COMPASS - Southern Research · compass—december 2006 ... SRS Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and ... resource management—that public attitudes

www.srs.fs.usda.gov �

COMPASS perspectives&toolstobenefitsouthernforestresources issue7

Living on the Edge: The Wildland-Urban Interface in the South

Seeing the Houses Through the Trees...page 1Blazing Landscapes...page 9

A Tale of Two Towns...page 14

Southern Research Station

USDA ForestService

compass—december 2006�

inside... thescience

1 Seeing the Houses Through the Trees

by Annie Hermansen-Báez

Forests cover more than 60 percent of most Southern States. The areas where homes and forests or other natural areas intermingle are often referred to as the wildland-urban interface (WUI)—an “edgy” area that presents a host of issues and challenges for natural resource professionals, policymakers, and homeowners alike.

5 Life On the Edge by Joe Kays

9 Blazing Landscapes by Judy Bolyard Purdy

14 A Tale of Two Towns

by Cassandra Johnson

18 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

by Zoë Hoyle

Growing up on California’s central coast, the world was a laboratory for Annie Hermansen-Báez, thanks in large part to her father, an elementary school teacher. Science writer Joe Kays interviews the center manager and technology transfer coordinator for the SRS Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and Information.

A good deal of research has examined the ecological impacts of sprawl; other work has looked at the social inequities created when middle-income residents abandon central cities, leaving lower income residents to deal with problems that typically accompany urban life. Far less scholarship compares acceptance of urban expansion in communities that are socioeconomically and racially separated.

Many newcomers to rural southern retreats have forgotten—or may have never known—that wildfires are as much a part of their new neighborhood landscapes as nature’s symphony at sunset. Idyllic hideaways perched atop a mountain or nestled in a pine forest may one day be in the path of a destructive wildfire caused by lightning or carelessness.

In the South, natural resource managers do most of their prescribed burning in the first 3 months of the year, a time when the needs of human populations and forest ecologies can come into visible—and sometimes deadly—conflict. To reduce the impact of prescribed burns on nearby human populations, SRS scientists have entered the realm of night smoke, haze—and superfog.

www.srs.fs.usda.gov �

32 Three Communities on the Edge

by Perdita Spriggs

Three SRS partnerships—with the University of Georgia, Auburn University, and American Forests—exemplify the strength of cooperation in solving natural resource issues that have crept over city limits.

24 Time to Burn: Getting a Step Ahead of Wildland Arsonists

by Zoë Hoyle

Arson is a leading cause of wildfire in several heavily populated States—Florida for one. SRS research has developed a model to help law enforcement agencies better predict where and when fires might be set in wildland areas—and design strategies to reduce the risk of arson.

28 Landscaping to Reduce Fire Risk

by Annie Hermansen-Báez

DEPARTMENTS

You probably weren’t thinking about wildfire when you landscaped your yard. If you live in a fire-prone area, you might want to think again. The good news is that SRS research can help you plant in a way to reduce the risk of fire reaching your home.

Landowner’s Toolbox ...................................................................................................................................................31

Recommended Reading .................................................................................................................................................34

Experimental Forests ....................................................................................................................................................36

Around the Station .......................................................................................................................................................38

New Products from the Southern Research Station ......................................................................................................40

Cover photo: The wildland-urban interface is not a finite edge, but rather one that meanders between the natural and manmade habitats of the South, as depicted in this painting by Asheville, NC artist Paul Olszewski.

Email: [email protected]: 828-257-4392Editors: Annie Hermansen-Báez, Technology Transfer Coordinator, Zoë Hoyle, Science Writer, and Claire Payne, Technical Information SpecialistArt Director: Rodney KindlundContributing Staff Writer: Perdita Spriggs

ThemissionoftheSouthernResearchStationistocreatethescienceandtechnologyneededtosustainandenhancesouthernforestecosystemsandthebenefitstheyprovide.

TheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)prohibitsdiscriminationinallitsprogramsandactivitiesonthebasisofrace,color,nationalorigin,age,disability,andwhereapplicable,sex,maritalstatus,familialstatus,parentalstatus,religion,sexualorientation,geneticinformation,politicalbeliefs,reprisal,orbecauseallorpartofanindividual’sincomeisderivedfromanypublicassistanceprogram.(Notallprohibitedbasesapplytoallprograms.)Personswithdisabilitieswhorequirealternativemeansfor

communicationofprograminformation(Braille,largeprint,audiotape,etc.)shouldcontactUSDA’sTARGETCenterat(�0�)7�0-�600(voiceandTDD).

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The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for reader information and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service.

The opinions and recommendations offered by guest authors and interviewees are not necessarily those of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Forest Service, or the Southern Research Station.

ISSN: 1931-4906

Printed on recycled paper Printed with soy ink

COMPASSScience You Can Use!

December 2006 — Issue 7perspectives and tools to benefit southern forest resources

CoMPASS is published quarterly by the Science Delivery Group of the Southern Research Station (SRS), USDA Forest Service. As part of the Nation’s largest forestry research organization—USDA Forest Service Research and Development—SRS serves 13 Southern States and beyond. The Station’s 130 scientists work at more than 20 units located across the region at Federal laboratories, universities, and experimental forests.

Future issues can be obtained by returning the postcard included in this issue.

www.srs.fs.usda.gov

compass—december 20064 compass—december 2006

What is the Wildland-Urban Interface? Fromaspatialorgeographicalperspective,manydifferenttypesofwildland-urbaninterface(WUI)havebeendefined.Onetypeistheclassic interface,whereurbansprawlpressesupagainstpublicandprivatenaturalareas,bringingtomindadistinctlinebetweenurbanandruralareas.Theintermixreferstoareasundergoingatransitionfromagriculturalandforestusestourbanlanduses.Theisolated interfaceismadeupofstructuresinterspersedinremoteareas,suchassummerandrecreationhomes,ranches,andfarmsthataresurroundedbylargeareasofvegetation.Andthereareinterface islandswithinpredominantlyurbanareas,islandsofundevelopedlandthatareleftascitiesgrowtogetherandcreateremnantforests. Wildland fireattractsthepublic’sattention,perhapsmorethananyotherWUIissue,andimagesofcommunitiesinflamesontheoutskirtsofcitiesareoftenusedtodepicttheinterface.Onanindividualhomeownerscale,theWUIcanbethoughtofasanareawherehuman-madeinfrastructureisinoradjacenttoareaspronetowildfire.Onacommunityscale,theinterfacecanbethoughtofasanareawhereconditionscanmakeacommunityvulnerabletoawildlandfiredisaster. Fromasociopoliticalperspective,theinterfacecanbethoughtofasaplaceofinteractionbetweendifferentpoliticalforcesandpotentiallycompetinginterests.Itisparticularlyintheinterface—wherepeopleareincloserthanusualcontactwithnaturalresourcemanagement—thatpublicattitudes,values,andperceptionsaffectthewaythatthoseresourcescanbemanagedandconserved.Thisperspectivealsoincludesthewaythediversecultural,ethnic,andagegroupsthatcomprisetheSouth’spopulation—andtheiroftenverydifferentvaluesandattitudesregardingforestsandothernaturalareas—affecthowresourcescanbemanagedandusedintheinterface. One type of wildland-urban interface is the isolated interface, where second homes are

scattered across remote areas. (photo by Larry Korhnak, University of Florida)

www.srs.fs.usda.gov ��

Forestsliterallycoverthesouthern

landscape.Myfirstimpressionof

thesouthernlandscapecamefrom

adescentintotheGainesville,FL,

airportbackin1995.“Wherearethe

houses?”Iwondered.Therewere

somanytreesthatIonlycaughta

glimpseofrooftopsscatteredhereand

there.Growinguponthecentralcoast

ofCalifornia,theconceptofliving

inaforestwithincitylimitsseemed

foreign.Iwasfamiliarwithcitiesthat

hadhouseswithtreesscatteredhere

andthere,notanentirecitywithina

forest!

Notsurprisingly,forestscovermore

than60percentofmostSouthern

States.Theseareaswherehomes

andforestsorothernaturalareas

intermingleareoftenreferredtoas

thewildland-urbaninterface(WUI).

