

Native forests, including upland forests, forested riparian areas, wetlands, and 

alpine and tropical ecosystems, provide critical goods and ecosystem services to 

local communities and society, such as clean water, atmospheric carbon sequestration, 

recreation, and aesthetic beauty. The health and function of forests, watersheds, and 

landscapes are threatened by changing climate, past management practices, air 

quality, invasive species, human pressures, and changing land use. 

About the Program

Research at the Pacific Southwest Research Station 

(PSW) addresses these critical issues in California, 

Hawai ́i, and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific islands. PSW’s 

Ecosystem Function and Health Program provides 

scientific information and science applications to 

natural resource managers, policymakers, and the 

public to protect water, air and soil resources and to 

benefit human health and welfare. The research is 

especially important because impacts, due to changes 

in temperatures and precipitation, invasive species, 

air pollution, forest pests and pathogens, and their 

cumulative effects, must be fully understood to inform 

management decisions. The roles of the nation’s forests 

in storing and sequestering carbon may be very 

important in combating the threats due to climate change. 

Ecosystem Function and Health 

research focuses on four areas: 

3 Determine how biophysical factors 

influence the function and productivity 

of tropical, subtropical and temperate 

ecosystems;

3 Quantify and predict ecosystem 

responses and adaptation to 

environmental stressors; 

3 Define and measure the impacts of 

biotic and abiotic stresses on hydrological 

and atmospheric systems; and 

3 Develop models and tools, and 

evaluate management options for 

restoring, sustaining and enhancing 

ecosystem function and productivity. 

Andrzej Bytnerowicz
2010 Research Highlights 

Dr. Runzhi Zhang

16

Invasive species prevention, management 

and mitigation

Entomologists and plant pathologists are 

developing management strategies and 

treatments for recently introduced pests, including 

goldspotted oak borer, thousand cankers on 

walnut, and sudden oak death. New detection 

methods and the understanding of spread rates, 

impacts and distribution combined with education 

and outreach for federal, state and other partners 

is allowing rapid response to these destructive 

invasive species. 

High-resolution forest biomass mapping 

in Hawai ́i

Researchers have developed and tested an 

integrated mapping approach, a tool that could 

support measurement of forest carbon, which 

supports high-resolution biomass monitoring of 

tropical forest regions. By combining free-satellite 

monitoring technology with aircraft-based Light 

Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) mapping, research 

demonstrates that high-resolution forest carbon 

monitoring can be cost effective. The approach 

makes possible accurate, rapid biomass mapping 

across a wide diversity of environmental and 

forest conditions.

Adaptation tools developed to address 

environmental adaptation and mitigation

Western resource managers urgently need 

conceptual frameworks and management 

strategies to address changes in the environment. 

In a collaborative effort, our scientists developed 

a guidebook and set of strategic, tactical, 

and reference tools to assist managers as they 

incorporate climate change considerations in 

management and planning. Information is available 

at: http://www.fs.fed.us/ccrc/.

Development of critical loads and critical load 

exceedance maps for protecting California 

ecosystems from atmospheric nitrogen 

deposition

More than 50,000 km2 of the land area in 

California receive atmospheric deposition inputs 

of at least 10 kg N/ha/yr. Many ecosystems are 

negatively affected by these elevated N inputs. 

The purpose of this research was to develop 

critical loads (CLs) as a management tool for 

reducing the impacts of chronic N deposition. In 

this work, CLs for nitrogen (N) deposition were 

developed for seven major vegetation types 

in California.

Research determines carbon costs and 

benefits of fuels treatments

In the western United States, nearly a century of 

fire suppression has increased tree densities and 

fuel accumulations. Fuel treatments are being 

widely implemented to reduce this risk and restore 

forests to a more open, fire-resistant structure. 

These treatments carry a near-term carbon cost 

because standing tree biomass is reduced to lower 

the risk of future high-severity fire and its large 

carbon emission. Our scientists found that carbon 

stocks were reduced and emissions increased with 

increasing thinning intensity. Given the measured 
17

Selected Publications

Bentz, B.J.; Regniere, J.; Fettig, C.J.; Hansen, E.M.; 

Hayes, J.L.; Hicke, J.A.; Kelsey, R.G.; Negron, J.F.; 

Seybold, S.J. 2010. Climate change and bark beetles 

of the western United States and Canada: direct and 

indirect effects. BioScience 60(8): 602-613.

Dodds, K.J.; Gilmore, D.W.; Seybold, S.J. 2010. 

Assessing the threat posed by indigenous exotics: a case 

study of two North American bark beetle species. Annals 

of the Entomological Society of America 103(1): 39-49.

