United States 

Department of 

Agriculture

DEPAR TMENT OF AGRICULT URE

Forest 

Service

Pacific Southwest Research Station

2014 Accomplishments Report

Serving California, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of 

discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 

Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-

9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 

(Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

Cover photo: U.S. Forest Service/Sherri Eng.
Caspar Creek Experimental Watershed. (U.S. Forest Service/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 (PSW) 

represents Forest Service Research and Development in 

California, Hawaii, 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 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 resources management, 

and conservation. Much of our work is accomplished in 

cooperation with other research institutions, such as 

universities, and state and other federal agencies.

Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report 1
Station Director's Message

PSW Station Director, 

Dr. Alexander Friend.

I am proud to present the 

Pacific Southwest Research 

Station’s 2014 Accomplishments 

Report. As part of the U.S. Forest 

Service, the Station provides 

reliable research to address 

contemporary questions about 

trees, forests, and ecosystems 

and their relationship to people 

now and into the future.

America’s forests and grasslands 

are integral to the well-being 

of the nation. We can no 

longer take for granted the 

value and benefits that we get 

from healthy, resilient forests 

and grasslands–including 

clean air, drinking water, jobs, 

forest products, wildlife and 

fish habitat, and places to 

recreate. This is especially true 

in California, Hawaii, and the 

Pacific Islands. Changes in land 

use, conflicting societal values, 

and environmental stresses 

have caused many treasured 

lands to become degraded or 

vulnerable. Rigorous science 

is necessary to help guide 

the sound management, 

restoration, and sustainability 

fof these lands.

As part of the nation’s largest 

forest land management 

agency, our research station, 

along with similar units 

throughout the United States 

and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific 

Islands and Puerto Rico, plays 

an integral role in providing 

information and tools that help 

deliver and sustain benefits 

from forests and grasslands 

to all people. Benefits from 

forested lands and urban 

forests are valued in the tens 

of billions of dollars annually in 

California alone. These benefits 

include water from national 

forests for agricultural use and 

municipal consumption, forest 

recreation, street trees that 

reduce energy consumption 

and enhance home value, and 

sustainably harvested wood 

for building and bioenergy. 

In addition to supporting the 

land that provides these very 

tangible benefits, our research 

guides the conservation and 

management of land that 

supports native traditions 

and priceless ecological 

communities.

2 Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report
The Pacific Southwest Research 

Station (PSW) is organized 

into five research units and 

an operations unit that work 

with an emphasis on safety 

and inclusivity to address 

ecological restoration, wildfire 

management, and community 

connections to the land. 

Our work in these areas is 

directed toward achieving four 

overarching outcomes: clean 

and reliable water resources 

from forests; restoration rather 

than devastation from wildfire; 

enhanced benefits to urban 

communities from forests; and 

sustained ecological resources 

and services from forests and 

grasslands.

To accomplish our goals, 

we must be mindful of the 

interactions among people, 

ecosystems, and myriad 

environmental changes. 

Human activities have an 

increasing impact on the 

resilient functioning of our 

ecosystems. Understanding 

the interplay between social 

dynamics and natural resources 

will be an increasing part of 

our work. Because most of us 

live in cities, we are becoming 

more engaged in urban areas. 

We appreciate the unique and 

rich diversity of the people 

of California, Hawaii, and the 

Pacific Islands, and embrace the 

perspectives of the public as we 

shape our research programs to 

best serve their needs through 

inclusion and outreach.

We remain committed to 

serving the public through 

community involvement. 

Several outstanding examples 

are mentioned in the pages that 

follow. Many of them receive 

financial support through 

grant programs. But equally 

important are the dedicated 

volunteers from PSW and their 

families who regularly give their 

time and energy to support 

these initiatives.

The years ahead offer immense 

opportunities for using rigorous 

science to solve contemporary 

natural resources problems 

while sustaining the basic 

science capacity that enables us 

to anticipate future challenges. 

Of comparable importance 

to what we do is how we do 

it. We embrace collaborative 

problem solving within and 

outside of PSW. We intend to 

create a culture of inclusion 

that awakens and strengthens 

all people’s connection to the 

land. And we are dedicated 

to using our work to enhance 

the resilience of ecosystems, 

communities, and organizations 

throughout California, Hawaii, 

and beyond.

Alex

Alexander L. Friend, Ph.D.

Station Director, Pacific 

Southwest Research Station

Science that makes a difference.

Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report Station Director's Message 3
Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

Forest Service at a Glance

The mission of the U.S. Forest 

Service, a federal agency 

under the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, is to sustain 

the health, diversity and 

productivity of the nation’s 

forests and grasslands to meet 

the needs of present and 

future generations. Established 

in 1905, the Forest Service: 

• Manages 193 million 

acres of national forests 

and grasslands.

• Shares responsibility, 

working in concert with 

state and local agents, 

for the stewardship of 

about 500 million acres 

of non-federal rural 

and urban forests.

The Forest Service is comprised of several major branches that 

work together to manage the nation’s forests and protect global 

forest resources:

• The National Forest System sustains healthy terrestrial and 

aquatic ecosystems while addressing the need for resources, 

commodities, and services. This system is divided into nine 

regions. 

• State and Private Forestry helps private landowners, state 

forestry organizations, tribes, and communities achieve forest 

management, protection, and utilization objectives through a 

wide range of cooperative programs in the State and Private 

Forestry mission area.

• Research and Development provides long-term research, 

scientific knowledge, and tools that are used to manage 

forests and rangelands across the United States and overseas. 

The Forest Service has seven research stations with research 

units located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and 

the Pacific (Fig. 1).

• International Programs promotes sustainable forest 

management and biodiversity conservation internationally.

• Law Enforcement and Investigations enforces federal laws and 

regulations governing national forest lands and resources.

R2

Rocky

Mountain

R8

Southern

R10

Alaska

R9 Eastern

Intermountain R4

R1

Northern

Southwest

R3

Pacific

Southwest

R5

PACIFIC 

NORTHWEST 

RESEARCH 

STATION Pacific

Northwest

R6

Pacific Northwest Research Station

Pacific Southwest Research Station

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Southern Research Station

Northern Research Station

Station Headquarters

Forest Products Laboratory

International Institute of Tropical Forestry

Regional Boundary

LEGEND

PACIFIC 

SOUTHWEST 

RESEARCH 

STATION

ROCKY 

MOUNTAIN 

RESEARCH 

STATION

FOREST 

PRODUCTS 

LABORATORY

SOUTHERN 

RESEARCH 

STATION

NORTHERN 

RESEARCH 

STATION

INTERNATIONAL 

INSTITUTE OF 

TROPICAL 

FORESTRY

Fig. 1: Forest Service research facilities and regions.

