The Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory: A 50-year dedication to understanding wildlands and fire
Diane M. Smith
2012-01-01
In 1960, the USDA Forest Service established the Northern Forest Fire Laboratory (now the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory) to find scientific solutions for better managing the nation's wildland resources and to research ways to improve forest fire prevention and suppression. This new state-of-the-art research facility did not emerge from a vacuum, however. This...
Carleton B. Edminster; C. Phillip Weatherspoon; Daniel G. Neary
2000-01-01
As part of the 1998 Joint USDA/USDI Fire Science Program, the Fire and Fire Surrogates Study was proposed to establish and evaluate cross-comparisons of fuels treatment practices and techniques to reduce wildfire risk. This study evaluates prescribed fire, thinning, and various mechanical treatment methods for treating, removing, or using woody biomass. Site-specific...
Fire Science Strategy: Resource Conservation and Climate Change
2014-09-01
SMOKE MANAGEMENT ISSUES: CONCLUSIONS—KEY RESEARCH/DEMONSTRATION GAPS COVER PHOTO: CHONG, JOEY 2011. USDA FOREST SERVICE. FORT JACKSON...Fire Science Program LiDAR Light Detection and Ranging LANL Los Alamos National Lab NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NCAR...entities include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ), EPA, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), National Institute of
Science in 60 â Simulating Flames Helps Tame Future Wildfires
Lin, Rod
2018-01-16
FIRETEC presents a new way of studying fire and learning how to better manage and cope with it. The model provides additional scientific input for decisions by policymakers working in land management, water resources and energy. The team hopes it will eventually assist fire and fuel management operations. This research is done in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, Air Force Wildland Fire Center, INRA and Canadian Forest Service.
James D. Haywood; Finis Harris
2002-01-01
This presentation on prescribed burning is a cooperative effort of the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station and Kisatchie National Forest; Louisiana State University Agricultural Center; and the Joint Fire Science Program. The CD includes three methods of delivery: slides, Power Point presentation, and script only.
Deborah M. Finch
2018-01-01
In this issue of the GSD Update, we feature selected studies of the RMRS Grassland, Shrubland and Desert Ecosystems Science Program (GSD) that focus on the theme of fire. Significant results of recent research and science delivery by GSD scientists are highlighted. We feature program research that lines up with the strategic priorities and goals of the USDA Forest...
Social science to improve fuels management: a synthesis of research on collaboration.
Victoria Sturtevant; Margaret Ann Moote; Pamela Jakes; Anthony S. Cheng
2005-01-01
A series of syntheses were commissioned by the USDA Forest Service to aid in fuels mitigation project planning. This synthesis focuses on collaboration research, and offers knowledge and tools to improve collaboration in the planning and implementation of wildland fire and fuels management projects. It covers a variety of topics including benefits of collaboration,...
A project for monitoring trends in burn severity
Eidenshink, Jeffery C.; Schwind, Brian; Brewer, Ken; Zhu, Zhu-Liang; Quayle, Brad; Howard, Stephen M.
2007-01-01
Jeff Eidenshink, Brian Schwind, Ken Brewer, Zhi-Liang Zhu, Brad Quayle, and Elected officials and leaders of environmental agencies need information about the effects of large wildfires in order to set policy and make management decisions. Recently, the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC), which implements and coordinates the National Fire Plan (NFP) and Federal Wildland Fire Management Policies (National Fire Plan 2004), adopted a strategy to monitor the effectiveness of the National Fire Plan and the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA). One component of this strategy is to assess the environmental impacts of large wildland fires and identify the trends of burn severity on all lands across the United States. To that end, WFLC has sponsored a six-year project, Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS), which requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDA-FS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to map and assess the burn severity for all large current and historical fires. Using Landsat data and the differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) algorithm, the USGS Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) and USDA-FS Remote Sensing Applications Center will map burn severity of all fires since 1984 greater than 202 ha (500ac) in the east, and 404 ha (1,000 ac) in the west. The number of historical fires from this period combined with current fires occurring during the course of the project will exceed 9,000. The MTBS project will generate burn severity data, maps, and reports, which will be available for use at local, state, and national levels to evaluate trends in burn severity and help develop and assess the effectiveness of land management decisions. Additionally, the information developed will provide a baseline from which to monitor the recovery and health of fire-affected landscapes over time. Spatial and tabular data quantifying burn severity will augment existing information used to estimate risk associated with a range of current and future resource threats. The annual report of 2004 fires has been completed. All data and results will be distributed to the public on a Web site. A Project for Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity
Application of economic techniques to fire management - A status review and evaluation
Julie K. Gorte; Ross W. Gorte
1979-01-01
Discusses both the historic and contemporary influences of economic in formulating USDA, Forest Service fire management policy in allocating money for fire management and in appraising fire effects. Includes a partial listing of publications that deal with resource valuation.
Improving Air Support for Wildfire Management in the United States
2014-09-01
1 It nearly torched the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and vital electrical infrastructure for all of Los Angeles County in the months that it...Initial Attack and Large Fire Suppression: Phase 1” ( USDA Forest Service, Department of Interior: 1995), x, accessed from http://www.fs.fed.us/fire...publications/aviation/nats1_report.pdf 5“Management Efficiency Assessment on Aviation Activities in the USDA Forest Service” (Management Analysis
LANDFIRE: Collaboration for National Fire Fuel Assessment
Zhu, Zhi-Liang
2006-01-01
The implementation of national fire management policies, such as the National Fire Plan and the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, requires geospatial data of vegetation types and structure, wildland fuels, fire risks, and ecosystem fire regime conditions. Presently, no such data sets are available that can meet these requirements. As a result, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service and the Department of the Interior's land management bureaus (Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and National Park Service (NPS)) have jointly sponsored LANDFIRE, a new research and development project. The primary objective of the project is to develop an integrated and repeatable methodology and produce vegetation, fire, and ecosystem information and predictive models for cost-effective national land management applications. The project is conducted collaboratively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the USDA Forest Service, and The Nature Conservancy.
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2011-11-14
... Regarding Fire Hazard Reduction Programs in the Wildland-Urban Interface AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA... Regarding Fire Hazard Reduction Programs in the Wildland-Urban Interface. DATES: Comments must be received... holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Understanding Value Trade-offs Regarding Fire Hazard Reduction...
Relationships of fire ecology and avian communities in North America
Victoria A. Saab; Natasha B. Kotliar; William M. Block
2005-01-01
Wild and managed fires have become increasingly prevalent across North America since the 1980’s. Interest and concern about the influence of fire on ecological systems has also increased (Laverty and Williams 2000, USDA 2000). We summarize a symposium on fire and avian ecology, identifying patterns and differences in bird responses to various fire conditions...
Classifying Wildfire Causes in the USDA Forest Service: Problems and Alternatives
Linda R. Donoghue
1982-01-01
Discusses problems associated with fire-cause data on USDA Forest Service wildfire reports, traces the historical development of wildfire-cause categories, and presents the pros and cons of retaining current wildfire-cause reporting systems or adopting new systems.
77 FR 58492 - Prohibitions Governing Fire
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-09-21
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service 36 CFR Part 261 RIN 0596-AD08 Prohibitions Governing Fire AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Direct final rule. SUMMARY: The Forest Service is making purely... Fire. * * * * * (j) Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark...
Rocky Mountain Research Station 2008-2012 National Fire Plan Investments
Erika Gallegos
2013-01-01
This report highlights selected accomplishments by the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station's Wildland Fire and Fuels Research & Development projects in support of the National Fire Plan from 2008 through 2012. These projects are examples of the broad range of knowledge and tools developed by National Fire Plan funding beginning in 2008.
Forest fire laboratory at Riverside and fire research in California: past, present, and future
Carl C. Wilson; James B. Davis
1988-01-01
The need for protection from uncontrolled fire in California was identified by Abbott Kinney, Chairman of the State Board of Forestry, more than 75 years before the construction of the Riverside Forest Fire Laboratory. With the organization of the USDA Forest Service the need for an effective fire protection organization became apparent. In response, a...
A fundamental look at fire spread in California chaparral
David R. Weise; Thomas Fletcher; Larry Baxter; Shankar Mahalingam; Xiangyang Zhou; Patrick Pagni; Rod Linn; Bret Butler
2004-01-01
The USDA Forest Service National Fire Plan funded a research program to study fire spread in live fuels of the southwestern United States. In the U.S. current operational fire spread models do not distinguish between live and dead fuels in a sophisticated manner because the study of live fuels has been limited. The program is experimentally examining fire spread at 3...
The history and reliability of the USDA Forest Service wildfire reports.
Linda R. Donoghue
1982-01-01
Traces the history of USDA Forest Service fire reports, examines the most recent report, Form 5100-29, and discusses the reliability of information recorded on the 5100-29, factors influencing data accuracy, and reactions of the Ranger District personnel to wildfire reporting.
Monitoring Changes in Soil Quality from Post-fire Logging in the Inland Northwest
Deborah Page-Dumroese; Martin Jurgensen; Ann Abbott; Tom Rice; Joanne Tirocke; Sue Farley; Sharon DeHart
2006-01-01
The wildland fires of 2000, 2002, and 2003 created many opportunities to conduct post-fire logging operations in the Inland Northwest. Relatively little information is available on the impact of post-fire logging on long-term soil productivity or on the best method for monitoring these changes. We present a USDA Forest Service Northern Region study of post-fire logged...
Anne E. Black; Peter Landres
2012-01-01
Current fire policy to restore ecosystem function and resiliency and reduce buildup of hazardous fuels implies a larger future role for fire (both natural and human ignitions) (USDA Forest Service and U.S. Department of the Interior 2000). Yet some fire management (such as building fire line, spike camps, or helispots) potentially causes both short- and longterm...
A. González-Cabán
2011-01-01
Wildfires are a significant social problem affecting millions of people worldwide and causing major economic impacts at all levels. In the US, the severe fires of 1910 in Idaho and Montana galvanized a fire policy excluding fire from the ecosystem by the U.S.Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDAFS). Fire management policy changed in 1935, 1978,1995, and 2001....
Accomplishing and applying National Fire Plan research and development from 2001-2005
Baldwin V. Jr. Clark
2007-01-01
This report highlights selected accomplishments achieved by USDA Forest Service National Fire Plan Research and Development projects from 2001 through 2006. The projects highlighted here are examples of the broad range of knowledge and tools developed by the National Fire Plan Research and Development, beginning in 2001.
USDA forest service southern region – It’s all about GRITS
Barbara S. Crane; Kevin M. Potter
2017-01-01
Genetic resource management programs across the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDA FS) play a key role in supporting successful land management activities. The programs are responsible for developing and providing plant material for revegetation, seed management guidelines, emergency fire recovery assistance, genetic conservation strategies, climate...
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1990-01-01
The Fire Logistics Airborne Mapping Equipment (FLAME) system, mounted in a twin-engine and airplane operated by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is an airborne instrument for detecting and pinpointing forest fires that might escape ground detection. The FLAME equipment rack includes the operator interface, a video monitor, the system's control panel and film output. FLAME's fire detection sensor is an infrared line scanner system that identifies fire boundaries. Sensor's information is correlated with the aircraft's position and altitude at the time the infrared imagery is acquired to fix the fire's location on a map. System can be sent to a fire locale anywhere in the U.S. at the request of a regional forester. USFS felt a need for a more advanced system to deliver timely fire information to fire management personnel in the decade of the 1990s. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) conducted a study, jointly sponsored by NASA and USDA, on what advanced technologies might be employed to produce an end-to-end thermal infrared fire detection and mapping system. That led to initiation of the Firefly system, currently in development at JPL and targeted for operational service beginning in 1992. Firefly will employ satellite-reference position fixing and provide performance superior to FLAME.
Learning Fire Weather--A Self-Study Course.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Taylor, Bernadine A.
This self-study course was prepared specifically to be used with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Handbook 360, FIRE WEATHER...A GUIDE FOR APPLICATION OF METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION TO FOREST FIRE CONTROL OPERATIONS. It is designed not only to let the reader determine his comprehension of the text but also to develop…
Postfire shrub-cover dynamics: a 70-year fire history in big sagebrush communities.
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Land managers use prescribed fire to meet rangeland management objectives. This study was conducted to quantify, from present conditions, the effect of time since last burn (TSLB) on shrub cover over 70 yr of fire history. We sampled mountain big sagebrush communities at the USDA, ARS, U.S. Sheep ...
Anne E. Black; Peter Landres
2011-01-01
Current fire policy to restore ecosystem function and resiliency and reduce buildup of hazardous fuels implies a larger future role for fire (both natural and human ignitions) (USDA and USDOI 2000). Yet some fire management (such as building fire line, spike camps, or heli-spots) potentially causes both short- and long-term impacts to forest health. In the short run,...
Fire Restoration in the Northern Region, USDA Forest Service
Glenda Scott; Steve Shelly; Jim Olivarez
2005-01-01
Restoring native plant communities is a key objective in the maintenance of healthy ecosystems. Opportunities have increased following recent wildfires. This paper describes the policy and history behind the reforestation and restoration programs in the Northern Region (Region 1) of the USDA Forest Service, which focused primarily on meeting the objectives in the...
Evaluating the Effectiveness Of Postfire Rehabilitation Treatments
Peter R. Robichaud; Jan L. Beyers; Daniel G. Neary
2000-01-01
Spending on postfire emergency watershed rehabilitation has increased during the past decade. A west-wide evaluation of USDA Forest Service burned area emergency rehabilitation (BAER) treatment effectiveness was undertaken as a joint project by USDA Forest Service Research and National Forest System staffs. This evaluation covers 470 fires and 321 BAER projects, from...
Evaluating the effectiveness of postfire rehabilitation treatments
Peter R. Robichaud; Jan L. Beyers; Daniel G. Neary
2000-01-01
Spending on postfire emergency watershed rehabilitation has increased during the past decade. A west-wide evaluation of USDA Forest Service burned area emergency rehabilitation (BAER) treatment effectiveness was undertaken as a joint project by USDA Forest Service Research and National Forest System staffs. This evaluation covers 470 fires and 321 BAER projects, from...
A risk-based approach to wildland fire budgetary planning
Matthew P. Thompson; David E. Calkin; Mark A. Finney; Krista M. Gebert; Michael S. Hand
2013-01-01
The financial impact of wildfire management within the USDA Forest Service challenges the ability of the agency to meet societal demands and maintain forest health. The extent of this financial crisis has been attributed to historical and continuing fire management practices, changing climatic conditions, and increasing human development in fire-prone areas, as well as...
Managing risk with chance-constrained programming
Michael Bevers; Brian Kent
2007-01-01
Reducing catastrophic fire risk is an important objective of many fuel treatment programs (Kent et al. 2003; Machlis et al. 2002; USDA/USDI 2001a). In practice, risk reductions can be accomplished by lowering the probability of a given loss to forest fires, the amount of probable loss, or both. Forest fire risk objectives are seldom quantified, however, making it...
78 FR 21340 - Information Collection: Annual Wildfire Summary Report
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2013-04-10
... Interagency Fire Center, USDA Forest Service, 3833 S. Development Avenue, Boise, ID, 83705. Comments also may... funding requests for the Forest Service State and Private Forestry Cooperative Fire Program. The program... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Information Collection: Annual Wildfire Summary Report...
Vegetation dynamics after a prescribed fire in the southern Appalachians
Katherine J. Elliott; Ronald L. Hendrick; Amy E. Major; James M. Vose; Wayne T. Swank
1999-01-01
In April 1995, the USDA Forest Service conducted a prescribed burn along with a south-facing slope of Southern Appalachian watershed, Nantahala National Forest, western NC. Fire had been excluded for over 70 years and the purpose of the burn was to create a mosaic of fire intensities to restore a degraded pine/hardwood community and to stimulate forage production and...
What ignited Forest Service interest in nonmarket valuation in fire economics?
John B. Loomis; Armando González-Cabán
2009-01-01
This paper traces the origin and evolution of the application of nonmarket valuation techniques to fire management within the USDA Forest Service. The motivation for contingent valuation (CVM) studies that quantify existence value is traced to the need for monetary benefits of protecting spotted owl old-growth forest habitat from fire in the early 1990s. Two large...
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Lin, Rod
FIRETEC presents a new way of studying fire and learning how to better manage and cope with it. The model provides additional scientific input for decisions by policymakers working in land management, water resources and energy. The team hopes it will eventually assist fire and fuel management operations. This research is done in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, Air Force Wildland Fire Center, INRA and Canadian Forest Service.
USDA Forest Service farm woodlands case study - 50 year results from West Virgina
David W. McGill; Thomas M. Schuler
2003-01-01
Recognizing that fire, grazing, and poor cutting practices had compromised much productivity in farm woodlots in the early 1900s, USDA Forest Service personnel established a demonstration on the Fernow Experimental Forest (FEF) to show the feasibility of two harvesting systems that could be used to maintain or enhance stand productivity and provide private forest land...
USDA Forest Service farm woodlands case study - 50 year results from West Virginia
David W. McGill; Thomas M. Schuler
2003-01-01
Recognizing that fire, grazing, and poor cutting practices had compromised much productivity in farm woodlots in the early 1900s, USDA Forest Service personnel established a demonstration on the Fernow Experimental Forest (FEF) to show the feasibility of two harvesting systems that could be used to maintain or enhance stand productivity and provide private forest land...
The fire research program at the Silas Little Experimental Forest, New Lisbon, New Jersey
Kenneth L. Clark; Nicholas Skowronski; Michael Gallagher
2014-01-01
In this chapter, we document the development and current research efforts of the fire research program at the Silas Little Experimental Forest of the Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, in the Pinelands of southern New Jersey. The 450,000-ha (1.1 million-acre) Pinelands National Reserve contains some of the most challenging fuel types for wildland fire...
Margaret Metz; Kerri Frangioso; Ross Meentemeyer; David Rizzo
2010-01-01
In late June 2008, a large, dry lightning storm ignited thousands of fires across California. The largest of these fires became the Basin-Indians Complex Fire in Big Sur, along the Stateâs central coast. The fire burned over 240,000 acres (USDA Forest Service 2008) and required over a month of intense firefighting operations to contain the perimeter. Media reports and...
The role of fire in ecosystem management
Jerry T. Williams
1995-01-01
USDA Forest Service management practices have significantly changed. Past practices were predicated on a strong public expectation for commodity production and protection from the forces of nature that were perceived to threaten that goal. Fire suppression, selective logging, intensive grazing, constrained prescribed burning, and a general emphasis on wood fiber...
Landfire: Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools Project
Kevin C. Ryan; Kristine M. Lee; Matthew G. Rollins; Zhiliang Zhu; James Smith; Darren Johnson
2006-01-01
Managers are faced with reducing hazardous fuel, restoring fire regimes, and decreasing the threat of catastrophic wildfire. Often, the comprehensive, scientifically-credible data and applications needed to test alternative fuel treatments across multi-ownership landscapes are lacking. Teams from the USDA Forest Service, Department of the Interior, and The Nature...
National Fire Plan Research and Development 2004-2005 accomplishment report
Michael W. Hilbruner; Paul Keller
2007-01-01
This report highlights accomplishments achieved by USDA Forest Service National Fire Plan Research and Development projects from 2004 through 2005 in four key areas: firefighting, rehabilitation and restoration, hazardous fuels reduction, and community assistance. These highlights illustrate the broad range of knowledge and tools introduced and generated by the...
Trista Patterson; David Nicholls; Jonathan Long
2015-01-01
The Sustainability Science Team (SST) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Sustainable Operations Initiative is a 18-member virtual research and development team, located across five regions and four research stations of the USDA Forest Service. The team provides research, publication, systems analysis, and decision support to the Sustainable...
7 CFR 996.21 - USDA laboratory.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED PEANUTS MARKETED IN THE UNITED STATES Definitions § 996.21 USDA laboratory. USDA laboratory means laboratories of the Science and Technology Programs, Agricultural Marketing...
Ingrid M. Martin; Wade E. Martin; Carol B. Raish
2011-01-01
As the incidence of devastating fires rises, managing the risk posed by these fires has become critical. This report provides important information to examine the ways that different groups or disaster subcultures develop the mentalities or perceived realities that affect their views and responses concerning risk and disaster preparedness. Fire risk beliefs and...
7 CFR 94.3 - Analyses performed and locations of laboratories.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... by AMS Science and Technology (S&T) personnel for microbiological, chemical, and physical attributes..., microorganism, dextrin, or other substance. (e) The AMS Science and Technology's Eastern Laboratory shall... samples are performed at the following USDA location: USDA, AMS, Science & Technology, Eastern Laboratory...
7 CFR 94.3 - Analyses performed and locations of laboratories.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... by AMS Science and Technology (S&T) personnel for microbiological, chemical, and physical attributes..., microorganism, dextrin, or other substance. (e) The AMS Science and Technology's Eastern Laboratory shall... samples are performed at the following USDA location: USDA, AMS, Science & Technology, Eastern Laboratory...
7 CFR 94.3 - Analyses performed and locations of laboratories.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... by AMS Science and Technology (S&T) personnel for microbiological, chemical, and physical attributes..., microorganism, dextrin, or other substance. (e) The AMS Science and Technology's Eastern Laboratory shall... samples are performed at the following USDA location: USDA, AMS, Science & Technology, Eastern Laboratory...
7 CFR 996.21 - USDA laboratory.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 8 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false USDA laboratory. 996.21 Section 996.21 Agriculture... STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED PEANUTS MARKETED IN THE UNITED STATES Definitions § 996.21 USDA laboratory. USDA laboratory means laboratories of the Science and Technology Programs, Agricultural Marketing...
7 CFR 996.21 - USDA laboratory.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 8 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false USDA laboratory. 996.21 Section 996.21 Agriculture... STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED PEANUTS MARKETED IN THE UNITED STATES Definitions § 996.21 USDA laboratory. USDA laboratory means laboratories of the Science and Technology Programs, Agricultural Marketing...
7 CFR 996.21 - USDA laboratory.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 8 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false USDA laboratory. 996.21 Section 996.21 Agriculture... STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED PEANUTS MARKETED IN THE UNITED STATES Definitions § 996.21 USDA laboratory. USDA laboratory means laboratories of the Science and Technology Programs, Agricultural Marketing...
7 CFR 996.21 - USDA laboratory.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 8 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false USDA laboratory. 996.21 Section 996.21 Agriculture... STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED PEANUTS MARKETED IN THE UNITED STATES Definitions § 996.21 USDA laboratory. USDA laboratory means laboratories of the Science and Technology Programs, Agricultural Marketing...
7 CFR 996.22 - USDA-approved laboratory.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED PEANUTS MARKETED IN THE UNITED STATES Definitions § 996.22 USDA-approved laboratory. USDA-approved laboratory means laboratories approved by the Science and Technology Programs...
J. D. Shaw
2006-01-01
Benefits of a strategic national forest inventory to science and society: the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis program. Forest Inventory and Analysis, previously known as Forest Survey, is one of the oldest research and development programs in the USDA Forest Service. Statistically-based inventory efforts that started in Scandinavian countries in the...
C.W. Woodall; G.R. Holden; J.S. Vissage
2004-01-01
The large wildland fires that raged during the 2000 and 2002 fire seasons highlighted the need for a nationwide strategic assessment of forest fuels. The lack of a nationally consistent and comprehensive inventory of forest fuels has hindered large-scale assessments- essential for effective fuel hazard management and monitoring reduction treatments. Data from the USDA...
Regime shifts and weakened environmental gradients in open oak and pine ecosystems
Brice B. Hanberry; Dan C. Dey; Hong S. He
2012-01-01
Fire suppression allows tree species that are intolerant of fire stress to increase their distribution, potentially resulting in disruption of historical species-environmental relationships. To measure changes between historical General Land Office surveys (1815 to 1850) and current USDA Forest Inventory and Assessment surveys (2004 to 2008), we compared composition,...
Jim Boynton
1995-01-01
Although recognized as an important tool for ecosystem maintenance, fuels management, and a variety of other purposes, the prescribed fire program in the Pacific Southwest Region of the USDA Forest Service has been constrained by several factors. These range from funding availability, to debates on the effect of fire on the habitat of sensitive species, to competition...
7 CFR 996.22 - USDA-approved laboratory.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 8 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false USDA-approved laboratory. 996.22 Section 996.22... STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED PEANUTS MARKETED IN THE UNITED STATES Definitions § 996.22 USDA-approved laboratory. USDA-approved laboratory means laboratories approved by the Science and Technology Programs...
7 CFR 996.22 - USDA-approved laboratory.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 8 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false USDA-approved laboratory. 996.22 Section 996.22... STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED PEANUTS MARKETED IN THE UNITED STATES Definitions § 996.22 USDA-approved laboratory. USDA-approved laboratory means laboratories approved by the Science and Technology Programs...
7 CFR 996.22 - USDA-approved laboratory.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 8 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false USDA-approved laboratory. 996.22 Section 996.22... STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED PEANUTS MARKETED IN THE UNITED STATES Definitions § 996.22 USDA-approved laboratory. USDA-approved laboratory means laboratories approved by the Science and Technology Programs...
7 CFR 996.22 - USDA-approved laboratory.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 8 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false USDA-approved laboratory. 996.22 Section 996.22... STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED PEANUTS MARKETED IN THE UNITED STATES Definitions § 996.22 USDA-approved laboratory. USDA-approved laboratory means laboratories approved by the Science and Technology Programs...
USDA Northeast Climate Hub: delivering science-based knowledge and practical information
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The USDA Northeast Climate Hub is one of seven regional hubs created in February 2014 and is a partnership among USDA and other federal agencies, universities, Tribal governments, and state and private organizations within the northeast region from Maine to West Virginia. The USDA Northeast Climate ...
Protecting Oregon old-growth forests from fires: how much is it worth?
Armando González-Cabán; John Loomis; Robin Gregory
1995-01-01
Current fire management policies in the USDA Forest Service includes traditional multiple uses, but these policies do not adequately incorporate non-traditional uses such as preservation of biodiversity and related nongame and endangered animals. A contingent valuation methodology was used for valuing the general public's desire to know that rare and unique...
Analysis of USDA Forest Service fire-related expenditures 1970-1995
Ervin G. Schuster; David A. Cleaves; Enoch F. Bell
1997-01-01
Forest Service expenditures for fire presuppression and suppression activities increased from $61 million in FY 1970 to $951 million in FY 1994. Yet, real (net of inflation) expenditures have not increased significantly since FY 1970, if FY 1994 expenditures are excluded. During any given year, 56 percent of suppression expenditures are spent on supplies and services,...
Using kinetic models to predict thermal degradation of fire-retardant-treated plywood roof sheathing
Patricia Lebow; Jerrold E. Winandy; Patricia K. Lebow
2003-01-01
Between 1985-1995 a substantial number of multifamily housing units in the Eastern and Southern U.S. experienced problems with thermally degraded fire-retardant-treated (FRT) plywood roof sheathing. A series of studies conducted at the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), examined the materials, chemical mechanisms, and process implications and has...
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hallema, D. W.; Sun, G.; Caldwell, P. V.; Norman, S. P.; Cohen, E. C.; Liu, Y.; McNulty, S. G.
2016-12-01
The magnitude of wildland fire impacts on water resources varies regionally depending on fire severity, topography, vegetation and climate. An assessment of the potential threat that wildland fire poses to water supplies across the conterminous United States (CONUS) is critically important because forests supply 50% of consumed water. In our assessment, we first performed a double mass analysis of streamflow (GAGES-II) vs. precipitation (PRISM) data from 170 burned watersheds to identify changes in average water yield in the first five years following wildland fire (MTBS burn severity dataset), which were positive in 52 watersheds (Chow test p<0.1), negative in 69 (p<0.1), and not significant in 49 (p>0.1). Subsequently, we separated the respective contributions of fire and climate variability to changes in annual runoff (dQ) by fitting linear climate elasticity models (CEMs), yielding acceptable CEMs (coefficient p<0.1) for 106 watersheds. Median dQ (MdQ) for 62 watersheds with a burned area to drainage area ratio (BAR) <10% declined by -12%, mostly attributed to lower annual precipitation (P) (-16%) associated with regional climate trends, which was a common response in watersheds in the eastern states with low severity prescribed (Rx) or wildfires. MdQ increased by +11% in 44 watersheds with BAR >10%, notwithstanding overall declining P. These watersheds were for the greatest part located in the western CONUS, where dQ was correlated with burn severity (R2>0.53, variable per severity class) and PET (R2=0.73). The most severe impacts were observed in Arizona (2005 Cave Creek Complex, 2004 Edge Complex and 2004 Willow Fires), with BARs >39% and dQ>+160%, while hydrologic response in the east was much less extreme with only 10 cases where post-fire dQ increased >+10%. The clear regional patterns in post-fire Q together with evidence showing that downward trends in P can mask flow enhancing effects of fire disturbance (24 watersheds), underline the importance of the combined analysis of wildland fire and climate impacts in national scale assessments. Research funded by the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, Joint Fire Science Program (#14-1-06-18), and Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (U.S. Department of Energy).
Sustainability and wildland fire: The origins of Forest Service Wildland Fire Research
Diane M. Smith
2017-01-01
On June 1, 2015, the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Branch of Research. Established in 1915 to centralize and elevate the pursuit of research throughout the agency, the Branch of Research focused on everything from silvicultural investigations conducted by the experiment stations to...
3D engineered fiberboard : engineering analysis of a new building product
John F. Hunt; Jerrold E. Winandy
2003-01-01
In many forests across the United States, the high forest fuel loadings are contributing to our recent forest fire problems. Many fire-prone timber stands are generally far from traditional timber markets or the timber is not economically valuable enough to cover the costs of removal. To help address this problem, the USDA Forest Products Laboratory has developed a...
USDA Forest Service mobile satellite communications applications
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Warren, John R.
1990-01-01
The airborne IR signal processing system being developed will require the use of mobile satellite communications to achieve its full capability and improvement in delivery timeliness of processed IR data to the Fire Staff. There are numerous other beneficial uses, both during wildland fire management operations or in daily routine tasks, which will also benefit from the availability of reliable communications from remote areas.
32 CFR 171.4 - Qualifications.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-07-01
... of meeting the terms and conditions of a contract to deliver fire retardant by air. (a) Prior to... the USDA contract. (b) This requirement may not be delegated to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). ...
Karen L. Abt; David T. Butry; Jeff Prestemon; Samuel Scranton
2015-01-01
Humans cause more than 55% of wildfires on lands managed by the USDA Forest Service and US Department of the Interior, contributing to both suppression expenditures and damages. One means to reduce the expenditures and damages associated with these wildfires is through fire prevention activities, which can include burn permits, public service programs or announcements...
Effects of fiber processing on properties of fiber and fiberboard made from lodgepole pine treetops
John F. Hunt; Aziz Ahmed; Katherine Friedrich
2008-01-01
As a part of the National Fire Plan, the USDA Forest Service is conducting research to reduce the severity of forest fires through effective utilization of low-or no-value logging residues and forest thinnings. This report explores the effect of processing on the physical properties of the fibrous material and flat fiberboard panels made from small-diameter lodgepole...
What's the fire danger now? Linking fuel inventories with atmospheric data
Christopher W. Woodall; Joseph J. Charney; Greg C. Liknes; Brian E. Potter
2005-01-01
The combination of forest fuel maps with real-time atmospheric data may enable the creation of more dynamic and comprehensive assessments of fire danger. The goal of this study was to combine fuel maps, based on data from the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service, with real-time atmospheric data for the creation of a more dynamic index...
Introductory Soil Science Exercises Using USDA Web Soil Survey
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Post, Christopher J.; Mikhailova, Elena; McWhorter, Christopher M.
2007-01-01
The USDA, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Web Soil Survey is a valuable teaching tool for soil science education. By incorporating the Web Soil Survey into an undergraduate-level course, students are able to use the most detailed digital soil survey information without the steep learning curve associated with geographic information…
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2013-08-27
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE [Docket Number: USDA-2013-0003] Science-Based Methods for Entity-Scale Quantification of Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks From Agriculture and Forestry Practices AGENCY: Office of the... of Agriculture (USDA) has prepared a report containing methods for quantifying entity-scale...
15 Years of Terra, 14 Years of Application Usage
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schmaltz, J. E.; Alarcon, C.; Boller, R. A.; Cechini, M. F.; Davies, D.; Fu, G.; Gunnoe, T.; Hall, J. R.; Huang, T.; Ilavajhala, S.; Jackson, M.; King, J.; McGann, M.; Murphy, K. J.; Roberts, J. T.; Thompson, C. K.; Ye, G.
2014-12-01
The instruments onboard the Terra spacecraft were designed for long-term Earth science research but not long after launch it became apparent that this data and imagery could be made available in near real-time for applications users. During the year 2000 fire season in the western United States, the US Forest Service approached NASA with a request to expedite MODIS fire detections. The Rapid Response system was created to generate fire detections as well as true color imagery in both swath and geo-referenced formats. This imagery was used by a wide variety of applications, such as NASA's AERONET program, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Antarctic resupply shipping, flood mapping for relief agencies, Deepwater Horizon monitoring, volcanic ash monitoring, as well as print, televised, and Internet media. From 2004, the University of Maryland's Web Fire Mapper helped distribute fire detection information in a variety of formats. However, the applications community expressed the need for near-real time access to the underlying data. This requirement led to the development of the Land Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (Earth Observing System) (LANCE) in 2009. To achieve the latency requirements, many components of the EOS satellite operations, ground and science processing systems had to be made more efficient. In addition, products that require ancillary data were modified to use alternate inputs. Forty Terra MODIS data products are currently available from LANCE. LANCE also includes data from other instruments including AIRS, AMSR-E, MLS, and OMI. To help near-real time users navigate this large data offering, a new imagery service was begun in 2011 - Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS). This service provides very responsive viewing using the Web Map Tile Service protocol. These programs will continue to support and expand the use of Terra data for near-real time applications well into the future.
7 CFR 996.40 - Handling standards.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... importers may contact: Fresh Products Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence... Epstein, Deputy Administrator, Science and Technology Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW...
7 CFR 996.40 - Handling standards.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... importers may contact: Fresh Products Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence... Epstein, Deputy Administrator, Science and Technology Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW...
7 CFR 996.40 - Handling standards.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... importers may contact: Fresh Products Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence... Epstein, Deputy Administrator, Science and Technology Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW...
7 CFR 996.40 - Handling standards.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... importers may contact: Fresh Products Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence... Epstein, Deputy Administrator, Science and Technology Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW...
7 CFR 996.40 - Handling standards.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... importers may contact: Fresh Products Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence... Epstein, Deputy Administrator, Science and Technology Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW...