IntheseWUIareas,thereareahost

ofissuesandchallengesfornatural

resourceprofessionals,policymakers,

andhomeownersalike.

The Changing Wildland-Urban Interface Thewildland-urbaninterface

makesupalargepartoftheSouth.

Ateamofscientistsfromthe

ForestServiceandtheUniversityof

Wisconsin,Madisondiscoveredthis

whentheymappedtheWUIusing

2000U.S.censusdata,landcover

maps,andadefinitionoftheWUI

basedonfireriskassessments.They

foundthatwhileoverall,just9percent

ofthelandareaofthecontinental

Seeing the Houses through the Trees: The Wildland-Urban Interface in the Southby Annie Hermansen-Báez

UnitedStatesisclassifiedasWUI,

StatesintheSouthrangedfrom5

upto41percent,withanaverageof

21percentclassifiedasWUI.“Inthe

Southwehavemuchmoreintermixing

oflandusesandahigherdegree

ofparcelizationandfragmentation

offoreststhanotherregionsofthe

country,”saysEd Macie,teamleader

fortheSRS Southern Center for

Wildland-Urban Interface Research

and Information.

Thewildland-urbaninterface

willcontinuetogrowastheSouth’s

populationgrows:population

increasedby14percentbetween1990

and2000,andisexpectedtoincrease

another24percentbetween2000

and2020.Accordingtothe2000U.S.

census,ofthe100fastestgrowing

countiesbetween2003and2004,60

werelocatedintheSouth.

ThedemographicsoftheSouth

arealsochanging.Hispanic,African

American,andotherminority

populationsaregrowingrapidlyand

by2020,areprojectedtomakeup

closeto40percentoftheSouth’s

population.Thepopulationis

alsoaging.Accordingtothe2000

census,thenumberofpeopleaged

65andoverwillmorethandouble

between2000and2030.Different

ethnic,cultural,andagegroupshave

differentpreferencesforhownatural

resourcesaremanagedandwhat

kindsofrecreationalopportunities

areprovided.“Alotofresearchshows

thatblacksandHispanicsprefer

moredevelopedrecreationsitesand

recreationalopportunitiesinvolving

largergroups—extendedfamily

andfriends—comparedtowhites,”

saysCassandra Johnson,SRSsocial

scientist.

UndoubtedlytheSouthis

undergoingtremendouschange—land

useanddemographicshifts—withno

endinsight.Thesechangesarehaving

andwillcontinuetohavedramatic

effectsonthesustainabilityofforests

andothernaturalareas.Forecasts

showthesouthernregionlosing12

millionforestacres(8percent)to

developedusesbetween1992and

2020,withanadditional19million

forestacresforecasttobeconverted

between2020and2040.

Thislossofforestareaand

thefragmentationofremaining

forestsarethemostobviouseffects

ofurbanizationandotherhuman

activitiesonforests.Weareindirectly

affectingforeststhroughactivities

suchasintroducingnonnativeinvasive

species,pollutingtheair,reducing

biodiversity,andincreasingsoil

erosion.“Bothdirectandindirect

effectsonforestsreduceourability

tousetheforestforecosystemgoods

andservicessuchaspurifyingwater,

providingrecreationalopportunities,

andaesthetics,”saysWayne Zipperer,

SRSresearchecologist.

(continued on page 2)

compass—december 2006��

Seeing the Houses Through the Trees(continued from page 1)

Landusepolicyandplanning

decisionshaveanimmenseinfluence

onnaturalresourceissuesinthe

WUI.Lackofvisionandlittleorno

planningandregionalcoordinationfor

comprehensivegrowthmanagement

aremajorfactorscontributingto

interfaceproblemsacrosstheSouth.

Currentlandusepoliciesaredifficult

toimplementacrossFederal,State,

andlocaljurisdictions,whichoften

overlap.Asaresult,variouslevelsof

governmentmakelandusedecisions

independentlyofandofteninconflict

witheachother.Additionally,inmany

SouthernStatesthelocalgovernments

havelimitedauthoritytoplanand

controldevelopment.Zoningand

landuseplansareoftennotenforced

andwaiversareroutinelygranted.