4
Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report Forest Service at a Glance

The Forest Service at Work in the Pacific Southwest Region

California and Hawaii are 

located in the Pacific 

Southwest Region (Region 5) 

of the Forest Service. The 

Pacific Southwest Research 

Station (PSW), headquartered 

in Albany, California, partners 

with 18 national forests in 

California (Fig. 2), and with 

State and Private Forestry 

programs throughout 

California, Hawaii, and the 

Pacific Islands.

Fig. 2: The Pacific Southwest Region 

(Region 5) includes 18 national forests 

in California.

Leaders of the Pacific 

Southwest Region and the 

Pacific Southwest Research 

Station have established a 

goal of retaining and restoring 

ecological resilience of 

national forest lands to achieve 

sustainable ecosystems that 

provide a broad range of 

services to humans and other 

organisms. Combined effects 

of changing climate and 

hydrologic patterns, unhealthy 

forests, and rapidly growing 

human populations are 

resulting in increasingly overallocated and undervalued 

ecosystem services (especially 

water); a dramatic increase 

in large wildfires, floods, and 

insect and disease outbreaks; 

threats from terrestrial and 

aquatic invasive species; and 

a growing need to revitalize 

rural economies in California, 

Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. 

Region 5 and PSW are facing 

these challenges together 

and through collaboration 

with external partners around 

watershed restoration and 

forest resiliency.

5
Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

Pacific Southwest Research Station at a Glance

Scientists and staff of the Pacific 

Southwest Research Station work across 

eight laboratories, 12 experimental 

forests and ranges, and two research 

watersheds comprising the Pacific 

Southwest Research Station’s facilities in 

California and Hawaii (Fig. 3). Research is 

also conducted in more than 90 

research natural areas linked to a 

nationwide system of non-manipulative 

research, monitoring, and educational 

opportunities. Research is organized 

into five research units:

1) Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry

Scientists conduct tropical

ecosystem research and technology

transfer. Research furthers sound

management, conservation, and

restoration of grassland, forest, and

wetland ecosystems and landscapes

in Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa,

Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands,

Micronesia, and Palau (Fig. 4).

2) Conservation of Biodiversity Program

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 of plant and animal species and

habitats, and the restoration and maintenance

of native ecosystems.

3) Ecosystem Function and Health Program

Scientists examine forest function and conduct

research to protect and preserve water, air, and

soil resources while considering the effects of a

changing climate, unpredictable precipitation,

air pollution, and growing threats from pests

and pathogens.

CALIFORNIA

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

Kings River

Station Headquarters

Lab Location

Experimental Forests and Ranges

Research Watersheds

HAWAII

Hilo

Laupāhoehoe Wet Forest

Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a Dry Forest

Fig. 3: Map of PSW facilities 

and Experimental Areas.

4) Fire and Fuels Program

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.

5) Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics Program

Scientists examine the interconnections of

people and natural resources. Research

focuses on developing knowledge and tools

in natural resources management to better

serve the public, and to connect urban

dwellers with public lands through urban

forestry and social science research.

6
Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report Pacific Southwest Research Station at a Glance

Northern Mariana Islands (U.S.)

MARSHALL ISLANDS

Guam (U.S.)

MICRONESIA (FSO) PALAU

American Samoa (U.S.)

Hawai‘i

Pacific Ocean

Indian Ocean

Fig. 4: PSW’s area of responsibility also includes six U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands.

WORKFORCE

• Total station workforce: 284 employees

• Permanent workforce: 155 employees

• Of the permanent workforce, 40

employees (25.8%) are research scientists.

• In addition to the permanent workforce,

9 employees are postdoctoral researchers.

• Temporary workforce: 129 employees

WEB METRICS

• Number of visits to the PSW website: 75,693

• Number of visitors to the PSW website: 50,118

• Countries or territories visits originated from: 189

• Page views of PSW publications: 8,472

• Number of followers on Twitter (@usfs_psw): 1,177

PUBLICATIONS

FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014

Refereed journal articles 120 124 109

Peer-reviewed Forest Service research publications 89 193 38

Peer-reviewed books/chapters, papers, and reports 

published outside of Forest Service research 10 14 23

Other reports, theses, dissertations, abstracts, and 

articles 48 72 27

Total publications 267 403 197

FUNDING

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

FY 2014

FY 2013

FY 2012

FY 2011

FY 2010

Base research appropriations

Extramural funding received

Total funding

Funding shown by fiscal year in millions (US $)

$23.8

$23.7

$22.5

$21.6

$22.9

$28.7

$29

$26.2

$23.8

$26.3

$4.9

$5.3

$3.7

$2.2

$3.4

7
Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

Research Partners

PSW depends on its many partners and collaborators in developing and delivering cutting-edge, 

practical science to the public.

Partners plan the future of water resources in the 

southern Sierra Nevada

A major PSW ecosystem monitoring project, the 

Kings River Experimental Watersheds, is located 

in the southern Sierra Nevada. In 2014, PSW 

signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 

with the Southern Sierra Integrated Regional 

Water Management Plan group, a collection of 

agencies, stakeholders, and individuals engaged 

in a multiyear water planning effort. Research 

Ecologist Carolyn Hunsaker has been involved 

in this effort since 2008 and represents PSW 

through the plan’s final development and 

approval as part of the MOU agreement. The 

group's work is an example of a state-mandated 

planning effort which will determine state 

funding for water issues and projects.

Stakeholder engagement and partnerships transform 

landscapes on Small Island States

PSW’s Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry (IPIF) 

is collaborating to address needs for threat 

mitigation, native ecosystem restoration, and 

forest monitoring activities on Babeldaob Island, 

the largest island of the Republic of Palau and a 

hotspot of global biodiversity. With partners 

from Region 5, Palau Forestry, Coral Reef 

Research Foundation, Belau Museum, Ngardok 

Nature Reserve, Palau Fire, Palau Protected Area 

Networks, and the Smithsonian Museum, IPIF is 

engaging stakeholders to build capacity for 

forest management activities. Their work is 

helping to meet objectives outlined in 

Babeldaob Island’s Statewide Assessment and 

Resource Strategy and the Micronesia Challenge, 

a conservation commitment among Small 

Island States.

Partnerships enhance urban forests and communities in 

the Los Angeles basin

Numerous organizations share a vision to 

improve and enhance urban forests, waterways, 

wildlife, and green infrastructure, as well as the 

quality of life for all individuals throughout the 

Los Angeles metropolitan region. To help realize 

this vision, PSW staff members developed an 

urban field station in Los Angeles and are 

contributing scientific expertise on 

environmental, urban ecosystem, urban natural 

resource, and socioeconomic issues to a network 

of collaborators. Partners include Region 5 and 

the Angeles National Forest, the Southern 

California Consortium, City Plants, CAL FIRE, 

California Urban Forest Council, California 

ReLeaf, Sacramento Tree Foundation, The Nature 

Conservancy, TreePeople, University of California 

Cooperative Extension, Los Angeles 

Conservation Corps, National Forest Foundation, 

LA River Revitalization Corporation, and 

many others.