The BlueSky Smoke Modeling Framework: Recent Developments
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sullivan, D. C.; Larkin, N.; Raffuse, S. M.; Strand, T.; ONeill, S. M.; Leung, F. T.; Qu, J. J.; Hao, X.
2012-12-01
BlueSky systems—a set of decision support tools including SmartFire and the BlueSky Framework—aid public policy decision makers and scientific researchers in evaluating the air quality impacts of fires. Smoke and fire managers use BlueSky systems in decisions about prescribed burns and wildland firefighting. Air quality agencies use BlueSky systems to support decisions related to air quality regulations. We will discuss a range of recent improvements to the BlueSky systems, as well as examples of applications and future plans. BlueSky systems have the flexibility to accept basic fire information from virtually any source and can reconcile multiple information sources so that duplication of fire records is eliminated. BlueSky systems currently apply information from (1) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Hazard Mapping System (HMS), which represents remotely sensed data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES); (2) the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS) interagency project, which derives fire perimeters from Landsat 30-meter burn scars; (3) the Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination Group (GeoMAC), which produces helicopter-flown burn perimeters; and (4) ground-based fire reports, such as the ICS-209 reports managed by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Efforts are currently underway to streamline the use of additional ground-based systems, such as states' prescribed burn databases. BlueSky systems were recently modified to address known uncertainties in smoke modeling associated with (1) estimates of biomass consumption derived from sparse fuel moisture data, and (2) models of plume injection heights. Additional sources of remotely sensed data are being applied to address these issues as follows: - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis Real-Time (TMPA-RT) data set is being used to improve dead fuel moisture estimates. - EastFire live fuel moisture estimates, which are derived from NASA's MODIS direct broadcast, are being used to improve live fuel moisture estimates. - NASA's Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) stereo heights are being used to improve estimates of plume injection heights. Further, the Fire Location and Modeling of Burning Emissions (FLAMBÉ) model was incorporated into the BlueSky Framework as an alternative means of calculating fire emissions. FLAMBÉ directly estimates emissions on the basis of fire detections and radiance measures from NASA's MODIS and NOAA's GOES satellites. (The authors gratefully acknowledge NASA's Applied Sciences Program [Grant Nos. NN506AB52A and NNX09AV76G)], the USDA Forest Service, and the Joint Fire Science Program for their support.)
Regional services in a research context: USDA Climate Hubs in the USDA Agricultural Research Service
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Ten USDA Climate Hubs were created in 2014 to develop and deliver science-based, region-specific information and technologies to better enable agricultural decision-making and management. Of these ten Hubs, half are administered by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), an agency with historica...
Verification and Validation of NASA-Supported Enhancements to PECAD's Decision Support Tools
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
McKellipo, Rodney; Ross, Kenton W.
2006-01-01
The NASA Applied Sciences Directorate (ASD), part of the Earth-Sun System Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, has partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to enhance decision support in the area of agricultural efficiency-an application of national importance. The ASD integrated the results of NASA Earth science research into USDA decision support tools employed by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division (PECAD), which supports national decision making by gathering, analyzing, and disseminating global crop intelligence. Verification and validation of the following enhancements are summarized: 1) Near-real-time Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products through PECAD's MODIS Image Gallery; 2) MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series data through the USDA-FAS MODIS NDVI Database; and 3) Jason-1 and TOPEX/Poseidon lake level estimates through PECAD's Global Reservoir and Lake Monitor. Where possible, each enhanced product was characterized for accuracy, timeliness, and coverage, and the characterized performance was compared to PECAD operational requirements. The MODIS Image Gallery and the GRLM are more mature and have achieved a semi-operational status, whereas the USDA-FAS MODIS NDVI Database is still evolving and should be considered
Samuel L. Zelinka; Mark A. Dietenberger; Laura E. Hasburgh; Keith J. Bourne; Charles Boardman
2015-01-01
Dr. Robert Hawthorne White had a 31 year career researching the fire performance of wood and wood composites at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory. Over his career, Dr. White made substantial contributions to codes, standards, and regulations pertaining to the design of wood structures. This review article summarizes Robertâs major accomplishments as a tribute to his...
The social sciences, philosophy, and the cultural turn in the 1930s USDA.
Jewett, Andrew
2013-01-01
One of the more unusual attempts by the American state to mobilize academic expertise unfolded in the late 1930s, when the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) hired scholars in the "culture and personality" fields and philosophy to aid its efforts to promote economic, social, and cultural change in the countryside. USDA progressives also reached out to disciplinary scholars in other ways as they sought to institute a deliberative mode of planning in local communities and to remake the curricula of the land-grant colleges in support of that project. These USDA initiatives and scholars' responses reveal that scientific knowledge was mobilized in the 1930s not just for the instrumental purpose of regulating economic behavior but also to explain and legitimate federal programs and to inform ambitious projects for cultural change. At the USDA, as at many other sites between the wars, scientific thinkers turned to the social sciences and philosophy in order to understand and then change the public mind. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Developing and Validating a Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Capps, S. B.; Rolinski, T.; DAgostino, B.; Vanderburg, S.; Fovell, R. G.; Cao, Y.
2014-12-01
Santa Ana winds, common to southern California during the fall through spring, are a type of katabatic wind that originates from a direction generally ranging from 360°/0° to 100° and is usually accompanied by very low humidity. Since fuel conditions tend to be driest from late September through the middle of November, Santa Ana winds occurring during this period have the greatest potential to produce large, devastating fires when an ignition occurs. Such catastrophic fires occurred in 1993, 2003, 2007, and 2008. Because of the destructive nature of these fires, there has been a growing desire to categorize Santa Ana wind events in much the same way that tropical cyclones have been categorized. The Santa Ana Wildfire Threat index (SAWT) is an attempt to categorize such events with respect to fire activity, based on surface wind velocity, dew point depression, and forecasted fuel conditions. The index, a USDA Forest Service product, was developed by the Forest Service in collaboration with San Diego Gas and Electric Utility (SDG&E), the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at UCLA, The Desert Research Institute (DRI), and Vertum Partners. The methodology behind the SAWT index, along with the index itself will be presented in detail. Also, there will be a discussion on the construction of a 30-year climatology of the index, which includes various meteorological and fuel parameters. We will demonstrate the usefulness of the index as another decision support tool for fire agencies and first responders, and how it could assist the general public and private industry in the preparation of critical Santa Ana wind events.
75 FR 23222 - Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-05-03
... Sonora Fire Department located at 201 South Shepherd Street, in Sonora, California (CA 95370). FOR... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource...
75 FR 52715 - Southern Arizona Resource Advisory Committee
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-08-27
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Southern Arizona Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Southern Arizona Resource Advisory... held at the National Advanced Fire and Resource Institute (NAFRI) at 3265 E. Universal Way, Tucson...
75 FR 60066 - Southern Arizona Resource Advisory Committee
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-09-29
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Southern Arizona Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Southern Arizona Resource Advisory... at the Tucson Interagency Fire Center, 2646 E. Commerce Center Place, Tucson, AZ 85706. Send written...
The Caspar Creek Watersheds--a case study
R. R. Ziemer
1990-01-01
Caspar Creek experimental watersheds are located on the Jackson Demonstration State Forest. Sponsors are the Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW), USDA Forest Service, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF). Both organizations have been working cooperatively since 1962
7 CFR 3402.9 - Financial provisions.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... AGRICULTURE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES NATIONAL NEEDS GRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP GRANTS PROGRAM... costs out of non-USDA monies. No dependency allowances are provided to any USDA Graduate or Postdoctoral... for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships and assistantships. ...
7 CFR 3402.9 - Financial provisions.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... AGRICULTURE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES NATIONAL NEEDS GRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP GRANTS PROGRAM... costs out of non-USDA monies. No dependency allowances are provided to any USDA Graduate or Postdoctoral... for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships and assistantships. ...
77 FR 48495 - Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-08-14
... City of Sonora Fire Department located at 201 South Shepherd Street, in Sonora, California (CA 95370... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource...
76 FR 46722 - Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2011-08-03
... at the City of Sonora Fire Department located at 201 South Shepherd Street, in Sonora, California (CA... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource...
76 FR 20309 - Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2011-04-12
... of Sonora Fire Department located at 201 South Shepherd Street, in Sonora, California (CA 95370). FOR... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource...
77 FR 48496 - Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-08-14
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee will meet on September 17, 2012 at the City of Sonora Fire Department, in Sonora...
77 FR 48495 - Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-08-14
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee will meet on September 10, 2012 at the City of Sonora Fire Department, in Sonora...
76 FR 7809 - Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2011-02-11
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee will meet on March 7, 2011, at the City of Sonora Fire Department, in Sonora, California...
75 FR 33241 - Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-06-11
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee will meet on June 14, 2010 at the City of Sonora Fire Department, in Sonora, California...
76 FR 36898 - Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2011-06-23
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of Meeting. SUMMARY: The Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee will meet on July 11, 2011 at the City of Sonora Fire Department, in Sonora, California...
75 FR 30771 - Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-06-02
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee will meet on June 14, 2010, at the City of Sonora Fire Department, in Sonora, California...
Predicting Peak Flows following Forest Fires
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Elliot, William J.; Miller, Mary Ellen; Dobre, Mariana
2016-04-01
Following forest fires, peak flows in perennial and ephemeral streams often increase by a factor of 10 or more. This increase in peak flow rate may overwhelm existing downstream structures, such as road culverts, causing serious damage to road fills at stream crossings. In order to predict peak flow rates following wildfires, we have applied two different tools. One is based on the U.S.D.A Natural Resource Conservation Service Curve Number Method (CN), and the other is by applying the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) to the watershed. In our presentation, we will describe the science behind the two methods, and present the main variables for each model. We will then provide an example of a comparison of the two methods to a fire-prone watershed upstream of the City of Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, where a fire spread model was applied for current fuel loads, and for likely fuel loads following a fuel reduction treatment. When applying the curve number method, determining the time to peak flow can be problematic for low severity fires because the runoff flow paths are both surface and through shallow lateral flow. The WEPP watershed version incorporates shallow lateral flow into stream channels. However, the version of the WEPP model that was used for this study did not have channel routing capabilities, but rather relied on regression relationships to estimate peak flows from individual hillslope polygon peak runoff rates. We found that the two methods gave similar results if applied correctly, with the WEPP predictions somewhat greater than the CN predictions. Later releases of the WEPP model have incorporated alternative methods for routing peak flows that need to be evaluated.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
French, N. H.; Erickson, T.; McKenzie, D.
2008-12-01
A major goal of the North American Carbon Program is to resolve uncertainties in understanding and managing the carbon cycle of North America. As carbon modeling tools become more comprehensive and spatially oriented, accurate datasets to spatially quantify carbon emissions from fire are needed, and these data resources need to be accessible to users for decision-making. Under a new NASA Carbon Cycle Science project, Drs. Nancy French and Tyler Erickson, of the Michigan Technological University, Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI), are teaming with specialists with the USDA Forest Service Fire and Environmental Research Applications (FERA) team to provide information for mapping fire-derived carbon emissions to users. The project focus includes development of a web-based system to provide spatially resolved fire emissions estimates for North America in a user-friendly environment. The web-based Decision Support System will be based on a variety of open source technologies. The Fuel Characteristic Classification System (FCCS) raster map of fuels and MODIS-derived burned area vector maps will be processed using the Geographic Data Abstraction Library (GDAL) and OGR Simple Features Library. Tabular and spatial project data will be stored in a PostgreSQL/PostGIS, a spatially enabled relational database server. The browser-based user interface will be created using the Django web page framework to allow user input for the decision support system. The OpenLayers mapping framework will be used to provide users with interactive maps within the browser. In addition, the data products will be made available in standard open data formats such as KML, to allow for easy integration into other spatial models and data systems.
2017-08-31
U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS); Richard Darden, USACE Alaska District; and representatives from...Slope Science Initiative USDA-NRCS U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service USDOI-BLM U.S. Department of the Interior... Agriculture , Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. Reddy, K. R., and R. D. DeLaune. 2008. Biogeochemistry of wetlands: Science and
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yuan, B.; Krechmer, J. E.; Warneke, C.; Coggon, M.; Koss, A.; Lim, C. Y.; Selimovic, V.; Gilman, J.; Lerner, B. M.; Stark, H.; Kang, H.; Jimenez, J. L.; Yokelson, R. J.; Liggio, J.; Roberts, J. M.; Kroll, J. H.; De Gouw, J. A.
2017-12-01
Biomass burning can emit large amounts of many different organic compounds to the atmosphere. The emission strengths of these emitted organic compounds and their subsequent atmospheric chemistry are not well known. In this study, we deployed a time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer using iodide as reagent ions (Iodide ToF-CIMS) to measure direct emissions of organic compounds during the FIREX laboratory 2016 intensive in the USDA Fire Sciences Lab in Missoula, MT. An interpretation of the I- TOF-CIMS mass spectra from biomass burning emissions will be presented. The dependence of the emissions of selected organic compounds with fuel types, combustion efficiency and fuel chemical compositions will be discussed. The I- TOF-CIMS also measured aged biomass burning smoke from a small smog chamber and an oxidative flow reactor (OFR). The I- TOF-CIMS consistently observed much higher signals of highly oxygenated organic compounds in the aged biomass burning smoke than in fresh emissions, indicative of strong secondary formation of these organic compounds in biomass burning plumes.
Geneva apple rootstock performance in New York state and progress in commercialization
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
A number of new apple rootstocks from the Cornell/USDA apple rootstock breeding project, located at Geneva NY which are resistant to the bacterial disease fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) are rapidly becoming available. Some named rootstock genotypes from this program have previously been tested in s...
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-02-19
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Eastern Washington Cascades Provincial Advisory Committee and the Yakima Provincial Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting... Committee will meet on March 9, 2010 at the Sunnyslope Fire Station, 206 Easy Street, Wenatchee, WA. During...
OptFuels: Fuel treatment optimization
Greg Jones
2011-01-01
Scientists at the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, in Missoula, MT, in collaboration with scientists at the University of Montana, are developing a tool to help forest managers prioritize forest fuel reduction treatments. Although several computer models analyze fuels and fire behavior, stand-level effects of fuel treatments, and priority planning...
Oak woodlands and forests fire consortium: A regional view of fire science sharing
Grabner, Keith W.; Stambaugh, Michael C.; Marschall, Joseph M.; Abadir, Erin R.
2013-01-01
The Joint Fire Science Program established 14 regional fire science knowledge exchange consortia to improve the delivery of fire science information and communication among fire managers and researchers. Consortia were developed regionally to ensure that fire science information is tailored to meet regional needs. In this paper, emphasis was placed on the Oak Woodlands and Forests Fire Consortium to provide an inside view of how one regional consortium is organized and its experiences in sharing fire science through various social media, conference, and workshop-based fire science events.
USDA APHIS | National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS)
USDA - APHIS United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Facebook Email Blog Home Our Focus Animal Health Animal Welfare Biotechnology Business Services Civil Rights Emergency Response Imports & Exports International Services Plant Health Science Tribal
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) food safety inspection program is utilized by both USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and FDA for many of the products they regulate. This science-based program was implemented by the USDA FSIS to enhance the food safety of meat and pou...
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) food safety inspection program is utilized by both USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and FDA for many of the products they regulate. This science-based program was implemented by the USDA FSIS to enhance the food safety of meat and pou...
Regional services in a research context: USDA Climate Hubs in the Agricultural Research Service
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Ten USDA Climate Hubs were created in 2014 to develop and deliver science-based, region-specific information and technologies to better enable agricultural decision-making and management to promote resilient working landscapes. Of these ten Hubs, half are administered by USDA’s Agricultural Research...
Adaptation to climate variability: The role of the USDA Southern Plains Climate Hub
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The Southern Plains USDA Climate Hub was established in 2014 in El Reno, Oklahoma to develop and deliver science-based, information and technologies to agricultural and natural resource land managers that enable climate-informed decision-making, and to provide access to assistance to implement those...
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
With the financial support from the National Science Foundation and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a team of researchers from the University of Oklahoma and the USDA ARS Grazinglands Research Laboratory have worked together and established two Integrated Grassland Observation s...
Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer
2013-06-24
National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ), Department of Commerce (DOC...and Extension Service, Department of Agriculture ( USDA ); (continued...) Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer Congressional Research Service 6 NSET...State; Department of Transportation; Department of the Treasury; EPA; Food and Drug Administration; Forest Service, USDA ; Intelligence Technology
Regional services in a research context: USDA climate hubs in the agricultural research service
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Ten USDA Climate Hubs were created in 2014 to develop and deliver science-based, region-specific information and technologies to better enable agricultural decision-making and management. Of these ten Hubs, half are administered by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), an agency with historica...
Robert R. Ziemer
2001-01-01
The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection have gauged streamflow, and suspended sediment and precipitation since 1962 in the 473 ha North Fork and the 424 ha South Fork of the 2167 ha Caspar Creek in the Jackson Demonstation State Forest in northwestern California. Within the two Caspar...
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
A number of new apple rootstocks from the Cornell/USDA apple rootstock breeding project, located at Geneva, NY which are resistant to fire blight are rapidly becoming available to the industry. These rootstocks are also dwarfing, tolerant to replant disease and productive. Data on cumulative yield...
Collaboration in Action: Office of Research and Development ...
The "Collaboration in Action: US EPA's Office of Research and Develop - Current Wildfire Research Program" was invited by the USDA's US Forest Service's Scientific Executive Committee to provide USFS scientific leadership active and potential future opportunities for cooperation/collaboration. Health impacts of wildfire smoke merit the attention and action of the US EPA and current research is supported in the ACE and SHC Research Programs. Wildland fire smoke research has taken on greater importance because the 1) contribution of wildland fire PM emissions relative to total US PM emissions is increasing, 2) the population health impacts are measurable and costly, 3) vulnerable and sensitive populations at-risk are increasing attendant to our aging U.S. population and the increasing area of the wildland-urban interface, and 4) health impacts of smoke could be minimized by identifying at-risk individuals and reducing their exposures. Examples are provided. The "Collaboration in Action: US EPA's Office of Research and Develop - Current Wildfire Research Program" was invited by the USDA's US Forest Service's Scientific Executive Committee to provide USFS scientific leadership active and potential future opportunities for cooperation/collaboration.
Human dimensions in ecosystem management: a USDA Forest Service perspective
Deborah S. Carr
1995-01-01
For many decades, the natural resource profession has approached the management of public lands as exclusively a natural science endeavor requiring purely technical solutions. With the adoption of an ecosystem management philosophy, the USDA Forest Service has acknowledged the centrality of people in land management policy and decision-making. This paper explores the...
The USDA and K-12 Partnership: A Model Program for Federal Agencies
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Scott, Timothy P.; Wilson, Craig; Upchurch, Dan R.; Goldberg, Maria; Bentz, Adrienne
2011-01-01
The Future Scientists Program of Texas A&M University and the Agricultural Research Service branch of USDA serves as a model program of effective collaboration between a federal agency and K-12. It demonstrates true partnership that contextualizes learning of science and provides quality professional development, benefiting teachers and their…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Johnson, R.; Steele, R.
2016-12-01
The USDA Climate Hubs were established in 2014 to develop and deliver science-based, region-specific information and technologies, with USDA agencies and partners, to agricultural and natural resource managers to enable climate-informed decision-making. In the two and half years of existence, our regional leads have gained insights into communicating with the agricultural and forestry communities throughout the different regions of the country. Perspectives differ somewhat among regions and sectors. This talk will share those various insights.
Processing woody debris biomass for co-milling with pulverized coal
Dana Mitchell; Bob Rummer
2007-01-01
The USDA, Forest Service, Forest Products Lab funds several grants each year for the purpose of studying woody biomass utilization. One selected project proposed removing small diameter stems and unmerchantable woody material from National Forest lands and delivering it to a coal-fired power plant in Alabama for energy conversion. The Alabama Power Company...
USDA Forest Service national protocols for sampling air pollution-sensitive waters
T. J. Sullivan
2012-01-01
The first step in designing a surface water sampling program is identifying one or more problems or questions that require information on water quality. Common water quality problems include nutrient enrichment (from a variety of causes), effects of atmospheric deposition (acidification, eutrophication, toxicity), and effects of major disturbances such as fire or pest...
Prescribed burning in the South: trends, purpose, and barriers
Terry K. Haines; Rodney L. Busby; David A. Cleaves
2001-01-01
The results of a survey of fire management officials concerning historical and projected prescribed burning activity in the South are reported. Prescribed burning programs on USDA Forest Service and private and State-owned lands are described in terms of area burned by ownership and State, intended resource benefits, barriers to expanded burning, and optimum burning...
Fuels for schools: case study in Darby, Montana
Richard Bergman; Timothy M. Maker
2007-01-01
To reduce the risk of catastrophic fires, the USDA Forest Service and its partners are developing practical, economic uses for forest thinnings from National Forests and state and private lands in western states. Because mechanical thinning is costly, developing markets for removed wood as fuel for community energy applications is one way to support the economics of...
Aerial sketchmapping for monitoring forest conditions in Southern Brazil
Y. M. Malheiros de Oliveira; M. A. Doetzer Rosot; N. B. da Luz; W. M. Ciesla; E.W. Johnson; R. Rhea; J.F. Jr. Penteado
2006-01-01
Aerial sketchmapping is a simple, low cost remote sensing method used for detection and mapping of forest damage caused by biotic agents (insects, pathogens and other pests) and abiotic agents (wind, fire, storms, hurricane, ice storms) in North America. This method was introduced to Brazil in 2001/2002 via a USDA Forest Service/EMBRAPA technical exchange program,...
Research related to roads in USDA experimental forests [Chapter 16
W. J. Elliot; P. J. Edwards; R. B. Foltz
2014-01-01
Forest roads are essential in experimental forests and rangelands (EFRs) to allow researchers and the public access to research sites and for fire suppression, timber extraction, and fuel management. Sediment from roads can adversely impact watershed health. Since the 1930s, the design and management of forest roads has addressed both access issues and watershed health...
75 FR 33238 - Basin Electric Power Cooperative: Deer Creek Station
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-06-11
... include a new natural gas-fired combustion turbine set, a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), and a steam turbine generator set. DATES: Written comments on this Final EIS will be accepted on or before... at: http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/eis.htm . Copies of the Final EIS will also be available for...
77 FR 29531 - 150th Anniversary of the United States Department of Agriculture
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-05-18
... Anniversary of the United States Department of Agriculture By the President of the United States of America A... Department of Agriculture (USDA) and codified a commitment to the health of our people and our land. One... policy and science to an evolving food and agriculture system. The USDA has stood shoulder-to-shoulder...
Root traits contributing to plant productivity under drought
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
ROOT TRAITS CONTRIBUTING TO PLANT PRODUCTIVITY UNDER DROUGHT L.H. Comas1, S.R. Becker2, V.M.V. Cruz3,4, P.F. Byrne2, D.A. Dierig3 1USDA-ARS, Water Management Research Unit, Fort Collins, CO, USA 2Colorado State University, Soil and Crop Sciences, Fort Collins, CO, USA 3USDA-ARS, National Center fo...
Enhancing fire science exchange: The Northern Rockies Fire Science Network [poster
Vita Wright
2011-01-01
The Joint Fire Science Program is developing a national network of knowledge exchange consortia comprised of interested management and science stakeholders working together to tailor and actively demonstrate existing fire science information to benefit management.
Processing Infrared Images For Fire Management Applications
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Warren, John R.; Pratt, William K.
1981-12-01
The USDA Forest Service has used airborne infrared systems for forest fire detection and mapping for many years. The transfer of the images from plane to ground and the transposition of fire spots and perimeters to maps has been performed manually. A new system has been developed which uses digital image processing, transmission, and storage. Interactive graphics, high resolution color display, calculations, and computer model compatibility are featured in the system. Images are acquired by an IR line scanner and converted to 1024 x 1024 x 8 bit frames for transmission to the ground at a 1.544 M bit rate over a 14.7 GHZ carrier. Individual frames are received and stored, then transferred to a solid state memory to refresh the display at a conventional 30 frames per second rate. Line length and area calculations, false color assignment, X-Y scaling, and image enhancement are available. Fire spread can be calculated for display and fire perimeters plotted on maps. The performance requirements, basic system, and image processing will be described.
Macek-Rowland, Kathleen M.
2002-01-01
The Little Missouri National Grasslands in North Dakota were established in 1960 and are publicly owned lands administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. The grasslands are not solid blocks of National Forest Systems lands but are lands intermingled with other Federal, State, and privately-owned lands. The mixed-ownership pattern creates a unique environmental management arrangement within each grasslands area.The USDA Forest Service needs to determine how changes in land use affect loss of sediment from the grasslands, especially during periods of high runoff or after a grassland fire. Excessive sediment loss has the potential to destabilize hillslopes and channels by increasing runoff potential, by prohibiting natural revegetation, by changing animal habitation patterns, and by impacting areas farther downslope and downstream of affected areas.On October 31, 1999, two major grass-land fires occurred in the Little Missouri National Grasslands area. The Squaw Gap Fire affected 51,627 acres and the Rough Creek Fire affected 7,979 acres. Runoff caused substantial erosion when many road ditches and culverts were filled with sediment and some roads were washed out. In order to implement the best management practices within the Little Missouri National Grasslands, the USDA Forest Service will need sediment information related to land-use changes such as burned and unburned areas and grazed and ungrazed areas.The Little Missouri National Grasslands are located along the Little Missouri River in western North Dakota. The Grasslands are comprised of 1,028,000 acres predominantly in an area of rolling hills, sparsely covered buttes, coulees, woody draws, and badlands. Most of the area is used as rangeland; but, some of the area is cultivated or used for oil and gas development. The Grasslands have semiarid climate with short, warm summers and long, cold winters. The Grasslands receive an average annual precipitation of about 13 to 15 inches, which generally occurs from April through June. Runoff is produced by snowmelt during the spring or by rainfall over individual watersheds during the warmer months. Temperatures have ranged from about -30 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer. The average growing season is about 125 days.
2013 Annual Report: Fire Modeling Institute
Robin J. Innes; Faith Ann Heinsch; Kristine M. Lee
2014-01-01
The Fire Modeling Institute (FMI) of the U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS), is a national and international resource for fire managers. Located within the Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory (Fire Lab) in Montana, FMI helps managers utilize fire and fuel science and technology developed throughout the...
The life cycle and behavior of Cercoleipus coelonotus (Acarina: Mesotigmata)
D.N. Kinn
1970-01-01
Bark beetles kill more standing timber than any other agent, including fire (U.S.D.A. Forest Resource Report No. 14, 1958), and thus constitute a major threat to one of our important natural resources. Since it is often impractical or undesirable to treat infestations chemically (Carson, 1962; Rudd, 1964), more attention is now being given to the study of natural...
Multi-scale data to assess and monitor sudden oak death
Lisa M. Levien; Chris S. Fischer; Lianne C. Mahon; Jeff A. Mai
2002-01-01
The USDA Forest Service (FS) and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) are monitoring Sudden Oak Death (SOD) under the umbrella of the larger California Land Cover Mapping and Monitoring Program (LCMMP). The LCMMP is a statewide cooperative effort among the FS and CDF focused on mapping and monitoring Californiaâs vegetation and land cover.
Measurement repeatability of a large-scale inventory of forest fuels
J.A. Westfall; C.W. Woodall
2007-01-01
An efficient and accurate inventory of forest fuels at large scales is critical for assessment of forest fire hazards across landscapes. The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service conducts a national inventory of fuels along with blind remeasurement of a portion of inventory plots to monitor and improve data quality. The goal of this...
Digital aerial sketchmapping and downlink communications: a new tool for fire managers
Everett Hinkley; Tom Zajkowski; Charlie Schrader-Patton
2010-01-01
Aerial sketchmapping is the geolocating of features that are seen on the ground below an aircraft and the subsequent recording of those features. Traditional aerial sketchmapping methods required hand-sketching on hardcopy maps or photos and the translation of that information to a digital file. In 1996, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service embarked...
Forest Service Nurseries: 100 years of ecosystem restoration
R. Kasten Dumroese; Thomas D. Landis; James P. Barnett; Frank Burch
2005-01-01
The USDA Forest Service broke ground on its first nursery in 1902 and since then its nurseries have adapted to many changes in scope and direction: from fire restoration to conservation, to reforestation, and back to restoration. In addition to providing a reliable source of native plant material, they have also been a source of research and technology transfer in...
Carbon changes in conterminous US forests associated with growth and major disturbances: 1992-2001
Daolan Zheng; Linda S. Heath; Mark J. Ducey; James E. Smith
2011-01-01
We estimated forest area and carbon changes in the conterminous United States using a remote sensing based land cover change map, forest fire data from the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program, and forest growth and harvest data from the USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis Program. Natural and human-associated disturbances reduced the forest...
Jeffery B. Cannon; Kevin J. Barrett; Benjamin M. Gannon; Robert N. Addington; Mike A. Battaglia; Paula J. Fornwalt; Gregory H. Aplet; Antony S. Cheng; Jeffrey L. Underhill; Jennifer S. Briggs; Peter M. Brown
2018-01-01
In response to large, severe wildfires in historically fire-adapted forests in the western US, policy initiatives, such as the USDA Forest Serviceâs Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP), seek to increase the pace and scale of ecological restoration. One required component of this program is collaborative adaptive management, in which monitoring...
Salient value similarity, social trust and attitudes toward wildland fire management strategies
J.J. Vaske; J.D. Absher; A.D. Bright
2007-01-01
We predicted that social trust in the USDA Forest Service would mediate the relationship between shared value similarity (SVS) and attitudes toward prescribed burning and mechanical thinning. Data were obtained from a mail survey (n = 532) of rural Colorado residents living in the wildland urban interface (WUI). A structural equation analysis was used to assess the...
Susie Kocher; Eric Toman; Sarah Trainor; Vita Wright
2012-01-01
In 2009, the federal Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) initiated a national network of regional fire science consortia to accelerate awareness, understanding and use of wildland fire science. This presentation synthesizes findings from initial needs assessments conducted by consortia in eight regions of the United States. The assessments evaluated how fire science is...
Vita Wright; Crystal Kolden; Todd Kipfer; Kristine Lee; Adrian Leighton; Jim Riddering; Leana Schelvan
2011-01-01
The Northern Rocky Mountain region is one of the most fire-prone regions in the United States. With a history of large fires that have shaped national policy, including the fires of 1910 and 2000 in Idaho and Montana and the Yellowstone fires of 1988, this region is projected to have many large severe fires in the future. Communication about fire science needs and...
Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program 2015 Research Accomplishments
Faith Ann Heinsch; Charles W. McHugh; Colin C. Hardy
2016-01-01
The Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program (FFS) of the U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station focuses on fundamental and applied research in wildland fire, from fire physics and fire ecology to fuels management and smoke emissions. Located at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory in Montana, the scientists, engineers, technicians, and support...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.
Information pertaining to biotechnology research that was funded in whole or in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is presented in this report. Findings obtained from state agricultural experimental stations and colleges of veterinary medicine are discussed in 11 appendices. These include: (1) information on USDA's biotechnology…
Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program: 2013 Research accomplishments
Faith Ann Heinsch; Robin J. Innes; Colin C. Hardy; Kristine M. Lee
2014-01-01
The Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program (FFS) of the U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, focuses on fundamental and applied research in wildland fire, from fire physics and fire ecology to fuels management and smoke emissions. Located at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory in Montana, the scientists, engineers, technicians, and support staff in...
David C. Chojnacky; Thomas M. Schuler
2004-01-01
Fallen or down dead wood is a key element in healthy forest ecosystems. Although the amount of down wood and shrubs can provide critical information to forest resource managers for assessing fire fuel build up, data on biomass of down woody materials (DWM) are not readily accessible using existing databases. We summarized data collected by the USDA Forest Service'...
Internet VSMOKE: A user-oriented system for smoke management
James T. Paul; Alan Dozier; Daniel Chan
2007-01-01
The Georgia Forestry Commission has developed an Internet-based, user friendly version of a USDA Forest Service smoke dispersion model called âVSMOKE.â The program provides an easy to use method to quickly evaluate what areas will likely be impacted by smoke from a wild or prescribed fire. This is particularly important in assessing air quality, public safety and...
Field performance in southeast Alaska of sitka spruce seedlings produced at two nurseries.
John C. Zasada; Peyton W. Owston; Dennis Murphy
1990-01-01
A study of nursery stock performance was conducted on four sites in the Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska: two sites at Fire Cove (Ketchikan Ranger District [R.D.]) and one each at Anita Bay (Wrangell R.D.) and Eight Fathom (Hoonah R.D.). Containerized Sitka spruce seedlings used in the study were grown at USDA Forest Service nurseries in Petersburg,...
Sarah Hurteau; Brett G. Dickson; Thomas D. Sisk; William M. Block
2008-01-01
The U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies treated more than 2.8 million ha of forested land between 2001 and 2003 under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (USDA Forest Service 2004). Because many more areas across our landscape are slated for fuel reduction treatments, understanding how wildlife communities will respond is essential to conserving biodiversity...
Christine A. Vogt; Stanley J. Cindrity
2003-01-01
This paper reports research completed in the fall/winter seasons of 2001/2002 on home owners living in the wildland urban interface for the USDA Forest Service. The primary research focus was to understand human dimensions of wildland fire, particularly attitudes toward and approval of three fuel treatment types (prescribed burning, mechanical thinning, and defensible...
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
York, A.; Blocksome, C.; Cheng, T.; Creighton, J.; Edwards, G.; Frederick, S.; Giardina, C. P.; Goebel, P. C.; Gucker, C.; Kobziar, L.; Lane, E.; Leis, S.; Long, A.; Maier, C.; Marschall, J.; McGowan-Stinski, J.; Mohr, H.; MontBlanc, E.; Pellant, M.; Pickett, E.; Seesholtz, D.; Skowronski, N.; Stambaugh, M. C.; Stephens, S.; Thode, A.; Trainor, S. F.; Waldrop, T.; Wolfson, B.; Wright, V.; Zedler, P.
2014-12-01
The Joint Fire Science Program's (JFSP) Fire Exchange Network is actively working to accelerate the awareness, understanding, and adoption of wildland fire science information by federal, tribal, state, local, and private stakeholders within ecologically similar regions. Our network of 15 regional exchanges provides timely, accurate, and regionally relevant science-based information to assist with fire management challenges. Regional activities, through which we engage fire and resource managers, scientists, and private landowners, include online newsletters and announcements, social media, regionally focused web-based clearinghouses of relevant science, field trips and demonstration sites, workshops and conferences, webinars and online training, and syntheses and fact sheets. Exchanges also help investigators design research that is relevant to regional management needs and assist with technology transfer to management audiences. This poster provides an introduction to and map of the regional exchanges.