“Weneedtounderstandmoreabout

howlandusepolicyaffectsnatural

resourcesandtheroleofnatural

resourcesinmitigatingtheunintended

consequencesofurbanization,”says

Macie.“Thisunderstandingwillenable

localpolicymakerstomakedecisions

thatwillsupportnature’srolein

providingclearairandwater,andin

creatingmorelivableenvironments.”

With Benefits Come Challenges and Risks Hurricanesareanothermajorrisk

affectingtheSouth.Mostnotably,

HurricaneKatrinahittheGulfCoastin

2005withmaximumsustainedwinds

upto125milesperhour,becoming

thecostliestandoneofthedeadliest

naturaldisastersinU.S.history.

Besidescausinggreatrisktohumans

andproperty,hurricanescanhave

devastatingaffectsonforestsinurban

andurbanizingareas.Urbanforest

lossesfromhurricanesrangedfrom11

to38percentbetween1992and2004.

Althoughfallingtreesarethoughtto

beabigsafetyconcernforresidents

inareasaffectedbyhurricanes,only

about10percentofthedamageto

homescomesfromfallentrees;trees,

especiallythoseinclusters,may

actuallyshelterhomesfromthewind

iftheyarehealthyandwindresistant.

Largeamountsofdownedwoody

debrisfromhurricanescanposea

firerisk.Westillhavemuchtolearn

abouttheeffectsofhurricanesand

othernaturaldisturbancesonnatural

resourcesandtheecologicalservices

theyprovide,aswellasthevalueof

lostecologicalservices.

Managingforwildlifeisalsofar

morecomplexintheinterfacethanin

ruralareas.Manyofusenjoyviewing

wildlifeandgotogreatlengthsto

attractwildlifenearourhomes.Until,

thatis,theymunchonthoseflowers

wejustplantedinourbackyardordig

upthenewlyplantedtomatoplantsin

thoseplantersonourdeck.Managing

wildlifeintheseinterfaceareasbrings

manychallengesandopportunities.

Resolvingnuisancewildlifeconflicts,

providingopportunitiesforboth

huntingandviewingofwildlife,and

conserving,managing,andrestoring

wildlifehabitatinthefaceofmounting

developmentpressuresarebutafew.

Recreationplannersfacethe

challengeofprovidinghigh-quality

experienceswhilesustainingthe

qualityofnaturalresourcesonan

ever-shrinkinglandbase.Theymust

alsobeabletocommunicatewiththe

widerangeofrecreationuserswho

havedifferentculturalbackgrounds

andvaluesystemsfromwhathasbeen

compass—december 2006

Although a large part of the South is still forested, much of this forest land is now fragmented by development. (photo by Rodney Kindlund, USDA Forest Service)


thenorm.Asforestrecreationdemand

increases,thereismorepotentialfor

conflictbetweendifferentrecreation

usergroupsusingthesameareas.

All-terrainvehicleriders,forexample,

arelikelytoclashwithhikersoverhow

backcountryareasshouldbeused.

Urbanizationisthemostpressing

landuseissueaffectingwaterquality

andquantity.Thegrowingpopulation

oftheSouthisdemandingever-

largerwatersupplies.Withthis

growingdemandcomesthechallenge

ofassuringfairallocationofwater

suppliesforbothhumanpopulations

andforwildlifeandaquaticspecies

habitat.Nonpoint-sourcepollution

isalsoamajorconcern;sourcesare

widelydispersedacrossthelandscape

andaredifficulttopinpointor

regulate.

A New Way of Doing Business IntheSouth,over90percentof

forestedlandisheldbynonindustrial

privatelandowners.Themajority

oftheseowners(94percent)own

lessthan100acres.Manyarenew

ownerswhobringwiththemdiverse

perceptionsofforestlandsandhow

theyshouldbemanaged.Wecanno

longerassumethatforestlandowners

seetimberastheprimaryreasonfor

owningforests;ownersofsmallforests

tendtoemphasizeamenity,identity,

lifestyle,andecologicalreasonsfor

forestownership.“Incomefromforest

productsisimportant,butwaydown

thelist,”saysBruce Hull,professor

atVirginiaPolytechnicInstituteand

StateUniversityandSRScollaborator.