Key collaborators address forest restoration to reduce 

wildfire risk across a large landscape

Proactive management actions at a 

landscape level can enhance the capacity 

for resiliency in Sierra Nevada forests 

following disturbance, such as a wildfire 

event. Working across a large landscape 

and various jurisdictions is challenging, but 

cooperation among stakeholders enables 

management of multiple objectives. PSW is 

collaborating with Region 5, the Sierra Nevada 

Conservancy, and the Sierra Nevada Forest 

and Community Initiative, a consortium of 

public and private organizations, to develop 

a Landscape Management Demonstration 

Area in the Sierra Nevada. Activities at this 

demonstration site are intended to represent the 

ecological and socioeconomic considerations 

necessary to address forest restoration and 

protect communities at risk for significant 

damage from a large, high-severity fire. 

8
Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

Awards

International Union of Forest 

Research Organizations’ (IUFRO) 

Forest Health Award 

Research Ecologist Andrzej 

Bytnerowicz received the 2014 

International Union of Forest 

Research Organizations’ Forest 

Health Award for research on 

wildfire effects on air quality, 

and for developing 

methodologies for large-scale 

monitoring of air pollution in 

remote areas.

Andrzej Bytnerowicz (center) 

accepts the 2014 IUFRO Forest 

Health Award. (U.S. Forest 

Service)

Sargent Fellowship at the Arnold 

Arboretum of Harvard University

Research Geneticist Andrew 

Groover was awarded the 

Sargent Fellowship at the 

Arnold Arboretum of Harvard 

University to help support 

collaborative research using 

the Arboretum’s collections to 

understand how wood 

formation is regulated across a 

diverse sample of broad-leaved 

trees.

Telly Award for Excellence in 

Nature/Wildlife and Safety 

Wildlife Biologist Sandra 

Jacobson and Forest Service 

collaborators received a Telly 

Award for excellence in the 

categories of nature/wildlife 

and safety for “Avoiding 

Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions,” a 

video aimed at training Forest 

Service employees who are 

likely to encounter large 

animals on rural roads.

A white-tailed deer crosses in 

front of a car. (Agricultural 

Research Service, Bugwood.org/

Charles T. Bryson)

Urban and Community Forestry 

Award

Research Forester Greg 

McPherson collaborated 

with California ReLeaf and 

the California Department of 

Forestry and Fire Protection 

to secure funding for urban 

and community forestry 

research to address tree 

canopy distribution, enhance 

local program capacity, and 

increase urban forest 

resilience.

National Atmospheric Deposition 

Program Service Award

Forestry Technician Mike 

Oxford was honored for 20 

years of dedicated service to 

the National Atmospheric 

Deposition Program (NADP), 

a national network of 

collaborators tasked with 

monitoring acid rain and its 

environmental impacts. 

Plant Physiologist Pamela 

Padgett presented the award 

as an executive committee 

member for NADP. 

9
Awards Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

PSW celebrates first annual Station Director’s Honor Awards 

PSW presented its inaugural Station Director’s Honor Awards in 

recognition of Station employees’ outstanding achievements. The 

award recipients were: 

Station Director’s Honor Award for Innovation and Service within the Station

Chris Nelson, a Business 

Operations team leader of 

procurement located at 

PSW-Placerville, was 

recognized for commitment 

to staff needs in the lab and 

field. Her attention to detail 

and time sensitivity of 

purchasing requests has 

made dozens of research 

projects possible and 

successful.

2014 Station Director's Honor 

Award winner Chris Nelson 

(right) and PSW Station 

Director Alex Friend.

Station Director’s Honor Award for Promotion of a Safe and Healthy Workplace 

David Oldenburg is 

facilities manager for PSW’s 

north zone, with facilities in 

California and Hawaii. He 

was recognized for creativity 

and ingenuity in solving 

problems and making 

progress on many projects 

simultaneously. Oldenburg is 

also located at 

PSW-Placerville.

2014 Station Director's Honor 

Award winner David Oldenburg 

(right) and PSW Station 

Director Alex Friend.

Station Director’s Honor Award for Science that Makes a Difference

Andrew Groover, research geneticist at PSW-Davis, was 

recognized for 

groundbreaking research on 

the woody growth and 

developmental biology of 

forest trees to support 

generation of wood-based 

resources for a rapidly 

growing population. His 

research is directed at a core 

aspect of sustainability for 

U.S. and global forests.

2014 Station Director's Honor 

Award winner Andrew Groover 

(right) and PSW Station 

Director Alex Friend.

10
Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

Community Involvement

Nightlife at the California Academy of Sciences, PSW-Albany 

Scientists and staff participated in a lively forest-themed 

evening as part of the Nightlife series at the California 

Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Nearly 2,600 

people attended the event, which brings scientific 

adventure to adults each week. Visitors to PSW’s table 

learned about forest research tools and the Station’s role 

in fire research. Smokey Bear made an appearance and 

was a hit among attendees.

Bay Area Science Festival, PSW-Albany

Scientists, support staff, Smokey Bear, and thousands of 

others came together at Discovery Days, the concluding 

event of the 4th annual Bay Area Science Festival. Held in 

San Francisco at AT&T Park, Discovery Days featured more 

than 150 interactive exhibits showcasing the fun of 

science for people of all ages. PSW’s exhibit included 

forest research tool demonstrations, a forest insect 

collection, a display celebrating experimental forests, and 

more. Smokey Bear also made the rounds, posing for 

photographs and sharing his 70-year-old message of 

outdoor safety and forest protection.

Bay Area Science Festival at AT&T Park, 

Nov. 1, 2014. (U.S. Forest Service/Sherri 

Eng)

Bay Area Science Festival at AT&T Park, 

Nov. 1, 2014. (U.S. Forest Service/Sherri 

Eng)

Bilingual McKinleyville Ecoclub, PSW-Arcata

Wildlife Biologist Karen Pope served as a volunteer 

science director for the Bilingual McKinleyville Ecoclub, a 

school-based club for students aged 4–16 that promotes 

leadership development and community problem 

solving through service-learning projects. For an 

ambitious citizen science project, students and their 

families monitored the presence and distribution of a 

fungal pathogen in local amphibians. Pope provided 

training on amphibian handling, identification, and 

sampling techniques; assisted with scientific permit 

processes; attended field sampling trips; and aided in 

analysis, interpretation, and write-up of monitoring data.

An EcoClub student presents a 

poster at the 2014 Wildlife Disease 

Association meeting. (Sally Botzler)

11
Community Involvement Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

Ocean Day Mālama Kanaloa Festival, 

PSW-Institute of Pacific Islands 

Forestry

Institute of Pacific Islands 

Forestry scientists and staff 

participated in the 7th annual 

Ocean Day Mālama Kanaloa 

Festival, a marine and coastal 

resources awareness 

celebration hosted by the 

University of Hawaii in Hilo. 