The Science of Firescapes: Achieving Fire-Resilient Communities.
Smith, Alistair M S; Kolden, Crystal A; Paveglio, Travis B; Cochrane, Mark A; Bowman, David Mjs; Moritz, Max A; Kliskey, Andrew D; Alessa, Lilian; Hudak, Andrew T; Hoffman, Chad M; Lutz, James A; Queen, Lloyd P; Goetz, Scott J; Higuera, Philip E; Boschetti, Luigi; Flannigan, Mike; Yedinak, Kara M; Watts, Adam C; Strand, Eva K; van Wagtendonk, Jan W; Anderson, John W; Stocks, Brian J; Abatzoglou, John T
2016-02-01
Wildland fire management has reached a crossroads. Current perspectives are not capable of answering interdisciplinary adaptation and mitigation challenges posed by increases in wildfire risk to human populations and the need to reintegrate fire as a vital landscape process. Fire science has been, and continues to be, performed in isolated "silos," including institutions (e.g., agencies versus universities), organizational structures (e.g., federal agency mandates versus local and state procedures for responding to fire), and research foci (e.g., physical science, natural science, and social science). These silos tend to promote research, management, and policy that focus only on targeted aspects of the "wicked" wildfire problem. In this article, we provide guiding principles to bridge diverse fire science efforts to advance an integrated agenda of wildfire research that can help overcome disciplinary silos and provide insight on how to build fire-resilient communities.
Creating a passion for safety vs. management oversight and inspection
Jim Saveland
1995-01-01
I was disappointed with the OSHA report of the South Canyon Fire. My feelings are not the result of any need to defend my agency (USDA Forest Service). In another time and place, I thought the OSHA report following the death of Bill Martin (a smokejumper who died in a training jump) was right on target. In that instance I was disappointed with my agency's response...
Timothy A. Robards
2012-01-01
This study used USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot data, forest growth models, wildland fire emission estimates and timber harvest data to estimate the live tree carbon storage and flux of California's forests and woodlands. Approximately 30 Tg C02e per year was estimated as the annual flux for all California forests. The forest inventory...
Dennis R. Becker; Mark Nechodom; Adam Barnett; Tad Mason; Eini C. Lowell; John Shelly; Dean Graham
2008-01-01
As forest biomass utilization becomes cost effective to harvest, more areas at risk of catastrophic wildfire can be thinned of dense brush and small-diameter trees. In an effort to increase biomass utilization, the USDA Forest Service granted more than $36 million in National Fire Plan-Economic Action Program funds in the Western United States during fiscal years 2001...
Osmond, Deanna; Bolster, Carl; Sharpley, Andrew; Cabrera, Miguel; Feagley, Sam; Forsberg, Adam; Mitchell, Charles; Mylavarapu, Rao; Oldham, J Larry; Radcliffe, David E; Ramirez-Avila, John J; Storm, Dan E; Walker, Forbes; Zhang, Hailin
2017-11-01
Phosphorus (P) Indices in the southern United States frequently produce different recommendations for similar conditions. We compared risk ratings from 12 southern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas) using data collected from benchmark sites in the South (Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas). Phosphorus Index ratings were developed using both measured erosion losses from each benchmark site and Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation 2 predictions; mostly, there was no difference in P Index outcome. The derived loss ratings were then compared with measured P loads at the benchmark sites by using equivalent USDA-NRCS P Index ratings and three water quality models (Annual P Loss Estimator [APLE], Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender [APEX], and Texas Best Management Practice Evaluation Tool [TBET]). Phosphorus indices were finally compared against each other using USDA-NRCS loss ratings model estimate correspondence with USDA-NRCS loss ratings. Correspondence was 61% for APEX, 48% for APLE, and 52% for TBET, with overall P index correspondence at 55%. Additive P Indices (Alabama and Texas) had the lowest USDA-NRCS loss rating correspondence (31%), while the multiplicative (Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee) and component (Georgia, Kentucky, and North Carolina) indices had similar USDA-NRCS loss rating correspondence-60 and 64%, respectively. Analysis using Kendall's modified Tau suggested that correlations between measured and calculated P-loss ratings were similar or better for most P Indices than the models. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.
Remote sensing and geospatial support to burned area emergency response teams
McKinley, Randy; Clark, Jess
2011-01-01
A major concern of land managers in the United States is the response of watersheds to weather after a wildfire. With an ever-expanding wildland-urban interface (WUI), land managers must be cognizant of potential damage to private property and other values at risk. In the United States, land-management agencies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) deploy Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams to address these concerns and to “prescribe and implement emergency treatments to minimize threats to life or property or to stabilize and prevent unacceptable degradation to natural and cultural resources resulting from the effects of a fire” (USDA Forest Service 2004, p. 17). BAER teams’ objective is emergency stabilization of burned areas, rather than long-term restoration of the landscape after a fire.
The Science of Firescapes: Achieving Fire-Resilient Communities
Smith, Alistair M.S.; Kolden, Crystal A.; Paveglio, Travis B.; Cochrane, Mark A.; Bowman, David MJS; Moritz, Max A.; Kliskey, Andrew D.; Alessa, Lilian; Hudak, Andrew T.; Hoffman, Chad M.; Lutz, James A.; Queen, Lloyd P.; Goetz, Scott J.; Higuera, Philip E.; Boschetti, Luigi; Flannigan, Mike; Yedinak, Kara M.; Watts, Adam C.; Strand, Eva K.; van Wagtendonk, Jan W.; Anderson, John W.; Stocks, Brian J.; Abatzoglou, John T.
2016-01-01
Abstract Wildland fire management has reached a crossroads. Current perspectives are not capable of answering interdisciplinary adaptation and mitigation challenges posed by increases in wildfire risk to human populations and the need to reintegrate fire as a vital landscape process. Fire science has been, and continues to be, performed in isolated “silos,” including institutions (e.g., agencies versus universities), organizational structures (e.g., federal agency mandates versus local and state procedures for responding to fire), and research foci (e.g., physical science, natural science, and social science). These silos tend to promote research, management, and policy that focus only on targeted aspects of the “wicked” wildfire problem. In this article, we provide guiding principles to bridge diverse fire science efforts to advance an integrated agenda of wildfire research that can help overcome disciplinary silos and provide insight on how to build fire-resilient communities. PMID:29593361
Sara M. Ashiglar; John W. Hanna; Amy L. Ross-Davis; Ned B. Klopfenstein
2014-01-01
The Moscow Forestry Sciences Laboratory of the Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) has a unique collection of forest/tree-associated fungi with over 15,000 living specimens. Based in Moscow, ID, this USDA APHIS-PPQ (Plant Protection and Quarantine) containment facility houses fungal archives from approximately 35 states and 30 countries. The collection involves the...
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division
The Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) formerly operated a grain storage facility at Milford, Nebraska. In May 2008, the CCC/USDA directed the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory, as its technical consultant, to develop a work plan for a targeted investigation at the Milford site. The purpose of the targeted investigation is to assess the current extent and configuration of the carbon tetrachloride plume downgradient from the former CCC/USDA facility and proximal to the banks of the Big Blue River, which borders the area of concern to the east, southeast, and northeast. In 1995,more » carbon tetrachloride contamination was detected by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services in a private drinking water well and a livestock well 1.25 mi south of Milford (Figure 1.1). The Trojan drinking water well is located directly downgradient (approximately 300 ft east) of the former CCC/USDA facility. Low levels of carbon tetrachloride contamination were also found in the Troyer livestock well, approximately 1,200 ft north of the former CCC/USDA facility.« less
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Laughlin, Jerry W.
2007-01-01
There was rapid growth of Alabama community colleges in the late 1960s. At the same time, there was rapid growth nationally of fire science associate degree programs. With these concurrent events, one would expect fire department personnel in Alabama to benefit from new community college opportunities in fire science and fire administration.…
Sarah M. McCaffrey; Christine S. Olsen
2012-01-01
As part of a Joint Fire Science Program project, a team of social scientists reviewed existing fire social science literature to develop a targeted synthesis of scientific knowledge on the following questions: 1. What is the public's understanding of fire's role in the ecosystem? 2. Who are trusted sources of information about fire? 3. What are the public...
Annual Report of Monitoring at Barnes, Kansas, in 2016
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, Lorraine M.
In 2006, the CCC/USDA assumed responsibility for the site investigation relating to potential carbon tetrachloride contamination. Initially, the CCC/USDA developed and implemented a work plan for targeted groundwater sampling and monitoring well installation (KDHE 2009). The investigation and subsequent monitoring (Argonne 2008a-d, 2009a,b, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015a,b, 2016) were performed by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. The reports of environmental investigations at Barnes are summarized.
Developing an agenda to guide forest social science, economics, and utilization research.
Richard W. Haynes
2005-01-01
The USDA Forest Service has had a longstanding presence in utilization, economics, and social sciences research and development activities. The magnitude and diversity of these activities have changed as the questions and the people asking them have changed over the past century. These changes challenge the social science and utilization research community to develop...
USDA Human Nutrition Center, 1978-1982, and coordination of human nutrition research agencies.
Combs, Gerald F
2009-01-01
Survey findings, confirming widespread malnutrition, led to the 1969 White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health and increased funding of related Federal programs. In 1976, the ARS Administrator proposed to Congress a greatly expanded program for human nutrition research. This led to the development of USDA Human Nutrition Research Centers at Universities. Funding of these Centers resulted mainly from efforts of scientists and others from the states where Centers were located. USDA formed the Science and Education Administration (SEA) by merging several related research and education agencies, expecting to improve coordination and focus. Human nutrition research activities were placed in SEA under a USDA Human Nutrition Center in 1978, which was terminated in 1982 when SEA was disbanded. Coordination of human nutrition research within USDA and with other federal agencies required specific mechanisms. Within USDA, a subcommittee met regularly to exchange information and generate policy recommendations. Quarterly meetings of USDA Human Nutrition Center directors were held to enhance information exchange and cooperation. A Human Nutrition Board of Scientific Counselors was established to advise the Secretary regarding program direction and priorities. Human nutrition at the federal level was coordinated through the Interagency Committee on Human Nutrition Research (ICHNR). ICHNR devised a computerized database of ongoing federal food and nutrition research, developed a comprehensive 5-y research plan, and held biennial conferences for scientific presentations. Most important were the several interagency committees, which worked together to ensure that all federal agencies spoke with 1 voice. These committees functioned most effectively.
The sensitivity of US wildfire occurrence to pre-season soil moisture conditions across ecosystems
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jensen, Daniel; Reager, John T.; Zajic, Brittany; Rousseau, Nick; Rodell, Matthew; Hinkley, Everett
2018-01-01
It is generally accepted that year-to-year variability in moisture conditions and drought are linked with increased wildfire occurrence. However, quantifying the sensitivity of wildfire to surface moisture state at seasonal lead-times has been challenging due to the absence of a long soil moisture record with the appropriate coverage and spatial resolution for continental-scale analysis. Here we apply model simulations of surface soil moisture that numerically assimilate observations from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission with the USDA Forest Service’s historical Fire-Occurrence Database over the contiguous United States. We quantify the relationships between pre-fire-season soil moisture and subsequent-year wildfire occurrence by land-cover type and produce annual probable wildfire occurrence and burned area maps at 0.25 degree resolution. Cross-validated results generally indicate a higher occurrence of smaller fires when months preceding fire season are wet, while larger fires are more frequent when soils are dry. This is consistent with the concept of increased fuel accumulation under wet conditions in the pre-season. These results demonstrate the fundamental strength of the relationship between soil moisture and fire activity at long lead-times and are indicative of that relationship’s utility for the future development of national-scale predictive capability.
Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Program: 2014 Research Accomplishments
Faith Ann Heinsch; Robin J. Innes; Colin C. Hardy; Kristine M. Lee
2015-01-01
The Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program (FFS) of the U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station focuses on fundamental and applied research in wildland fire, from fire physics and fire ecology to fuels management and smoke emissions. Located at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory in Montana, the scientists, engineers, technicians, and support staff in FFS...
Fire Modeling Institute: FY2012 Annual Report: Bridging scientists and managers
Robin J. Innes
2013-01-01
The Fire Modeling Institute (FMI) brings the best available fire and fuel science and technology developed throughout the research community to bear in fire-related management issues. Although located within the Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program of the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, FMI is a national and international resource, serving fire...
Forest science in the South - 2008
Southern Research Station USDA Forest Service
2008-01-01
It is my pleasure to present the 2008 Forest Science in the South, a summary of accomplishments of the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS). This annual report includes a CD with details about our research and products, as well as links for ordering or downloading publications.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division
The 2007 investigation of carbon tetrachloride and chloroform contamination at Powhattan, Kansas, was conducted at the request of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE 2006a). The Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory implemented the investigation on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA). The primary purposes of the investigation were to evaluate potential contaminant source areas on the former CCC/USDA property, determine the horizontal and vertical extent of potential contamination, conduct groundwater monitoring, and provide recommendations for future action.
NASA's Agricultural Program: A USDA/Grower Partnership
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
McKellip, Rodney; Thomas, Michael
2002-01-01
Ag20/20 is a partnership between USDA, NASA, and four national commodity associations. It is driven by the information needs of U.S. farmers. Ag20/20 is focused on utilization of earth science and remote sensing for decision-making and oriented toward economically viable operational solutions. Its purpose is to accelerate the use of remote sensing and other geospatial technologies on the farm to: 1) Increase the production efficiency of the American farmer; 2) Reduce crop production risks; 3) Improve environmental stewardship tools for agricultural production.
Welcome to the sudden oak death third science symposium
Susan J. Frankel
2008-01-01
On behalf of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station and the California Oak Mortality Task Force, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the Sudden Oak Death Third Science Symposium. Looking back at the first sudden oak death science symposium held in Monterey in December 2002, it is amazing to see how far we...
Wilderness fire science: A state of knowledge review
James K. Agee
2000-01-01
Wilderness fire science has progressed since the last major review of the topic, but it was significantly affected by the large fire events of 1988. Strides have been made in both fire behavior and fire effects, and in the issues of scaling, yet much of the progress has not been specifically tied to wilderness areas or funding. Although the management of fire in...
7 CFR 2.16 - Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... for USDA international science and technology programs concerning international agricultural research...) Administer the Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program (7 U.S.C. 3319j... agricultural commodity, including fats and oils or animal hides or skins as provided for in the Export...
7 CFR 2.16 - Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... for USDA international science and technology programs concerning international agricultural research...) Administer the Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program (7 U.S.C. 3319j... agricultural commodity, including fats and oils or animal hides or skins as provided for in the Export...
7 CFR 2.16 - Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... for USDA international science and technology programs concerning international agricultural research...) Administer the Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program (7 U.S.C. 3319j... agricultural commodity, including fats and oils or animal hides or skins as provided for in the Export...
7 CFR 2.16 - Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... for USDA international science and technology programs concerning international agricultural research...) Administer the Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program (7 U.S.C. 3319j... agricultural commodity, including fats and oils or animal hides or skins as provided for in the Export...
7 CFR 2.16 - Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... for USDA international science and technology programs concerning international agricultural research...) Administer the Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program (7 U.S.C. 3319j... agricultural commodity, including fats and oils or animal hides or skins as provided for in the Export...
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2011-06-28
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS-2010-0102] Bayer CropScience LP; Availability of Petition, Plant Pest Risk Assessment, and Environmental Assessment... Herbicide Tolerance AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: We...
Antibiotics in agroecosystems: state of the science “ARASOS” workshop summary
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
In August 2014, the Biosphere2 Conference Center in Oracle, Arizona was the site of a sunny three-day workshop on “Antibiotics in Agroecosystems: State of the Science.” Attended by 42 people, participants included scientists and others from academia, government agencies (including EPA and USDA), an...
77 FR 36982 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-06-20
... pursuing disciplines in agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences at any of the 1890 Land-Grant Universities. The USDA/1890 National Scholars Program offers scholarships to U.S. citizens who are seeking a bachelor's degree, in the fields of agriculture, food, or natural resources sciences and related majors, at...
Application of TREECS to Small Arms Firing Ranges at Fort Leonard Wood, MO
2013-12-01
edited as necessary. The crop management factors (C) of the Universal Soil Loss Equation ( USLE ) were adjusted based upon the land-use description...ranges from approximately 750 to 1,150 feet above sea level near the northeastern installation boundary. The soils located at FLW are formed in the...official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) soil types have been identified at FLW: Clarksville Gravelly Loam, Lebanon Silt Loam, and Huntington Loam
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Edwards, Lloyd A.; Paresol, Bernard
This report of the geostatistical analysis results of the fire fuels response variables, custom reaction intensity and total dead fuels is but a part of an SRS 2010 vegetation inventory project. For detailed description of project, theory and background including sample design, methods, and results please refer to USDA Forest Service Savannah River Site internal report “SRS 2010 Vegetation Inventory GeoStatistical Mapping Report”, (Edwards & Parresol 2013).
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division
This Work Plan outlines the scope of work to be conducted to investigate the subsurface contaminant conditions at the property formerly leased by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) in Powhattan, Kansas (Figure 1.1). Data obtained during this event will be used to (1) evaluate potential contaminant source areas on the property; (2) determine the vertical and horizontal extent of potential contamination; and (3) provide recommendations for future action, with the ultimate goal of assigning this site No Further Action status. The planned investigation includes groundwater monitoring requested by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), in accordance with Sectionmore » V of the Intergovernmental Agreement between the KDHE and the Farm Service Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The work is being performed on behalf of the CCC/USDA by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. A nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by the University of Chicago for the U.S. Department of Energy, Argonne provides technical assistance to the CCC/USDA with environmental site characterization and remediation at former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities. Argonne issued a Master Work Plan (Argonne 2002) that has been approved by the KDHE. The Master Work Plan describes the general scope of all investigations at former CCC/USDA facilities in Kansas and provides guidance for these investigations. It should be consulted for the complete details of plans for work associated with the former CCC/USDA facility at Powhattan.« less
Pedoinformatics Approach to Soil Text Analytics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Furey, J.; Seiter, J.; Davis, A.
2017-12-01
The several extant schema for the classification of soils rely on differing criteria, but the major soil science taxonomies, including the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the international harmonized World Reference Base for Soil Resources systems, are based principally on inferred pedogenic properties. These taxonomies largely result from compiled individual observations of soil morphologies within soil profiles, and the vast majority of this pedologic information is contained in qualitative text descriptions. We present text mining analyses of hundreds of gigabytes of parsed text and other data in the digitally available USDA soil taxonomy documentation, the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database, and the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) soil characterization database. These analyses implemented iPython calls to Gensim modules for topic modelling, with latent semantic indexing completed down to the lowest taxon level (soil series) paragraphs. Via a custom extension of the Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK), approximately one percent of the USDA soil series descriptions were used to train a classifier for the remainder of the documents, essentially by treating soil science words as comprising a novel language. While location-specific descriptors at the soil series level are amenable to geomatics methods, unsupervised clustering of the occurrence of other soil science words did not closely follow the usual hierarchy of soil taxa. We present preliminary phrasal analyses that may account for some of these effects.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Goodrich, D. C.; Heilman, P.; Nearing, M.; Speath, K.; Hernandez, M.; Wei, H.; Holifield-Collins, C.; Kautz, M.; Nichols, M.; Barlow, J.; Guertin, P.; Burns, S.; Stone, J. J.; Weltz, M.; Metz, L.; Norfleet, L.; Duriancik, L.; Johnson, M.
2013-12-01
Farm Bill legislation enacted by Congress in 2002 directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assess of the benefits and efficacy of conservation practices provided by a variety of USDA programs. Benefits include improved agricultural production, reduction of erosion and associated nutrient losses, improved water quality, improved soil resilience, and improved habitat among others. To conduct the assessment, the USDA initiated CEAP or the Conservation Effects Assessment Project in 2003, which included a national assessment complemented by small watershed studies. The national assessment started in eastern and midwestern cultivated croplands and has now progressed to western rangelands. This presentation will discuss the challenges of assessing the effects of rangeland conservation practices in a period of unusually hot and dry climatic conditions in the Cienega Creek Watershed (CCW) located southeast of Tucson, Arizona. As is common in the western U.S., the CCW consists of a patchwork of private and public lands in the west with much of the public lands leased for grazing cattle. The watershed also has high recreational value and provides many ecosystem services, including wildlife habitat qualities and flood protection to Tucson. A combination of monitoring, modeling, and remote sensing was utilized in the assessment. Conservation spending in the watershed ramped up in 1997. However, the 16-year period from 1997-2012 contains almost half of the 23 driest seasons (lowest 20 percentile) from the 117-year observed precipitation record. Initial results indicate that Landsat remotely sensed images can be effectively used to estimate both green and senescent canopy cover. This enabled detection of the impacts of drought and changes in canopy cover from practices such as prescribed fire and mechanical brush removal. Cienega Creek Watershed - Land Ownership
Principles of effective USA federal fire management plans
Meyer, Marc D.; Roberts, Susan L.; Wills, Robin; Brooks, Matthew L.; Winford, Eric M.
2015-01-01
Federal fire management plans are essential implementation guides for the management of wildland fire on federal lands. Recent changes in federal fire policy implementation guidance and fire science information suggest the need for substantial changes in federal fire management plans of the United States. Federal land management agencies are also undergoing land management planning efforts that will initiate revision of fire management plans across the country. Using the southern Sierra Nevada as a case study, we briefly describe the underlying framework of fire management plans, assess their consistency with guiding principles based on current science information and federal policy guidance, and provide recommendations for the development of future fire management plans. Based on our review, we recommend that future fire management plans be: (1) consistent and compatible, (2) collaborative, (3) clear and comprehensive, (4) spatially and temporally scalable, (5) informed by the best available science, and (6) flexible and adaptive. In addition, we identify and describe several strategic guides or “tools” that can enhance these core principles and benefit future fire management plans in the following areas: planning and prioritization, science integration, climate change adaptation, partnerships, monitoring, education and communication, and applied fire management. These principles and tools are essential to successfully realize fire management goals and objectives in a rapidly changing world.
NASA & USDA teams to plant seeds Today on This Week @NASA – October 9, 2015
2015-10-09
On Monday, October 5th, NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden planted “Outredgeous” Red Romaine Lettuce seeds in USDA’s People’s Garden, sister seeds of those grown and harvested on the International Space Station. During the event in Washington, D.C., they also signed an a new interagency agreement expanding USDA and NASA's commitment to promoting careers in science, technology, engineering, agriculture and math to young people. Also, CubeSats launched to test new technology, New Orion crew egress test, NASA living of Land in Space? NASA lends a helping hand for Start Ups, Meet the New Inductees to the Glenn Hall of Fame, and it’s National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, so Stop, Think & Connect.
Pomeranz, Jennifer L; Chriqui, Jamie F
2015-09-01
Under the current version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), participants can purchase virtually any food or beverage (collectively, food). Research indicates that SNAP recipients may have worse dietary quality than income-eligible nonparticipants. Policymakers have urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to pilot SNAP purchasing restrictions intended to support a healthier diet, and state legislators have proposed similar bills. The USDA rejected these invitations, stating that it would be administratively and logistically difficult to differentiate among products, amid other concerns. However, the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) do just that. Further, state governments define and differentiate among foods and beverages for tax purposes. This paper reviews several factors intended to inform future policy decisions: the science indicating that SNAP recipients have poorer diet quality than income-eligible nonparticipants; the public's support for revising the SNAP program; federal, state, and city legislators' formal proposals to amend SNAP based on nutrition criteria and the USDA's public position in opposition to these proposals; state bills to amend eligible foods purchasable with SNAP benefits; state retail food tax laws; and the retail administration and program requirements for both WIC and SNAP. The paper finds that the government has a clear ability to align SNAP benefits with nutrition science and operationalize this into law. Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Invasive plant species and the Joint Fire Science Program.
Heather E. Erickson; Rachel White
2007-01-01
Invasive nonnative plants may be responsible for serious, long-term ecological impacts, including altering fire behavior and fire regimes. Therefore, knowing how to successfully manage invasive plants and their impacts on natural resources is crucial. We present a summary of research on invasive plants and fire that has been generated through the Joint Fire Science...
Helping People Understand Soils - Perspectives from the US National Cooperative Soil Survey
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Reich, Paul; Cheever, Tammy; Greene, Linda; Southard, Susan; Levin, Maxine; Lindbo, David L.; Monger, Curtis
2017-04-01
Throughout the history of the US National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS), soil science education has been a part of the mission to better understand one of our most precious natural resources: the Soil. The poster will highlight the many products and programs related to soils that USDA NRCS (soils.usda.gov) has developed over the years for K-12 and college/professional education. NRCS scientific publications covering topics on soil properties, soil classification, soil health and soil quality have become an important part of the university soil science curriculum. Classroom lesson plans and grade appropriate materials help K-12 teachers introduce soil concepts to students and include detailed instructions and materials for classroom demonstrations of soil properties. A Handbook for Collegiate Soils Contests support universities that conduct Collegiate Soil Judging contests.
7 CFR 93.12 - Analyses available and locations of laboratories.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... AMS Science and Technology (S&T) Aflatoxin Laboratories: (1) USDA, AMS, S&T 1211 Schley Avenue, Albany... Science and Technology (S&T) Aflatoxin Laboratories at Madill, Oklahoma and Blakely, Georgia will perform... matter, and oil (fat) content. (2) All of the analyses described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section...
7 CFR 93.12 - Analyses available and locations of laboratories.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... AMS Science and Technology (S&T) Aflatoxin Laboratories: (1) USDA, AMS, S&T 1211 Schley Avenue, Albany... Science and Technology (S&T) Aflatoxin Laboratories at Madill, Oklahoma and Blakely, Georgia will perform... matter, and oil (fat) content. (2) All of the analyses described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section...
7 CFR 93.12 - Analyses available and locations of laboratories.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... AMS Science and Technology (S&T) Aflatoxin Laboratories: (1) USDA, AMS, S&T 1211 Schley Avenue, Albany... Science and Technology (S&T) Aflatoxin Laboratories at Madill, Oklahoma and Blakely, Georgia will perform... matter, and oil (fat) content. (2) All of the analyses described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section...
7 CFR 93.12 - Analyses available and locations of laboratories.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... AMS Science and Technology (S&T) Aflatoxin Laboratories: (1) USDA, AMS, S&T 1211 Schley Avenue, Albany... Science and Technology (S&T) Aflatoxin Laboratories at Madill, Oklahoma and Blakely, Georgia will perform... matter, and oil (fat) content. (2) All of the analyses described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section...
7 CFR 93.12 - Analyses available and locations of laboratories.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... AMS Science and Technology (S&T) Aflatoxin Laboratories: (1) USDA, AMS, S&T 1211 Schley Avenue, Albany... Science and Technology (S&T) Aflatoxin Laboratories at Madill, Oklahoma and Blakely, Georgia will perform... matter, and oil (fat) content. (2) All of the analyses described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section...
John F. Hunt; Jerrold E. Winandy
2002-01-01
Currently, after logging or thinning operations much of the low value timber is either left standing or is felled and left on the ground, chipped, or burned because most North American mills are not equipped to handle this material. In many areas of Western U.S., this forest residue does not decompose if felled and it soon becomes susceptible to forest insect or...
Soils under fire: soils research and the Joint Fire Science Program.
Heather E. Erickson; Rachel White
2008-01-01
Soils are fundamental to a healthy and functioning ecosystem. Therefore, forest land managers can greatly benefit from a more thorough understanding of the ecological impacts of fire and fuel management activities on the vital services soils provide. We present a summary of new research on fire effects and soils made possible through the Joint Fire Science Program and...
Genesis of an oak-fire science consortium
Keith W. Grabner; Michael C. Stambaugh; Richard P. Guyette; Daniel C. Dey; Gary D. Wilson
2012-01-01
With respect to fire management and practices, one of the most overlooked regions lies in the middle of the country. In this region there is a critical need for both recognition of fireâs importance and sharing of fire information and expertise. Recently we proposed and were awarded funding by the Joint Fire Science Program to initiate the planning phase for a regional...
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), operated a grain storage facility at the northeastern edge of the city of Hanover, Kansas, from 1950 until the early 1970s. During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were in common use by the grain storage industry to preserve grain in their facilities. In February 1998, trace to low levels of carbon tetrachloride (below the maximum contaminant level [MCL] of 5.0 {micro}g/L) were detected in two private wells near the former grain storage facility at Hanover, as part of a statewide USDA private wellmore » sampling program that was implemented by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) near former CCC/USDA facilities. In April 2007, the CCC/USDA collected near-surface soil samples at 1.8-2 ft BGL (below ground level) at 61 locations across the former CCC/USDA facility. All soil samples were analyzed by the rigorous gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer analytical method (purge-and-trap method). No contamination was found in soil samples above the reporting limit of 10 {micro}g/kg. In July 2007, the CCC/USDA sampled indoor air at nine residences on or adjacent to its former facility to address the residents concerns regarding vapor intrusion. Low levels of carbon tetrachloride were detected at four of the nine homes. Because carbon tetrachloride found in private wells and indoor air at the site might be linked to historical use of fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride at its former grain storage facility, the CCC/USDA is proposing to conduct an investigation to determine the source and extent of the carbon tetrachloride contamination associated with the former facility. This investigation will be conducted in accordance with the intergovernmental agreement between the KDHE and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the USDA. The investigation at Hanover will be performed, on behalf of the CCC/USDA, by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by UChicago Argonne, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The CCC/USDA has entered into an interagency agreement with DOE, under which Argonne provides technical assistance to the CCC/USDA with environmental site characterization and remediation at its former grain storage facilities. Seven technical objectives have been proposed for the Hanover investigation. They are as follows: (1) Identify the sources and extent of soil contamination beneath the former CCC/USDA facility; (2) Characterize groundwater contamination beneath the former CCC/USDA facility; (3) Determine groundwater flow patterns; (4) Define the vertical and lateral extent of the groundwater plume outside the former CCC/USDA facility; (5) Evaluate the aquifer and monitor the groundwater system; (6) Identify any other potential sources of contamination that are not related to activities of the CCC/USDA; and (7) Determine whether there is a vapor intrusion problem at the site attributable to the former CCC/USDA facility. The technical objectives will be accomplished in a phased approached. Data collected during each phase will be evaluated to determine whether the subsequent phase is necessary. The KDHE project manager and the CCC/USDA will be contacted during each phase and kept apprised of the results. Whether implementation of each phase of work is necessary will be discussed and mutually agreed upon by the CCC/USDA and KDHE project managers.« less
Deborah M. Finch
2017-01-01
In this issue of the GSD Update, we take a look back at selected studies of the Grassland, Shrubland and Desert Ecosystems Science Program (GSD) that depict its strengths and focus areas. Significant results of recent research and science delivery by GSD scientists are highlighted. We feature program research that lines up with the strategic priorities of the USDA...
Deborah M. Finch
2013-01-01
In this issue of the GSD Update, we take a look back at selected studies of the Grassland, Shrubland and Desert Ecosystem Science Program (GSD) that depict its strengths and focus areas. Significant results of recent research and science applications by GSD scientists are highlighted. We identify where program research lines up with the strategic priorities of the USDA...
FInal Report: Site Investigation Results, 2009-2011, at Inman, Kansas
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, Lorraine M.
The Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) operated a grain storage facility at the southern edge of the city of Inman, Kansas, from 1954 to 1965. During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were in common use by the grain storage industry to preserve grain in their facilities. In 1997, trace to low levels of carbon tetrachloride (below the maximum contamination level [MCL] of 5.0 μg/L) were detected in three private wells near the former grain storage facility at Inman, as part of a statewide USDA private well sampling program that was implemented bymore » the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) near former CCC/USDA facilities. No public water supply wells were identified in 1998 by the KDHE within 1 mi of the town. Carbon tetrachloride is the contaminant of primary concern at sites associated with grain storage operations. To determine whether the former CCC/USDA facility at Inman is a potential contaminant source and its possible relationship to the contamination in groundwater, the CCC/USDA agreed to conduct investigations at Inman. The investigations were performed by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory in accordance with the Intergovernmental Agreement between the KDHE and the Farm Service Agency of the USDA. Argonne, on behalf of the CCC/USDA, developed a Work Plan (Argonne 2007) and subsequently a Summary of Investigation Results and Proposed Work Plan (Appendix A) for a phased site investigation. The proposed work was approved by the KDHE (2007, 2011). The investigations were conducted from November 2009 to September 2011, as proposed in the two work plans. This report presents the findings of the 2009-2011 investigations at Inman.« less
Final Report: Results of Environmental Site Investigation at Sylvan Grove, Kansas
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, Lorraine M
Sylvan Grove is located in western Lincoln County, approximately 60 mi west of Salina, Kansas (Figure 1.1). From 1954 to 1966, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), operated a grain storage facility at the northeastern edge of Sylvan Grove. During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were in common use to preserve grain in storage. In 1998, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) found carbon tetrachloride above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 μg/L in groundwater from one private well used for livestock and lawn and gardenmore » watering. The 1998 KDHE sampling at Sylvan Grove was conducted under the USDA private well sampling program. To determine whether the former CCC/USDA facility at Sylvan Grove is a potential contaminant source and its possible relationship to the contamination in groundwater, the CCC/USDA proposed to conduct an environmental site investigation, in accordance with the Intergovernmental Agreement between the KDHE and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the USDA. Argonne National Laboratory, on behalf of the CCC/USDA, developed a work plan (Argonne 2012) for the site investigation and a supplemental work plan for indoor and ambient air sampling (Appendix A). The proposed work was approved by the KDHE (2012a, 2013). The investigations were performed by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory, on behalf of the CCC/USDA. The main activities for the site investigation were conducted in June 2012, and indoor and ambient air sampling was performed in February 2013. This report presents the findings of the investigations at Sylvan Grove.« less
Fire Modeling Institute 2011 Annual Report
Robin J. Innes
2012-01-01
The Fire Modeling Institute (FMI), a part of the Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program, provides a bridge between scientists and managers. The mission of FMI is to bring the best available science and technology developed throughout the research community to bear on fire-related management issues across the nation. Resource management...