Fenn, M.E.; Allen, E.B.; Weiss, S.B.; Jovan, S.; 

Geiser, L.; Tonnesen, G.S.; Johnson, R.F.; Rao, L.E.; 

Gimeno, B.S.; Yuan, F.; Meixner, T.; Bytnerowicz, 

A. 2010. Nitrogen critical loads and management 

alternatives for N-impacted ecosystems in California. 

Journal of Environmental Management 91: 2404-2423.

Fettig, C.J.; McKelvey, S.R.; Cluck, D.R.; Smith, 

S.L.; Otrosina, W.J. 2010. Effects of prescribed fire 

and season of burn on direct and indirect levels of 

tree mortality in Ponderosa and Jeffrey Pine Forests in 

California, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 

260: 207-218.

Fettig, C.J.; McKelvey, S.R.; Borys, R.R.; Dabney, 

C.P; Hamud, S.M.; Nelson, L.J.; Seybold, S.J. 2009. 

Efficacy of verbenone for protecting ponderosa 

pine stands from western pine beetle (Coleoptera: 

Curculionidae, Scolytinae) attack in California. Journal 

of Economic Entomology 102: 1846-1858.

Fettig, C.J.; McKelvey, S.R. 2010. Bark beetles 

responses to stand structure and prescribed fire at 

Black Mountain Experimental Forest, California, USA: 

5-year data. Fire Ecology 6(2): 26-42.

Fissore, C.; Giardina, C.P.; Swanston, C.W.; King, 

G.M.; Kolka, R.K. 2009. Variable temperature 

sensitivity of soil organic carbon in North American 

forests. Global Change Biology 15: 2295-2310.

Flaspohler, D.J.; Giardina, C.P.; Asner, G.P.; Hart, P.; 

Price, J.; Lyons, C.K.; Castaneda, X. 2010. Long-term 

effects of fragmentation and fragment properties on 

bird species richness in Hawaiian forests. Biological 

Conservation 143: 280-288.

Inman-Narahari, F.; Giardina, C.; Ostertag, R.; 

Cordell, S.; Sack, L. 2010. Digital data collection in 

forest dynamics plots. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 

1(3): 274-279.

North, M.; Stine, P.; Zielinski, W.; O’Hara, K.; 

Stephens, S. 2010. Harnessing Fire for Wildlife. 

Wildlife Professional 4(1): 30-33. 

North, M.P.; van de Water, K.M.; Stephens, S.L.; 

Collins, B.M. 2009. Climate, rain shadow, and humanuse influences on fire regimes in the eastern Sierra 

Nevada, California, USA. Fire Ecology 5(3): 17-31.

Preisler, H.K.; Zhong, S.; Esperanza, A.; Brown, 

T.J.; Bytnerowicz, A.; Tarnay, L. 2010. Estimating 

contribution of wildland fires to ambient ozone levels 

in National Parks in the Sierra Nevada, California. 

Environmental Pollution 158(3): 778-787.

Scowcroft, P.G.; Friday, J.B.; Haraguchi, J.; Idol, 

T.; Dudley, N.S. 2010. Poor stem form as a potential 

limitation to private investment in koa plantation 

forestry in Hawai ́i. Small-scale Forestry 9: 243-262.

growth-rates, they estimated that the understory 

thin and burn treatments will re-sequester all of 

the carbon removed and emitted during treatment 

in as few as 15 years after treatment, whereas 

2010 Research Highlights (cont.)

overstory thin treatments will continue to have net 

negative carbon balance for many more years 

because of the removal of many large trees.
Fire and Fuels Program

18

With densely stocked forests often untreated and more people living and recreating 

in forested areas, large portions of the California and the Pacific Islands are at risk 

for catastrophic fires. Managing fire and the vegetation conditions that fuel it is an 

ongoing challenge for our society. Innovative and high quality science plays a pivotal 

role in guiding crucial management decisions to prevent fires and protect people and 

natural resources. 

About the Program

Fire is a driving ecological force that influences the 

structure, function, and composition of the vegetation 

and habitat in many ecosystems in California, Hawai ́i, 

and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific islands. The Fire and 

Fuels Program increases our understanding about how 

fire behavior affects fuels and conditions and how 

physical properties of fuels influence fire severity and 

intensity. 

These fire characteristics consequently foster our 

understanding of ecological responses to fire and its 

effects on the natural and human environment. The 

Program’s mission is to conduct research and present 

scientific findings that will help land managers make 

informed decisions about how to best protect people, 

property and ecosystems from wildland fires. 