Through hands-on activities, 

children and their families 

learned about marine and 

coastal research and explored 

opportunities for stewardship 

of unique island ecosystems. 

Laupāhoehoe Community Public 

Charter School Winter Retreat, PSWInstitute of Pacific Islands Forestry

A winter retreat at the Institute 

of Pacific Islands Forestry 

provided Laupāhoehoe 

Community Public Charter 

School teachers an opportunity 

to interact with Forest Service 

staff, Laupāhoehoe Community 

Advisory Council members, 

and local volunteers. Teachers 

hiked in the Laupāhoehoe 

Forest (the wet forest within 

the Hawaii Experimental 

Tropical Forest), toured the 

Laupāhoehoe Science and 

Education Center, and 

participated in trail 

maintenance and forest 

restoration activities, primarily 

invasive species removal.

Run for the Dry Forest, PSWInstitute of Pacific Islands Forestry

Institute of Pacific Islands 

Forestry staff and partners from 

the State of Hawaii Department 

of Land and Natural Resources 

and the People’s Advocacy for 

Trails Hawaii volunteered for 

and participated in the annual 

Run for the Dry Forest. Held in 

Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a, the dry forest 

unit of the Hawaii Experimental 

Tropical Forest, the 5K/10K 

event raises awareness about 

conservation and restoration of 

Hawaii’s dry forests. Pu‘u 

Wa‘awa‘a, once the most 

diverse dry forest in the State of 

Hawaii, is home to several 

species of endangered birds 

and at least 25 species of 

endangered plants, some of 

which are found in few or no 

other locations.

Run for the Dry Forest. (Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife/Anya Tagawa)

12
Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report Community Involvement

Klamath Basin Tribal Youth 

Program, PSW-Redding

Scientists provided support for 

six Tribal college students 

enrolled in the Klamath 

Leadership Development 

Program for Integrated Science 

and Traditional Knowledge, a 

partnership-based, summer 

learning experience offered by 

the Klamath Basin Tribal Youth 

Program. As part of this 

experience, students assessed 

the ecosystem health and 

cultural priority of conservation 

and restoration sites in 

tributary streams of the 

Klamath River. They also 

addressed the challenge of 

providing a consistent and 

transparent decision-making 

framework across a diverse 

landscape. Their work will help 

all partners working in the 

Klamath Basin understand how 

resource management can 

reflect and sustain the vibrant 

cultures of native people.

San Diego Children and Nature 

Collaborative Curriculum 

Development, PSW-Riverside

Research Social Scientist Jim 

Absher initiated a project to 

combine technology and 

outdoor experiences to achieve 

better science education 

results. Through an agreement 

with the San Diego Children 

and Nature Collaborative, PSW 

provided support for 

development of curriculum 

that meets Next Generation 

Science Standards. The 

standards, recently adopted by 

California, emphasize critical 

thinking and communication 

skills. A month-long, fourlesson project at Rincon Middle 

School taught students about 

ecology and biodiversity in the 

schoolyard through first-hand 

outdoor observation and 

further examination using 

microscopes and other 

laboratory tools.

California Minority Youth 

Environmental Training Institute 

Mentorship, PSW-Riverside

Research Statistician José 

Sánchez represented the 

Forest Service at the California 

Minority Youth Environmental 

Training Institute, an intensive 

environmental education and 

career program for top high 

school and college students 

from California, Oregon, and 

Arizona. In a mentor role, he 

discussed the Forest Service 

mission, presented current PSW 

research, and assisted students 

with data collection during 

field studies. 

Society of American Chicano and 

Native American Scientists National 

Conference, PSW-Riverside

Research Economist Armando 

González-Cabán engaged 

young scientists at the Society 

of American Chicano and Native 

American Scientists (SACNAS) 

national conference in Los 

Angeles. More than 3,800 

people participated in scientific 

research presentations, 

professional development 

activities, networking 

opportunities, exhibits, and 

cultural and community events 

during the four-day conference. 

One of the largest annual 

gatherings of minority scientists 

in the country, the 

interdisciplinary and interactive 

SACNAS national conference 

supports its diverse 

membership by showcasing 

cutting-edge science and 

offering mentoring and 

training sessions.

Armando González-Cabán shares Forest Service 

research at the SACNAS national conference. 

(U.S. Forest Service/Sophia Kirby)

13
Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

Recent Activities and Achievements on 

PSW’s Experimental Areas

For more than 100 years, research 

conducted throughout a network of 

experimental forests and ranges has 

provided invaluable information about 

forest health and change across the United 

States. PSW’s 12 experimental forests and 

ranges and two research watersheds 

represent the diverse terrain, history, and 

culture of the West Coast, Hawaii and the 

U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands. These living 

laboratories contribute a vast body of 

knowledge to guide land management 

decisions that can sustain forest ecosystem 

services and benefits in California, Hawaii, 

and beyond.

Hawaii Experimental Tropical Forest continues 

to expand research impact

Since 2007, the Hawaii Experimental 

Tropical Forest (HETF) has provided 

landscapes, facilities, and information 

to support a variety of research and 

education activities. In 2014, HETF 

personnel engaged with multiple 

agencies and universities on 15 

research projects. Findings from recent 

and ongoing research on key topics 

including tropical forest structure, 

climate change, tropical dry forest 

restoration habitat suitability, and 

leaf litter decomposition in tropical 

montane wet forests were presented in 

12 scientific journals. HETF education 

and outreach opportunities and 

service learning activities touched 650 

people in surrounding communities. 

These efforts are enhancing the 

understanding of tropical forest 

and stream ecosystems and the 

conservation and management 

critical for sustaining their biological 

diversity and functioning.

Experimental forest research aids restoration in Sierra Nevada forests

With disturbance events on the rise, including 

uncharacteristic large-scale wildfires, floods, and insect 

and disease outbreaks, land managers are working to 

restore forests throughout California, but disturbance 

impacts may already be outpacing their efforts. To 

develop science-based restoration strategies in the face 

of changing conditions, researchers working on PSW's 

Teakettle, Stanislaus-Tuolomne, and Sagehen 

experimental forests investigated the ecological effects 

of structural variability following innovative forest 

thinning strategies. These novel approaches offer new, 

potentially superior options for managers to reduce fuels 

while accommodating sensitive wildlife. With information 

gained from their collective long-term studies, managers 

are mimicking the influence of site productivity and 

historic fire on forest ecosystems; management activities 

are more responsive to unique site conditions; and 

conflicting demands on forest resources are being 

addressed with emphasis areas that provide due 

attention to stakeholder priorities.