“Interfacelandownersdependon

forestproductsforlessthan5percent

oftheirincome.”

Additionallymanyofthese

landownersarepoliticallyconnected

Human Influences on Forest Ecosystems: The Southern Wildland-Urban Interface Assessment

In1998,Floridawildfiresdemonstrated

thecomplexitiesofnaturalresource

managementinthewildland-urban

interface(WUI).Shortlyafterthese

fires,theChiefoftheForestService

conductedareviewoftheSouthand

identifiedtheWUIasoneofthemain

challengesfortheForestService.

Inresponse,theSouthernResearch

StationandtheForestService’s

SouthernRegion,incooperation

withtheSouthernGroupofState

Foresters,conductedanassessment

toidentifyandbetterunderstand

factorsdrivingsocialandecological

changeswithintheWUI,aswellasthe

consequencesofsuchchanges.The

resultingassessment,Human Influences

on Forest Ecosystems: The Southern

Wildland-Urban Interface Assessment,

wascompletedin2002.Thepurpose

oftheassessmentwastoprovide

thefoundationforestablishingan

interdisciplinaryprogramofresearch

andtechnologytransferwithinthe

ForestService.

Theassessmentcanbeordered

fromtheInterfaceSouthWebsiteat:

www.interfacesouth.org/products/

publications.html?results=10.

andrepresentapowerfulforce

affectingfundingandinstitutional

policies.Asnaturalresource

professionals,weneedtoadaptto

thischangingclientele.“Manynew

opportunitiesexistforforestryand

foresters,”saysHull,“butweneedto

thinkdifferentlybecauseourclients

andoureconomyarenowdifferent.”

Todothis,weneedtoapply

newskillsandtools.Techniquesfor

managingforestsonsmallerscales

andformultipleobjectivesare

importantinthefragmentedinterface.

Manythreatstoforesthealth,such

assouthernpinebeetleinfestations,

canonlybeproperlycontrolled

withcoordinatedmanagement

amongmultipleowners.Information

abouthowtoprotecttreesduring

constructionandlanddevelopment

andhowtoworkasateamwiththe

variousprofessionsinvolvedisalso

importantforforestersworkingin

areasundergoinglandusechange.

Foresterscannolongerexpectto

justworkaloneinthewoods.The

abilitytocommunicateeffectivelyis

anincreasinglyimportantpartofa

naturalresourceprofessionals’job.

Theabilitytotranslateforestryand

othernaturalresourceinformation

intotermsthepublicisfamiliarwithis

importantforbuildingunderstanding

andacceptanceofnaturalresource

practicesandenvironmental

processes.“Peopleworkinginthe

interfaceneedpeopleskills:patience,

problemsolving,listening,and

aprocessofdoingbusinessthat

istransparentandempowering,”

saysMartha Monroe,professorat

theUniversityofFloridaandSRS

collaborator.



Seeing the Houses Through the Trees(continued from page 3)

Landwillcontinuetobedeveloped,

sowemustbeawareofthechanges

broughtaboutbyurbanization

andunderstandthediverseissues,

challenges,andopportunitiesin

thechangingenvironmentofthe

wildland-urbaninterface.Inthe

South,theareaofthecountrywhere

populationisgrowingmostrapidly,

tryingtounderstand—letalone

manage—thefutureofforestscan

seemoverwhelming.Thegoodnews

isthatpeopleacrosstheSouth—

fromagencies,nonprofits,industry,

individualvolunteers—arecoming

upwithwaystoovercomeinterface

challengeswithuniquesolutions.

Inthefollowingpages,wewilllook

atwhatSRSresearchersand

theircollaboratorsaredoingtopredict

andreducetherisksofwildfire,help

resourcemanagerschartwhere

thesmokefromprescribedburning

goesandwherearsonistsarelikely

tostrike,determinetherelationship

betweenlandusepoliciesandforest

canopy,andunderstandtheeffects

ofurbanizationandnaturaldisturb-

ancessuchashurricanesonnatural

resources.Youwillalsolearnabout

trainingandoutreachprograms

thatarehelpingnaturalresource

professionalsandotherstobebetter

preparedtoworkintheinterface.