Research includes decision-support models that 

analyze risk, resource allocation economics, and fire 

danger forecasting. We conduct real-time remote 

sensing of large fires to support operations and 

provide data for model validation. Following fires, 

our research helps analyze post-fire rehabilitation 

practices and their effectiveness. On the ground, 

researchers study how different silvicultural treatments 

reduce fuels loading and restore the landscapes to 

more resilient conditions that help managers achieve 

short- and long-term ecological and social goals.

Fires and Fuels research focuses on 

five areas: 

3 Fire and weather. Improve fire and 

fuel measurement and modeling, 

to better predict wildland fire and 

weather phenomena in complex 

landscapes and fuels;

3 Fire’s ecological effects. Improve our 

ability to describe and predict the 

ecological effects of fire and fire 

suppression on landscapes throughout 

California, Hawai ́i, and the 

Pacific Islands;

3 Fire management. Improve our ability 

to predict the short- and long-term 

outcomes of fuels, fire and post-fire 

prescriptive management strategies;

3 Interactions. Improve our knowledge of 

and ability to quantify the interactions 

between climate, vegetation, and fire 

in the face of climate change and 

improve our ability to predict these 

interactions in order to manage forests 

and wildlands more effectively; and

3 Managing uncertainty and risk. 

Improve our ability to describe 

and quantify uncertainty and 

risk in a science-based decisionmaking framework for fire and land 

management planning.
Joey Chong

19

Selected Publications

Bytnerowicz, A.; Cayan, D.; Riggan, P.; Schilling, 

S.; Dawson, P.; Tyree, M.; Wolden, L.; Tissell, 

R.; Preisler, H. 2010. Analysis of the effects of 

combustion emissions and Santa Ana winds on ambient 

ozone during the October 2007 southern California 

wildfires. Atmospheric Environment 44(5): 678-687.

Carlis, D.L.; Chen, Y.L.; Morris, V.R. 2010. Numerical 

simulations of island-scale airflow over Maui and the 

Maui vortex under summer trade wind conditions. 

Monthly Weather Review 138: 2706-2736.

Mallet, V.; Keyes, D.E; Fendell, F.E. 2009. Modeling 

wildland fire propagation with level set methods. 

Computers and mathematics with applications 57(7): 

1089-1101. 

Preisler, H.K.; Burgan, R.E.; Eidenshink, J.C.; 

Klaver, J.M.; Klaver, R.W. 2009. Forecasting 

distributions of large federal-lands fires utilizing 

satellite and gridded weather information. 

International Journal of Wildland Fire 18: 508-516.

Skinner, C.; Abbott, C.; Fry, D.; Stephens, S.; Taylor, 

A.; Trouet, V. 2009. Human and climatic influences on 

fire occurrence in California’s North Coast Range. Fire 

Ecology 5(3): 76-99.

Weise, D.R.; Stephens, S.L.; Fujioka, F.M.; Moody, 

T.J.; Benoit, J. 2010. Estimation of fire danger in 

Hawai ́i using limited weather data and simulation. 

Pacific Science 64(2): 199-220. 

Assistance in the aftermath of the Station Fire, 

Angeles National Forest

The 2009 Station Fire was the largest fire in 

Los Angeles County’s history, burning more than 

161,000 acres—25 percent—of the Angeles 

National Forest. Researchers characterized fire 

behavior for the “Station Fire Initial Attack Review” 

conducted for the USDA FS, Fire and Aviation 

Management, Washington Office. Our scientists 

are also providing guidance on resource damage 

assessment and possible mitigation measures to 

protect threatened and endangered species, 

and improving models that predict amounts of 

streamflow and sediment production following fire.

High resolution weather models elucidate fire 

behavior and risk in Hawai ́i

PSW Research Station and collaborators in 

Hawai ́i and California have developed high 

resolution weather forecasts for Hawai ́i that 

provide weather information at a much finer scale 

than is done on the Mainland. This high-resolution 

weather data has been used to estimate fire risk 

in U.S. Department of Defense training areas, 

estimate fire danger statewide in the Hawai ́i Fire 

Danger Rating System, and determine the effects 

of islands on winds.

Safety of fuels reduction treatments demonstrated

Our scientists, funded through the Southern 

Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA) 

Science Program, found that burning hand-built 

slash piles results in minimal impacts to surface 

water and soil quality in riparian areas. These 

findings are encouraging regulatory agencies in 

the Tahoe Basin to relax restrictions on this forest 

fuel treatment, which will help the Forest Service 

and other land managers to reduce dangerously 

high fuel loads more cost-effectively while 

safeguarding Lake Tahoe. 

2010 Research Highlights
Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics Program George Gonzales

20

Mature trees along this Los Angeles street 

provide valuable ecosystem services.