A researcher collects data in the tree canopy on the 

Teakettle Experimental Forest. (U.S. Forest Service/

Malcolm North)

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Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report Experimental Areas

San Joaquin Experimental Range celebrates 30 

years of bird monitoring

In California, oak woodlands support the 

richest wildlife community of any habitat 

in the State, including more than 330 bird 

species. Human activities have severely 

impacted oak woodlands, resulting in 

habitat loss and degradation, yet little 

avian research or monitoring has been 

conducted to document and assess the 

effects of these impacts. At the San 

Joaquin Experimental Range, 

standardized bird surveys conducted 

each year since 1985 have resulted in a 

robust dataset with a wealth of 

information that directly benefits the 

management and conservation of oak 

woodlands and the diversity of its 

associated bird species. Researchers are 

using these long-term monitoring data to 

examine population trends and to explore 

species-specific responses to climate 

change. These results provide early 

warnings of change and help resource 

managers better understand biotic 

responses to climate change and the 

associated risks to biodiversity.

European Starlings are an invasive species and 

notorious for competing with native cavity-nesting 

birds for nesting cavities. (Gary Woods)

Western scrub-jay. (Gary Woods)

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Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

Research in Action

Communicating scientific findings for application in land and 

resource management is a key function of a research organization, 

but the ever-increasing volume and complexity of information can be 

overwhelming to land and resource managers. Recently published 

science syntheses from PSW combine information from numerous 

studies to provide a more coherent picture and provide useful 

summaries of research on a variety of topics to meet managers’ 

information needs.

Report supports fuel reduction activities that complement soil health

Soils that can sustain a variety of ecosystem services are one of the 

cornerstones of healthy forests and terrestrial life. Although this 

concept is well appreciated by society, developing practical 

guidelines and management considerations for maintaining soil 

health is a challenging proposition given the complexity of soil 

properties and their sometimes seemingly unpredictable 

response to natural and managed disturbances. PSW published 

Fuel Reduction Practices and Their Effects on Soil Quality (PSWGTR-241) to address this challenge and to offer managers options 

for reducing wildfire hazard while proactively managing soil 

integrity. Topics addressed in the synthesis include prescribed fire, 

pile burning, soil heating, mechanical harvesting, masticated 

fuelbeds, and nutrient removal by harvesting and burning.

Pile burning in the Lake Tahoe Basin results in moderate to severe soil damage on a limited 

area basis. (U.S. Forest Service)

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Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report Research in Action

Report aids collaborative land and resource management planning 

in California

National forests in the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascade 

regions are among the first in the nation to review and revise their 

land and resource management plans under the new 2012 USDA 

Forest Service Planning Rule, which requires forest planners to 

consider the best available science and encourages a more active 

role for research in plan development. To help planning teams in 

need of relevant and current science, a team of scientists from 

PSW and the Pacific Northwest Research Station participated in 

the public Sierra Cascades Dialog sessions where they met with 

Forest Service leadership and managers and external stakeholders 

to learn more about their concerns, interests, and management 

challenges. Science Synthesis to Support Socioecological Resilience in 

the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascade Range (PSW-GTR-247)

resulted from the scientists’ collaboration in response to these 

engagement sessions and other input. Forest planners are using 

the report to assess environmental stressors and to inform 

science-based management strategies for sustaining forest health 

and ecosystem services across the landscape.

Special journal issue presents current knowledge about the mountain 

pine beetle

Since 2000, mountain pine beetle outbreaks have occurred across 

more than 66 million acres of forest in western North America, 

resulting in extensive mortality and impacts to numerous 

ecosystem services. Forest Service research scientists from the 

Western Bark Beetle Research Group (WBBRG) contributed to a 

special issue of Forest Science titled “Mountain Pine Beetle, a Major 

Disturbance Agent in U.S. Western Coniferous Forests: A Synthesis 

of the State of Knowledge.” The special issue, co-edited by 

research entomologists Chris Fettig (PSW) and José Negrón 

(Rocky Mountain Research Station), contains 11 summary papers 

on the biology, ecology, and management of mountain pine 

beetle. WBBRG members conducted much of this research in the 

last decade and contributed directly to policy decisions at regional 

and national levels. The group's work contributed to the Forest 

Service Western Bark Beetle Strategy, which charts a sciencebased path for responding to issues of human safety, recovery, 

and resiliency through 2016. Several papers are among the most 

frequently downloaded in Forest Science.

U.S. Western conifer forest. 

(U.S. Forest Service)

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Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry

A center of research and technology transfer since 1967, 

the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry addresses 

information needs to support the management, 

conservation, and restoration of natural forest and 

wetland ecosystems and landscapes throughout the 

Pacific. The Institute’s area of responsibility includes the 

State of Hawaii and six U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands: the 

Territory of Guam, the Territory of American Samoa, the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the 

Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of 

Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. 

The focus of research and technological assistance 

centers on Hawaii and other islands of the Pacific, but 

results are applicable to many tropical and temperate 

ecosystems of the world, including the U.S. Mainland. 

The research conducted through the Institute 

encompasses PSW’s four program areas.

The Hawaii Experimental Tropical Forest (HETF) is the 

first experimental forest in the Pacific Islands and 

directly contributes to a better understanding and 

conveyance of information about climate change, 

biological diversity, and ecosystem processes in the 

Pacific region and tropical ecosystems worldwide. HETF 

encompasses remarkable gradients of climate, forests, 

soils, and resource history that allow PSW researchers 

and collaborators to address critical natural resource 

and conservation questions fundamental to effectively 

managing tropical forests to maintain and enhance 

important ecosystem services in a changing climate.

Montane wet rain forest in the HETF. (U.S. Forest 

Service/Susan Cordell)

Two young stilt chicks in a wetland unit at 

Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge on Kauai 

Island. (U.S. Forest Service/Richard MacKenzie)

Research focuses on the following areas:

• Increase understanding of invasive 

species interactions with factors 

including fire, disturbance, watershed 

management, and recreation; and

• Assess water quality, food web 

structure, and fish and invertebrate 

assemblages in a number of 

watersheds to improve protection, 

management, and restoration of 

forested wetlands and water resources 

in the Pacific Islands.

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Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry

2014 Research Highlights

Keeping out exotic fish improves endangered 

Hawaiian waterbird habitat

Exotic fish, such as tilapia and mosquito fish, were 

introduced to Hawaii and the western Pacific 

Islands in the 

early 1900s, 

becoming 

wellestablished and 

impacting 

native fish and 

waterbird 

habitat. A PSW 

scientist and 

collaborators 

monitored 

exotic fish 

populations in the Hanalei National Wildlife 

Refuge and tested a prototype fish screen 

designed to keep these fish out of wetland units 

managed for threatened and endangered 

Hawaiian waterbirds. In these units, researchers 

saw a significant increase in aquatic insect 

production, which provides food for waterbirds. 

The screen’s success resulted in the installation 

of larger fish screens in other refuge units.