The science of firescapes: Achieving fire-resilient communities
Alistair M. S. Smith; Crystal A. Kolden; Travis B. Paveglio; Mark A. Cochrane; David MJS Bowman; Max A. Moritz; Andrew D. Kliskey; Lilian Alessa; Andrew T. Hudak; Chad M. Hoffman; James A. Lutz; Lloyd P. Queen; Scott J. Goetz; Philip E. Higuera; Luigi Boschetti; Mike Flannigan; Kara M. Yedinak; Adam C. Watts; Eva K. Strand; Jan W. van Wagtendonk; John W. Anderson; Brian J. Stocks; John T. Abatzoglou
2016-01-01
Wildland fire management has reached a crossroads. Current perspectives are not capable of answering interdisciplinary adaptation and mitigation challenges posed by increases in wildfire risk to human populations and the need to reintegrate fire as a vital landscape process. Fire science has been, and continues to be, performed in isolated "silos," including...
7 CFR 97.2 - Meaning of words.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... fact; conclusions with respect to all material issues of fact and law, as well as the reasons or basis... Protection Office. The Plant Variety Protection Office, Science and Technology Programs, AMS, USDA. Official...
7 CFR 97.2 - Meaning of words.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... fact; conclusions with respect to all material issues of fact and law, as well as the reasons or basis... Protection Office. The Plant Variety Protection Office, Science and Technology Programs, AMS, USDA. Official...
7 CFR 97.2 - Meaning of words.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... fact; conclusions with respect to all material issues of fact and law, as well as the reasons or basis... Protection Office. The Plant Variety Protection Office, Science and Technology Programs, AMS, USDA. Official...
7 CFR 97.2 - Meaning of words.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... fact; conclusions with respect to all material issues of fact and law, as well as the reasons or basis... Protection Office. The Plant Variety Protection Office, Science and Technology Programs, AMS, USDA. Official...
7 CFR 97.2 - Meaning of words.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... fact; conclusions with respect to all material issues of fact and law, as well as the reasons or basis... Protection Office. The Plant Variety Protection Office, Science and Technology Programs, AMS, USDA. Official...
Backburning as an Alternative to Traditional Pre-Commercial Thinning
Lloyd F. Thomas; Thomas A. Waldrop
1999-01-01
Two studies--at the USDA Forestry Science Laboratories in Macon, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina - suggest that the cost of pre-commercial thinning can be reduced with low-intensity prescribed burning.
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
As one of the newest federal programs to emerge in response to climate change, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Climate Hubs were established to assist farmers, ranchers and forest landowners in their adaptation and mitigation efforts under a changing climate. The Hubs’ mission is to delive...
Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; fact sheet: The Fuels Synthesis Project overview
Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service
2004-01-01
The geographic focus of the "Fuels Planning: Science Synthesis and Integration" project #known as the Fuels Synthesis Project# is on the dry forests of the Western United States. Target audiences include fuels management specialists, resource specialists, National Environmental Policy Act #NEPA# planning team leaders, line officers in the USDA Forest Service...
McGinnis, Thomas W.; Keeley, Jon E.; Stephens, Scott L.; Roller, Gary B.
2010-01-01
Typically, after large stand-replacing fires in mid-elevation Sierra Nevada forests, dense shrub fields occupy sites formerly occupied by mature conifers, until eventually conifers overtop and shade out shrubs. Attempting to reduce fuel loads and expedite forest regeneration in these areas, the USDA Forest Service often disrupts this cycle by the logging of fire-killed trees, replanting of conifers and killing of shrubs. We measured the effects of these treatments on live and dead fuel loads and alien species and modeled potential fire behavior and fire effects on regenerating forests. Sampling occurred in untreated, logged and herbicide-treated stands throughout the Sierra Nevada in four large fire areas 4–21 years after stand-replacing fires. Logging fire-killed trees significantly increased total available dead fuel loads in the short term but did not affect shrub cover, grass and forb cover, alien species cover or alien species richness. Despite the greater available dead fuel loads, fire behavior was not modeled to be different between logged and untreated stands, due to abundant shrub fuels in both logged and untreated stands. In contrast, the herbicide treatment directed at shrubs resulted in extremely low shrub cover, significantly greater alien species richness and significantly greater alien grass and forb cover. Grass and forb cover was strongly correlated with solar radiation on the ground, which may be the primary reason that grass and forb cover was higher in herbicide treated stands with low shrub and tree cover. Repeat burning exacerbated the alien grass problem in some stands. Although modeled surface fire flame lengths and rates of spread were found to be greater in stands dominated by shrubs, compared to low shrub cover conifer plantations, surface fire would still be intense enough to kill most trees, given their small size and low crown heights in the first two decades after planting.
Conservation education for Fire, Fuel and Smoke Program
Wayne Cook
2009-01-01
The mission of Conservation Education for the Fire, Fuel and Smoke (FFS) Program is to develop and deliver high-quality, science-based education about wildland fire to students, educators, the general public, and agency staff. Goals: 1) Increase awareness of the scope and content of FFS research. 2) Improve understanding of fundamental concepts in wildland fire science...
Science Matters Special Edition: Wildland Fire Science
EPA is applying its extensive expertise in air quality science to the study of wildland fires to help states and communities that are impacted. This issue of Science Matters newsletter highlights some of the research projects under way by EPA and partners.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Arca, B.; Salis, M.; Bacciu, V.; Duce, P.; Pellizzaro, G.; Ventura, A.; Spano, D.
2009-04-01
Although in many countries lightning is the main cause of ignition, in the Mediterranean Basin the forest fires are predominantly ignited by arson, or by human negligence. The fire season peaks coincide with extreme weather conditions (mainly strong winds, hot temperatures, low atmospheric water vapour content) and high tourist presence. Many works reported that in the Mediterranean Basin the projected impacts of climate change will cause greater weather variability and extreme weather conditions, with drier and hotter summers and heat waves. At long-term scale, climate changes could affect the fuel load and the dead/live fuel ratio, and therefore could change the vegetation flammability. At short-time scale, the increase of extreme weather events could directly affect fuel water status, and it could increase large fire occurrence. In this context, detecting the areas characterized by both high probability of large fire occurrence and high fire severity could represent an important component of the fire management planning. In this work we compared several fire probability and severity maps (fire occurrence, rate of spread, fireline intensity, flame length) obtained for a study area located in North Sardinia, Italy, using FlamMap simulator (USDA Forest Service, Missoula). FlamMap computes the potential fire behaviour characteristics over a defined landscape for given weather, wind and fuel moisture data. Different weather and fuel moisture scenarios were tested to predict the potential impact of climate changes on fire parameters. The study area, characterized by a mosaic of urban areas, protected areas, and other areas subject to anthropogenic disturbances, is mainly composed by fire-prone Mediterranean maquis. The input themes needed to run FlamMap were input as grid of 10 meters; the wind data, obtained using a computational fluid-dynamic model, were inserted as gridded file, with a resolution of 50 m. The analysis revealed high fire probability and severity in most of the areas, and therefore a high potential danger. The FlamMap outputs and the derived fire probability maps can be used in decision support systems for fire spread and behaviour and for fire danger assessment with actual and future fire regimes.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gilman, J.; De Gouw, J. A.; Coggon, M.; Koss, A.; Lerner, B. M.; Roberts, J. M.; Selimovic, V.; Sekimoto, K.; Yokelson, R. J.; Yuan, B.; Warneke, C.
2017-12-01
Biomass burning (BB), both natural and human-caused, is a significant source of atmospheric gases and particles. Combustion of biomass releases a complex variety of carbon-containing gases called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that may adversely affect air quality and climate. Here we present results from the first phase of Fire Influence on Regional and Global Environments Experiment (FIREX) that was conducted at the USDA Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula, Montana in the fall of 2016. The goal of these laboratory experiments were to measure primary combustion emissions of fuels common to Northwestern U.S. and Canada using a variety of state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation. The data presented here utilizes a custom-built gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) instrument to characterize C2-C12 VOCs via in-situ sampling as well as offline analysis of diluted smoke samples stored in electropolished stainless steel whole air samplers (WAS). This analysis focuses on identifying VOCs that are (i) biomass burning and/or fuel-specific tracers, (ii) air toxics and (iii) highly-reactive VOCs that are potential precursors for photochemical ozone and/or organic aerosol formation. Of particular interest, is the identification and characterization of VOC tracers that may be useful for biomass burning specific photochemical clocks such as furan and nitrile-based molecules. Comparison of concurrently collected in-situ and whole air samples of diluted smoke will be used to identify potential sampling artefacts associated with WAS intended for use in the upcoming FIREX NOAA WP-3D research flights in 2019.
Third U.S. Geological Survey Wildland Fire-Science Workshop : Denver, Colorado, November 12-15, 2002
Livingston, Russell K.
2004-01-01
Executive Summary -- The historically significant wildland fire events that occurred in the United States during 2000 and 2002, together with the associated recognition of the need for a different national policy of forest management, has led to an increased awareness of the need for cooperative effort among all Federal agencies in planning for and managing the risks and consequences of wildland fire. The expertise and capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are significant resources in this regard, and the agency is becoming increasingly involved in fire-science activities in support of the various land-management agencies that are dealing directly with this issue. The First USGS Wildland Fire Workshop was held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 1997 and helped to establish the direction of USGS in sharing its expertise with the fire-management agencies. The Second USGS Wildland Fire Workshop was held in Los Alamos, New Mexico, in 2000 and brought together all the agencies involved in the management of wildland fires in order to determine their needs, to demonstrate USGS capabilities to meet those needs, and to establish methods for the USGS to distribute data and tools useful in fire management. It enhanced the relationships developed during the 1997 workshop and helped to define USGS' role in the fire-management community. The Third USGS Wildland Fire-Science Workshop, held in Denver, Colorado, November 12?15, 2002, was an opportunity for exchange of information on recent progress in the area of fire science and to determine the gaps in fire-science research that could be addressed by the USGS. In addition to more than 90 USGS scientists engaged in fire-related research and managers of organizational units involved in some aspect of wildland fire activities, the workshop was attended by about 30 representatives of 11 other Federal agencies. There also were a number of attendees affiliated with several universities, private companies, and State and local agencies. The 4-day meeting consisted of a pre-workshop field trip to the Hayman Fire area, several keynote presentations, five panel discussions, presentation and 'breakout' discussion of four 'white paper' topics, and a poster session with more than 30 presentations.
Progress in wilderness fire science: Embracing complexity
Carol Miller; Gregory H. Aplet
2016-01-01
Wilderness has played an invaluable role in the development of wildland fire science. Since Ageeâs review of the subject 15 years ago, tremendous progress has been made in the development of models and data, in understanding the complexity of wildland fire as a landscape process, and in appreciating the social factors that influence the use of wilderness fire....
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Margle, Janice M. (Editor)
1987-01-01
Fire detection, fire standards and testing, fire extinguishment, inerting and atmospheres, fire-related medical science, aircraft fire safety, Space Station safety concerns, microgravity combustion, spacecraft material flammability testing, and metal combustion are among the topics considered.
Final Monitoring Plan for Site Closure at Inman, Kansas
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, Lorraine M.
Inman, Kansas, is a rural town located in southwest McPherson County, in sections 8, 9, 16, and 17, Township 21 South, Range 4 West (Figure 1.1). There are 1,377 people in 513 households, as of the census of 2010. The Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA), operated a grain storage facility at the southern edge of the city of Inman, Kansas, from 1954 to 1965. During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were in common use by the grain storage industry to preserve grain in their facilities. In 1997, trace to low levels ofmore » carbon tetrachloride (below the maximum contamination level [MCL] of 5.0 μg/L) were detected in three private wells near the former grain storage facility at Inman, as part of a statewide USDA private well sampling program that was implemented by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) near former CCC/USDA facilities. No public water supply wells were identified within 1 mi of the town by the KDHE in 1998. Carbon tetrachloride is the contaminant of primary concern at sites associated with grain storage operations. To determine whether the former CCC/USDA facility at Inman is a potential contaminant source and its possible relationship to the carbon tetrachloride contamination in groundwater, the CCC/USDA agreed to conduct a multi-phase investigation at Inman. The investigation was performed by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory in accordance with the Intergovernmental Agreement between the KDHE and the Farm Service Agency of the USDA.« less
Final work plan : environmental site investigation at Sylvan Grove, Kansas.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, L. M.
In 1998, carbon tetrachloride was found above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 {micro}g/L in groundwater from one private livestock well at Sylvan Grove, Kansas, by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The 1998 KDHE sampling was conducted under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) private well sampling program. The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), a USDA agency, operated a grain storage facility in Sylvan Grove from 1954 to1966. Carbon tetrachloride is the contaminant of primary concern at sites associated with former CCC/USDA grain storage operations. Sylvan Grove is located in western Lincoln County, approximately 60 mi westmore » of Salina (Figure 1.1). To determine whether the former CCC/USDA facility at Sylvan Grove is a potential contaminant source and its possible relationship to the contamination in groundwater, the CCC/USDA has agreed to conduct an investigation, in accordance with the Intergovernmental Agreement between the KDHE and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the USDA. This Work Plan presents historical data related to previous investigations, grain storage operations, local private wells and public water supply (PWS) wells, and local geologic and hydrogeologic conditions at Sylvan Grove. The findings from a review of all available documents are discussed in Section 2. On the basis of the analyses of historical data, the following specific technical objectives are proposed for the site investigation at Sylvan Grove: (1) Evaluate the potential source of carbon tetrachloride at the former CCC/USDA facility; (2) Determine the relationship of potential contamination (if present) at the former CCC/USDA facility to contamination identified in 1998 in groundwater samples from one private well to the west; and (3) Delineate the extent of potential contamination associated with the former CCC/USDA facility. The detailed scope of work is outlined in Section 3. The results of the proposed work will provide the basis for determining what future CCC/USDA actions may be necessary, with the ultimate goal of achieving classification of the Sylvan Grove site at no further action status. The proposed activities are to be performed on behalf of the CCC/USDA by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory, a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by the UChicago Argonne, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy. Argonne provides technical assistance to the CCC/USDA concerning environmental site characterization and remediation at former grain storage facilities. Argonne issued a Master Work Plan (Argonne 2002) that has been approved by the KDHE. The Master Work Plan describes the general scope of all investigations at former CCC/USDA facilities in Kansas and provides guidance for these investigations. That document should be consulted for the complete details of plans for work associated with the former CCC/USDA facility at Sylvan Grove.« less
Social science informing forest management — bringing new knowledge to fuels managers
Pamela Jakes
2007-01-01
To improve access, interpretability, and use of the full body of research, a pilot project was initiated by the USDA Forest Service to synthesize relevant scientific information and develop publications and decision support tools that managers can use to inform fuels treatment plans. This article provides an overview of the work of the Social Science Core Team. Team...
Recreation, protected areas, and social science: where are we going?
Brian R. Payne
1998-01-01
I am new in my job as coordinator for USDA Forest Service research in recreation, social sciences, and wilderness. I predict that we will be giving greater attention and resources to this area in the near future, despite recent budget cuts and personnel reductions. Researchers should cooperate with each other nation-wide, and involve resource managers and users in the...
Fire!: An Event-Based Science Module. Teacher's Guide. Chemistry and Fire Ecology Module.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wright, Russell G.
This book is designed for middle school earth science or physical science teachers to help their students learn scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event- based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning, teamwork,…
Deborah J. Chavez; James D. Absher; Patricia L. Winter
2008-01-01
Fire events often have a large impact on recreation and tourism, yet these issues had not been addressed from a social science perspective. To address his, the Wildland Recreation and Urban Cultures Research Work Unit (RWU) of the Pacific Southwest Research Station acquired funding through the National Fire Plan within the community assistance topic area. The three...
Building a state prescribed fire program: experiences and lessons learned in Ohio
Michael Bowden
2009-01-01
Science continues to show the need for the use of prescribed fire in oak-dominated forests of the eastern United States. Fire is necessary to reduce competition by thin-barked species, allowing for the development of oak advance regeneration. Many agencies are beginning to apply this science by using prescribed fire to manage their oak forests. This paper examines the...
Kuligowski, Erica
2017-01-01
The traditional social science disciplines can provide many benefits to the field of human behavior in fire (HBiF). First, the social sciences delve further into insights only marginally examined by HBiF researchers, in turn, expanding the depth of HBiF research. In this paper, I present examples of studies from the fields of social psychology and sociology that would expand HBiF research into non-engineering or "unobservable" aspects of behavior during a fire event. Second, the social sciences can provide insight into new areas of research; in turn, expanding the scope of HBiF research. In this section, I introduce pre- and post-fire studies and explore potential research questions that fall outside of the response period of a fire, the phase upon which most focus is currently placed. Third, the social sciences elucidate the value of research methods available to study human behavior. Qualitative research methods are specifically highlighted. These three benefits will allow HBiF researchers to collect a wider range of data, further develop and expand current behavioral knowledge, and increase the impact of this research for both social and engineering applications. Finally, I end with a discussion on possible ways to better integrate the social sciences within human behavior in fire.
Integrating Agriculture and Conservation
Vandever, Mark W.
2010-01-01
The USGS produces the needed science-based information to guide management actions and policy decisions that support wildlife habitat and other environmental services compatible with USDA conservation goals and farm operations. The Policy Analysis and Science Assistance Branch of the Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) has conducted research involving a national landowner survey and numerous short- and long-term evaluations regarding vegetation responses to land management practices. This research helps land and resource managers to make informed decisions and resolve resource management conflicts.
Reeves, J J
2007-03-01
Dedicated funding for animal reproduction did not start until 1985 and was available primarily in the reproductive efficiency and physiology areas of the Animal Science Program. Funding for individual grants and duration of funding were similar between the National Institutes of Health and the USDA, typically in the range of 3 yr, with total direct costs of $150,000. The names of these programs have changed over time; the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program started in 1991 with a program in animal reproduction. The USDA did not change the award size for individual grants until 2001, when it gradually increased through 2003. The USDA then markedly increased individual grants in 2004 to a funding level of $300,000 to $500,000 over 3 to 4 yr. This has been beneficial for the funded scientist but discouraging to the applicants with high-ranking nonfunded grants. The number of grants funded per year is approaching a low critical number, with an average of only 10 new grants funded per year. At the present funding level it will be difficult for even the best scientist to sustain a research career based only on USDA funding.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tatarko, John; Sporcic, Michael A.; Skidmore, Edward L.
2013-09-01
The Great Plains experienced an influx of settlers in the late 1850s-1900. Periodic drought was hard on both settlers and the soil and caused severe wind erosion. The period known as the Dirty Thirties, 1931-1939, produced many severe windstorms, and the resulting dusty sky over Washington, DC helped Hugh Hammond Bennett gain political support for the Soil Conservation Act of 1937 that started the USDA Soil Conservation Service (SCS). Austin W. Zingg and William S. Chepil began wind erosion studies at a USDA laboratory at Kansas State University in 1947. Neil P. Woodruff and Francis H. Siddoway published the first widely used model for wind erosion in 1965, called the Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ). The WEQ was solved using a series of charts and lookup tables. Subsequent improvements to WEQ included monthly magnitudes of the total wind, a computer version of WEQ programmed in FORTRAN, small-grain equivalents for range grasses, tillage systems, effects of residue management, crop row direction, cloddiness, monthly climate factors, and the weather. The SCS and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) produced several computer versions of WEQ with the goal of standardizing and simplifying it for field personnel including a standalone version of WEQ was developed in the late 1990s using Microsoft Excel. Although WEQ was a great advancement to the science of prediction and control of wind erosion on cropland, it had many limitations that prevented its use on many lands throughout the United States and the world. In response to these limitations, the USDA developed a process-based model know as the Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS). The USDA Agricultural Research Service has taken the lead in developing science and technology for wind erosion prediction.
Our science matters - and is recognized
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The Presidential Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity listed five key indicators of rural prosperity: e-Connectivity for Rural America, Improving Quality of Life, Supporting a Rural Workforce, Harnessing Technological Innovation, and Economic Development (https://www.usda.gov/sites/default...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... SCIENCES NATIONAL NEEDS GRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3402.6... each USDA Graduate Fellow who desires to be considered for a special international study or thesis...
SKOSFIRE: Semantically Accessible Vocabularies for Wildland Fire Science
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nordgren, B.; Urbanski, S. P.
2012-12-01
The field of wildland fire science is experiencing mounting pressure to perform better data management. Large field campaigns produce all manner of data covering a variety of disciplines, including: spreadsheets of fuel measurements, meteorological data, visible and thermal infrared video, and volumetric datasets produced by scanning LIDAR. These data enable the advancement and validation of state of the art modeling tools. Curating these data with the objective of enabling future users to quickly and efficiently locate observations of interest is becoming a critical need, particularly in an era of shrinking budgets. As a first step towards the eventual goal of developing a Wildland Fire Science ontology for use with semantically-aware repository services, peer reviewed glossaries within the domain have been converted to the Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS) format. The "Glossary of Wildland Fire Terminology" is an interagency publication of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), and serves to provide many concepts relevant to the land management agencies acting as consumers of fire science. "Firewords" is managed by fire scientists and provides concepts of interest to a scientific audience. Finally, a volume has been published to define the variables required by the BehavePlus fire modeling system, which should serve to describe many measurement fields. This work describes the steps taken to transition each of these sources from a term-centered glossary to a collection of well defined concepts serving as the foundation of a future Wildland Fire Science ontology.
Vita Wright
2008-01-01
The Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) and the National Fire Plan (NFP) spend considerable amounts of money on fire and fuels research. From Fiscal Year 1998-2006, the JFSP spent approximately $145 million, and from Fiscal Year 2001-2005, the NFP spent approximately $104 million on research. For the costs of research to be fully realized, it is critical that science...
Phase II Investigation at the Former CCC/USDA Grain Storage Facility in Savannah, Missouri
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, Lorraine M.
From approximately 1949 until 1970, the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) operated a grain storage facility on federally owned property approximately 0.25 mi northwest of Savannah, Missouri. During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were commonly used by the CCC/USDA and the private grain storage industry to preserve grain in their facilities. In November 1998, carbon tetrachloride was detected in a private well (Morgan) roughly 50 ft south of the former CCC/USDA facility, as a result of statewide screening of private wells near former CCC/USDA facilities, conducted in Missouri by the U.S. Environmentalmore » Protection Agency (EPA 1999). The 1998 and subsequent investigations by the EPA and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) confirmed the presence of carbon tetrachloride in the Morgan well, as well as in a second well on property currently owned by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), directly east of the former CCC/USDA facility. The identified concentrations in these two wells were above the EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) and the Missouri risk-based corrective action default target level (DTL) values of 5.0 μg/L for carbon tetrachloride in water used for domestic purposes (EPA 1999; MDNR 2000a,b, 2006). Because the observed contamination in the Morgan and MoDOT wells might be linked to the past use of carbon tetrachloride-based fumigants at its former grain storage facility, the CCC/USDA is conducting an investigation to (1) characterize the source(s), extent, and factors controlling the subsurface distribution and movement of carbon tetrachloride and (2) evaluate the potential risks to human health, public welfare, and the environment posed by the contamination. This work is being performed in accord with an Intergovernmental Agreement established in 2007 between the Farm Service Agency of the USDA and the MDNR, to address carbon tetrachloride contamination potentially associated with a number of former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities in Missouri. The site characterization at Savannah is being conducted on behalf of the CCC/USDA by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. The investigation is being conducted in phases, so that information obtained and interpretations developed during each incremental stage can be used most effectively to guide subsequent phases of the program. Phase II objectives: Investigate the more detailed characteristics of groundwater flow in the vicinity of the former CCC/USDA facility and the contaminated Morgan and MoDOT private wells; Obtain additional information on the vertical and lateral distribution and concentrations of carbon tetrachloride in groundwater in the vicinity of the former CCC/USDA facility and the contaminated Morgan and MoDOT private wells; Investigate further for possible evidence of carbon tetrachloride in the subsurface (vadose zone) and deeper soils beneath the former CCC/USDA facility, as well as in the vicinity of the contaminated MoDOT private well.« less
Directory of workers in the fire field
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kuvshinoff, B. W.; Mcleod, S. B.; Katz, R. G.
1973-01-01
A directory was compiled to provide a list of workers engaged in fire research, their addresses and affiliations, and their principal fields of activity. The initial criteria for the selection of names for the directory are recent contributions to fire literature, teaching of subjects relevant to fire science, or participation in or support of fire research programs. With some exceptions, fire service personnel and fire protection engineers were excluded because directories already exist for these professionals. Also excluded are investigators engaged principally in studies of propulsion, combustion, and explosion phenomena, because these areas of study are somewhat aside from the main focus of fire research. For purposes of the directory, fire science is taken to be the body of knowledge, art, and skill related to the investigation, analysis, and interpretation of the phenomena of unwanted fires and the evaluation of materials methods, systems, and equipment related to fire safety, prevention, detection, and suppression.
AmeriFlux US-Wrc Wind River Crane Site
Bible, Ken [University of Washington; Wharton, Sonia [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
2016-01-01
This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Wrc Wind River Crane Site. Site Description - Wind River Field Station flux tower site is located in the T.T. Munger Research Area of the Wind River Ranger District in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Protected since 1926, the T.T. Munger Research Natural Area (RNA) is administered by the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station and Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The Douglas-fir/western hemlock dominant stand is approximately 500 years old and represents end points of several ecological gradients including age, biomass, structural complexity, and density of the dominant overstory species. A complete stand replacement fire, approximately 450-500 years ago, resulted in the initial establishment. No significant disturbances have occurred since the fire aside from those confined to small groups of single trees, such as overturn from high wind activity and mechanical damage from winter precipitation.
Southern California Disasters II
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Nicholson, Heather; Todoroff, Amber L.; LeBoeuf, Madeline A.
2015-01-01
The USDA Forest Service (USFS) has multiple programs in place which primarily utilize Landsat imagery to produce burn severity indices for aiding wildfire damage assessment and mitigation. These indices provide widely-used wildfire damage assessment tools to decision makers. When the Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) is launched in 2022, the sensor's hyperspectral resolution will support new methods for assessing natural disaster impacts on ecosystems, including wildfire damage to forests. This project used simulated HyspIRI data to study three southern California fires: Aspen, French, and King. Burn severity indices were calculated from the data and the results were quantitatively compared to the comparable USFS products currently in use. The final results from this project illustrate how HyspIRI data may be used in the future to enhance assessment of fire-damaged areas and provide additional monitoring tools for decision support to the USFS and other land management agencies.
Modeling of phosphorus fluxes produced by wild fires at watershed scales.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Matyjasik, M.; Hernandez, M.; Shaw, N.; Baker, M.; Fowles, M. T.; Cisney, T. A.; Jex, A. P.; Moisen, G.
2017-12-01
River runoff is one of the controlling processes in the terrestrial phosphorus cycle. Phosphorus is often a limiting factor in fresh water. One of the factors that has not been studied and modeled in detail is phosporus flux produced from forest wild fires. Phosphate released by weathering is quickly absorbed in soils. Forest wild fires expose barren soils to intensive erosion, thus releasing relatively large fluxes of phosphorus. Measurements from three control burn sites were used to correlate erosion with phosphorus fluxes. These results were used to model phosphorus fluxes from burned watersheds during a five year long period after fires occurred. Erosion in our model is simulated using a combination of two models: the WEPP (USDA Water Erosion Prediction Project) and the GeoWEPP (GIS-based Water Erosion Prediction Project). Erosion produced from forest disturbances is predicted for any watershed using hydrologic, soil, and meteorological data unique to the individual watersheds or individual slopes. The erosion results are modified for different textural soil classes and slope angles to model fluxes of phosphorus. The results of these models are calibrated using measured concentrations of phosphorus for three watersheds located in the Interior Western United States. The results will help the United States Forest Service manage phosporus fluxes in national forests.
Narożna, Dorota; Pudełko, Krzysztof; Króliczak, Joanna; Golińska, Barbara; Sugawara, Masayuki; Mądrzak, Cezary J.
2015-01-01
It was previously demonstrated that there are no indigenous strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum forming nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbioses with soybean plants in arable field soils in Poland. However, bacteria currently classified within this species are present (together with Bradyrhizobium canariense) as indigenous populations of strains specific for nodulation of legumes in the Genisteae tribe. These rhizobia, infecting legumes such as lupins, are well established in Polish soils. The studies described here were based on soybean nodulation field experiments, established at the Poznań University of Life Sciences Experiment Station in Gorzyń, Poland, and initiated in the spring of 1994. Long-term research was then conducted in order to study the relation between B. japonicum USDA 110 and USDA 123, introduced together into the same location, where no soybean rhizobia were earlier detected, and nodulation and competitive success were followed over time. Here we report the extra-long-term saprophytic survival of B. japonicum strains nodulating soybeans that were introduced as inoculants 20 years earlier and where soybeans were not grown for the next 17 years. The strains remained viable and symbiotically competent, and molecular and immunochemical methods showed that the strains were undistinguishable from the original inoculum strains USDA 110 and USDA 123. We also show that the strains had balanced numbers and their mobility in soil was low. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing the extra-long-term persistence of soybean-nodulating strains introduced into Polish soils and the first analyzing the long-term competitive relations of USDA 110 and USDA 123 after the two strains, neither of which was native, were introduced into the environment almost 2 decades ago. PMID:26048934
Narożna, Dorota; Pudełko, Krzysztof; Króliczak, Joanna; Golińska, Barbara; Sugawara, Masayuki; Mądrzak, Cezary J; Sadowsky, Michael J
2015-08-15
It was previously demonstrated that there are no indigenous strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum forming nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbioses with soybean plants in arable field soils in Poland. However, bacteria currently classified within this species are present (together with Bradyrhizobium canariense) as indigenous populations of strains specific for nodulation of legumes in the Genisteae tribe. These rhizobia, infecting legumes such as lupins, are well established in Polish soils. The studies described here were based on soybean nodulation field experiments, established at the Poznań University of Life Sciences Experiment Station in Gorzyń, Poland, and initiated in the spring of 1994. Long-term research was then conducted in order to study the relation between B. japonicum USDA 110 and USDA 123, introduced together into the same location, where no soybean rhizobia were earlier detected, and nodulation and competitive success were followed over time. Here we report the extra-long-term saprophytic survival of B. japonicum strains nodulating soybeans that were introduced as inoculants 20 years earlier and where soybeans were not grown for the next 17 years. The strains remained viable and symbiotically competent, and molecular and immunochemical methods showed that the strains were undistinguishable from the original inoculum strains USDA 110 and USDA 123. We also show that the strains had balanced numbers and their mobility in soil was low. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing the extra-long-term persistence of soybean-nodulating strains introduced into Polish soils and the first analyzing the long-term competitive relations of USDA 110 and USDA 123 after the two strains, neither of which was native, were introduced into the environment almost 2 decades ago. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Fire social science research–selected highlights.
Armando González-Cabán; Richard W. Haynes; Sarah McCaffrey; Evan Mercer; Alan Watson
2007-01-01
Forest Service Research and Development has a long-standing component of social fire science that since 2000 has expanded significantly. Much of this new work focuses on research that will increase understanding of the social and economic issues connected with wildland fire and fuels management. This information can enhance the ability of agencies and communities to...
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division
The 2006-2007 investigation of carbon tetrachloride and chloroform contamination at Barnes, Kansas, was conducted at the request of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory implemented the investigation on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA). The overall goal of the investigation was to establish criteria for monitoring leading to potential site reclassification. The investigation objectives were to (1) determine the hydraulic gradient near the former CCC/USDA facility, (2) delineate the downgradient carbon tetrachloride plume, and (3) design and implement an expanded monitoring network atmore » Barnes (Argonne 2006a).« less
Thomas A. Waldrop; Helen H. Mohr; Zoe Hoyle
2012-01-01
The Appalachian region stretches along the Blue Ridge Mountains from Pennsylvania south into Georgia and Alabama. The regionâs lands shelter some of the greatest biological diversity in the United States. The heavily forested public lands are in great need of science-based fire management after decades of fire suppression. Fire-related research is relatively new to the...
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The final speaker, Paul Nakata from the USDA Children’s Nutrition Research Center in Houston, Texas, discussed manipulating the plant genome, with emphasis on CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. Dating back thousands of years ago, traditional and then mutational breeding was used to influence, for ...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
..., Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) COMMODITY LABORATORY TESTING PROGRAMS MEALS, READY-TO-EAT (MRE's), MEATS, AND MEAT PRODUCTS USDA Certification of Laboratories for the Testing of... specified in this subpart shall receive an AMS Science and Technology certificate to approve its analysis...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
..., Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) COMMODITY LABORATORY TESTING PROGRAMS MEALS, READY-TO-EAT (MRE's), MEATS, AND MEAT PRODUCTS USDA Certification of Laboratories for the Testing of... specified in this subpart shall receive an AMS Science and Technology certificate to approve its analysis...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
..., Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) COMMODITY LABORATORY TESTING PROGRAMS MEALS, READY-TO-EAT (MREs), MEATS, AND MEAT PRODUCTS USDA Certification of Laboratories for the Testing of... specified in this subpart shall receive an AMS Science and Technology certificate to approve its analysis...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
..., Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) COMMODITY LABORATORY TESTING PROGRAMS MEALS, READY-TO-EAT (MRE's), MEATS, AND MEAT PRODUCTS USDA Certification of Laboratories for the Testing of... specified in this subpart shall receive an AMS Science and Technology certificate to approve its analysis...
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-07-12
... Status Materials Science Technology, Inc. (Specialty Elastomers and Fire Retardant Chemicals) Conroe... specialty elastomer manufacturing and distribution facility of Materials Science Technology, Inc., located... and distribution of specialty elastomers and fire retardant chemicals at the facility of Materials...
Fire and Rescue Technology. Resources in Technology.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Valesey, Brigitte G.
1997-01-01
Provides occupational information about fire and rescue operations personnel, such as fire science, fire protection engineering, emergency medical technicians, and firefighters. Provides information about organizations in these fields. (JOW)
Vita Wright
2012-01-01
Fifty years of scientific literature on human behavior, communication and organizations offers numerous insights into the communication and use of science in the context of public land management. Using diverse but complementary social science theories and methods, I studied individual and organizational influences on the use of science by federal fire managers and...
Fire in the mind: changing understandings of fire in Western civilization
2016-01-01
For most of human history, fire has been a pervasive presence in human life, and so also in human thought. This essay examines the ways in which fire has functioned intellectually in Western civilization as mythology, as religion, as natural philosophy and as modern science. The great phase change occurred with the development of industrial combustion; fire faded from quotidian life, which also removed it from the world of informing ideas. Beginning with the discovery of oxygen, fire as an organizing concept fragmented into various subdisciplines of natural science and forestry. The Anthropocene, however, may revive the intellectual role of fire as an informing idea or at least a narrative conceit. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The interaction of fire and mankind’. PMID:27216523
Fire in the mind: changing understandings of fire in Western civilization.