About the Program

The Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics Program 

integrates and examines how people affect and 

impact natural resources. The program is especially 

important for California, Hawai ́i, and U.S.-affiliated 

Pacific Islands characterized by tremendous cultural 

diversity, large urban centers, complex natural 

resources issues, and biologically diverse landscapes. 

The research explores many relationships and 

interdependencies between society and ecosystems 

that are constantly evolving in the wake of societal 

and environmental change. Providing insight to 

help natural resource managers make decisions, the 

research enhances the delivery of ecosystem services 

to growing urban populations and promotes highquality outdoor experiences. 

Our scientists assess the economic and non-economic 

benefits that urban forests provide to communities, 

linking research on environmental stressors, water, 

fire and fuels, and especially urban-natural 

resources stewardship. We work collaboratively, 

across disciplines and organizational levels to tackle 

questions about how best to manage urban-based 

resources and services. 

Urban Ecosystems and Social 

Dynamics Program research focuses 

on three areas:

3 Determine the relationships among 

human uses, human values, ecosystem 

services, and management;

3 Ascertain the roles of changing 

demographics, urbanization, 

socioeconomics, and technology on 

the use and sustainability of natural 

resources; and 

3 Examine the impacts of public policies 

on ecological and social patterns and 

processes along the rural-to-urban gradient.

Natural resources are managed by and for people; their social dimensions are 

inescapable. In order to maintain forests, sustain functioning ecosystems in urban and 

wildland areas, enhance and protect quality of life, and ensure benefits to society, 

the Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) provides an interdisciplinary research 

program that examines urban ecosystems and social dynamics of natural resources 

conservation, management, and restoration. 
21

Selected Publications

Baerenklau, K.A.; González-Cabán, A.; Paez, 

C.; Chavez, E. 2009. Spatial allocation of forest 

recreation value. Journal of Forest Economics 16(2): 

113-126.

Frankel, S.J.; Kliejunas, J.T.; Palmieri, K.M., tech. 

coords. 2010. Proceedings of the Sudden Oak Death 

Fourth Science Symposium. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSWGTR-229. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 378 pp.

Kyle, G.T.; Theodori, G.L.; Absher, J.D.; Jun, 

J. 2010. The influence of home and community 

attachment on firewise behavior. Society and Natural 

Resources 23: 1-18. 

McPherson, E. G. 2010. Selecting Reference Cities for 

i-Tree Streets. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 36(5): 

230-240.

Trees pay us back. What is the true value of a tree? 

The value of urban forests to provide ecosystem 

services, increase community attractiveness and 

livability, and foster civic pride has been estimated 

for 16 climate zones across the U.S., available 

as online brochures. The simple act of planting 

trees provides opportunities to connect residents 

with nature and with each other. Neighborhood 

tree plantings and stewardship projects stimulate 

investment by local citizens, business, and 

government in the betterment of their communities.

Park management frameworks are being 

adapted to assist other countries

A PSW social scientist is assisting Taiwan with 

developing management frameworks for parks and 

forest reserves that facilitates appropriate visitor 

use and sustains natural and cultural resources. 

Local cultural differences and community-based 

governance is stressed to protect and utilize 

resources of local and global significance. 

Geographic and risk analysis tools used to 

optimally plan firefighting strategic and 

tactical operations

Tools are being developed to enable managers to 

evaluate risk, and reposition their fire suppression 

forces based on the probability of fire occurrence. 

These tools also incorporate economic and 

ecological values. This improves fire management 

decision making, thereby improving firefighter and 

public safety, and ensuring wise use of federal, 

state and local resources. 

2010 Research Highlights 

Effective treatments for eradication of sudden 

oak death pathogen ( ) 

in nursery soils

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, 

funded via a grant from PSW’s competitive 

Sudden Oak Death Research Program, determined 

that several registered fumigants and heat 

treatments are effective for the eradication of the 

sudden oak death pathogen in nursery soils.

Multiple studies improve understanding, 

measurement, and transfer of knowledge of 

recreation, quality of life, and health 

Our scientists contributed to an increased 

understanding of the link between recreation, 

quality of life, and health. They explored visitor 

constraints to physical activity in park and 

recreation areas, with a focus on underserved 

communities. Implications for visitor health were 

derived from this work.
Sherri Eng

PSW Research Station at a Glance

22

Ricardo Hernandez, a bioscience lab technician at the National Forest Genetics Laboratory 

at PSW’s Institute for Forest Genetics in Placerville, explains to visitors the effects of liquid 

nitrogen on various objects.