A volunteer samples insects in a 

wetland managed for endangered 

waterbirds. (U.S. Forest Service/

Richard MacKenzie)

A natural enemy begins to control invasive 

strawberry guava across Hawaii

Invasive strawberry guava has spread widely 

in Hawaiian rainforests, devastating native 

species and critical watersheds. A PSW scientist 

and collaborators evaluated natural enemies of 

strawberry guava from its Brazilian native range 

and selected the highly specific leaf-galling 

scale insect Tectococcus ovatus as a biocontrol 

agent. The State of Hawaii approved the insect 

for release in 2011 and delivered the biocontrol 

agent to partners across Hawaii in 2013 and 

2014. The PSW team advised partners who have 

established and begun monitoring growing 

populations of the insect on the islands of Oahu 

and Hawai‘i. The insect is expected to suppress 

strawberry guava and complement other long 

term management strategies.

Hurricane damage and science-based solutions 

prompt action to remove invasive albizia trees

Albizia (Falcataria moluccana) is an invasive 

tree that impacts native forests and local 

communities in Hawaii and American Samoa. 

When Hurricane Iselle struck Hawai‘i Island in 

August 2014, high winds created substantial 

damage, primarily due to tall albizia trees felled 

by the storm. In response, a coalition of Hawaii’s 

residents, legislators, governmental agencies, 

and utility companies galvanized around the 

critical need to eliminate albizia. A PSW scientist, 

who has studied albizia impacts and developed 

effective means for management and control, 

provided science-based answers to help 

guide these 

stakeholders in 

their efforts to 

reduce albizia’s 

threats to 

Hawaii’s forests 

and citizens.

Albizia trees felled by Hurricane 

Iselle. (U.S. Forest Service)

The Pacific Fire Exchange works to reverse the trend 

of increased fires in the region

Fire is a growing threat in the Pacific Region 

because of climate warming, drying, and a 

rapidly expanding cover of fire-prone non-native 

and invasive vegetation. PSW researchers and 

partners established the collaborative Pacific 

Fire Exchange (PFX) to reverse these trends and 

address the core drivers of the fire problem in 

Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. Because nearly 

all fire ignitions are of human origin, knowledge 

sharing, outreach, and public education can 

exert a large influence. Through a flexible and 

partnership-driven approach, PFX is curtailing 

the land area affected by fire, and reducing the 

threat to community and natural resources.

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Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

Conservation of Biodiversity

PSW's research 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 local 

extirpations and extinctions, and 

wildlife habitat throughout the area 

continues 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, trade-offs in 

desired management outcomes, 

efficacy of management approaches 

through adaptive management, 

restoration and recovery techniques 

and tools, and effectiveness 

monitoring and evaluation 

techniques.

Fisher. (U.S. Forest Service/Zane Miller)

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 non-native species.

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Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report Conservation of Biodiversity

2014 Research Highlights

Improving bioenergy feedstock options with 

breakthroughs in poplar genetic studies

Poplar trees are of particular interest as 

feedstock, or material used for producing 

biofuels, because they are fast-growing, have 

desirable wood properties, and can serve as a 

model for studying the genetic foundation of 

wood formation. A PSW scientist and 

collaborators developed a new process for 

identifying genes regulating feedstock 

properties, and for developing new poplar 

varieties (cultivars) in a single breeding cycle. To 

accomplish this, researchers treated pollen to 

mimic a natural process by which genetic 

variation is created in trees and then used the 

pollen to establish several hundred hybrid 

seedlings. Using laboratory processes that reveal 

information found in DNA, they identified 

chromosomal regions and genes that influence 

specific feedstock properties. This new research 

tool is a step toward the overall goal of rapidly 

developing cultivars with superior bioenergy 

feedstock traits.

Researchers identified chromosomal regions and 

genes responsible for wood formation. (U.S. 

Forest Service/Andrew Groover)

Friends in low places: Salamanders help mitigate the 

impacts of climate change

Climatic changes occur when greenhouse gases, 

such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) 

are released into the atmosphere. A PSW scientist 

and collaborators investigated the role of 

Ensatina–small, seldom-seen woodland 

salamanders that are the most common 

vertebrate species in American forests–in 

regulating invertebrate populations and leaf 

litter retention in a Northern California forest. 

They found that these salamanders facilitate 

carbon capture in leaf litter by feeding on 

invertebrates (beetles, earthworms, snails, ants, 

etc.) that would otherwise release this carbon as 

CO2 and CH4 through their consumption of forest 

debris. These findings suggest that woodland 

salamanders play a significant role in regulating 

the capture and storage of carbon (carbon 

sequestration), thereby affecting the entire 

carbon cycle in forests and posing a provocative 

new perspective on the contribution of 

biodiversity to forest and global sustainability.

Woodland salamander. (U.S. Forest Service/

Hart Welsh)

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Conservation of Biodiversity Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

Finding high value in low-cost surveys to estimate 

trends in bat populations

Broad-scale threats to bats, such as white-nose 

syndrome (a rapidly-spreading fungal disease) 

and climate change, highlight the need for 

reliable assessments of their populations. Few 

long-term, rigorously-designed assessments of 

bat populations exist; instead, informal efforts to 

survey hibernating bats (opportunistic 

monitoring) often provide the only data 

available to base population assessments. PSW 

scientists and a collaborator evaluated a 

collection of opportunistic surveys of 

Townsend’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus 

townsendii) recorded over a 22-year period at 

Lava Beds National Monument in Northern 

California. They used count records of 

hibernating bats and found that populations 

were stable or increasing. There was no evidence 

that the disturbance caused by annual surveys 

depressed the number of hibernating bats. This 

finding highlights the ability to use low-cost, 

informal survey options and increases the ability 

to link population trends to external factors, 

demonstrating that opportunistically collected, 

long-term data sets can have substantial value 

for establishing first approximations of 

population trends for bats.

Cluster of hibernating Townsend's big-eared bats, Lava Beds National Monument, California. 

(National Park Service/Shawn C. Thomas)

Fishers, forests, and fire: Can't we all just get along?

The fisher, a mid-sized mammalian carnivore, is 

currently being considered for both state and 

federal endangered species listing. The fisher’s 

association with dense, structurally-diverse 

forests presents a conservation challenge: how 

do managers conserve dense habitat when fuel 

reduction carries the risk of short-term impacts 

to habitat suitability, but lack of fuel reduction 

carries the risk of long-term habitat loss through 

high-intensity fire? Using predictive models that 

project forest response to various fuel reduction 

scenarios, PSW scientists and collaborators found 

that, with careful consideration to location, 

extent, and timing, fuel reduction activities can 

lower the long-term risk to conserving fisher 

habitat and populations. This information has 

contributed to multiple large-scale collaborative 

land management projects, such as the Dinkey 

Collaborative involving public and private 

stakeholders. PSW models are providing these 

projects a foundation for a regional fisher 

conservation strategy.