Pyne, Stephen J
2016-06-05
For most of human history, fire has been a pervasive presence in human life, and so also in human thought. This essay examines the ways in which fire has functioned intellectually in Western civilization as mythology, as religion, as natural philosophy and as modern science. The great phase change occurred with the development of industrial combustion; fire faded from quotidian life, which also removed it from the world of informing ideas. Beginning with the discovery of oxygen, fire as an organizing concept fragmented into various subdisciplines of natural science and forestry. The Anthropocene, however, may revive the intellectual role of fire as an informing idea or at least a narrative conceit.This article is part of the themed issue 'The interaction of fire and mankind'. © 2016 The Author(s).
Recent Developments for Satellite-Based Fire Monitoring in Canada
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Abuelgasim, A.; Fraser, R.
2002-05-01
Wildfires in Canadian forests are a major source of natural disturbance. These fires have a tremendous impact on the local environment, humans and wildlife, ecosystem function, weather, and climate. Approximately 9000 fires burn 3 million hectares per year in Canada (based on a 10-year average). While only 2 to 3 percent of these wildfires grow larger than 200 hectares in size, they account for almost 97 percent of the annual area burned. This provides an excellent opportunity to monitor active fires using a combination of low and high resolution sensors for the purpose of determining fire location and burned areas. Given the size of Canada, the use of remote sensing data is a cost-effective way to achieve a synoptic overview of large forest fire activity in near-real time. In 1998 the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) and the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) developed a system for Fire Monitoring, Mapping and Modelling (Fire M3;http://fms.nofc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/FireM3/). Fire M3 automatically identifies, monitors, and maps large forest fires on a daily basis using NOAA AVHRR data. These data are processed daily using the GEOCOMP-N satellite image processing system. This presentation will describe recent developments to Fire M3, included the addition of a set of algorithms tailored for NOAA-16 (N-16) data. The two fire detection algorithms are developed for N-16 day and night-time daily data collection. The algorithms exploit both the multi-spectral and thermal information from the AVHRR daily images. The set of N-16 day and night algorithms was used to generate daily active fire maps across North America for the 2001 fire season. Such a combined approach for fire detection leads to an improved detection rate, although day-time detection based on the new 1.6 um channel was much less effective (note - given the low detection rate with day time imagery, I don't think we can make the statement about capturing the diurnal cycle). Selected validation sites in western Canada and the United States showed reasonable correspondence with the location of fires mapped by CFS and those mapped by the USDA Forest Service using conventional means.
A social network approach to understanding science communication among fire professionals
Vita Wright
2012-01-01
Studies of science communication and use in the fire management community suggest manager's access research via informal information networks and that these networks vary by both agency and position. We used a phone survey followed by traditional statistical analyses to understand the informal social networks of fire professionals in two western regions of the...
A social network approach to understanding science communication among fire professionals (Abstract)
Vita Wright; Andrea Thode; Anne Mottek-Lucas; Jacklynn Fallon; Megan Matonis
2012-01-01
Studies of science communication and use in the fire management community suggest manager's access research via informal information networks and that these networks vary by both agency and position. We used a phone survey followed by traditional statistical analyses to understand the informal social networks of fire professionals in two western regions of the...
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Koltunov, A.; Quayle, B.; Prins, E. M.; Ambrosia, V. G.; Ustin, S.
2014-12-01
Fire managers at various levels require near-real-time, low-cost, systematic, and reliable early detection capabilities with minimal latency to effectively respond to wildfire ignitions and minimize the risk of catastrophic development. The GOES satellite images collected for vast territories at high temporal frequencies provide a consistent and reliable source for operational active fire mapping realized by the WF-ABBA algorithm. However, their potential to provide early warning or rapid confirmation of initial fire ignition reports from conventional sources remains underutilized, partly because the operational wildfire detection has been successfully optimized for users and applications for which timeliness of initial detection is a low priority, contrasting to the needs of first responders. We present our progress in developing the GOES Early Fire Detection (GOES-EFD) system, a collaborative effort led by University of California-Davis and USDA Forest Service. The GOES-EFD specifically focuses on first detection timeliness for wildfire incidents. It is automatically trained for a monitored scene and capitalizes on multiyear cross-disciplinary algorithm research. Initial retrospective tests in Western US demonstrate significantly earlier identification detection of new ignitions than existing operational capabilities and a further improvement prospect. The GOES-EFD-β prototype will be initially deployed for the Western US region to process imagery from GOES-NOP and the rapid and 4 times higher spatial resolution imagery from GOES-R — the upcoming next generation of GOES satellites. These and other enhanced capabilities of GOES-R are expected to significantly improve the timeliness of fire ignition information from GOES-EFD.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wolfe, Pat; Burkman, Mary Anne; Streng, Katharina
2000-01-01
Nutrition and learning are inextricably connected. Protein, fat, B vitamins, iron, choline, and antioxidants promote brain functions. The USDA's "Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children" (and adaptations for school-age kids) offers guidelines for formulating a child's diet. Breakfast, family meal-sharing, and exercise are essential.…
7 CFR 3402.1 - Applicability of regulations.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... AGRICULTURE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES NATIONAL NEEDS GRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP GRANTS PROGRAM... competitive grants awarded under the provisions of section 1417(b)(6) of the National Agricultural Research.... Department of Agriculture (USDA) as the lead Federal agency for agricultural research, extension, and...
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Potato research at the Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center is conducted by the Sugarbeet & Potato Research Unit at two locations: the Northern Crop Science Laboratory in Fargo, ND and the Potato Research Worksite located in East Grand Forks, MN. Research in Fargo is laboratory oriented an...
Fire!: An Event-Based Science Module. Student Edition. Chemistry and Fire Ecology Module.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wright, Russell G.
This book is designed for middle school students to learn scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event-based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning, teamwork, independent research, hands-on investigations, and…
Vita Wright
2012-01-01
Fifty years of scientific literature on human behavior, communication and organizations offers numerous insights into the communication and use of science in the context of public land management. Using diverse but complementary social science theories and methods, I studied individual and organizational influences on the use of science by federal fire managers and...
Regime Shifts and Weakened Environmental Gradients in Open Oak and Pine Ecosystems
Hanberry, Brice B.; Dey, Dan C.; He, Hong S.
2012-01-01
Fire suppression allows tree species that are intolerant of fire stress to increase their distribution, potentially resulting in disruption of historical species-environmental relationships. To measure changes between historical General Land Office surveys (1815 to 1850) and current USDA Forest Inventory and Assessment surveys (2004 to 2008), we compared composition, distribution, and site factors of 21 tree species or species groups in the Missouri Ozarks. We used 24 environmental variables and random forests as a classification method to model distributions. Eastern redcedar, elms, maples, and other fire-sensitive species have increased in dominance in oak forests, with concurrent reductions by oak species; specific changes varied by ecological subsection. Ordinations displayed loss of separation between formerly distinctive oak and fire-sensitive tree species groups. Distribution maps showed decreased presence of disturbance-dependent oak and pine species and increased presence of fire-sensitive species that generally expanded from subsections protected from fire along rivers to upland areas, except for eastern redcedar, which expanded into these subsections. Large scale differences in spatial gradients between past and present communities paralleled reduced influence of local topographic gradients in the varied relief of the Missouri Ozarks, as fire-sensitive species have moved to higher, drier, and sunnier sites away from riverine corridors. Due to changes in land use, landscapes in the Missouri Ozarks, eastern United States, and world-wide are changing from open oak and pine-dominated ecosystems to novel oak-mixed species forests, although at fine scales, forests are becoming more diverse in tree species today. Fire suppression weakened the influence by environmental gradients over species dominance, allowing succession from disturbance-dependent oaks to an alternative state of fire-sensitive species. Current and future research and conservation that rely on historical relationships and ecological principles based on disturbance across the landscape will need to incorporate modern interactions among species for resources into management plans and projections. PMID:22848467
Regime shifts and weakened environmental gradients in open oak and pine ecosystems.
Hanberry, Brice B; Dey, Dan C; He, Hong S
2012-01-01
Fire suppression allows tree species that are intolerant of fire stress to increase their distribution, potentially resulting in disruption of historical species-environmental relationships. To measure changes between historical General Land Office surveys (1815 to 1850) and current USDA Forest Inventory and Assessment surveys (2004 to 2008), we compared composition, distribution, and site factors of 21 tree species or species groups in the Missouri Ozarks. We used 24 environmental variables and random forests as a classification method to model distributions. Eastern redcedar, elms, maples, and other fire-sensitive species have increased in dominance in oak forests, with concurrent reductions by oak species; specific changes varied by ecological subsection. Ordinations displayed loss of separation between formerly distinctive oak and fire-sensitive tree species groups. Distribution maps showed decreased presence of disturbance-dependent oak and pine species and increased presence of fire-sensitive species that generally expanded from subsections protected from fire along rivers to upland areas, except for eastern redcedar, which expanded into these subsections. Large scale differences in spatial gradients between past and present communities paralleled reduced influence of local topographic gradients in the varied relief of the Missouri Ozarks, as fire-sensitive species have moved to higher, drier, and sunnier sites away from riverine corridors. Due to changes in land use, landscapes in the Missouri Ozarks, eastern United States, and world-wide are changing from open oak and pine-dominated ecosystems to novel oak-mixed species forests, although at fine scales, forests are becoming more diverse in tree species today. Fire suppression weakened the influence by environmental gradients over species dominance, allowing succession from disturbance-dependent oaks to an alternative state of fire-sensitive species. Current and future research and conservation that rely on historical relationships and ecological principles based on disturbance across the landscape will need to incorporate modern interactions among species for resources into management plans and projections.
The integrated rangeland fire management strategy actionable science plan
Aldridge, Cameron L.; Berg, Ken; Boyd, Chad S.; Boyte, Stephen P.; Bradford, John B.; Brunson, Ed; Cissel, John H.; Conway, Courtney J.; Chalfoun, Anna D.; Chambers, Jeanne C.; Clark, Patrick; Coates, Peter S.; Crist, Michele R.; Davis, Dawn M.; DeCrappeo, Nicole; Deibert, Patricia A.; Doherty, Kevin E.; Evers, Louisa B.; Finch, Deborah M.; Finn, Sean P.; Germino, Matthew J.; Glenn, Nancy F.; Gucker, Corey; Hall, John A.; Hanser, Steven E.; Havlina, Douglas W.; Heinrichs, Julie; Heller, Matt; Homer, Collin G.; Hunter, Molly E.; Jacobs, Ruth W.; Karl, Jason W.; Kearney, Richard; Kemp, Susan K; Kilkenny, Francis F.; Knick, Steven T.; Launchbaugh, Karen; Manier, Daniel J.; Mayer, Kenneth E.; Meyer, Susan E.; Monroe, Adrian; MontBlanc, Eugénie; Newingham, Beth A.; Pellant, Michael L.; Phillips, Susan L.; Pilliod, David S.; Ricca, Mark A.; Richardson, Bryce A.; Rose, Jeffrey A.; Shaw, Nancy; Sheley, Roger L.; Shinneman, Douglas J.; Wiechman , Lief A.; Wylie, Bruce K.
2016-01-01
The Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy (hereafter Strategy, DOI 2015) outlined the need for coordinated, science-based adaptive management to achieve long-term protection, conservation, and restoration of the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem. A key component of this management approach is the identification of knowledge gaps that limit implementation of effective strategies to meet current management challenges. The tasks and actions identified in the Strategy address several broad topics related to management of the sagebrush ecosystem. This science plan is organized around these topics and specifically focuses on fire, invasive plant species and their effects on altering fire regimes, restoration, sagebrush and greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), and climate and weather.
Decision Support Tools Evaluation Report for FAS/PECAD, Version 2.0
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ross, Kenton; McKellip, Rodney; Mason, Ted; Zanoni, Vicki; Morris, Keith
2004-01-01
Global agricultral intelligence is a key element of decision support eithin the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Estimeates of production and yield issued by the USDA for both foreign and domestic agriculture are primary sources of information for policy and management decision making. The USDA monitors the major global agricultural commodities through the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division (PECAD) of its Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Specifically, PECAD iintelligence focuses on global agricultural production and on conditions that affect food security. In conjunction with the USDA, NASA is evaluating the potential for products from NASA's Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) missions to add value to PECAD's decision support tools. NASA is usig a systems engineering approach to evaluate the potential enhancement of PECAD's decision support system (DSS)-first by understanding the components of the system and its input requirements, then by recommending NASA products that may be integrated as system inputs to improve the accuracy, quality, or efficiency of the DSS output. This report documents the evaluation phase of the systems engineering process and includes an examination of the system architecture, operations, and input requirements, as well as an initial assessment of specific ESE measurement systems and products that should be considered for their potential to enhance the PECAD DSS.
Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on air
David V. Sandberg; Roger D. Ottmar; Janice L. Peterson
2002-01-01
This state-of-knowledge review about the effects of fire on air quality can assist land, fire, and air resource managers with fire and smoke planning, and their efforts to explain to others the science behind fire-related program policies and practices to improve air quality. Chapter topics include air quality regulations and fire; characterization of emissions from...
The Second International Symposium on Plant Cryopreservation
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The Second International Symposium on Plant Cryopreservation was held in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, from August 11-14, 2013, under the auspices of the International Society for Horticultural Science. The town of Fort Collins is home to the USDA-ARS, National Center for Genetic Resources Preservati...
Research projects lead by the USDA Cranberry Entomology Laboratory (CEL)
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
1. Newly discovered native nematode species represent bio-insecticides (grad student project) a. Problems being addressed: Issues over flea beetle control; unresolved questions over pesticide use during bloom. b. Discoveries: at least two native nematodes species new to science have been discovered ...
7 CFR 3402.8 - Fellowship activities.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... AGRICULTURE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES NATIONAL NEEDS GRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3402.8 Fellowship activities. A USDA Graduate Fellow shall be enrolled as a full-time graduate student, as defined by the institution, at all times during the tenure of the Fellowship...
7 CFR 3402.8 - Fellowship activities.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... AGRICULTURE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES NATIONAL NEEDS GRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3402.8 Fellowship activities. A USDA Graduate Fellow shall be enrolled as a full-time graduate student, as defined by the institution, at all times during the tenure of the Fellowship...
Predictive Analytics for Safer Food Supply
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Science based risk analysis improves the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service’s ability to combat threats to public health from food-borne illness by allowing the Agency to focus resources on hazards that pose the greatest risk. Innovative algorithms enable detection and containment of threat by an...
75 FR 32158 - Information Collection; SRS Publications Evaluation Card
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-06-07
..., filing of petitions and applications and agency #0;statements of organization and functions are examples... should be addressed to Forest Service, USDA, Southern Research Station, Science Delivery Group, 200 W.T... through Friday. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: SRS Publications Evaluation Card. OMB Number: 0596-0163...
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Logar, N. J.
2006-12-01
Does the research performed by government mission agencies contribute to improved decision-making? Climate research within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has the stated goal of providing "optimal benefit" to decision makers on all levels, and the meteorology division of Department of Defense's Naval Research Laboratory promises research directed towards application. Assuming that research can lead to benefit for decision makers with minimal guidance can lead to irrelevance, wasted effort, and missed opportunities. Moving beyond the assumption leads to critical consideration of processes creating climate and meteorological science. I report the results of contextual mapping, of research on decision processes, and of interviews with agency scientists and users of science to evaluate their science regimes. In the case of the USDA scientists do target stakeholders through formal and informal mechanisms, but much of the science does not find use due to institutional constraints, political considerations, and disciplinary inertia. The research results will provide options for closing these policy gaps, such as higher-level stakeholder interaction and better representation of diverse interests. I apply the economic concept of supply and demand to describe where supply of science provides decision support that matches user demand, and where science policies might miss opportunities or mischaracterize research as useful to a specific user. This analysis leads to increased understanding of how factors such as the definition of scientific problems, hierarchies in science decision-making structures, quality control mechanisms beyond peer review, distribution of participants in the knowledge production enterprise, and social accountability guide the process of producing useful information.
A Three-Legged Stool or Race? Governance Models for NOAA RISAs, DOI CSCs, and USDA Climate Hubs
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Foster, J. G.
2014-12-01
NOAAs Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) Teams, DOIs Climate Science Centers (CSCs), and USDAs Regional Climate Hubs (RCHs) have common missions of integrating climate and related knowledge across scientific disciplines and regions to create "actionable" information that decision-makes can use to manage climate risks and impacts at state and local scales. However, the sponsoring agency programs, university investigators, and local federal officials govern each differently. The three models of program and center governance are 1) exclusively university (RISAs), 2) a hybrid of Federal government and (host) university (CSCs,), and 3) exclusively Federal (Hubs). Each model has it's advantages and disadvantages in terms of legal definition and authority, scientific mission requirements and strategies, flexibility and legitimacy to conduct research and to collaborate regionally with constituencies, leadership and governance approach and "friction points,", staff capacity and ability to engage stakeholders, necessity to deliver products and services, bureaucratic oversight, performance evaluation, and political support at Congressional, state, and local levels. Using available sources of information and data, this paper will compare and contrast the strengths and weakness of these three regional applied climate science center governance models.
A Three-Legged Stool or Race? Governance Models for NOAA RISAs, DOI CSCs, and USDA Climate Hub
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Foster, J. G.
2014-12-01
NOAAs Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) Teams, DOIs Climate Science Centers (CSCs), and USDAs Regional Climate Hubs (RCHs) have common missions of integrating climate and related knowledge across scientific disciplines and regions to create "actionable" information that decision-makes can use to manage climate risks and impacts at state and local scales. However, the sponsoring agency programs, university investigators, and local federal officials govern each differently. The three models of program and center governance are 1) exclusively university (RISAs), 2) a hybrid of Federal government and (host) university (CSCs,), and 3) exclusively Federal (Hubs). Each model has it's advantages and disadvantages in terms of legal definition and authority, scientific mission requirements and strategies, flexibility and legitimacy to conduct research and to collaborate regionally with constituencies, leadership and governance approach and "friction points,", staff capacity and ability to engage stakeholders, necessity to deliver products and services, bureaucratic oversight, performance evaluation, and political support at Congressional, state, and local levels. Using available sources of information and data, this paper will compare and contrast the strengths and weakness of these three regional applied climate science center governance models.
2013-10-24
advance fire science: (1) fire behavior, (2) ecological effects of fire, (3) carbon accounting , (4) emissions characterization, and (5) fire plume...relates to smoke management. 3) Carbon accounting in forest management and prescribed fire programs (including tradeoffs such as prescribed burning...carbon accounting , 4) emissions characterization and 5) fire plume dispersion. 1) Fire behavior. Better characterization of wildland fire behavior is
The Wildland Fire Decision Support System: Integrating science, technology, and fire management
Morgan Pence; Tom Zimmerman
2011-01-01
Federal agency policy requires documentation and analysis of all wildland fire response decisions. In the past, planning and decision documentation for fires were completed using multiple unconnected processes, yielding many limitations. In response, interagency fire management executives chartered the development of the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS)....
Forest fire advanced system technology (FFAST) conceptual design study
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Nichols, J. David; Warren, John R.
1987-01-01
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service completed a conceptual design study that defined an integrated forest fire detection and mapping system that will be based upon technology available in the 1990s. Potential system configuration options in emerging and advanced technologies related to the conceptual design were identified and recommended for inclusion as preferred system components. System component technologies identified for an end-to-end system include airborne mounted, thermal infrared (IR) linear array detectors, automatic onboard georeferencing and signal processing, geosynchronous satellite communications links, and advanced data integration and display. Potential system configuration options were developed and examined for possible inclusion in the preferred system configuration. The preferred system configuration will provide increased performance and be cost effective over the system currently in use. Forest fire management user requirements and the system component emerging technologies were the basis for the system configuration design. The conceptual design study defined the preferred system configuration that warrants continued refinement and development, examined economic aspects of the current and preferred system, and provided preliminary cost estimates for follow-on system prototype development.
Sarah M. McCaffrey; Eric Toman; Melanie Stidham; Bruce Shindler
2012-01-01
As with other aspects of natural-resource management, the approach to managing wildland fires has evolved over time as scientific understanding has advanced and the broader context surrounding management decisions has changed. Prior to 2000 the primary focus of most fire research was on the physical and ecological aspects of fire; social science research was limited to...
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7 CFR 999.600 - Regulation governing the importation of pistachios.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... States Department of Agriculture, including any officer, employee, service, program, or branch of the... connection with any provisions of this section. (17) USDA laboratory means laboratories of the Science and... Inspection Program offices, or for further assistance, importers may contact: Fresh Products Branch, Fruit...
7 CFR 999.600 - Regulation governing the importation of pistachios.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... States Department of Agriculture, including any officer, employee, service, program, or branch of the... connection with any provisions of this section. (17) USDA laboratory means laboratories of the Science and... Inspection Program offices, or for further assistance, importers may contact: Fresh Products Branch, Fruit...
PATHOGENS: WHERE DO WE STAND IN 2004?
This presentation pulls together information from the 2001 USEPA/USDA Emerging Pathogens in Sludges and Manures Workshop, the 7/02 National Academy of Science Report, the 7/03 WERF Biosolids Summit, and the projects announced by USEPA on 12/31/03 to respond to the National Academ...
Supporting tribal agriculture and natural resources in a changing climate working group
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Climate Hubs were created in 2014 to deliver science-based, region-specific information and technologies to enable climate-informed decision-making. Our stakeholders include agricultural and natural resource managers (i.e. farmers, ranchers, forest land mana...
The Crossett Story, Revised: Updating a Forestry Classic
Don C. Bragg; James M. Guldin; Michael G. Shelton
2003-01-01
Abstract: The Crossett Story slide show was developed in 1980 to detail the history of logging, field forestry, and research centered on the USDA Forest Service's Crossett Experimental Forest (CEF). However, science and technology have advanced considerably over the last several decades and the regulatory environment has...
NASA Experience with UAS Science Applications
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Curry, Robert E.; Jennison, Chris
2007-01-01
Viewgraphs of NASA's Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) as it applies to Earth science missions is presented. The topics include: 1) Agenda; 2) Background; 3) NASA Science Aircraft Endurance; 4) Science UAS Development Challenges; 5) USCG Alaskan Maritime Surveillance; 6) NOAA/NASA UAV Demonstration Project; 7) Western States Fire Mission; 8) Esperanza Fire Emergency Response; 9) Ikhana (Predator B); 10) UAV Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR); 11) Global Hawk; and 12) Related Technologies
Tongue-tied: Confused meanings for common fire terminology can lead to fuels mismanagement
Theresa B. Jain; Russell T. Graham; David S. Pilliod
2004-01-01
The ineffective and inconsistent use of terminology among fire managers, scientists, resource managers and the public is a constant problem in resource management. In fire management and fire science, the terms fire severity, burn severity and fire intensity are defined in a variety of ways, used inconsistently and, in some cases, interchangeably.
Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service
2004-01-01
Fire hazard reflects the potential fire behavior and magnitude of effects as a function of fuel conditions. This fact sheet discusses crown fuels, surface fuels, and ground fuels and their contribution and involvement in wildland fire.Other publications in this series...
NASA Earth Science Research Results for Improved Regional Crop Yield Prediction
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mali, P.; O'Hara, C. G.; Shrestha, B.; Sinclair, T. R.; G de Goncalves, L. G.; Salado Navarro, L. R.
2007-12-01
National agencies such as USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), Production Estimation and Crop Assessment Division (PECAD) work specifically to analyze and generate timely crop yield estimates that help define national as well as global food policies. The USDA/FAS/PECAD utilizes a Decision Support System (DSS) called CADRE (Crop Condition and Data Retrieval Evaluation) mainly through an automated database management system that integrates various meteorological datasets, crop and soil models, and remote sensing data; providing significant contribution to the national and international crop production estimates. The "Sinclair" soybean growth model has been used inside CADRE DSS as one of the crop models. This project uses Sinclair model (a semi-mechanistic crop growth model) for its potential to be effectively used in a geo-processing environment with remote-sensing-based inputs. The main objective of this proposed work is to verify, validate and benchmark current and future NASA earth science research results for the benefit in the operational decision making process of the PECAD/CADRE DSS. For this purpose, the NASA South American Land Data Assimilation System (SALDAS) meteorological dataset is tested for its applicability as a surrogate meteorological input in the Sinclair model meteorological input requirements. Similarly, NASA sensor MODIS products is tested for its applicability in the improvement of the crop yield prediction through improving precision of planting date estimation, plant vigor and growth monitoring. The project also analyzes simulated Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS, a future NASA sensor) vegetation product for its applicability in crop growth prediction to accelerate the process of transition of VIIRS research results for the operational use of USDA/FAS/PECAD DSS. The research results will help in providing improved decision making capacity to the USDA/FAS/PECAD DSS through improved vegetation growth monitoring from high spatial and temporal resolution remote sensing datasets; improved time-series meteorological inputs required for crop growth models; and regional prediction capability through geo-processing-based yield modeling.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division
The results of the 2006 investigation of contaminant sources at Navarre, Kansas, clearly demonstrate the following: {sm_bullet} Sources of carbon tetrachloride contamination were found on the Navarre Co-op property. These sources are the locations of the highest concentrations of carbon tetrachloride found in soil and groundwater at Navarre. The ongoing groundwater contamination at Navarre originates from these sources. {sm_bullet} The sources on the Co-op property are in locations where the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) never conducted grain storage operations. {sm_bullet} No definitive sources of carbon tetrachloride were identified on the portion of the currentmore » Co-op property formerly used by the CCC/USDA. {sm_bullet} The source areas on the Co-op property are consistent with the locations of the most intense Co-op operations, both historically and at present. The Co-op historically stored carbon tetrachloride for retail sale and used it as a grain fumigant in these locations. {sm_bullet} The distribution patterns of other contaminants (tetrachloroethene and nitrate) originating from sources on the Co-op property mimic the carbon tetrachloride plume. These other contaminants are not associated with CCC/USDA operations. {sm_bullet} The distribution of carbon tetrachloride at the Co-op source areas, particularly the absence of contamination in soils at depths less than 20 ft below ground level, is consistent with vertical migration into the subsurface through a conduit (well Co-op 2), with subsequent lateral migration through the subsurface. {sm_bullet} The groundwater flow direction, which is toward the west-northwest, is not consistent with migration of carbon tetrachloride in groundwater from the former CCC/USDA property to the source areas on the Co-op property. {sm_bullet} The absence of soil and groundwater contamination along surface drainage pathways on the former CCC/USDA property is not consistent with migration of carbon tetrachloride in surface water runoff from the former CCC/USDA property to the source areas on the Co-op property. {sm_bullet} The contamination detected in soil and groundwater samples collected along the northern boundary of the former CCC/USDA facility can be attributed to migration from the Co-op sources or to operations of the Co-op on the property after CCC/USDA operations ended. {sm_bullet} The southern boundary of the Co-op property has expanded over time, so that the Co-op has operated for a lengthy period in all areas previously leased by the CCC/USDA (Figure S.1). The Co-op began expanding onto the former CCC/USDA property in 1969 and has operated on that property longer than the CCC/USDA did. The use of carbon tetrachloride as a grain fumigant was standard industry practice until 1985, when the compound was banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. {sm_bullet} Petroleum-related contamination was detected on the southern part of the former CCC/USDA property. This contamination is associated with aboveground storage tanks that are owned and operated by the Co-op. The major findings of the 2006 investigations are summarized in greater detail below. The 2006 investigation was implemented by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory on behalf of the CCC/USDA.« less
Taber, Daniel R; Chriqui, Jamie F; Powell, Lisa; Chaloupka, Frank J
2013-06-01
This study assessed whether stronger school meal nutrition standards may improve student weight status. Results have immediate implications because of the ongoing implementation of new nutrition standards for the National School Lunch Program. OBJECTIVE To determine if state laws with stricter school meal nutrition standards are inversely associated with adolescent weight status, while controlling for unmeasured state-level confounders. Quasi-experiment. Public schools. Four thousand eight hundred seventy eighth-grade students in 40 states. Students were categorized by type of school lunch they usually obtained (free/reduced price, regular price, or none). INTERVENTIONS State laws governing school meal nutrition standards. States with standards that exceeded US Department of Agriculture (USDA) school meal standards were compared with states that did not exceed USDA standards. The parameter of interest was the interaction between state laws and student lunch participant status, ie, whether disparities in weight status between school lunch participants and nonparticipants were smaller in states with stricter standards. Body mass index percentile and obesity status. In states that exceeded USDA standards, the difference in obesity prevalence between students who obtained free/reduced-price lunches and students who did not obtain school lunches was 12.3 percentage points smaller (95% CI, -21.5 to -3.0) compared with states that did not exceed USDA standards. Likewise, differences in mean body mass index percentile between those student populations were 11 units smaller in states that exceeded USDA standards (95% CI, -17.7 to -4.3). There was little evidence that students compensated for school meal laws by purchasing more sweets, salty snacks, or sugar-sweetened beverages from other school venues (eg, vending machines) or other sources (eg, fast food). Stringent school meal standards that reflect the latest nutrition science may improve weight status among school lunch participants, particularly those eligible for free/reduced-price lunches.
LTAR linkages with other research networks: Capitalizing on network interconnections
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The USDA ARS Research Unit based at the Jornada Experimental Range outside of Las Cruces, NM, is a member of the USDA’s Long Term Agro-ecosystem Research (LTAR) Network, the National Science Foundation’s Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network, the National Ecological Observation Network (NEON)...
Barbara Illman; Gary Man
2010-01-01
Prevention is considered the most cost-effective element of the Forest Service Invasive Species Strategy (USDA Forest Service 2004). What makes prevention difficult is the desire to maximize free trade and the resulting benefits to society while, at the same time, protecting natural resources. The role of science is to first identify which commodities pose an...
Science from the field to your shopping cart
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Today the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the in-house research division of USDA, has 2,100 scientists and 6,000 support personnel in over 90 locations throughout the US. The research done by ARS affects everyone in the country every day of the year. ARS research has gone into practically every...
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-09-27
..., Science and Education Resources Development; Voice: 202-720-2067; E-mail: [email protected] rural communities. Authority Section 1405 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching... (USDA) as the lead Federal agency for agriculture research, extension and teaching in the food and...
Linkages between USDA-CSRS and the 1890 Institutions.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mayes, McKinley
The percentage of young Americans preparing for careers in science and engineering has been declining steadily since the early 1980s. The agricultural community has raised questions about the future availability of an adequate supply of scientists. The 1890 historically black land grant institutions should play an important role in supplying…
Kentucky, 2007 forest inventory and analysis factsheet
Christopher M. Oswalt; Christopher R. King; Tony G. Johnson
2010-01-01
This science update provides an overview of the forest resource attributes of Kentucky. The overview is based on an annual inventory conducted by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program at the Southern Research Station of the USDA Forest Service. The inventory, along with Web-posted supplemental tables, will be updated annually.
Food safety research at Delaware State University: keeping the runs from slowing you down
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
For more than a decade, the USDA ARS Center of Excellence located within the Delaware State University College of Agriculture and Related Sciences has been focused on foodborne virus research with special emphasis on bivalve shellfish. Research accomplishments include: 1) development of expedient e...
Assessing the Role and Impact of Geospatial Data for Wildland Fire Management Decisions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Klein, E. A.; Lev, S. M.
2016-12-01
The 2015 Wildland and Fire Science and Technology Task Force Final Report, produced by the National Science and Technology Council, Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability, Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction, highlighted the increasing frequency of large wildfires and the growing demand for science to inform critical resource decisions to manage, mitigate, respond to, and recover from wildland fires. Federal spending on fire suppression from 2005-2015 has more than doubled despite policy changes that prioritize the mitigation of fire risks through the use of fuel treatments, prescribed fire, and management of naturally occurring wildfires to protect life and property. Fire suppression policies over the last century have created forests primed for severe fire, and in the face of a changing climate, the benefits of re-introducing fire into once fire-resilient ecosystems are clear. There are a range of complex factors and regional variation associated with wildland fire risk that complicate our understanding and effective management of this hazard. Data derived from Earth-observing (EO) systems and networks are a crucial input for managers when making decisions about fire suppression and fuel management. EO data can also be used to develop pre- and post-fire metrics that can aid in the evaluating the effectiveness of wildland fire management decisions. A value-tree method for mapping the role of EO systems and networks in delivering societal benefit through key Federal objectives related to wildland fire management will be presented. The value-tree methodology utilizes input from subject matter experts to assess the availability and usability of data and data products and to evaluate the impact of individual EO data inputs for achieving wildland fire management objectives. The results provide a qualitative assessment of the value of the data for the objectives described and identify critical gaps and continuity issues associated with improvements to and continuous delivery of societal benefit.
Managing Fire in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert: A Review and Analysis of the Literature
Gebow, Brooke S.; Halvorson, William L.
2005-01-01
Executive Summary This report began as a literature review (Gebow and Halvorson 2001) conducted for fire planners at Carlsbad Caverns National Park who were seeking information about (1) the natural state of park vegetation, (2) northern Chihuahuan Desert natural fire regimes, and (3) fire effects on park plant species. It is the goal of managers there to continue to refine the wildland and prescribed fire program as they learn more about the ecosystems at the park.The park has a history of grazing and then fire suppression in the 20th century. The current effort revisits questions asked by earlier workers at the park, Walter Kittams and Gary Ahlstrand, who began fire studies in the 1970s. This document addresses ecosystems and historical change to those systems in Chihuahuan Desert areas of southeast Arizona, southern New Mexico, west Texas, or in neighboring regions that share the same plant species. It examines fire literature for situations possibly analogous to those at Carlsbad Caverns. It also includes papers that offer advice on extrapolating future ecological trends from past ones (Swetnam et al. 1999) and on resource management decision-making (Grumbine 1997), and other pieces that address broader aspects of fire or landscape change (Goldman 1994; Marston 1996; Mutch 1994, 1995). These more philosophical works were included in the original review at the park's request and have been retained here because they discuss other issues relevant to fire management. Individual reviews of 35 papers, as requested originally by Carlsbad Caverns, appear in Appendix 1. The results section-summary of key findings-discusses historical changes to plant communities then focuses on burn intervals observed or recommended by workers for particular plant communities. Results from a search of the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information System (www.fs.fed.us/database/feis) are also included in this report, supplemented with information from a review conducted by Ahlstrand (1981b) that included much of his own work. This database contains comprehensive plant species accounts and fire effects data. Entries are available for a number of the dominant species at Carlsbad Caverns, though the information frequently applies to the plants in other parts of their ranges. The literature presents highly variable fire effects and observed/recommended burn intervals for similar plant communities in the northern Chihuahuan Desert region. While local and longer-term fire-effects studies are still needed to guide resource managers, the variability seen in the literature itself translates into a fire management goal. Preserving the irregularity in time and space of fires would likely best replicate 'natural' fire regimes.