In 2010:

3 the PSW web site, www.fs.fed.us/psw, was visited by 

69,281 people for a total of 104,556 visits. Pages were 

viewed in 187 countries or territories. 

3 over $4.8 million was awarded to PSW scientists and the 

station issued over $6.9 million in grants and agreements 

to partner organizations. 

3 PSW scientists produced over 230 publications in peerreviewed outlets. 
Research Partners

23

PSW depends on its many partners and collaborators to develop and deliver cutting-edge, practical 

science to the public. The Station would like to thank the following organizations for their support 

and cooperation:

Bat Conservation International

Bedoukian Research, Inc.

Brigham Young University

California Conservation Corps 

California Dept. of Fish and Game

California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection

California Energy Commission

California Native Plant Society

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

California State Parks

California State University, Fresno

California State University, Humboldt 

California Tahoe Conservancy

Cambridge University

Caribbean Conservation Corps 

Carnegie Institute, Museum of Natural History

CH2M Hill

City of Arcata Parks Division

City of Eureka Parks and Recreation

Claremont Graduate University

Clemson University

Colorado State University

Conservation Biology Institute

Department of Land and Natural Resources – Hawai ́i

Desert Research Institute 

DeVine Consulting, Inc.

EcoLayers, Inc.

EcoStats, LLC

El Dorado County, Department of Transportation

Federal Biological Research Center for Agriculture, Germany

Federal Occupational Health

Forest Research Agency, UK

Fundacao Universidade, Brazil

Hawai,i Department of Agriculture

Integral Ecology Research Center 

Integrated Environmental Restoration Services, Inc.

J. J. Mauget Company

Joint Fire Science Program 

Jones and Stokes

Lang, Railsback and Associates

LandCare Research

Malama O Puna

Montana State University

National Park Service

New York Botanical Garden

NPS – Hawai ́i Volcano National Parks

Oregon State University

Pandion Systems, Inc

Phytosphere Research

Point Reyes Bird Observatory Conservation Science

Portland State University

Riverside – Corona Resource Conservation District

San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California, 

San Diego

Student Conservation Association

Syngenta Crop Protection

Tahoe Institute for Natural Science

The Nature Conservancy

Three Sisters Farm

United States – Israel Binational Agricultural 

Research and Development Fund

University of Alabama – College of Engineering

University of Arizona

University of California, Berkeley 

University of California, Riverside

University of California, Santa Barbara

University of California, Cooperative Extension, Davis 

University of California, Cooperative Extension, Berkeley

University of California, Cooperative Extension, Humboldt 

and Del Norte County 

University of California, Cooperative Extension, Marin County

University of Hamburg

University of Hawai ́i

University of Idaho

University of Montana

University of Nevada, Reno

University of North Carolina, Charlotte

University of Puerto Rico

University of Tuscia, Italy

Urban Tilth

U.S. Army

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

USDA Agricultural Research Service

USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture

U.S. Department of Commerce, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association

U.S. Department of Defense–Strategic Environmental Research 

and Development Program 

USDI Bureau of Land Management 

USDI Geological Survey

USDI National Park Service

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Washington State University

Watershed Professionals Network, LLC

Wood Buffalo Environmental Association
Sherri Eng

24
PSW Research Station Organization

25

Note: The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for reader information and does not imply endorsement by the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service.

Station Director

Dr. Deanna J. Stouder

(510) 559-6310

dstouder@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

Communications Director

Michael E. Sullivan

(510) 559-6434

mesullivan@fs.fed.us

Research Planning Director

Caitlin Heavey

(510) 559-6312

clheavey@fs.fed.us

Program Managers

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. Richard Bottoms

(530) 759-1703

rmbottoms@fs.fed.us

Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics

Dr. Deborah Chavez

(951) 680-1558

dchavez@fs.fed.us

CREDITS

Communications Director—Michael Sullivan

Writers—Susan Frankel and Sherri Eng

Graphic design—Beth Purcille

Map—Beth Purcille

Photography—see credit with each photo,

(all uncredited photos—USDA Forest Service staff)
Andrey Shcherbina Sherri Eng

26

28
29

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 

The Pacific Southwest Research Station is one of seven regional units that make 

up the USDA Forest Service Research and Development organization—the most 

extensive natural resources research organization in the world. We maintain eight 

field laboratories in California and Hawai ́i. The Station also conducts research 

on 13 experimental forests and ranges. We employ a diverse workforce of 

approximately 159 full-time employees, of which 43 are research scientists.
30

Sherri Eng

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.
October 2011

Pacific Southwest Research Station

800 Buchanan Street

West Annex Building

Albany, CA 94710-0011

http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/