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Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

Ecosystem Function and Health

U.S. 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 

change, insect outbreaks, 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.

An adult goldspotted oak borer, an exotic insect 

threatening red oaks in California. (U. S. Forest 

Service/T.W. Coleman)

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 and tools, and 

evaluate management options for 

restoring, sustaining and enhancing 

ecosystem function and productivity. 

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Ecosystem Function and Health Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

2014 Research Highlights

Understanding the invaded range boundary of the 

goldspotted oak borer

A PSW scientist, working with USDA and 

University of California entomologists, developed 

an effective monitoring technique for the 

goldspotted oak borer, an invasive beetle that is 

killing coast live oak and black oak trees in 

Southern California. Through lab and field trials, 

researchers first developed a flight intercept trap 

for capturing the beetle, and then used the traps 

to survey and better define the beetle’s current 

range. They concluded that the range of this 

invasive pest is currently limited to Riverside and 

San Diego counties.

Researchers use purple flight intercept traps to 

monitor goldspotted oak borers. (U.S. Forest 

Service/T.W. Coleman)

Tool analyzes human-wildlife interactions

Researchers can study human-wildlife 

interactions on large, diverse landscapes with 

GPS technology and statistical models that 

measure behavioral responses to recreation and 

other human-caused disturbances. A PSW 

scientist and collaborators developed a statistical 

modeling framework and analyzed wildlife 

movement data from a long-term controlled 

experiment. They evaluated the responses of 

free-ranging Rocky Mountain elk to humancaused disturbances that vary in time and space. 

Results demonstrated the elk’s strong avoidance 

of all-terrain vehicles up to 0.6 mile, mountain 

bikers up to 1,600 feet, and hikers and horseback 

riders up to 660 feet from the disturbances. This 

modeling framework is a tool that can help land 

managers and recreationists understand the 

potential impacts of various human activities on 

wildlife in California.

Vulnerability of high elevation lakes of the Sierra 

Nevada to atmospheric acidic deposition

Large areas of California are exceeding critical 

loads of atmospheric nitrogen from the burning 

of fossil fuels, known as acidic deposition. High 

elevation lakes in the Sierra Nevada have a very 

low capacity to neutralize acid, so even low levels 

of nitrogen or sulfur deposition from air pollution 

result in vulnerability to acidification and 

ecological effects of excess nutrients 

(eutrophication responses). To determine where 

the most vulnerable lakes are located in the 

southern Sierra Nevada, a PSW scientist and a 

collaborator studied 208 lakes from Class I and II 

Wilderness areas and found that 16 percent 

exceeded the critical load for acidification. 

Atmospheric deposition inputs are projected to 

exceed the estimated critical loads of the more 

sensitive lakes and catchments in this area for the 

foreseeable future even though nitrogen oxide 

emissions from California’s transportation sector 

have decreased dramatically in recent years. 

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Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report Ecosystem Function and Health

Variability of natural seedling distribution in conifer 

forests following wildfire

After wildfires, forest managers often need to 

regenerate many acres of burned forest and may 

choose to rely on natural regeneration to 

replenish the trees lost to fire. In a study of 

10-year regeneration after wildfires in mixedconifer forests of Northern California, a PSW 

scientist and collaborators found that, while 

stem densities were often quite high, the spatial 

distribution of natural regeneration was highly 

variable. There were large areas with no 

regeneration and some small areas with an 

overabundance of seedlings. Areas without 

sufficient regeneration had effectively been 

converted to a shrub-field condition, particularly 

where high-severity burns occurred leaving few 

surviving trees remaining to act as a seed source. 

Managers can use this information to prioritize 

planting efforts in high-severity burn areas that 

are least likely to regenerate naturally with 

sufficient coverage to produce forested 

conditions in the future. 

Area dominated by snowbrush and mountain 

whitethorn 10 years after wildfire. (U.S. Forest 

Service/Travis Springer)

Locally abundant regeneration of true fir 

seedlings 10 years after wildfire. (U.S. Forest 

Service/Travis Springer)

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Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

Fire and Fuels

Managing fire and the vegetation conditions that fuel fire is a 

paramount challenge to land managers throughout most of 

California, Hawaii 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.

Smoke plume from the Rim Fire as viewed from a 

wilderness area near Laurel Lake in Yosemite National 

Park on the evening of Aug. 21, 2013. (U.S. Forest Service/

Jamie Lydersen)

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, Hawaii, and the

U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands;

• Evaluate the short- and longterm outcomes of fuels, fire,

and post-fire management

strategies;

• Determine and quantify the

interactions between climate,

vegetation, and fire in the face

of a changing climate 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 decisionmaking framework for fire and

land management planning.

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Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report Fire and Fuels

2014 Research Highlights

Factors contributing to the severity of the Rim Fire in 

restored forests of Yosemite National Park 

The 2013 Rim Fire originated on Forest Service 

land and burned into old-growth forests within 

Yosemite National Park with relatively restored 

frequent-fire regimes. Park researchers had 

collected forest structure and fuels data three to 

four years before the fire, providing a rare chance 

to use pre-existing data to analyze fire effects. 

PSW and University of California, Berkeley 

scientists examined the influence of forest 

structure, fuel, fire history, topographic, and 

weather conditions on observed severity of the 

Rim Fire. They found that plots that burned on 

days with strong plume activity experienced 

moderate- to high-severity fire effects regardless 

of forest conditions, fire history, or topography. 

Study results reinforce the value of more 

frequent, low intensity fire, which may prevent 

wildfires from becoming plume-dominated.

Composition of smoke from chaparral fires and 

considerations for prescribed burning on 

military facilities

Chaparral fuels–highly flammable, woody shrubs 

found in some California ecosystems–can burn 

intensely, so land managers require information 

on smoke composition to use prescribed burning 

in chaparral. A PSW scientist and collaborators 

conducted a four-year laboratory and field study 

and found significant amounts of lead and other 

metallic elements in the ground-based filter 

samples collected at Vandenberg Air Force Base. 

Filters from laboratory burning of fuels did not 

include these elements in any significant 

quantity suggesting that elements found in the 

Air Force Base smoke are from a non-fuel source. 

The work provides new information about 

emissions from chaparral fires and specifically 

suggests that consideration be given at 

Department of Defence facilities to particles that 

could be carried into the smoke plume before 

generally conducting prescribed burns.

Prescribed burns mimic natural processes, 

reduce hazardous fuels and release smoke into 

the atmosphere. (U.S. Forest Service)

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Fire and Fuels Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

FireBuster tool enhances fire weather forecasts

Complex terrain in mountainous areas has 

multifaceted impacts on wind and weather, as 

well as on wildland fire behavior and human 

communities. Because National Weather Service 

forecasts do not capture terrain details, regional 

computer models enhance official forecasts. This 

information is usually not available until after a 

severe fire event, so the benefits of highresolution weather models for fire management 

have been limited. To address this limitation, a 

PSW scientist developed an experimental system 

called FireBuster to produce forecasts at ~3 mile 

resolution over Southern California. For even 

greater detail, a field forecaster can request a 

special ~0.6 mile resolution, 72-hour forecast 

with only a few clicks on a Google map. Using a 

web interface, firefighters can retrieve FireBuster 

data on location-specific, detailed weather 

forecasts, including wind, which they can use to 

better fight fires and protect communities.