The FIRE Cirrus Science Results 1993
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Mcdougal, David S. (Editor)
1993-01-01
FIRE (First ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project) Regional Experiment) is a U.S. cloud-radiation research program that seeks to improve our basic understanding and parameterizations of cirrus and marine stratocumulus cloud systems and ISCCP data products. The FIRE Cirrus Science Conference was held in Breckenridge, CO, 14-17 Jun. 1993, to present results of cirrus research for the second phase of FIRE (1989-present) and to refine cirrus research goals and priorities for the next phase of FIRE (1994-future). This Conference Publication contains the text of short papers presented at the conference. The papers describe research analyses of data collected at the Cirrus Intensive Field Observations-2 field experiment conducted in Kansas, 13 Nov. - 7 Dec. 1991.
Humans, Fires, and Forests - Social science applied to fire management
Hanna J. Cortner; Donald R. Field; Pam Jakes; James D. Buthman
2003-01-01
The 2000 and 2002 fire seasons resulted in increased political scrutiny of the nation's wildland fire threats, and given the fact that millions of acres of lands are still at high risk for future catastrophic fire events, the issues highlighted by the recent fire seasons are not likely to go away any time soon. Recognizing the magnitude of the problem, the...
Science and technology issues in spacecraft fire safety
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Friedman, Robert; Sacksteder, Kurt R.
1987-01-01
The space station, a permanently-inhabited orbiting laboratory, places new demands on spacecraft fire safety. Long-duration missions may call for more-constrained fire controls, but the accessibility of the space station to a variety of users may call for less-restrictive measures. This paper discusses fire safety issues through a review of the state of the art and a presentation of key findings from a recent NASA Lewis Research Center Workshop. The subjects covered are the fundamental science of low-gravity combustion and the technology advances in fire detection, extinguishment, materials assessment, and atmosphere selection. Key concerns are for the adoption of a fire-safe atmosphere and the substitution for the effective but toxic extinguishant, halon 1301. The fire safety studies and reviews provide several recommendations for further action. One is the expanded research in combustion, sensors, and materials in the low-gravity environment of space. Another is the development of generalized fire-safety standards for spacecraft through cooperative endeavors with aerospace and outside Government and industry sources.
The contribution of natural fire management to wilderness fire science
Carol Miller
2014-01-01
When the federal agencies established policies in the late 1960s and early 1970s to allow the use of natural fires in wilderness, they launched a natural fire management experiment in a handful of wilderness areas. As a result, wildland fire has played more of its natural role in wilderness than anywhere else. Much of what we understand about fire ecology comes from...
The Fire Effects Information System - serving managers since before the Yellowstone fires
Jane Kapler Smith; Janet L. Fryer; Kristin Zouhar
2009-01-01
This presentation will describe the current status of the Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) and explore lessons learned from this 23-yearold project about the application of science to fire management issues. FEIS contains literature reviews covering biology and fire ecology for approximately 1,100 species in North America: plants and animals, native and nonnative...
Making fire and fire surrogate science available: a summary of regional workshops with clients
Andrew Youngblood; Heidi Bigler-Cole; Christopher J. Fettig; Carl Fiedler; Eric E. Knapp; John F. Lehmkuhl; Kenneth W. Outcalt; Carl N. Skinner; Scott L. Stephens; Thomas A. Waldrop
2007-01-01
Operational-scale experiments that evaluate the consequences of fire and mechanical "surrogates" for natural disturbance events are essential to better understand strategies for reducing the incidence and severity of wildfire. The national Fire and Fire Surrogate (FFS) study was initiated in 1999 to establish an integrated network of long-term studies...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Roy, Ken
2004-01-01
Planning and prevention is the best defense against fires in school. This is particularly true in the science laboratory due to the presence of flammable gases, liquids, combustibles, and other potential sources of fire. Teachers can prevent fires from starting by maintaining prudent lab practices when dealing with combustible and flammable…
A Grey Area: Congressional Oversight of the Middle Ground Between Title 10 and Title 50
2012-06-01
for 1981, Title V. 43 Eric Rosenbach and Aki J. Peritz, Trials by Fire , Counterterrorism and the Law (Cambridge: Belfer Center for Science and...Potomac Books, 2005), 59. The authors use different terms to describe the same phenomena, Johnson uses police patrolling and fire fighting instead. 56...Trials by Fire , Counterterrorism and the Law (Cambridge: Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, 2010), 8. 44 Kibbe, “The Rise of the
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division
From approximately 1949 until 1970, the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) operated a grain storage facility on federally owned property approximately 0.25 mi northwest of Savannah, Missouri (Figure 1.1). During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were commonly used by the CCC/USDA and the private grain storage industry to preserve grain in their facilities. In November 1998, carbon tetrachloride was detected in a private well (Morgan) roughly 50 ft south of the former CCC/USDA facility, as a result of statewide screening of private wells near former CCC/USDA facilities, conducted in Missouri by themore » U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 1999). The 1998 and subsequent investigations by the EPA and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) confirmed the presence of carbon tetrachloride in the Morgan well, as well as in a second well (on property currently occupied by the Missouri Department of Transportation [MoDOT]) described as being approximately 400 ft east of the former CCC/USDA facility. The identified concentrations in these two wells were above the EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) and the Missouri risk-based corrective action default target level (MRBCA DTL) values of 5.0 {micro}g/L for carbon tetrachloride in water used for domestic purposes (EPA 1999; MoDNR 2000a,b, 2006). Because the observed contamination in the Morgan and MoDOT wells might be linked to the past use of carbon tetrachloride-based fumigants at its former grain storage facility, the CCC/USDA is conducting an investigation to (1) characterize the source(s), extent, and factors controlling the subsurface distribution and movement of carbon tetrachloride at Savannah and (2) evaluate the potential risks to human health, public welfare, and the environment posed by the contamination. This work is being performed in accord with the Intergovernmental Agreement established between the Farm Service Agency of the USDA and the MoDNR, to address carbon tetrachloride contamination potentially associated with a number of former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities in Missouri. The site characterization at Savannah is being conducted on behalf of the CCC/USDA by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. The investigation at Savannah is being conducted in phases. This approach is being used by the CCC/USDA and Argonne, with the approval of the MoDNR, so that information obtained and interpretations developed during each incremental stage of the investigation can be used most effectively to guide subsequent phases of the program. Phase I of the Savannah program was conducted in October-November 2007 and January 2008 (Argonne 2007a, 2008). This site-specific Work Plan provides a brief summary of the Phase I findings and the results of groundwater level monitoring that has been ongoing since completion of the Phase I study and also outlines technical objectives, investigation tasks, and investigation methods for Phase II of the site characterization at Savannah.« less
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Remotely-sensed canopy temperature from infrared thermometer (IRT) sensors has long been shown to be effective for detecting plant water stress. To help alleviate water shortage, a field study was conducted at the USDA-ARS San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center in Parlier, California USA to...
University of Massachusetts Amherst | Water Resources Research Center
Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment UMass Amherst College of Natural Sciences logo USDA NIFA logo United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture ©2018 is maintained by The Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment in the College of Natural
Evaluation of production method and formulation for optimizing in-vitro produced Gypchek
R. E. Webb; G. B. White; K. W. Thorpe; J. M. Slavicek; J. D. Podgwaite; R. W. Fuester; P. B. Taylor; R. A. Peiffer; M. A. Valenti
2003-01-01
Gypchek (USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC), a product with the Lymantria dispar multi-enveloped nucleopolyhedrovirus (LdMNPV) as the active ingredient, is a general use biopesticide for use against the gypsy moth. Successful field trials with Gypchek incorporated with the commercially-produced Carrier 038 (Valent BioSciences Corp., Libertyville,...
U.G. Government Technology Information Locator
1998-04-01
National Science Foundation (NSF); the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); and the Department of Commerce (DOC)-plus eight other government S&T resources. It is intended as a starter set to help users locate U.S. government technology information. For convenience, it uses Internet addresses, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers. The Appendix contains a
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
This paper describes on-going applied research, field monitoring, laboratory analyses and hydrologic investigations being conducted by Northwest Hydraulic Consultants (NHC) with the Solano County Water Agency (SCWA) in collaboration with USDA-ARS and Solano Project Operators to identify the sources ...
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-07-13
... Genetically Engineered for Herbicide Tolerance AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA... herbicides in the imidazolinone family. The petition has been submitted in accordance with our regulations... event BPS-CV127-9, which has been genetically engineered for tolerance to herbicides in the...
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-07-13
... Genetically Engineered for Herbicide Tolerance AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA... broadleaf herbicides in the phenoxy auxin group (such as the herbicide 2,4-D) and the herbicides glyphosate...-44406-6, which has been genetically engineered for tolerance to broadleaf herbicides in the phenoxy...
Continuous turbidity monitoring in streams of northwestern California
Rand Eads; Jack Lewis
2002-01-01
Abstract - Redwood Sciences Laboratory, a field office of the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station has developed and refined methods and instrumentation to monitor turbidity and suspended sediment in streams of northern California since 1996. Currently we operate 21 stations and have provided assistance in the installation of 6 gaging stations for...
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
As stated in the promotional materials generated by the awardees, this $25 million Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli Coordinated Agriculture Project (STEC CAP), coordinated through USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) and administered through the USDA National Institute of Foo...
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2013-05-16
... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS-2013-0042... AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: We are announcing to the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) intends to prepare an...
Shrubland ecosystems: Importance, distinguishing characteristics, and dynamics
E. Durant McArthur; Stanley G. Kitchen
2007-01-01
The importance of shrub species and shrubland ecosystems gained considerable impetus about 30 years ago with the establishment of the USDA Forest Service Shrub Sciences Laboratory and a series of workshops and symposia that preceded and accompanied the establishment of the Laboratory. Since that time, the Shrub Research Consortium and other forums have addressed...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Div. of Science Resources Studies.
Reviewed are the highlights of the president's 1981 budget proposal as they pertain to research and development (R&D) funds. Examined are research and development funding trends; 1981 program changes; performers; and proposed budgets for NASA, DOE, HHS NSF, and USDA. (CO)
USDA Forest Service Sage-Grouse Conservation Science Strategy
Deborah Finch; Douglas Boyce; Jeanne Chambers; Chris Colt; Clint McCarthy; Stanley Kitchen; Bryce Richardson; Mary Rowland; Mark Rumble; Michael Schwartz; Monica Tomosy; Michael Wisdom
2015-01-01
Numerous federal and state agencies, research institutions and stakeholders have undertaken tremendous conservation and research efforts across 11 States in the western United States to reduce threats to Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and sagebrush (Artemisia spp) habitats. In 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) determined that the Greater...
Contact USDA-ARS | USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
USDA Logo Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture Mapping by PRISM / Help / Contact USDA-ARS Topics How to Use This Website Contact USDA-ARS Contact USDA Agricultural Mapping, please contact the USDA Agricultural Research Service by sending an e-mail to phzm@ars.usda.gov
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division
From approximately 1949 until 1970, the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) operated a grain storage facility on federally owned property approximately 0.25 mi northwest of Savannah, Missouri. During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were commonly used by the CCC/USDA and the private grain storage industry to preserve grain in their facilities. In November 1998, carbon tetrachloride was detected in a private well (Morgan) roughly 50 ft south of the former CCC/USDA facility, as a result of state-wide screening of private wells near former CCC/USDA facilities, conducted in Missouri by the U.S. Environmentalmore » Protection Agency (EPA 1999). The 1998 and subsequent investigations by the EPA and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) confirmed the presence of carbon tetrachloride in the Morgan well, as well as in a second well (on property currently occupied by the Missouri Department of Transportation [MoDOT]), approximately 400 ft east of the former CCC/USDA facility. Carbon tetrachloride concentrations in the Morgan well have ranged from the initial value of 29 {micro}g/L in 1998, up to a maximum of 61 {micro}g/L in 1999, and back down to 22 {micro}g/L in 2005. The carbon tetrachloride concentration in the MoDOT well in 2000 (the only time it was sampled) was 321 {micro}g/L. The concentrations for the two wells are above the EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 {micro}g/L for carbon tetrachloride (EPA 1999; MoDNR 2000a,b). Because the observed contamination in the Morgan and MoDOT wells might be linked to the past use of carbon tetrachloride-based grain fumigants at its former grain storage facility, the CCC/USDA will conduct investigations to (1) characterize the source(s), extent, and factors controlling the subsurface distribution and movement of carbon tetrachloride at Savannah and (2) evaluate the health and environmental threats potentially posed by the contamination. This work will be performed in accord with the Intergovernmental Agreement established between the Farm Service Agency of the USDA and MoDNR, to address carbon tetrachloride contamination potentially associated with a number of former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities in Missouri. The investigative activities at Savannah will be conducted on behalf of the CCC/USDA by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by UChicago Argonne, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The CCC/USDA has entered into an agreement with the DOE, under which Argonne provides technical assistance to the CCC/USDA with environmental site characterization and remediation at its former grain storage facilities. The site characterization at Savannah will take place in phases. This approach is recommended by the CCC/USDA and Argonne, so that information obtained and interpretations developed during each incremental stage of the investigation can be used most effectively to guide subsequent phases of the program. This site-specific Work Plan outlines the specific technical objectives and scope of work proposed for Phase I of the Savannah investigation. This Work Plan also includes the community relations plan to be followed throughout the CCC/USDA program at the Savannah site. Argonne is developing a Master Work Plan specific to operations in the state of Missouri. In the meantime, Argonne will issue a Provisional Master Work Plan (PMWP; Argonne 2007) that will be submitted to the MoDNR for review and approval. The agency has already reviewed and approved (with minor changes) the present Master Work Plan (Argonne 2002) under which Argonne currently operates in Kansas. The PMWP (Argonne 2007) will provide detailed information and guidance on the investigative technologies, analytical methodologies, quality assurance-quality control measures, and general health and safety policies to be employed by Argonne for all investigations at former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities in Missouri. Both the PMWP and this site-specific Work Plan must therefore be consulted for a complete description of the planned Phase I work at the former CCC/USDA facility at Savannah.« less
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division
From approximately 1949 until 1970, the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) operated a grain storage facility on federally owned property approximately 0.25 mi northwest of Savannah, Missouri (Figure 1.1). During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were commonly used by the CCC/USDA and the private grain storage industry to preserve grain in their facilities. In November 1998, carbon tetrachloride was detected in a private well (Morgan) roughly 50 ft south of the former CCC/USDA facility, as a result of state-wide screening of private wells near former CCC/USDA facilities, conducted in Missouri by themore » U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 1999). The 1998 and subsequent investigations by the EPA and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) confirmed the presence of carbon tetrachloride in the Morgan well, as well as in a second well (on property currently owned and occupied by the Missouri Department of Transportation [MoDOT]), described as being approximately 400 ft east of the former CCC/USDA facility. The identified concentrations in these two wells were above the EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) and the default target level (DTL) values of 5.0 {micro}g/L for carbon tetrachloride in water used for domestic purposes (EPA 1999; MoDNR 2000a,b, 2006). (The DTL is defined in Section 4.) Because the observed contamination in the Morgan and MoDOT wells might be linked to the past use of carbon tetrachloride-based fumigants at its former grain storage facility, the CCC/USDA is conducting an investigation to (1) characterize the source(s), extent, and factors controlling the subsurface distribution and movement of carbon tetrachloride at Savannah and (2) evaluate the potential risks to human health, public welfare, and the environment posed by the contamination. This work is being performed in accord with the Intergovernmental Agreement established between the Farm Service Agency of the USDA and the MoDNR, to address carbon tetrachloride contamination potentially associated with a number of former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities in Missouri. The site characterization at Savannah is being conducted on behalf of the CCC/USDA by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. A phased approach is being employed by the CCC/USDA and Argonne, with the approval of the MoDNR, so that information obtained and interpretations developed during each incremental stage of the study can be used most effectively to guide subsequent aspects of the program. This report presents the technical findings of Phase I of Argonne's studies. The Phase I investigation was undertaken in accord with the final site-specific Phase I Work Plan for Savannah (Argonne 2007), as well as with the Master Work Plan (MWPK) for CCC/USDAArgonne operations in the state of Kansas (Argonne 2002), which the MoDNR reviewed and approved (with minor revisions) for temporary use in Missouri to facilitate the start-up of the CCC/USDA's activities at Savannah. (Argonne is developing a similar Master Work Plan for operations in Missouri that is based on the existing MWPK, with the approval of the MoDNR. The Missouri document has not been finalized, however, at this time.) The site-specific Savannah Work Plan (Argonne 2007; approved by the MoDNR [2007a]) (1) summarized the pre-existing knowledge base for the Savannah investigation site compiled by Argonne and (2) described the site-specific technical objectives and the intended scope of work developed for this phase of the investigation. Four primary technical objectives were identified for the Phase I studies, as follows: (1) Update the previous (MoDNR 2000a,b) inventory and status of private wells in the immediate vicinity of the former CCC/USDA grain storage facility, and sample the identified wells for analyses for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and geochemical constituents. (2) Investigate for possible evidence of a soil source of carbon tetrachloride contamination to groundwater beneath the former CCC/USDA facility. (3) Obtain preliminary information on the site-specific lithologies and hydrostratigraphy at the former CCC/USDA grain storage location. (4) Establish preliminary groundwater monitoring points, to investigate the patterns of groundwater movement affecting possible contaminant migration near the former CCC/USDA facility.« less
Genesis of an oak-fire science consortium
Grabner, K.W.; Stambaugh, M. C.; Guyette, R.P.; Dey, D. C.; Willson, G.D.; Dey, D. C.; Stambaugh, M. C.; Clark, S.L.; Schweitzer, C. J.
2012-01-01
With respect to fire management and practices, one of the most overlooked regions lies in the middle of the country. In this region there is a critical need for both recognition of fire’s importance and sharing of fire information and expertise. Recently we proposed and were awarded funding by the Joint Fire Science Program to initiate the planning phase for a regional fire consortium. The purpose of the consortium will be to promote the dissemination of fire information across the interior United States and to identify fire information needs of oak-dominated communities such as woodlands, forests, savannas, and barrens. Geographically, the consortium region will cover: 1) the Interior Lowland Plateau Ecoregion in Illinois, Indiana, central Kentucky and Tennessee; 2) the Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma Ozarks; 3) the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma; and 4) the Cross Timbers Region in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. This region coincides with the southwestern half of the Central Hardwoods Forest Region. The tasks of this consortium will be to disseminate fire information, connect fire professionals, and efficiently address fire issues within our region. If supported, the success and the future direction of the consortium will be driven by end-users, their input, and involvement.
Miramar College Program Evaluation: Fire Science.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Moriyama, Bruce; Brumley, Leslie
Qualitative and quantitative data are presented in this evaluation of the curricular, personnel, and financial status of Miramar College's program in fire sciences. The report first provides the results of an interview with the program chairperson, which sought information on program objectives and goals and their determination, the extent to…
Re-seeding research will help in cheatgrass battle
Allen, Craig D.
2006-01-01
Funding from the National Interagency Fire Center’s Joint Fire Science Program is helping researchers in northwestern Arizona determine whether several native grasses can be used to battle invasive cheatgrass following fire in ponderosa pine ecosystems.
Prescribed fire research in Pennsylvania
Patrick Brose
2009-01-01
Prescribed fire in Pennsylvania is a relatively new forestry practice because of the State's adverse experience with highly destructive wildfires in the early 1900s. The recent introduction of prescribed fire raises a myriad of questions regarding its correct and safe use. This poster briefly describes the prescribed fire research projects of the Forestry Sciences...
Wildfire: A Family Activity Book.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
WGBH-TV, Boston, MA.
This family activity book provides information for discovering and demonstrating the science of fire--how firefighters decide which fires to let burn and which to put out, how fires start and spread, and what to do when they flare up. Chapters include: (1) "A Game about Wildfire"; (2) "Create a Fire Safety Commercial"; (3)…
The Science of Prescribed Fire: to Enable a Different Kind of Control
Timothy E. Paysen; Marcia G. Narog; Jack D. Cohen
1998-01-01
A paradigm shift from fire suppression to fire suppression and prescription requires a shift in emphasis from simply controlling wildfire occurrence and spread to one that includes controlling characteristics of prescribed fire. Suppression focuses on preventing unwanted effects that might result from wildfire occurrence. Prescription promotes desired effects by...
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Warneke, C.; Schwarz, J. P.; Yokelson, R. J.; Roberts, J. M.; Koss, A.; Coggon, M.; Yuan, B.; Sekimoto, K.
2017-12-01
A combination of a warmer, drier climate with fire-control practices over the last century have produced a situation in which we can expect more frequent fires and fires of larger magnitude in the Western U.S. and Canada. There are urgent needs to better understand the impacts of wildfire and biomass burning (BB) on the atmosphere and climate system, and for policy-relevant science to aid in the process of managing fires. The FIREX (Fire Influence on Regional and Global Environment Experiment) research effort is a multi-year, multi-agency measurement campaign focused on the impact of BB on climate and air quality from western North American wild fires, where research takes place on scales ranging from the flame-front to the global atmosphere. FIREX includes methods development and small- and large-scale laboratory and field experiments. FIREX will include: emission factor measurements from typical North American fuels in the fire science laboratory in Missoula, Montana; mobile laboratory deployments; ground site measurements at sites influenced by BB from several western states. The main FIREX effort will be a large field study with multiple aircraft and mobile labs in the fire season of 2019. One of the main advances of FIREX is the availability of various new measurement techniques that allows for smoke evaluation in unprecedented detail. The first major effort of FIREX was the fire science laboratory measurements in October 2016, where a large number of previously understudied Nitrogen containing volatile organic compounds (NVOCs) were measured using H3O+CIMS and I-CIMS instruments. The contribution of NVOCs to the total reactive Nitrogen budget and the relationship to the Nitrogen content of the fuel are investigated.
D. Jimenez; B. Butler; K. Hiers; R. Ottmar; M. Dickinson; R. Kremens; J. O' Brien; A. Hudak; C. Clements
2009-01-01
The Rx-CADRE project was the combination of local and national fire expertise in the field of core fire research. The project brought together approximately 30 fire scientists from six geographic regions and seven diff erent agencies. The project objectives were to demonstrate the capacity for collaborative research by bringing together individuals and teams with a...
Roger D. Fight; R. James Barbour; Glenn Christensen; Guy L. Pinjuv; Rao V. Nagubadi
2004-01-01
This work was undertaken under a joint fire science project "Assessing the need, costs, and potential benefits of prescribed fire and mechanical treatments to reduce fire hazard." This paper compares the future mix of timber projects under two treatment scenarios for New Mexico.We developed and demonstrated an analytical method that uses readily available...
R. James Barbour; Roger D. Fight; Glenn A. Christensen; Guy L. Pinjuv; Rao V. Nagubadi
2004-01-01
This work was undertaken under a joint fire science project "Assessing the need, costs, and potential benefits of prescribed fire and mechanical treatments to reduce fire hazard." This paper compares the future mix of timber products under two treatment scenarios for the state of Montana. We developed and demonstrated an analytical method that uses readily...
J.D. McIver; C.J. Fettig
2010-01-01
This special issue of Forest Science features the national Fire and Fire Surrogate study (FFS), a niultisite, multivariate research project that evaluates the ecological consequences of prescribed fire and its mechanical surrogates in seasonally dry forests of the United States. The need for a comprehensive national FFS study stemmed from concern that information on...
50 years of service: The Missoula Fire Sciences Lab
Jane Kapler Smith; Diane Smith; Colin Hardy
2011-01-01
In September 12, 1960, the brand new Northern Forest Fire Laboratory was dedicated in Missoula, MT. The fire labâs mission was - and is - to improve scientific understanding of wildland fire so it can be managed more safely and effectively in the field. The first scientists to work at the fire lab initiated research that continues to be used, refined, and extended....
J.C. Chambers; J.L. Beck; J.B. Bradford; J. Bybee; S. Campbell; J. Carlson; T.J. Christiansen; K.J. Clause; G. Collins; M.R. Crist; J.B. Dinkins; K.E. Doherty; F. Edwards; S. Espinosa; K.A. Griffin; P. Griffin; J.R. Haas; S.E. Hanser; D.W. Havlina; K.F. Henke; J.D. Hennig; L.A. Joyce; F.M. Kilkenny; S.M. Kulpa; L.L. Kurth; J.D. Maestas; M. Manning; K.E. Mayer; B.A. Mealor; C. McCarthy; M. Pellant; M.A. Perea; K.L. Prentice; D.A. Pyke; L.A. Wiechman; A. Wuenschel
2017-01-01
The Science Framework is intended to link the Department of the Interiorâs Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy with long-term strategic conservation actions in the sagebrush biome. The Science Framework provides a multiscale approach for prioritizing areas for management and determining effective management strategies within the sagebrush biome. The emphasis...
The public and wildland fire management: social science findings for managers
S.M. McCaffrey
2006-01-01
Presents key social science findings from three National Fire Plan-sponsored research projects. Articles highlight information of likely interest to individuals working to decrease wildfire hazards on both private and public lands. Three general topic areas are addressed: (1) public views and acceptance of fuels management, (2) working with homeowners and communities,...
Fire science application and integration in support of decision making
Tom Zimmerman
2011-01-01
Wildland fire management in the United States has historically been a challenging and complex program governed by a multitude of factors including situational status, objectives, operational capability, science and technology, and changes and advances in all these factors. The improvement and advancement of risk-informed decision making has the potential to improve...
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jennings, L. N.; Treasure, E.; Moore Myers, J.; McNulty, S.
2012-12-01
There is an ever-increasing volume of useful scientific knowledge about climate change effects and management options for natural ecosystems. Agencies such as the USDA Forest Service have been charged with the need to evaluate this body of knowledge and if necessary adapt to the impacts of climate change in their forest planning and management. However, the combined volume of existing information and rate of development of new information, lack of climate change specialists, and limited technology transfer mechanisms make efficient access and use difficult. The Template for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Management Options (TACCIMO) addresses this difficulty through its publically accessible web-based tool that puts current and concise climate change science at the fingertips of forest planners and managers. A collaborative product of the USDA Forest Service Research Stations and the National Forest System, TACCIMO integrates peer-reviewed research with management and planning options through search and reporting tools that connect land managers with information they can trust. TACCIMO highlights elements from the wealth of climate change science with attention to what natural resource planners and managers need through a searchable repository of over 4,000 effects of climate change and close to 1,000 adaptive management options, all excerpted from a growing body of peer-reviewed scientific literature. A geospatial mapping application provides downscaled climate data for the nation and other spatially explicit models relevant to evaluating climate change impacts on forests. Report generators assist users in capturing outputs specific to a given location and resource area in a consistent and organized manner. For USDA Forest Service users, science findings can be readily linked with management conditions and capabilities from national forest management plans. The development of TACCIMO was guided by interactions with natural resource professionals, resulting in a flexible framework that allows new information to be added routinely and existing information to be reorganized as new science emerges and management needs change. TACCIMO is currently being used to support climate change science assessments for national forest land and management plan revisions in El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico, the Southern Sierra national forests in California, and Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina. The tool is also being actively used by state, extension, and private natural resource professionals for climate change education and outreach. For all users, TACCIMO provides a fast, concise, and creditable starting point to guide critical thinking, additional analysis, and expert consultation to support all aspects of natural resource management decision making.
Advancing dendrochronological studies of fire in the United States
Harley, Grant L.; Baisan, Christopher H.; Brown, Peter M.; Falk, Donald A.; Flatley, William T.; Grissino-Mayer, Henri D.; Hessl, Amy; Heyerdahl, Emily K.; Kaye, Margot W.; Lafon, Charles W.; Margolis, Ellis; Maxwell, R. Stockton; Naito, Adam T.; Platt, William J.; Rother, Monica T.; Saladyga, Thomas; Sherriff, Rosemary L.; Stachowiak, Lauren A.; Stambaugh, Michael C.; Sutherland, Elaine Kennedy; Taylor, Alan H.
2018-01-01
Dendroecology is the science that dates tree rings to their exact calendar year of formation to study processes that influence forest ecology (e.g., Speer 2010, Amoroso et al., 2017). Reconstruction of past fire regimes is a core application of dendroecology, linking fire history to population dynamics and climate effects on tree growth and survivorship. Since the early 20th century when dendrochronologists recognized that tree rings retained fire scars (e.g., Figure 1), and hence a record of past fires, they have conducted studies worldwide to reconstruct the historical range and variability of fire regimes (e.g., frequency, severity, seasonality, spatial extent), the influence of fire regimes on forest structure and ecosystem dynamics, and the top-down (e.g., climate) and bottom-up (e.g., fuels, topography) drivers of fire that operate at a range of temporal and spatial scales. As in other scientific fields, continued application of dendrochronological techniques to study fires has shaped new trajectories for the science. Here we highlight some important current directions in the United States (US) and call on our international colleagues to continue the conversation with perspectives from other countries.
The Number of Hardwood Sawmills Continues to Decrease - Is that Bad?
William G. Luppold; William G. Luppold
2005-01-01
The following Guest Editorial, "The Number of Hardwood Sawmills Continues to Decrease - Is that Bad?" is presented by William G. Luppold, Ph.D., of the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station - Forestry Sciences Laboratory. In this article, Dr. Luppold examines many of the key issues surrounding the size and loss of sawmills, which has influenced...
Southern Research Station Global Change Research Strategy 2011-2019
Kier Klepzig; Zoe Hoyle; Stevin Westcott; Emrys Treasure
2012-01-01
In keeping with the goals of the Research and Development agenda of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Southern Research Station (SRS) provides the information and technology needed to develop best management practices for the forest lands of the Southern United States, where science-guided actions are needed to sustain ecosystem health,...
Natural Inquirer >> Science Journal for Students >>
? Natural Inquirer relies on students to review publications before they head to print. Check out this story from the USDA Southern Research Station about a recent student review group from Swannanoa, NC. The coming months for free download or hard copy orders. To work with us on a student review, contact us at
The key roles of four Experimental Forests in the LTSP International Research Program
Robert F. Powers; Robert Denner; John D. Elioff; Gary O. Fiddler; Deborah Page-Dumroese; Felix Ponder; Allan E. Tiarks; Peter E. Avers; Richard G. Cline; Nelson S. Loftus
2014-01-01
Four Experimental Forests were pivotal in piloting the long-term soil productivity (LTSP) cooperative research program - one of the most successful and extensive collaborative science efforts yet undertaken by the USDA Forest Service. Launched on the Palustris, Challenge, Marcell, and Priest River Experimental Forests, LTSP traces to a seminal discussion during a field...
Putting the Pyramid into Practice. Science Topics.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Texas Child Care, 1994
1994-01-01
Explains the new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid, which can help children and adults visualize the basics of sound nutrition. The pyramid chart places five food groups from top to bottom in inverse proportion to the number of servings that should be consumed. Special symbols are used to indicate fat content and added…
Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service
2004-01-01
Confidence in decisionmaking can often come from knowing if others in similar circumstances would choose the same management strategy. Researchers at the USDA FS Pacific Northwest Research Station and the University of Saskatchewan have developed a Selection Criteria Analysis for answering this very question. This fact sheet discusses factors affecting the choice of...
This review assesses the scientific aspects of the proposed research for a special efficacy study to assess etofenprox-treated U.S. Military uniforms in terms of the recommendations of the EPA and of the EPA Human Studies Review Board.
Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2014
2014-02-19
microbial contamination.29 In FY2012, four agencies—NSF, NIH, NASA , and USDA —issued a joint solicitation to provide research funding for next...Table 10. NSF Funding by Major Account .................................................................................... 38 Table 11. NASA R&D...National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ), 8.1%; National Science Foundation (NSF), 4.3%; Department of Commerce (DOC), 1.9%; and
Forest Service Global Change Research Strategy, 2009-2019
Allen Solomon; Richard Birdsey; Linda A. Joyce; Jennifer Hayes
2009-01-01
In keeping with the research goals of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, the Research and Development agenda of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), helps define climate change policy and develop best management practices for forests (both rural and urban) and grasslands. These actions are taken to sustain ecosystem health, adjust management...
Techniques for the wheeled-skidder operator
Robert L. Hartman; Harry G. Gibson; Harry G. Gibson
1970-01-01
How much production a logger gets from a logging job may depend heavily on his skidder operators. They are key men on any logging job. This is one conclusion that forestry engineers at the USDA Forest Service's Forestry Sciences Laboratory at Morgantown, West Virginia, came to after studying the operation of u-heeled skidders in mountainous Appalachian terrain....
Introduction to proceedings of a workshop on science considerations in functional restoration
Carlos Rodriguez-Franco
2014-01-01
There has been a great deal of discussion in the scientific literature and in traditional forest management literature about forest restoration, ecological restoration, adaptive and active management for restoring forest ecosystems, and a variety of linked topics. The USDA Forest Service manages 193 million acres of forest and grasslands for a variety of uses, and...
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), operated a grain storage facility at the northeastern edge of the city of Hanover, Kansas, from 1950 until the early 1970s. During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were in common use by the grain storage industry to preserve grain in their facilities. In February 1998, trace to low levels of carbon tetrachloride (below the maximum contaminant level [MCL] of 5.0 {micro}g/L) were detected in two private wells near the former grain storage facility at Hanover, as part of a statewide USDA private wellmore » sampling program that was implemented by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) near former CCC/USDA facilities. In 2007, the CCC/USDA conducted near-surface soil sampling at 61 locations and also sampled indoor air at nine residences on or adjacent to its former Hanover facility to address the residents concerns regarding vapor intrusion. Low levels of carbon tetrachloride were detected at four of the nine homes. The results were submitted to the KDHE in October 2007 (Argonne 2007). On the basis of the results, the KDHE requested sub-slab sampling and/or indoor air sampling (KDHE 2007). This Work Plan describes, in detail, the proposed additional scope of work requested by the KDHE and has been developed as a supplement to the comprehensive site investigation work plan that is pending (Argonne 2008). Indoor air samples collected previously from four homes at Hanover were shown to contain the carbon tetrachloride at low concentrations (Table 2.1). It cannot be concluded from these previous data that the source of the detected carbon tetrachloride is vapor intrusion attributable to former grain storage operations of the CCC/USDA at Hanover. The technical objective of the vapor intrusion investigation described here is to assess the risk to human health due to the potential for upward migration of carbon tetrachloride and chloroform into four homes located on or adjacent to the former CCC/USDA facility. The technical objective will be accomplished by collecting sub-slab vapor samples. The preliminary data collected during the July 2007 investigation did not fully address the source of or migration pathway for the carbon tetrachloride detected in the four homes. The scope of work proposed here will generate additional data needed to help evaluate whether the source of the detected carbon tetrachloride is vapor intrusion attributable to activities of the CCC/USDA. The additional vapor sampling at Hanover will be performed, on behalf of the CCC/USDA, by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory and H&P Mobile Geochemistry of San Diego (http://www.handpmg.com). Argonne is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by UChicago Argonne, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The CCC/USDA has entered into an interagency agreement with DOE, under which Argonne provides technical assistance to the CCC/USDA with environmental site characterization and remediation at its former grain storage facilities. The professional staff members of H&P Mobile Geochemistry are nationally leading experts in soil gas sampling and vapor intrusion investigations.« less
Anne Black
2004-01-01
Fire suppression has reduced acres burned to an average of 2 million acres a year. An unfortunate result of this has been the accumulation of even more above-normal fuel loads in many areas. This paper discusses (1) the important ecological role of fire, (2) using fire as a fuels treatment, and (2) the benefits and risks of fire.