Onarecentflightoutof

Gainesville,Ipeeredoutofthewindow

attheforestsinterspersedwithhomes

andbusinessesandthoughttomyself,

“THEREarethehouses!”

Growing population in the South means that wildland-urban interface issues will only grow more pressing. (photo by Larry Korhnak, University of Florida)

www.srs.fs.usda.gov 55

GrowinguponCalifornia’scentralcoast,theworldwasalaboratory

forAnnie Hermansen-Báez,thanksinlargeparttoherfather,anelementaryschoolteacher. “Wheneverwewentanywherehewasalwayspointingoutthingsaboutthenaturalworldtomeandmytwobrothers,whetherwewantedtohearaboutitornot!”Hermansen-Báezsays.“WecampedalloverCaliforniaandlivedoutinthecountryformanyyears.MybrothersandIalwayshadsnakesandlizardsaspets,alongwithmanydogs,cats,chickens,andgeese.” AfterearningadegreeinbiologyfromtheUniversityofCalifornia,SantaCruzin1991,Hermansen-BáezjoinedthePeaceCorpsandspent3yearsinParaguayteachingsubsistencefarmersaboutagroforestrysystems,cropdiversification,andsoilconservationtechniques;helpingthemconstructsoilerosionbarriersandutilizegreenmanures;andsharingtreenurseryandorganicvegetablegardeningpractices. BasedonherPeaceCorpsexperience,Hermansen-BáezdecidedtogobacktoschoolinforestryattheUniversityofFlorida(UF).In1998,theyearshecompletedhermaster’s,Floridawildfiresscorched500,000acresandcausedmorethan$600millionindamage,promptingtheChiefoftheForestServiceandtheDirectoroftheSouthernResearchStationtocommissionanassessmentofthewildland-urbaninterfaceintheSouth. Hermansen-Báezspentthenext3yearscollaboratingonthatassessmentwithEd Macie,theForestService’sregionalurbanforester,theninearly2002helpedestablishthe

Life on the Edgeby Joe Kays

Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and InformationinGainesville,FL.Hermansen-Báezhastwotitlesthesedays—centermanagerandtechnologytransfercoordinator—butshedescribesherselfasafacilitatorbetweenthescientistsandthecenter’sclients,whoincludenaturalresourceprofessionals,privateforestlandowners,planningdepartments,localpolicymakers,andothers. WecaughtupwithHermansen-Báezatthecenter’sofficesontheshoreofUF’sLakeAlice,itselfanaturaloasisinthemiddleofoneoftheNation’slargestuniversities.Lookingaroundheroffice,weseeevidenceofmanytravelstoSouthAmerica,amongthemphotosofherhusbandandtwosons.

You are a strong promoter of multiculturalism, aren’t you? Weareamulticulturalfamily,soIthinkit’sveryimportantthatmychildrenlearnabouttheworldaroundthem.ImetmyhusbandwhileIwasinthePeaceCorps.HeisfromtheareawhereIworkedinParaguay.WemovedtoGainesvillein1995,gotmarried,andnowwehavetwochildren.WespeakSpanishand

evenGuarani,thenativelanguageofParaguay,inourhomeandwetrytogobacktoParaguayatleasteverycoupleofyears.

How do think your background prepared you for the work you’re doing today? BothasavolunteerinthePeaceCorpsinParaguayandasastudentinatropicalbiologycourseinCostaRica,Icametorealizethatyoucouldn’tseparatenaturalresourceissuesfrompeopleissues.IreallywantedtoworkinacareerinwhichIcouldcombinethosetwoissues.ThatcontinuedwhenIwasworkingonmymaster’sdegree.FormythesisIstudiedtheseedgerminationofatreespeciesfromtheBraziliansavannah.Brazilianfarmersselltheseedpodstoapharmaceuticalcompanywhothenextractamedicinalcompound.Ialsolookedathowincomefromsellingtheseedpodsfitsintothewholesocioeconomicstructureofthearea.