Research Meteorologist Shyh-Chin Chen 

developed the Firebuster web tool. 

(U.S. Forest Service)

Impacts on hazardous fire potential from fuel 

reduction across a large landscape

To assess the effectiveness of fuel treatments 

and their potential for reducing hazardous fire 

risk, PSW and University of California, Berkeley 

scientists and collaborators examined a 

completed landscape fuel treatment network. 

Modeling results demonstrated reductions in 

hazardous fire potential across much of the 

treated landscape, relative to the untreated 

condition. These reductions persisted 

throughout their modeling duration (2010–

2050), demonstrating that a coordinated fuel 

treatment network using local knowledge of fire 

weather and likely fire behavior patterns can 

substantially reduce hazardous fire potential. 

However, even with planned maintenance of the 

treatment network, hazards grow in untreated 

areas over time, suggesting additional fuel 

treatments would be necessary to maintain low 

hazardous fire potential.

Researchers used models to assess the 

effectiveness of fuel treatments. (U.S. Forest 

Service/Brandon Collins)

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Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics

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.

View from Suicide Rock from Devil’s Slide Trail, 

located in the San Jacinto Wildnerness, San 

Bernardino National Forest. (U.S. Forest Service/

José Sánchez)

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.

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Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report

2014 Research Highlights

Trees in Los Angeles: Carbon dioxide sink or source?

Tree planting is considered to be among the 

most effective approaches to cooling urban 

environments and mitigating climate-warming 

carbon dioxide emissions from a variety of 

sources. Los Angeles’ tree program, City Plants, is 

one of several mayoral tree planting initiatives. 

The assumption behind these tree planting 

initiatives is that trees efficiently store carbon, 

providing a net long-term carbon dioxide sink. 

But because there has never been a full 

accounting of carbon dioxide emissions for a 

tree-planting initiative, some question their 

effectiveness. To address this issue, PSW 

researchers and collaborators analyzed 

information from the City Plants effort. 

Researchers simulated carbon dioxide emissions 

and reductions from storage, as well as avoided 

emissions from energy savings for the 40-year City 

Plants period for about 100,000 trees planted 

from 2006 to 2010, of which approximately 34 

percent were estimated to survive. Early results 

suggest that these plantings are achieving success 

in terms of survival, growth, and performance. The 

estimated total amount of carbon dioxide emitted 

(83,408 tons) from the largest sources–mulch 

decomposition, wood combustion, and irrigation 

water–was slightly more than the amount of 

carbon dioxide that trees were projected to store 

(77,942 tons). However, City Plants will be a carbon 

dioxide sink if 40-year projections of avoided fossil 

fuel carbon dioxide emissions from energy 

savings (101,679 tons) and biopower (1,939 tons) 

are realized. These findings suggest that this tree 

planting initiative, and possibly others, can be net 

carbon dioxide sinks, especially if trees are 

strategically located to reduce energy consumed 

for air conditioning and heating. There are also 

opportunities to further reduce emissions, such as 

selecting drought tolerant trees and utilizing 

wood to produce wood products or to generate 

electricity instead of producing mulch.

Los Angeles Conservation Corps 

members plant a tree for the city plants 

initiative. (City Plants/Elizabeth Skrzat)

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Pacific Southwest Research Station 2014 Accomplishments Report Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics

Benefits and losses of wildfires on the San Jacinto 

Wilderness

PSW scientists and collaborators discovered that 

recently burned landscapes are attractive to 

forest recreationists. Researchers used a nonmarket valuation method to investigate the 

recreation values of the San Jacinto Wilderness in 

Southern California, which burned in July 2013. 

The results suggest that recreationists are 

attracted to sites affected by recent wildfires, 

which they can view up-close. Societal benefits 

from recreational activity increased for sites that 

were partially affected by different types of 

wildfires. The most recent wildfires experienced 

the greatest societal gains. However, wildfires 

causing trail closures created societal losses, 

which were estimated to range from $29,600 to 

$2.9 million for the closure of the five trails 

studied. This information can help fire managers 

understand recreational use and to strategically 

place existing resources to help protect highvalue areas.

New tool for prioritizing wildfire prevention and 

suppression activities 

Increasing fuel loads have had a significant effect 

on wildland fire severity. The increase in fire 

severity leads to short- and long-term 

socioeconomic and ecological consequences. 

Because of these important consequences and 

the high frequency of wildland fires, national, 

regional, and local decision makers have 

requested information on the potential risk and 

suppression difficulty of wildland fires. To 

address this concern, a PSW scientist developed 

the Fire Suppression Priority Index, a model 

which combines the Fire Behavior Potential 

Index and Suppression Difficulty Index, to 

provide precisely that kind of information. The 

Index identifies sectors in management areas 

with the highest degree of fire danger and the 

sectors with a high degree of firefighting 

difficulty. This information can help fire planners 

and fire managers strategically place firefighting 

resources to increase their fire protection 

effectiveness, minimize the consequences of fire 

and help planning units with their fire 

management programs and budget allocations. 

The Fire Suppression Priority Index is dynamic 

and applicable to any forest lands that 

experience wildland fire.

Wenatchee Complex, Okanogan Wenatchee 

National Forest, Washington, 2012. (U.S. Forest 

Service/Kari Greer)

31
PSW Research Station Organization

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

Christine Hansen

(510) 559-6349

chansen@fs.fed.us

Director of Communications

Sherri Eng

(510) 559-6327

sleng@fs.fed.us

Director of Partnerships 

and Collaboration

Dr. Peter A. Stine

(530) 334-0435

pstine@fs.fed.us

Program Manager, 

Conservation of Biodiversity

Dr. Patricia Manley

(530) 621-6882

pmanley@fs.fed.us

Program Manager, Ecosystem 

Function and Health

Dr. Rick Bottoms

(530) 759-1703

rmbottoms@fs.fed.us 

Program Manager, Fire and 

Fuels; Urban Ecosystems 

and Social Dynamics

Dr. Deborah Chavez

(951) 680-1558

dchavez@fs.fed.us

Director of Institute of 

Pacific Islands Forestry

Dr. Ricardo D. Lopez

(808) 854-2601

rdlopez@fs.fed.us

Locations

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 Drive

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

Credits 

Directorof Communications–Sherri Eng.

Writers –Stephanie Worley Firley, Sherri Eng, and Brandan Schulze.

Graphic design – Beth Schrimsher.

April 2015 http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/