An ecological basis for managing giant sequoia ecosystems.
Piirto, Douglas D; Rogers, Robert R
2002-07-01
A strategy for management of giant sequoia groves is formulated using a conceptual framework for ecosystem management recently developed by Region Five of the USDA Forest Service. The framework includes physical, biological, and social dimensions. Environmental indicators and reference variability for key ecosystem elements are discussed in this paper. The selected ecosystem elements include: 1) attitudes, beliefs, and values; 2) economics and subsistence; 3) stream channel morphology; 4) sediment; 5) water; 6) fire; 7) organic debris; and 8) vegetation mosaic. Recommendations are made for the attributes of environmental indicators that characterize these elements. These elements and associated indicators will define and control management activities for the protection, preservation, and restoration of national forest giant sequoia ecosystems.
Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service
2004-01-01
The principal goals of fuel treatments are to reduce fireline intensities, reduce the potential for crown fires, improve opportunities for successful fire suppression, and improve forest resilience to forest fires. This fact sheet discusses thinning, and surface fuel treatments, as well as challenges associated with those treatments.
Decision modeling for fire incident analysis
Donald G. MacGregor; Armando González-Cabán
2009-01-01
This paper reports on methods for representing and modeling fire incidents based on concepts and models from the decision and risk sciences. A set of modeling techniques are used to characterize key fire management decision processes and provide a basis for incident analysis. The results of these methods can be used to provide insights into the structure of fire...
2015-03-01
Supporting Activity Vital Fire in May 2014 Glen Pearce Land Division Defence Science and Technology Organisation DSTO-TN-1408...UNCLASSIFIED Published by Land Division DSTO Defence Science and Technology Organisation 506 Lorimer St Fishermans Bend Victoria 3207 Australia...REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................. 1 2.1 Cognitive and metacognitive performance
Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy Actionable Science Plan Team
2016-01-01
The Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy (hereafter Strategy, DOI 2015) outlined the need for coordinated, science-based adaptive management to achieve long-term protection, conservation, and restoration of the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem. A key component of this management approach is the identification of knowledge gaps that limit...
Tips, techniques and suggestions for improving learning from escaped prescribed fire reviews
Anne Black; Dave Thomas; Jennifer Ziegler; Jim Saveland
2012-01-01
In 2011, we held five 2-day workshops at various locations around the US as part of a Joint Fire Science Program project to understand 'learning from escaped prescribed fire reviews'. Each workshop drew an interagency audience with representation from all facets of fire management, from ground personnel to local line officers, regional, and national positions...
Research Needs in Fire Safety for the Human Exploration and Utilization of Space
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ruff, Gary A.
2003-01-01
This viewgraph presentation provides information on developments in spacecraft fire safety research. The presentation includes an overview of the previous Spacecraft Fire Safety Workshop, from 1986, and the influences since then of bioastronautics on combustion science and fire safety. The presentation then gives of overview of the current conference, stating goals and giving a schedule.
K. E. Gibos; A. Slijepcevic; T. Wells; L. Fogarty
2015-01-01
Wildland fire managers must frequently make meaning from chaos in order to protect communities and infrastructure from the negative impacts of fire. Fire management personnel are increasingly turning to science to support their experience-based decision-making processes and to provide clear, confident leadership for communities frequently exposed to risk from wildfire...
Gregory Larson; Vita Wright; Cade Spaulding; Kelly Rossetto; Georgi Rausch; Andrea Richards; Stephanie Durnford
2007-01-01
The wildland fire community has spent the past decade trying to understand and account for the role of human factors in wildland fire organizations. Social research that is relevant to managing fire organizations can be found in disciplines such as social psychology, management, and communication. However, such research has been published primarily for scientific and...
Anne Black; Dave Thomas; Jennifer Ziegler; Jim Saveland
2012-01-01
In 2011, we held five 2-day workshops at various locations around the US as part of a Joint Fire Science Program project to understand 'learning from escaped prescribed fire reviews'. Each workshop drew an interagency audience with representation from all facets of fire management, from ground personnel to local line officers, regional, and national positions...
First-order fire effects models for land Management: Overview and issues
Elizabeth D. Reinhardt; Matthew B. Dickinson
2010-01-01
We give an overview of the science application process at work in supporting fire management. First-order fire effects models, such as those discussed in accompanying papers, are the building blocks of software systems designed for application to landscapes over time scales from days to centuries. Fire effects may be modeled using empirical, rule based, or process...
Matthew B. Dickinson; Andrew T. Hudak; Thomas Zajkowski; E. Louise Loudermilk; Wilfrid Schroeder; Luke Ellison; Robert L. Kremens; William Holley; Otto Martinez; Alexander Paxton; Benjamin C. Bright; Joseph O' Brien; Ben Hornsby; Charles Ichoku; Jason Faulring; Aaron Gerace; David Peterson; Joseph Mauceri
2016-01-01
Characterising radiation from wildland fires is an important focus of fire science because radiation relates directly to the combustion process and can be measured across a wide range of spatial extents and resolutions. As part of a more comprehensive set of measurements collected during the 2012 Prescribed Fire Combustion and Atmospheric Dynamics Research (RxCADRE)...
Francisco Rodríguez y Silva; Juan Ramón Molina Martínez; Miguel Ángel Herrera Machuca; Jesús Mª Rodríguez Leal
2013-01-01
Progress made in recent years in fire science, particularly as applied to forest fire protection, coupled with the increased power offered by mathematical processors integrated into computers, has led to important developments in the field of dynamic and static simulation of forest fires. Furthermore, and similarly, econometric models applied to economic...
Introducing the GRACEnet/REAP Data Contribution, Discovery, and Retrieval System.
Del Grosso, S J; White, J W; Wilson, G; Vandenberg, B; Karlen, D L; Follett, R F; Johnson, J M F; Franzluebbers, A J; Archer, D W; Gollany, H T; Liebig, M A; Ascough, J; Reyes-Fox, M; Pellack, L; Starr, J; Barbour, N; Polumsky, R W; Gutwein, M; James, D
2013-07-01
Difficulties in accessing high-quality data on trace gas fluxes and performance of bioenergy/bioproduct feedstocks limit the ability of researchers and others to address environmental impacts of agriculture and the potential to produce feedstocks. To address those needs, the GRACEnet (Greenhouse gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement network) and REAP (Renewable Energy Assessment Project) research programs were initiated by the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS). A major product of these programs is the creation of a database with greenhouse gas fluxes, soil carbon stocks, biomass yield, nutrient, and energy characteristics, and input data for modeling cropped and grazed systems. The data include site descriptors (e.g., weather, soil class, spatial attributes), experimental design (e.g., factors manipulated, measurements performed, plot layouts), management information (e.g., planting and harvesting schedules, fertilizer types and amounts, biomass harvested, grazing intensity), and measurements (e.g., soil C and N stocks, plant biomass amount and chemical composition). To promote standardization of data and ensure that experiments were fully described, sampling protocols and a spreadsheet-based data-entry template were developed. Data were first uploaded to a temporary database for checking and then were uploaded to the central database. A Web-accessible application allows for registered users to query and download data including measurement protocols. Separate portals have been provided for each project (GRACEnet and REAP) at nrrc.ars.usda.gov/slgracenet/#/Home and nrrc.ars.usda.gov/slreap/#/Home. The database architecture and data entry template have proven flexible and robust for describing a wide range of field experiments and thus appear suitable for other natural resource research projects. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schultis, Cathy; Troisi, Andrea; Vidor, Constance; Rostek, Andrea; Linsky, Melissa Carruthers
1998-01-01
Presents six curriculum guides for art, language arts, reading, science, and social studies. Each activity identifies library media skills objectives, curriculum objectives, grade levels, resources, librarian and teacher instructional roles, activity and procedures for completion, activity samples, guidelines for evaluating finished activities,…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bauer, Stephen M.; Arthanat, Sajay
2010-01-01
The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the impact of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) grant programs of 5 federal agencies National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Education (USDE), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and…
Robert L. Ryan
2005-01-01
A series of syntheses were commissioned by the USDA Forest Service to aid in fuels mitigation project planning. This synthesis focuses on research addressing aesthetic considerations of fuels management. A general finding is that fuels management activities can contribute to the visual quality of a landscape. Topics covered in the synthesis include research findings on...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Parker, Joyce E.; Wagner, David J.
2016-01-01
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture within the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides leadership, capacity, and funds to support the continuing development of a safe and competitive agricultural system. Many of the agency's educational programs are led by the Division of Community and Education (DOCE). These programs span agricultural…
Rachel White; Randy Molina
2006-01-01
The USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station's Biodiversity Initiative seeks to determine the types of science tools needed by natural resource professionals to meet diverse and complex biodiversity goals. During the scoping phase of this Initiative, we asked a broad cross-section of people whose work involves managing for biodiversity, from state...
The role of experimental forests in science and management
Theresa B. Jain
2012-01-01
Happy 100 years to the Priest River Experimental Forest (PREF)! PREF, which is managed by the Research and Development Branch of the USDA Forest Service, celebrated its centennial in September 2011. It was established in northern Idaho to provide useful information that would improve forest management in the western part of District One at a time when US forestry was...
The John Milner Nutrition and Cancer Prevention Research Practicum | Division of Cancer Prevention
The Nutritional Science Research Group in the Division of Cancer Prevention at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health and the Department of Nutrition at the Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (U.S.D.A.) Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center are offering a one-week educational opportunity in
From wildlife biology to soil science, the USDA and the United Nations
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
It all(?) started at age 18, wearing a rented tuxedo at the Explorers Club in NYC. I tried to explain my high school research on pine marten to my dinner companions while perched nervously on the dais. I haven’t worn a penguin suit since, but every year has been just as fascinating as I’ve worked my...
The American cranberry crowned jewel of the bog at the 2014 U.S.A. Science & Engineering Festival
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
For researchers in Dr. Juan Zalapa’s Cranberry Genetics and Genomics Lab, part of the USDA-ARS Vegetable Crops Research Unit, cranberries are more than a side dish on their Thanksgiving tables, they are the main course in their daily studies. The majority of these little red super-fruits come from t...
Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service
2005-01-01
Although fuel reduction treatments are widespread, there is great variability and uncertainty in the cost of conducting treatments. Researchers from the Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, have developed a model for estimating the per-acre cost for mechanical fuel reduction treatments. Although these models do a good job of identifying factors that...
Sarah M. Butler; Alan S. White; Katherine J. Elliott; Robert S Seymour
2014-01-01
BUTLER, S. M. (Family Forest Research Center, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003), A. S. WHITE (School of Forest Resources, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5755), K. J. ELLIOTT (Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, Center for Forest Watershed Science, Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Otto, NC 28763) AND R. S. SEYMOUR (School of Forest...
Terry C. Daniel; Michael Valdiserri; Carrie R. Daniel; Pamela Jakes; Pamela Jakes; Susan Barro
2005-01-01
A series of syntheses were commissioned by the USDA Forest Service to aid in fuels mitigation project planning. This synthesis focuses on research for assessing the social acceptability of fuels treatments. The synthesis is structured around six important considerations for any social acceptability assessment: defining the fuels treatments being assessed; representing...
U.S. wood pallet material use trends
Philip A. Araman; Robert J. Bush; E.Bradley Hager
2010-01-01
A series of five studies conducted by the Virginia Tech Department of Wood Science and Forest Products, in collaboration with the USDA â Forest Service (Blacksburg, Virginia), have tracked activity in the U.S. wood pallet and container industry between 1992 and 2006. The studies determined trends in wood use and pallet production within the industry, both new and...
On Tour... Primary Hardwood Processing, Products and Recycling Unit
Philip A. Araman; Daniel L. Schmoldt
1995-01-01
Housed within the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products at Virginia Polytechnic Institute is a three-person USDA Forest Service research work unit (with one vacancy) devoted to hardwood processing and recycling research. Phil Araman is the project leader of this truly unique and productive unit, titled ãPrimary Hardwood Processing, Products and Recycling.ä The...
The Measure of a Nation: The USDA and the Rise of Survey Methodology
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mahoney, Kevin T.; Baker, David B.
2007-01-01
Survey research has played a major role in American social science. An outgrowth of efforts by the United States Department of Agriculture in the 1930s, the Division of Program Surveys (DPS) played an important role in the development of survey methodology. The DPS was headed by the ambitious and entrepreneurial Rensis Likert, populated by young…
Effects of proposed alternatives on aquatic habitats and native fishes [Chapter 3
James R. Sedell; Danny C. Lee; Bruce E. Rieman; Russell F. Thurow; Jack E. Williams
1997-01-01
The Aquatics and Riparian Science Teams analyzed the seven alternatives by evaluating their effectiveness in sustaining aquatic ecosystem structure and function, and their expected effect on 25 taxa of native fishes. Our analysis focused on alternatives as defined in Chapter 3 of the Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) (USDA and USDI 1996a, 1996b...
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The mission of the USDA Southwest Regional Climate Hub is to provide farmers, ranchers and forest land owners and managers with information and resources to cope with the impacts of climate change. As such, a clear understanding of landowner needs for weather and climate data and their attitudes abo...
Association Between State Laws Governing School Meal Nutrition Content and Student Weight Status
Taber, Daniel R.; Chriqui, Jamie F.; Powell, Lisa; Chaloupka, Frank J.
2014-01-01
Importance This study assessed whether stronger school meal nutrition standards may improve student weight status. Results have immediate implications because of the ongoing implementation of new nutrition standards for the National School Lunch Program. Objective To determine if state laws with stricter school meal nutrition standards are inversely associated with adolescent weight status, while controlling for unmeasured state-level confounders. Design Quasi-experiment. Setting Public schools. Participants Four thousand eight hundred seventy eighth-grade students in 40 states. Students were categorized by type of school lunch they usually obtained (free/reduced price, regular price, or none). Interventions State laws governing school meal nutrition standards. States with standards that exceeded US Department of Agriculture (USDA) school meal standards were compared with states that did not exceed USDA standards. The parameter of interest was the interaction between state laws and student lunch participant status, ie, whether disparities in weight status between school lunch participants and nonparticipants were smaller in states with stricter standards. Main Outcome Measures Body mass index percentile and obesity status. Results In states that exceeded USDA standards, the difference in obesity prevalence between students who obtained free/reduced-price lunches and students who did not obtain school lunches was 12.3 percentage points smaller (95% CI, −21.5 to −3.0) compared with states that did not exceed USDA standards. Likewise, differences in mean body mass index percentile between those student populations were 11 units smaller in states that exceeded USDA standards (95% CI, −17.7 to −4.3). There was little evidence that students compensated for school meal laws by purchasing more sweets, salty snacks, or sugar-sweetened beverages from other school venues (eg, vending machines) or other sources (eg, fast food). Conclusions and Relevance Stringent school meal standards that reflect the latest nutrition science may improve weight status among school lunch participants, particularly those eligible for free/reduced-price lunches. PMID:23567869
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-07-01
... interchangeably in fire science literature. Section 1915.11(b)Definition of “Upper explosive limit.” The terms upper flammable limit (UFL) and upper explosive limit (UEL) are used interchangeably in fire science... life and is adequate for entry. However, any oxygen level greater than 20.8 percent by volume should...
Melanie Miller
2004-01-01
Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; environmental consequences fact sheet 5: prescriptions and fire effects. Miller, Melanie. 2004. Res. Note RMRS-RN-23-5-WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p. While our understanding of the causes for variation in postfire effects is increasing, burn...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-07-01
... interchangeably in fire science literature. Section 1915.11(b)Definition of “Upper explosive limit.” The terms upper flammable limit (UFL) and upper explosive limit (UEL) are used interchangeably in fire science... life and is adequate for entry. However, any oxygen level greater than 20.8 percent by volume should...
Young, John A.; Mahan, Carolyn G.; Forder, Melissa
2017-01-01
Many eastern forest communities depend on fire for regeneration or are enhanced by fire as a restoration practice. However, the use of prescribed fire in the mesic forested environments and the densely populated regions of the eastern United States has been limited. The objective of our research was to develop a science-based approach to prioritizing the use of prescribed fire in appropriate forest types in the eastern United States based on a set of desired management outcomes. Through a process of expert elicitation and data analysis, we assessed and integrated recent vegetation community mapping results along with other available spatial data layers into a spatial prioritization tool for prescribed fire planning at Shenandoah National Park (Virginia, USA). The integration of vegetation spatial data allowed for development of per-pixel priority rankings and exclusion areas enabling precise targeting of fire management activities on the ground, as well as a park-wide ranking of fire planning compartments. We demonstrate the use and evaluation of this approach through implementation and monitoring of a prescribed burn and show that progress is being made toward desired conditions. Integration of spatial data into the fire planning process has served as a collaborative tool for the implementation of prescribed fire projects, which assures projects will be planned in the most appropriate areas to meet objectives that are supported by current science.
Science You Can Use Bulletin: Seeing red: New tools for mapping and understanding fire severity
Sue Miller; Robert Keane; Penny Morgan; Pamela Sikkink; Eva Karau; Greg Dillon
2013-01-01
Large, severe fires are ecologically and socially important because they have lasting effects on vegetation and soils, can potentially threaten people and property, and can be costly to manage. The goals of the Fire Severity Mapping Project (FIRESEV), which covers lands in the continental western United States, are to understand where and why fires burn severely, and...
Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service
2007-01-01
Large fires can result in a series of disasters for individuals and communities in the wildland-urban interface. They create significant disruptions to ongoing social processes, result in large financial losses, and lead to expensive restoration activities. By being aware of the impacts of wildland fire on local residents, fire managers can bring added value to them...
Why do we need to communicate smoke impacts on health? Indicence and severity of large fires are increasing. As emissions from the Wildland fires produce air pollution that adversely impacts people's health, incidence and severity of large fires are increasing. As emissions fr...
The essence of fire regime-condition class assessment
McKinley-Ben Miller
2008-01-01
The interagency-Fire Regime / Condition Class - assessment process (FRCC) represents a contemporary and effective means of estimating the relative degree of difference or "departure" a subject landscape condition is currently in, as compared to the historic or reference ecological conditions. This process generally applied to fire adapted systems is science-...
Directory of fire research specialists
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Junod, T. L.; Mandel, G.; Jason, N. H.
1979-01-01
Directory indexes, 1,475 researchers and various organizations in the United States or Canada who have recently participated in or made contributions to fire science research or related areas of concern.
Atmospheric Science Data Center
2014-05-15
... View Larger Image The Hayman fire, situated about 65 kilometers southwest of Denver, ... these visualizations were generated as part of operational processing at the Atmospheric Science Data Center at NASA Langley Research ...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-07-01
... explosive limit (LEL) are used interchangeably in fire science literature. Section 1915.11(b)Definition of... interchangeably in fire science literature. Section 1915.12(a)(3). After a tank has been properly washed and... oxygen content of 19.5 percent can support life and is adequate for entry. However, any oxygen level...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-07-01
... explosive limit (LEL) are used interchangeably in fire science literature. Section 1915.11(b)Definition of... interchangeably in fire science literature. Section 1915.12(a)(3). After a tank has been properly washed and... oxygen content of 19.5 percent can support life and is adequate for entry. However, any oxygen level...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-07-01
... explosive limit (LEL) are used interchangeably in fire science literature. Section 1915.11(b)Definition of... interchangeably in fire science literature. Section 1915.12(a)(3). After a tank has been properly washed and... oxygen content of 19.5 percent can support life and is adequate for entry. However, any oxygen level...
Global spatial assessment of WUI and related land cover in Portugal
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tonini, Marj; Parente, Joana; Pereira, Mário G.
2017-04-01
Forest fires as hazardous events are assuming an increasing importance all around the world, especially in relation to climate changes and to urban sprawl, which makes it difficult to outline a border between human infrastructures and wildland areas. This zone, known as the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), is defined as the area where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland (USDA 2001). Its extension is influenced by anthropogenic features, since, as it was proved, the distance to roads and houses negatively influence the probability of forest fires ignitions, while the population density positively affects it. Land use is also a crucial feature to be considered in the analyses of the impact of forest fires, and each natural, semi-natural and artificial land cover can be affected in a different proportion. The aim of the present study is to investigate and mapping the wildland urban interface and its temporal dynamic in Portugal at global scale. Secondly, it aims at providing a quantitative characterization of forest fires occurred in the last few decades (1990 - 2012) in relation to the burned area and the land covers evolution. The National mapping burnt area dataset (by the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests) provided the information allowing to precisely localize forest fires. The land cover classes were derived from the Corinne Land Cover, available for four periods (1990-2000-2006-2012). The following two classes were retained to outline the WUI: 1) artificial surfaces, as representative of the human development; 2) forest and semi-natural area, as representative of undeveloped wildland. First, we investigated the distribution of the burned areas among the different detailed land covers classes. Then, to map the WUI, we considered a buffer distance around artificial surfaces located in proximity of forests and semi-natural areas. The descriptive statistic carried out individually within each district revealed that in the southern part of the country forest fires are highly dispersed, while in the northern regions they tend to be aggregated around the anthropogenic infrastructures. This WUI-model can be replicated to assess the WUI at different periods, namely 1990, 2000, 2006, and to analyses the evolution of the WUI up to 2012. More accurate analyses at large scale for characterizing and mapping WUI using precise data (e.g. the true houses footprints) will be necessary to give practical indications in term of land and fire management. Nevertheless our study is necessary to give precious suggestions as for what is the global distribution on WUI in Portugal and which regions need to be prioritized in term of WUI extension and fires protection. References: Conedera M., Tonini M., Oleggini L., Vega Orozco C., Leuenberger M., Pezzati G.B. (2015) - Geospatial approach for defining the Wildland-Urban Interface in the Alpine environment. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, Vol. 52: 10-20 Bouillon C., Fernandez R., Sirca C., Fierro G., Casula F., Vila B., Long Fournel M., Pellizzaro G., Arca B., Tedim F., Trebini F., Derudas A., Cane S. (2014) - A tool for mapping rural-urban interfaces on different scales. Advanced in Forest Fire Research, Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra ED, pp. 611-625 Acknowledgements: This work was supported by: (i) the FIREXTR project, PTDC/ATP¬GEO/0462/2014; (ii) the project Interact - Integrative Research in Environment,Agro-Chain and Technology, NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000017, research line BEST, cofinanced by FEDER/NORTE 2020; and, (iii) European Investment Funds by FEDER/COMPETE/POCI-Operacional Competitiveness and Internacionalization Programme, under Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006958 and National Funds by FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project UID/AGR/04033. We are especially grateful to ICNF for providing the fire.
R. J. Yokelson; I. R. Burling; J. B. Gilman; C. Warneke; C. E. Stockwell; J. de Gouw; S. K. Akagi; S. P. Urbanski; P. Veres; J. M. Roberts; W. C. Kuster; J. Reardon; D. W. T. Griffith; T. J. Johnson; S. Hosseini; J. W. Miller; D. R. Cocker; H. Jung; D. R. Weise
2013-01-01
An extensive program of experiments focused on biomass burning emissions began with a laboratory phase in which vegetative fuels commonly consumed in prescribed fires were collected in the southeastern and southwestern US and burned in a series of 71 fires at the US Forest Service Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula, Montana. The particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions...
R. J. Yokelson; I. R. Burling; J. B. Gilman; C. Warneke; C. E. Stockwell; J. de Gouw; S. K. Akagi; S. P. Urbanski; P. Veres; J. M. Roberts; W. C. Kuster; J. Reardon; D. W. T. Griffith; T. J. Johnson; S. Hosseini; J. W. Miller; D. R. Cocker III; H. Jung; D. R. Weise
2012-01-01
An extensive program of experiments focused on biomass burning emissions began with a laboratory phase in which vegetative fuels commonly consumed in prescribed fires were collected in the southeastern and southwestern US and burned in a series 5 of 71 fires at the US Forest Service Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula, Montana. The particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions...
Elizabeth Reinhardt
2005-01-01
FFE-FVS is a model linking stand development, fuel dynamics, fire behavior and fire effects. It allows comparison of mid- to long-term effects of management alternatives including harvest, mechanical fuel treatment, prescribed fire, salvage, and no action. This fact sheet identifies the intended users and uses, required inputs, what the model does, and tells the user...
Do one percent of the forest fires cause ninety-nine percent of the damage? Forest Science
David Strauss; Larry Bednar; Romain Mees
1989-01-01
A relatively small number of forest fires are responsible for a very high proportion of the total damage. The proportion due to the fraction p of largest fires, when plotted against p, is a measure of variability of fire sizes that is especially sensitive to the important extreme events. We find the theoretical form of the plot for several commonly used distributions...
Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service
2004-01-01
Many managers and policymakers guided by the National Environmental Policy Act process want to understand the scientific principles on which they can base fuel treatments for reducing the size and severity of wildfires. These Forest Structure and Fire Hazard fact sheets discuss how to estimate fire hazard, how to visualize fuel treatments, and how the role of...
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division
From September 1949 until September 1966, the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) leased property at the southeastern end of Montgomery City, Missouri, for the operation of a grain storage facility. During this time, commercial grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were commonly used by the CCC/USDA and the private grain storage industry to preserve grain in their facilities. In January 2000, carbon tetrachloride was detected in a soil sample (220 {micro}g/kg) and two soil gas samples (58 {micro}g/m{sup 3} and 550 {micro}g/m{sup 3}) collected at the former CCC/USDA facility, as a result of a pre-CERCLIS sitemore » screening investigation (SSI) performed by TN & Associates, Inc., on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region VII (MoDNR 2001). In June 2001, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) conducted further sampling of the soils and groundwater at the former CCC/USDA facility as part of a preliminary assessment/site inspection (PA/SI). The MoDNR confirmed the presence of carbon tetrachloride (at a maximum identified concentration of 2,810 {micro}g/kg) and chloroform (maximum 82 {micro}g/kg) in the soils and also detected carbon tetrachloride and chloroform (42.2 {micro}g/L and 58.4 {micro}g/L, respectively) in a groundwater sample collected at the former facility (MoDNR 2001). The carbon tetrachloride levels identified in the soils and groundwater are above the default target level (DTL) values established by the MoDNR for this contaminant in soils of all types (79.6 {micro}g/kg) and in groundwater (5.0 {micro}g/L), as outlined in Missouri Risk-Based Corrective Action (MRBCA): Departmental Technical Guidance (MoDNR 2006a). The corresponding MRBCA DTL values for chloroform are 76.6 {micro}g/kg in soils of all types and 80 {micro}g/L in groundwater. Because the observed contamination at Montgomery City might be linked to the past use of carbon tetrachloride-based fumigants at its former grain storage facility, the CCC/USDA will conduct investigations to (1) characterize the source(s), extent, and factors controlling the possible subsurface distribution and movement of carbon tetrachloride at the Montgomery City site and (2) evaluate the health and environmental threats potentially represented by the contamination. This work will be performed in accord with the Intergovernmental Agreement established between the Farm Service Agency of the USDA and the MoDNR, to address carbon tetrachloride contamination potentially associated with a number of former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities in Missouri. The investigations at Montgomery City will be conducted on behalf of the CCC/USDA by the Environmental Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by UChicago Argonne, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The CCC/USDA has entered into an agreement with DOE, under which Argonne provides technical assistance to the CCC/USDA with environmental site characterization and remediation at its former grain storage facilities. The site characterization at Montgomery City will take place in phases. This approach is recommended by the CCC/USDA and Argonne, so that information obtained and interpretations developed during each incremental stage of the investigation can be used most effectively to guide subsequent phases of the program. This site-specific Work Plan outlines the specific technical objectives and scope of work proposed for Phase I of the Montgomery City investigation. This Work Plan also includes the community relations plan to be followed throughout the CCC/USDA program at the Montgomery City site. Argonne is developing a Master Work Plan specific to operations in the state of Missouri. In the meantime, Argonne has issued a Provisional Master Work Plan (PMWP; Argonne 2007) that has been reviewed and approved by the MoDNR for current use. The PMWP (Argonne 2007) provides detailed information and guidance on the investigative technologies, analytical methodologies, quality assurance-quality control measures, and general health and safety policies to be employed by Argonne for all investigations at former CCC/USDA grain storage facilities in Missouri. Both the PMWP and this site-specific Work Plan must therefore be consulted for a complete description of the planned Phase I work at the former CCC/USDA facility at Montgomery City.« less
2016-07-01
Note (CHETN) describes a method using the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Soil Survey Geographic...the general texture classifications. 2. Another source for soil information, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO...science studies such as agriculture , geology, geomorphology, engineering, biology, history, etc. (Soil Survey Division Staff 1993). The procedure pulls
Eugene C. Conrad; Leonard A. Newell
1992-01-01
The 17 papers in the Proceedings of the Session on Tropical Forestry for People of the Pacific cover the topics of the USDA Forest Service's tropical forestry research, forestry research in Asia and the Pacific, management of tropical forests for products and energy; forest and wildlife management, the South Pacific Forestry Development Programme, tropical...
Martha C. Monroe; Lisa Pennisi; Sarah McCaffrey; Dennis Mileti
2006-01-01
A series of syntheses were commissioned by the USDA Forest Service to aid in fuels mitigation project planning. This synthesis focuses on how managers can most effectively communicate with the public about fuels management efforts. It summarizes what is known about the techniques of persuasive communication programs and provides an outline of the characteristics of...
Deborah M. Finch; Douglas A. Boyce; Jeanne C. Chambers; Chris J. Colt; Kas Dumroese; Stanley G. Kitchen; Clinton McCarthy; Susan E. Meyer; Bryce A. Richardson; Mary M. Rowland; Mark A. Rumble; Michael K. Schwartz; Monica S. Tomosy; Michael J. Wisdom
2016-01-01
Sagebrush ecosystems are among the largest and most threatened ecosystems in North America. Greater sage-grouse has served as the bellwether for species conservation in these ecosystems and has been considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act eight times. In September 2015, the decision was made not to list greater sage-grouse, but to reevaluate its status...
Gerald J. Gottfried; Lane G. Eskew; Charles G. Curtin; Carleton B. Edminster
1999-01-01
Land management based on sound science is key to increased productivity and biological diversity along the U.S./Mexico border in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. The USDA Forest Service's Rocky Mountain Research Station and the non-government Malpai Borderlands Group have sponsored studies and resource inventories in the region. A meeting in...
Material use and production changes in the U.S. wood pallet and container industry: 1992 to 2006
R. J. Bush; P. A. Araman
2009-01-01
A series of five studies conducted by the Virginia Tech Department of Wood Science and Forest Products, in collaboration with the USDA - Forest Service (Blacksburg, Virginia), have tracked activity in the U.S. wood pallet and container industry between 1992 and 2006. The studies documented trends in wood use and pallet production with in the industry, both new...
Demonstrating the value of a social science research program to a natural resource management agency
Pamela J. Jakes; John F. Dwyer; Deborah S. Carr
1998-01-01
With ever tightening resources to address an increased number of diverse and complex issues, it has become common for scientists and managers to be called upon to demonstrate the value of their programs. In the spring of 1995, social scientists at the USDA Forest Service North Central Forest Experiment Station we so called upon. This paper discusses an effort to...
Improvements to coal power plant technology and the co-fired combustion of biomass promise direct greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions for existing coal-fired power plants. Questions remain as to what the reduction potentials are from a life cycle perspective and if it will result in ...
Understanding social influences on wilderness fire stewardship decisions
Katie Knotek
2006-01-01
Federal land managers and the public engage in many decisions about stewardship of wilderness in the United States, including decisions about stewardship of fire. To date, social science research lacks a holistic examination of the decision-making context of managers and the public about stewardship of fire inside wilderness and across its boundaries. A conceptual...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dress, Abby
2008-01-01
The 1988 fires at Yellowstone National Park burned 1.4 million acres in the tri-state areas of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho--encompassing the greater Yellowstone area--and burned some 800,000 acres within the park itself (Franke 2000). This article discusses this extraordinary fire event and contains helpful resources for bringing the science of…
Particle-size distribution models for the conversion of Chinese data to FAO/USDA system.
Shangguan, Wei; Dai, YongJiu; García-Gutiérrez, Carlos; Yuan, Hua
2014-01-01
We investigated eleven particle-size distribution (PSD) models to determine the appropriate models for describing the PSDs of 16349 Chinese soil samples. These data are based on three soil texture classification schemes, including one ISSS (International Society of Soil Science) scheme with four data points and two Katschinski's schemes with five and six data points, respectively. The adjusted coefficient of determination r (2), Akaike's information criterion (AIC), and geometric mean error ratio (GMER) were used to evaluate the model performance. The soil data were converted to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) standard using PSD models and the fractal concept. The performance of PSD models was affected by soil texture and classification of fraction schemes. The performance of PSD models also varied with clay content of soils. The Anderson, Fredlund, modified logistic growth, Skaggs, and Weilbull models were the best.
United States Geological Survey fire science: fire danger monitoring and forecasting
Eidenshink, Jeff C.; Howard, Stephen M.
2012-01-01
Each day, the U.S. Geological Survey produces 7-day forecasts for all Federal lands of the distributions of number of ignitions, number of fires above a given size, and conditional probabilities of fires growing larger than a specified size. The large fire probability map is an estimate of the likelihood that ignitions will become large fires. The large fire forecast map is a probability estimate of the number of fires on federal lands exceeding 100 acres in the forthcoming week. The ignition forecast map is a probability estimate of the number of fires on Federal land greater than 1 acre in the forthcoming week. The extreme event forecast is the probability estimate of the number of fires on Federal land that may exceed 5,000 acres in the forthcoming week.
Registration of USDA-UTWH-102 winter hardy orchardgrass germplasm
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The USDA-ARS announces the release of USDA-UTWG-102 orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) (Reg. No., PI) germplasm. USDA-UTWH-102 possesses increased winter hardiness and provides utility to applied orchardgrass breeding and genetic programs. USDA-UTWH-102 is a 24 clone synthetic derived from orchard...
Fort Collins Science Center: Ecosystem Dynamics
Bowen, Zack
2004-01-01
Current studies fall into five general areas. Herbivore-Ecosystem Interactions examines the efficacy of multiple controls on selected herbivore populations and cascading effects through predator-herbivore-plant-soil linkages. Riparian Ecology is concerned with interactions among streamflow, fluvial geomorphology, and riparian vegetation. Integrated Fire Science focuses on the effects of fire on plant and animal communities at multiple scales, and on the interactions between post-fire plant, runoff, and erosion processes. Reference Ecosystems comprises long-term, place-based studies of ecosystem biogeochemistry. Finally, Integrated Assessments is investigating how to synthesize multiple ecosystem stressors and responses over complex landscapes in ways that are useful for management and planning.
Directory of Federal Contractors and Cognizant Audit Offices
1994-12-31
34 qLELECTE 11. Title: , Directory of Federal Contractors and Cognizant Audit Offices 12. Performing Organization: 13 . Performing Report #: 14...GRAND AVE EL SEGUNDO CA 90245 3106150311 COMPUTER SCIENCE CORPORATION 04311 044 BUILDING T-164 FT. HUNTER LIGGE CA 93928 4083882775 COMPUTER SCIENCE...INC 03621 110 2650 INDUSTRIAL PKW MARINETTE WI 54143 7157359058 FIRE SYS INC 01271 084 5110 S. MACDILL AVE TAMPA FL 33611 6138379491 FIRE-BANN
Biochar for soil fertility and natural carbon sequestration
Rostad, C.E.; Rutherford, D.W.
2011-01-01
Biochar is charcoal (similar to chars generated by forest fires) that is made for incorporation into soils to increase soil fertility while providing natural carbon sequestration. The incorporation of biochar into soils can preserve and enrich soils and also slow the rate at which climate change is affecting our planet. Studies on biochar, such as those cited by this report, are applicable to both fire science and soil science.
David E. Calkin; Alan A. Ager; Matthew P. Thompson; Mark A. Finney; Danny C. Lee; Thomas M. Quigley; Charles W. McHugh; Karin L. Riley; Julie M. Gilbertson-Day
2011-01-01
The FLAME Act of 2009 requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Interior to submit to Congress a Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy. In this report, we explore the general science available for a risk-based approach to fire and fuels management and suggest analyses that may be applied at multiple scales to inform...
Brian Cooke; Jane Kapler Smith; Robin Innes; Janet Fryer; Kris Zouhar; Ilana Abrahamson; Shannon Murphy; Eva Masin
2015-01-01
The Rocky Mountain Research Stationâs Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) team synthesizes information about wildland fires, their history in U.S. ecosystems, and their effects on U.S. wildland plants, lichens, and animals. Found at www.feis-crs.org/feis/, FEIS publications can be used for many purposes, including land use planning, restoration and rehabilitation...
7 CFR 170.12 - What are the selection criteria for participation in the USDA Farmers Market?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... the USDA Farmers Market? 170.12 Section 170.12 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... OF 1946 USDA FARMERS MARKET § 170.12 What are the selection criteria for participation in the USDA.... Participants should commit to supporting the USDA food gleaning/food recovery initiative. This commitment...
7 CFR 170.12 - What are the selection criteria for participation in the USDA Farmers Market?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... the USDA Farmers Market? 170.12 Section 170.12 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... OF 1946 USDA FARMERS MARKET § 170.12 What are the selection criteria for participation in the USDA.... Participants should commit to supporting the USDA food gleaning/food recovery initiative. This commitment...
7 CFR 170.12 - What are the selection criteria for participation in the USDA Farmers Market?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... the USDA Farmers Market? 170.12 Section 170.12 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... OF 1946 USDA FARMERS MARKET § 170.12 What are the selection criteria for participation in the USDA.... Participants should commit to supporting the USDA food gleaning/food recovery initiative. This commitment...
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mataix-Solera, Jorge; Arcenegui, Vicky; Cerdà, Artemi; García-Orenes, Fuensanta; Moltó, Jorge; Chrenkovà, Katerina; Torres, Pilar; Lozano, Elena; Jimenez-Pinilla, Patricia; Jara-Navarro, Ana B.
2015-04-01
Forest fires must be considered a natural factor in Mediterranean ecosystems, but the changes in land use in the last six decades have altered its natural regime making them an ongoing environmental problem. Some big forest fires (> 500 has) also have a great socio-economical impact on human population. Our research team has experience of 20 years studying the effects of forest fires on soil properties, their recovery after fire and the impact of some post-fire management treatments. In this work we want to show our experience of how to transfer part of our knowledge to society after two catastrophic events of forest fires in the Alicante Province (E Spain). Two big forest fires: one in "Sierra de Mariola (Alcoi)" and other in "Montgó Natural Park (Javea-Denia)" occurred in in July 2012 and September 2014 respectivelly, and as consequence a great impact was produced on the populations of nearby affected villages. Immediatelly, some groups were formed through social networks with the aim of trying to help recover the affected areas as soon as possible. Usually, society calls for early reforestation and this preassure on forest managers and politicians can produce a response with a greater impact on fire-affected area than the actual fire. The soil is a fragile ecosystem after forest fire, and the situation after fire can vary greatly depending on many factors such as fire severity, previous history of fire in the area, soil type, topography, etc. An evaluation of the site to make the best decision for recovery of the area, protecting the soil and avoiding degradation of the ecosystem is necessary. In these 2 cases we organized some field activities and conferences to give society knowledge of how soil is affected by forest fires, and what would be the best post-fire management depending on how healthy the soil is and the vegetation resilience after fire and our expectations for a natural recovery. The application of different types of mulch in vulnerable areas, the participation of people on the days when we started field research with installation of plots and soil samplings, field trips with volunteers of some NGO's, etc., are some of examples of what we will show in this presentation of how to bring soil science to society. Acknowledgements: to the "Ministerio de Economía and Competitividad" of Spanish Government for finance the POSTFIRE project (CGL2013- 47862-C2-1-R), FUEGORED, Spanish Soil Science Society, Alcoi and Javea councils, Botánica Mediterrànea, ACIF Alcoi, ACIF Marina Alta, Xàbia Viva, Montgó Viu, and Sierra de Mariola and Montgó Natural Parks for their collaboration.
Wildfire, research, and a climate station
Ward McCaughey
2008-01-01
In August, the human-caused Tin Cup Fire took off a few miles to the north of where the Fire Sciences Laboratory crew was busy collecting fuels data on the Trapper Bunkhouse study site west of Darby. The fire demonstrated how quickly wildfire can escape initial attack in untreated stands, especially under extremely dry conditions, and how treated areas helped moderate...
Overview of the Fire Lab at Missoula Experiments (FLAME)
S. M. Kreidenweis; J. L. Collett; H. Moosmuller; W. P. Arnott; WeiMin Hao; W. C. Malm
2010-01-01
The Fire Lab at Missoula Experiments (FLAME) used a series of open biomass burns, conducted in 2006 and 2007 at the Forest Service Fire Science Laboratory in Missoula, MT, to characterize the physical, chemical and optical properties of biomass combustion emissions. Fuels were selected primarily based on their projected importance for emissions from prescribed and wild...
Advancing dendrochronological studies of fire in the United States
Grant L. Harley; Christopher H. Baisan; Peter M. Brown; Donald A. Falk; William T. Flatley; Henri D. Grissino-Mayer; Amy Hessl; Emily K. Heyerdahl; Margot W. Kaye; Charles W. Lafon; Ellis Q. Margolis; R. Stockton Maxwell; Adam T. Naito; William J. Platt; Monica T. Rother; Thomas Saladyga; Rosemary L. Sherriff; Lauren A. Stachowiak; Michael C. Stambaugh; Elaine Kennedy Sutherland; Alan H. Taylor
2018-01-01
Dendroecology is the science that dates tree rings to their exact calendar year of formation to study processes that influence forest ecology (e.g., Speer 2010 [1], Amoroso et al., 2017 [2]). Reconstruction of past fire regimes is a core application of dendroecology, linking fire history to population dynamics and climate effects on tree growth and survivorship. Since...
New and revised fire effects tools for fire management
Robert E. Keane; Greg Dillon; Stacy Drury; Robin Innes; Penny Morgan; Duncan Lutes; Susan J. Prichard; Jane Smith; Eva Strand
2014-01-01
Announcing the release of new software packages for application in wildland fire science and management, two fields that are already fully saturated with computer technology, may seem a bit too much to many managers. However, there have been some recent releases of new computer programs and revisions of existing software and information tools that deserve mention...
Chapter 12: Gaps in scientific knowledge about fire and nonnative invasive plants
Kristin Zouhar; Gregory T. Munger; Jane Kapler Smith
2008-01-01
The potential for nonnative, invasive plants to alter an ecosystem depends on species traits, ecosystem characteristics, and the effects of disturbances, including fire. This study identifies gaps in science-based knowledge about the relationships between fire and nonnative invasive plants in the United States. The literature was searched for information on 60...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Div. of Vocational, Adult, and Community Education.
Florida's community college and school district postsecondary adult vocational programs in fire fighter training and fire science technology were subjected to a statewide program review. Efforts were made to reach Florida's entire community of career and volunteer fire fighters. Data were collected in the following ways: site interviews with…
Remote sensing information for fire management and fire effects assessment
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chuvieco, Emilio; Kasischke, Eric S.
2007-03-01
Over the past decade, much research has been carried out on the utilization of advanced geospatial technologies (remote sensing and geographic information systems) in the fire science and fire management disciplines. Recent advances in these technologies were the focus of a workshop sponsored by the EARSEL special interest group (SIG) on forest fires (FF-SIG) and the Global Observation of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD) fire implementation team. Here we summarize the framework and the key findings of papers submitted from this meeting and presented in this special section. These papers focus on the latest advances for near real-time monitoring of active fires, prediction of fire hazards and danger, monitoring of fuel moisture, mapping of fuel types, and postfire assessment of the impacts from fires.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... the USDA's foreign assistance programs apply? 417.221 Section 417.221 Grants and Agreements Federal... SUSPENSION Covered Transactions § 417.221 How would the exclusions from coverage for the USDA's foreign... into between USDA and a program participant, such as a U.S. private voluntary organization. USDA would...
7 CFR 170.4 - Who may participate in the USDA Farmers Market?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Who may participate in the USDA Farmers Market? 170.4... MARKETING PRACTICES UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946 USDA FARMERS MARKET § 170.4 Who may participate in the USDA Farmers Market? Members of three groups may participate in the USDA Farmers Markets...
7 CFR 170.11 - How are farmers and vendors selected for participation in the USDA Farmers Market?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... in the USDA Farmers Market? 170.11 Section 170.11 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... OF 1946 USDA FARMERS MARKET § 170.11 How are farmers and vendors selected for participation in the USDA Farmers Market? USDA reviews all applications and selects participants based primarily on the type...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... the USDA's foreign assistance programs apply? 417.221 Section 417.221 Grants and Agreements Federal... SUSPENSION Covered Transactions § 417.221 How would the exclusions from coverage for the USDA's foreign... into between USDA and a program participant, such as a U.S. private voluntary organization. USDA would...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... the USDA's foreign assistance programs apply? 417.221 Section 417.221 Grants and Agreements Federal... SUSPENSION Covered Transactions § 417.221 How would the exclusions from coverage for the USDA's foreign... into between USDA and a program participant, such as a U.S. private voluntary organization. USDA would...
7 CFR 170.4 - Who may participate in the USDA Farmers Market?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Who may participate in the USDA Farmers Market? 170.4... MARKETING PRACTICES UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946 USDA FARMERS MARKET § 170.4 Who may participate in the USDA Farmers Market? Members of three groups may participate in the USDA Farmers Markets...
7 CFR 170.11 - How are farmers and vendors selected for participation in the USDA Farmers Market?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... in the USDA Farmers Market? 170.11 Section 170.11 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... OF 1946 USDA FARMERS MARKET § 170.11 How are farmers and vendors selected for participation in the USDA Farmers Market? USDA reviews all applications and selects participants based primarily on the type...
7 CFR 170.11 - How are farmers and vendors selected for participation in the USDA Farmers Market?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... in the USDA Farmers Market? 170.11 Section 170.11 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... OF 1946 USDA FARMERS MARKET § 170.11 How are farmers and vendors selected for participation in the USDA Farmers Market? USDA reviews all applications and selects participants based primarily on the type...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... the USDA's foreign assistance programs apply? 417.221 Section 417.221 Grants and Agreements Federal... SUSPENSION Covered Transactions § 417.221 How would the exclusions from coverage for the USDA's foreign... into between USDA and a program participant, such as a U.S. private voluntary organization. USDA would...
7 CFR 170.4 - Who may participate in the USDA Farmers Market?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Who may participate in the USDA Farmers Market? 170.4... MARKETING PRACTICES UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946 USDA FARMERS MARKET § 170.4 Who may participate in the USDA Farmers Market? Members of three groups may participate in the USDA Farmers Markets...
7 CFR 170.4 - Who may participate in the USDA Farmers Market?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Who may participate in the USDA Farmers Market? 170.4... MARKETING PRACTICES UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946 USDA FARMERS MARKET § 170.4 Who may participate in the USDA Farmers Market? Members of three groups may participate in the USDA Farmers Markets...
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gomberg, A.
There was considerable progress made on several fronts of fire investigation in the United States in recent years. Progress was made in increasing the quantity of fire investigation and reporting, through efforts to develop the National Fire Incident Reporting System. Improving overall quality of fire investigation is the objective of efforts such as the Fire Investigation Handbook, which was developed and published by the National Bureau of Standards, and the upgrading and expanding of the ""dictionary'' of fire investigation and reporting, the NFPA 901, Uniform Coding for Fire Protection, system. The science of fire investigation as furthered also by new approaches to post fire interviews being developed at the University of Washington, and by in-depth research into factors involved in several large loss fires, including the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Finally, the use of special study fire investigations - in-depth investigations concentrating on specific fire problems - is producing new glimpses into the nature of the national fire problem. A brief description of the status of efforts in each of these areas is discussed.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zucca, Carol; And Others
1995-01-01
Presents a model that integrates high school science with the needs of the local scientific community. Describes how a high school ecology class conducted scientific research in fire ecology that benefited the students and a state park forest ecologist. (MKR)
Research Shows Health Impacts and Economic Costs of Wildland Fires
Researchers at EPA and colleagues at NC State University, the University of Sydney and the University of Tasmania are advancing the science of understanding the public health burden associated with wildland fires.
ChemCam Mast Unit Being Prepared for Laser Firing
2010-12-23
Researchers prepare for a test of the Chemistry and Camera ChemCam instrument that will fly on NASA Mars Science Laboratory mission; researchers are preparing the instrument mast unit for a laser firing test.
Gordon H. Reeves; Deanna H. Olson; Steven M. Wondzell; Peter A. Bisson; Sean Gordon; Stephanie A. Miller; Jonathan W. Long; Michael J. Furniss
2018-01-01
The Aquatic Conservation Strategy (ACS) is a regional strategy applied to aquatic and riparian ecosystems across the area covered by the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP, or Plan), encompassing broad landscapes of public lands administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) (USDA and...
High School Teams Compete in Science Bowl
fire question and answer tournament which focuses on physics, math, biology, astronomy, chemistry National Science Bowl eight years ago to help stimulate interest in science and math. The competition has
76 FR 66601 - Revision of Delegations of Authority
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2011-10-27
... specific laws and regulations, and excluding the Official USDA Seal and Official USDA Symbol. DATES: This... USDA Seal and Official USDA Symbol. * * * * * Signed in Washington, DC, on October 21, 2011. Thomas J...
USDA snack food and beverage standards: how big of a stretch for the states?
Chriqui, Jamie F; Piekarz, Elizabeth; Chaloupka, Frank J
2014-06-01
The USDA snack food and beverage standards take effect in school year (SY) 2014-2015. Although the USDA standards will provide nationwide requirements, concerns exist about compliance. This study examined whether existing state laws are aligned with the USDA standards to determine whether some states may be better positioned to facilitate compliance. Codified state statutory and regulatory laws effective for SY 2012-2013 for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia were identified through Boolean keyword searches using the Westlaw and LexisNexis databases. Laws were analyzed for alignment with 18 snack food and beverage provisions contained within the USDA standards. Thirty-eight states had snack food and beverage standards; 33 states' laws exceeded restrictions on foods of minimal nutritional value. Of the 33 states, no states' laws fully met the USDA's standards, 16 states' laws fully met and 10 states' laws partially met at least one USDA provision, and seven states' laws met no USDA provisions. One state's law met 9 of 18 provisions. On average, states met 4 of 18 provisions. States were more likely to meet individual USDA beverage than snack provisions. Implementation and compliance with the USDA standards may be facilitated in states with laws already containing provisions aligned with the USDA standards and may be more difficult in states with fewer or no provisions in alignment, suggesting possible geographic areas for the USDA to target with technical assistance and training efforts and for advocates to work in to facilitate compliance.
Ecological impacts of wheat seeding after a Sierra Nevada wildfire
Keeley, Jon E.
2004-01-01
The Highway Fire burned 1680 ha of mixed ponderosa pine–oak–chaparral in the newly created Giant Sequoia National Monument and the adjacent Sequoia National Forest of Fresno County, California in August 2001. The USDA Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) program recommended that portions of the burned forest be seeded with a non-persistent variety of wheat at a density of 157 kg ha–1 (140 lb/ac). The present study compared the vascular plant diversity and cover in seeded and unseeded parts of this burn to evaluate the ecological impact of seeding an alien grass. In the first post-fire growing season, the natural regeneration of unseeded control sites averaged ~55% ground surface covered. Wheat seeding enhanced the ground cover, averaging 95% ground surface cover. Wheat was the dominant species on the seeded sites, comprising 67% of the total cover. Dominance–diversity curves were markedly affected by the seeding and indicated a disruption in the natural ecological structure of these communities. On seeded sites, wheat dominated and all other species were poorly represented whereas, on unseeded control sites, there was a more equitable distribution of species. Correlated with the wheat cover was a significant decrease in species richness at all scales examined. Total species richness was reduced from 152 species across all unseeded sites to 104 species on all seeded sites. Average species richness, at scales from 1 to 1000 m2, was 30–40% lower on seeded sites. Species most strongly inhibited were post-fire endemics whose lifecycle is restricted to immediate post-fire environments. Seeded sites had fewer alien species than unseeded sites; however, this may not have any lasting effect since other studies show the primary alien threat is not in the first post-fire year. Seeding was also associated with an order of magnitude drop in Pinus ponderosa seedling recruitment and, coupled with the massive thatch still remaining on the site, it is likely that recruitment will be inhibited in subsequent years.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gaetani, Francesco; Baptiste Filippi, Jean; Simeoni, Albert; D'Andrea, Mirko
2010-05-01
Haines Index (HI) was developed by USDA Forest Service to measure the atmosphere's contribution to the growth potential of a wildfire. The Haines Index combines two atmospheric factors that are known to have an effect on wildfires: Stability and Dryness. As operational tools, HI proved its ability to predict plume dominated high intensity wildfires. However, since HI does not take into account the fuel continuity, composition and moisture conditions and the effects of wind and topography on fire behaviour, its use as forecasting tool should be carefully considered. In this work we propose the use of HI, predicted from HR Limited Area Model forecasts, coupled with a Fire Weather model (i.e., RISICO system) fully operational in Italy since 2003. RISICO is based on dynamic models able to represent in space and in time the effects that environment and vegetal physiology have on fuels and, in turn, on the potential behaviour of wildfires. The system automatically acquires from remote databases a thorough data-set of input information both of in situ and spatial nature. Meteorological observations, radar data, Limited Area Model weather forecasts, EO data, and fuel data are managed by a Unified Interface able to process a wide set of different data. Specific semi-physical models are used in the system to simulate the dynamics of the fuels (load and moisture contents of dead and live fuel) and the potential fire behaviour (rate of spread and linear intensity). A preliminary validation of this approach will be provided with reference to Sardinia and Corsica Islands, two major islands of the Mediterranean See frequently affected by extreme plume dominated wildfires. A time series of about 3000 wildfires burnt in Sardinia and Corsica in 2007 and 2008 will be used to evaluate the capability of HI coupled with the outputs of the Fire Weather model to forecast the actual risk in time and in space.
7 CFR 3.79 - Review of USDA records related to the debt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Review of USDA records related to the debt. 3.79....79 Review of USDA records related to the debt. (a) Notification by employee. An employee who intends to inspect or copy USDA records related to the debt must send a letter to USDA stating his or her...
7 CFR 3.79 - Review of USDA records related to the debt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Review of USDA records related to the debt. 3.79....79 Review of USDA records related to the debt. (a) Notification by employee. An employee who intends to inspect or copy USDA records related to the debt must send a letter to USDA stating his or her...
7 CFR 15f.2 - Who may use these procedures for processing their discrimination complaint with USDA?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... discrimination complaint with USDA? 15f.2 Section 15f.2 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture... USDA? A person may use these procedures if he or she filed a nonemployment related discrimination complaint with USDA prior to July 1, 1997, that alleged discrimination by USDA at any time during the period...
7 CFR 15f.2 - Who may use these procedures for processing their discrimination complaint with USDA?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... discrimination complaint with USDA? 15f.2 Section 15f.2 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture... USDA? A person may use these procedures if he or she filed a nonemployment related discrimination complaint with USDA prior to July 1, 1997, that alleged discrimination by USDA at any time during the period...
7 CFR 3.79 - Review of USDA records related to the debt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Review of USDA records related to the debt. 3.79....79 Review of USDA records related to the debt. (a) Notification by employee. An employee who intends to inspect or copy USDA records related to the debt must send a letter to USDA stating his or her...
7 CFR 3.79 - Review of USDA records related to the debt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Review of USDA records related to the debt. 3.79....79 Review of USDA records related to the debt. (a) Notification by employee. An employee who intends to inspect or copy USDA records related to the debt must send a letter to USDA stating his or her...
7 CFR 15f.2 - Who may use these procedures for processing their discrimination complaint with USDA?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... discrimination complaint with USDA? 15f.2 Section 15f.2 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture... USDA? A person may use these procedures if he or she filed a nonemployment related discrimination complaint with USDA prior to July 1, 1997, that alleged discrimination by USDA at any time during the period...
7 CFR 15f.2 - Who may use these procedures for processing their discrimination complaint with USDA?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... discrimination complaint with USDA? 15f.2 Section 15f.2 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture... USDA? A person may use these procedures if he or she filed a nonemployment related discrimination complaint with USDA prior to July 1, 1997, that alleged discrimination by USDA at any time during the period...
7 CFR 3.79 - Review of USDA records related to the debt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Review of USDA records related to the debt. 3.79....79 Review of USDA records related to the debt. (a) Notification by employee. An employee who intends to inspect or copy USDA records related to the debt must send a letter to USDA stating his or her...
7 CFR 15f.2 - Who may use these procedures for processing their discrimination complaint with USDA?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... discrimination complaint with USDA? 15f.2 Section 15f.2 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture... USDA? A person may use these procedures if he or she filed a nonemployment related discrimination complaint with USDA prior to July 1, 1997, that alleged discrimination by USDA at any time during the period...
Saeki, Yuichi; Nakamura, Misato; Mason, Maria Luisa T; Yano, Tsubasa; Shiro, Sokichi; Sameshima-Saito, Reiko; Itakura, Manabu; Minamisawa, Kiwamu; Yamamoto, Akihiro
2017-06-24
We investigated the effects of the water status (flooded or non-flooded) and presence of the nosZ gene in bradyrhizobia on the bradyrhizobial community structure in a factorial experiment that examined three temperature levels (20°C, 25°C, and 30°C) and two soil types (andosol and gray lowland soil) using microcosm incubations. All microcosms were inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA6 T , B. japonicum USDA123, and B. elkanii USDA76 T , which do not possess the nosZ gene, and then half received B. diazoefficiens USDA110 T wt (wt for the wild-type) and the other half received B. diazoefficiens USDA110ΔnosZ. USDA110 T wt possesses the nosZ gene, which encodes N 2 O reductase; 110ΔnosZ, a mutant variant, does not. Changes in the community structure after 30- and 60-d incubations were investigated by denaturing-gradient gel electrophoresis and an image analysis. USDA6 T and 76 T strains slightly increased in non-flooded soil regardless of which USDA110 T strain was present. In flooded microcosms with the USDA110 T wt strain, USDA110 T wt became dominant, whereas in microcosms with the USDA110ΔnosZ, a similar change in the community structure occurred to that in non-flooded microcosms. These results suggest that possession of the nosZ gene confers a competitive advantage to B. diazoefficiens USDA110 T in flooded soil. We herein demonstrated that the dominance of B. diazoefficiens USDA110 T wt within the soil bradyrhizobial population may be enhanced by periods of flooding or waterlogging systems such as paddy-soybean rotations because it appears to have the ability to thrive in moderately anaerobic soil.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
2014-05-01
WE RECOMMEND Level 3 Extended Project Student Guide A non-specialist, generally useful and nicely put together guide to project work ASE Guide to Research in Science Education Few words wasted in this handy introduction and reference The Science of Starlight Slow but steady DVD covers useful ground SPARKvue Impressive software now available as an app WORTH A LOOK My Inventions and Other Writings Science, engineering, autobiography, visions and psychic phenomena mixed in a strange but revealing concoction The Geek Manifesto: Why Science Matters More enthusiasm than science, but a good motivator and interesting A Big Ball of Fire: Your questions about the Sun answered Free iTunes download made by and for students goes down well APPS Collider visualises LHC experiments ... Science Museum app enhances school trips ... useful information for the Cambridge Science Festival
Smokey comes of age: Unmanned aerial systems for fire management
Twidwell, Dirac; Allen, Craig R.; Detweiler, Carrick; Higgins, James; Laney, Christian; Elbaum, Sebastian
2016-01-01
During the past century, fire management has focused on techniques both to protect human communities from catastrophic wildfire and to maintain fire-dependent ecological systems. However, despite a large and increasing allocation of resources and personnel to achieve these goals, fire management objectives at regional to global scales are not being met. Current fire management techniques are clearly inadequate for the challenges faced by fire managers, and technological innovations are needed. Advances in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) technology provide opportunities for innovation in fire management and science. In many countries, fire management organizations are beginning to explore the potential of UAS for monitoring fires. We have taken the next step and developed a prototype that can precisely ignite fires as part of wildfire suppression tactics or prescribed fires (fire intentionally ignited within predetermined conditions to reduce hazardous fuels, improve habitat, or mitigate for large wildfires). We discuss the potential for these technologies to benefit fire management activities, while acknowledging the sizeable sociopolitical barriers that prevent their immediate broad application.
The origin and structure of streak-like instabilities in laminar boundary layer flames
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gollner, Michael; Miller, Colin; Tang, Wei; Finney, Mark
2017-11-01
Streamwise streaks are consistently observed in wildland fires, at the base of pool fires, and in other heated flows within a boundary layer. This study examines both the origin of these structures and their role in influencing some of the macroscopic properties of the flow. Streaks were reproduced and characterized via experiments on stationary heated strips and liquid and gas-fueled burners in laminar boundary layer flows, providing a framework to develop theory based on both observed and measured physical phenomena. The incoming boundary layer was established as the controlling mechanism in forming streaks, which are generated by pre-existing coherent structures, while the amplification of streaks was determined to be compatible with quadratic growth of Rayleigh-Taylor Instabilities, providing credence to the idea that the downstream growth of streaks is strongly tied to buoyancy. These local instabilities were also found to affect macroscopic properties of the flow, including heat transfer to the surface, indicating that a two-dimensional assumption may fail to adequately describe heat and mass transfer during flame spread and other reacting boundary layer flows. This work was supported by NSF (CBET-1554026) and the USDA-FS (13-CS-11221637-124).
Managing forest structure and fire hazard--a tool for planners.
M.C. Johnson; D.L. Peterson; C.L. Raymond
2006-01-01
Fire planners and other resource managers need to examine a range of potential fuel and vegetation treatments to select options that will lead to desired outcomes for fire hazard and natural resource conditions. A new approach to this issue integrates concepts and tools from silviculture and fuel science to quantify outcomes for a large number of treatment options in...
Brooke Balauf McBride; Fernando Sanchez-Trigueros; Stephen J Carver; Alan E Watson; Linda Moon Stumpff; Roian Matt; William T. Borrie
2016-01-01
Traditional knowledge about fire and its effects held by indigenous people, who are connected to specific landscapes, holds promise for informing contemporary fire and fuels management strategies and augmenting knowledge and information derived from western science. In practice, however, inadequate means to organize and communicate this traditional knowledge with...
Measurements, datasets and preliminary results from the RxCADRE project-2008, 2011 and 2012
Roger D. Ottmar; J. Kevin Hiers; Bret W. Butler; Craig B. Clements; Matthew B. Dickinson; Andrew T. Hudak; Joseph O' Brien; Brian E. Potter; Eric M. Rowell; Tara M. Strand; Thomas J. Zajkowski
2016-01-01
The lack of independent, quality-assured field data prevents scientists from effectively evaluating and advancing wildland fire models. To rectify this, scientists and technicians convened in the southeastern United States in 2008, 2011 and 2012 to collect wildland fire data in six integrated core science disciplines defined by the fire modelling community. These were...
Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program: 2012 Research Accomplishments
Diane M. Smith; Colin C. Hardy
2012-01-01
In 2012, the nation experienced one of the largest wildland fire seasons in US history. More than 9 million acres burned, overwhelming fire-suppression budgets, burning homes and other structures, and taking the lives of both firefighters and civilians around the country. In Montana alone, 1.1 million acres burned, resulting in the largest wildfire year since 1910. As...
Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service
2004-01-01
Although the use of prescribed fire as a management tool is widespread, there is great variability and uncertainty in the treatment costs. Given specific site variables and management objectives, how much will it cost to use prescribed fire? This paper describes the FASTRACS database, a tool that has been developed to aid managers in addressing this question.
Science basis for changing forest structure to modify wildfire behavior and severity
Russell T. Graham; Sarah McCaffrey; Theresa B. Jain
2004-01-01
Fire, other disturbances, physical setting, weather, and climate shape the structure and function of forests throughout the Western United States. More than 80 years of fire research have shown that physical setting, fuels, and weather combine to determine wildfire intensity (the rate at which it consumes fuel) and severity (the effect fire has on vegetation, soils,...
Robert E. Keane; Jason M. Herynk; Chris Toney; Shawn P. Urbanski; Duncan C. Lutes; Roger D. Ottmar
2015-01-01
Fuel classifications are integral tools in fire management and planning because they are used as inputs to fire behavior and effects simulation models. Fuel Loading Models (FLMs) and Fuel Characteristic Classification System (FCCSs) fuelbeds are the most popular classifications used throughout wildland fire science and management, but they have yet to be thoroughly...
The Lick Creek Demonstration - Forest Renewal Through Partial Harvest and Fire
Benjamin Zamora; Melinda Martin
2006-01-01
The Lick Creek Demonstration Site on the Pomeroy Ranger District, Umatilla National Forest, is a Joint Fire Science Program sponsored project to create a demonstration of the effects of fuels management on forest health. The project was initiated in 2001 and involved the integration of two levels of partial harvest with prescribed fire, a burn only treatment and an...
Atmospheric Science Data Center
2013-04-16
... not be retrieved are shown as dark gray. Fire is an important ecological factor in the taiga forests, but in this region a ... NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Terra spacecraft is managed ...
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Upland cotton germplasm USDA MD 16-1 (Reg. No. __ and PI ___ ), and USDA MD 16-2 (Reg. No. ___ and PI___) (Gossypium hirsutum L.), have enhanced yield and good fiber quality. These germplasm lines were developed by the USDA-ARS, Stoneville, MS and released in 2017. Two crosses, MD 25-51 X MD 10-9-1 ...
7 CFR 15f.5 - How do I request that USDA consider my complaint under these procedures?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false How do I request that USDA consider my complaint under... UNDER SECTION 741 I Filed a Complaint With USDA Prior to July 1, 1997, How Do I Request That USDA Consider My Complaint Using These Procedures? § 15f.5 How do I request that USDA consider my complaint...
7 CFR 15f.5 - How do I request that USDA consider my complaint under these procedures?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false How do I request that USDA consider my complaint under... UNDER SECTION 741 I Filed a Complaint With USDA Prior to July 1, 1997, How Do I Request That USDA Consider My Complaint Using These Procedures? § 15f.5 How do I request that USDA consider my complaint...
7 CFR 15f.5 - How do I request that USDA consider my complaint under these procedures?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false How do I request that USDA consider my complaint under... UNDER SECTION 741 I Filed a Complaint With USDA Prior to July 1, 1997, How Do I Request That USDA Consider My Complaint Using These Procedures? § 15f.5 How do I request that USDA consider my complaint...
7 CFR 15f.5 - How do I request that USDA consider my complaint under these procedures?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false How do I request that USDA consider my complaint under... UNDER SECTION 741 I Filed a Complaint With USDA Prior to July 1, 1997, How Do I Request That USDA Consider My Complaint Using These Procedures? § 15f.5 How do I request that USDA consider my complaint...
7 CFR 15f.5 - How do I request that USDA consider my complaint under these procedures?
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... 7 Agriculture 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false How do I request that USDA consider my complaint under... UNDER SECTION 741 I Filed a Complaint With USDA Prior to July 1, 1997, How Do I Request That USDA Consider My Complaint Using These Procedures? § 15f.5 How do I request that USDA consider my complaint...
Perils in the adaptation of fire management to a changing world
Armando González-Cabán; M.M. Fernández-Ramiro; Claudio Conese; Francesco Bosello; Jorge Núñez; Victor Otrachshenko; B.J. Orr
2014-01-01
Increased fire load and costs are anticipated under future scenarios of climate and other global changes. This requires increased efficiency in investments in wildfire management operations, and resolving the disconnect problem between science, policy and management.
Fire in eastern oak forests: delivering science to land managers
Matthew B., ed. Dickinson
2006-01-01
Contains 20 papers and 36 poster abstracts presented at a conference on fire in oak forests of the Eastern United States that was held at the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, on November 15-17, 2005.