How has the center’s mission evolved since its inception? Inthefirearena,theconceptofthewildland-urbaninterfacehasbeenaroundforawhile,butonlyinthelast5yearshasitreallytakenoffasaterm


Annie Hermansen-Baéz in her office on the University of Florida campus. (photo by Joe Kays)


Life on the Edge(continued from page 5)

usedoutsideoffire.We’retryingtomakepeoplethinkabouttheinterfaceasmuchbroaderthanjustfireandtoincludearangeofissuesrelatedtotheeffectsofurbanizationonnaturalresources.Youcan’tthinkaboutfirewithoutthinkingaboutlanduseplanning,forexample.They’reallconnected.

What has been your greatest challenge? Thedemographicsofpeoplelivinginandclosetoourforestshavechangeddramaticallyinrecentyears.Theaveragelandtractsizeisgoingdownandthenumberoflandownersisgoingup.Alotofthesepeoplehaveanegativeimageofforestrybecausetheydon’tknowmuchaboutforestmanagement.Soweintheforestrycommunityhavehadtospendtimeworkingonourimagewiththegeneralpublic.Wetrytohelpthemunderstandthatforestsarearenewableresourceandthateveryonewillbenefitifwemaintainlandinforests—beitplantationsornaturalforeststands. We’vealsohadtoadaptourtrainingmethodsforforesters.Inthepast,forestersweren’ttrainedtoworkwiththediversegroupofpeoplethatyoufindintheinterfacenow,sowe’respendingalotoftimeonprofessionaldevelopment,retrainingourforestryprofessionalstoworkwithdifferenttypesofforestusersanddifferentmanagementobjectives.We’realsoworkingwiththeforestryschoolhereatUFtoteachfutureforestersaboutworkinginthisnewenvironment,incorporatingmoreinterfaceconceptsintothecurriculum. Anotherchallengeiscommuni-cation.Historically,forestryhasnotmarketeditselfverywell.IfyoulookattheoldForestServicepublications,

Interface challenges mean new training methods for foresters. (photo by Larry Korhnak, University of Florida)


they’reoftenlackingcolorandillustrationsandtendtoreachalimitedaudience.We’retryingtomakeourproductslookmoreinterestingandwe’remakingthemavailableinmultipleformatssowecanreachawideraudience.

What are some of the center’s most promising areas of research? We’redoingalotofresearchrightnowonplantandmulchflammability.Fireprofessionalswantguidancesotheycanadvisepeoplewholiveintheinterfacewhattheycanplantaroundtheirhomes.We’vedevelopedaseriesoffactsheetsaboutfireinthewildland-urbaninterfacetohelppeoplemaketheirhomesandsurroundinglandscapesmorefirewise. WerecentlystartedastudyonhowurbanizationwillaffecttheforestecosystemsandhumancommunitiesoftheFloridaPanhandle,anareathatisbeginningtoseerapidlandusechange.Wetrytogivepeopleinformationtheycanusetomakesounddecisions.Peopleneedtoknowwhattheconsequencesmightbesothattheycanmakeinformeddecisions. We’realsogettingintothewholebiomassarea.Becauseofenergyconcerns,biomassasapotentialfuelispopularrightnow,andtherearealotofwoodybiomasssourcesintheinterface,everythingfromurbanwoodwastetohurricanedebris.TheUFisreallytakingaleadindevelopingalternativefuels,sothereisalotofopportunityforcollaboration.

In the best-case scenario, what would the wildland-urban interface look like in a place like Florida? It’stoughtosayexactlywhatitwouldlooklike,butourphilosophyisthatsincelandusechangeisgoingtohappen,itcanhappenbestwith


TheSRSSouthernCenterfor

Wildland-UrbanInterfaceResearch

andInformation(WUICenter)was

openedinGainesville,FL,inJanuary

2002.ActivitiesoftheWUICenter

representanimmediateForestService

responsetocriticalfindingsofthe

Southern Wildland-Urban Interface

AssessmentandtheSouthern Forest

Resource Assessment,whichboth

identifiedurbanizationasthebiggest

threattosouthernforests.

Thoughinitiallyfocusedon

researchandtechnologytransfer

neededtoaddressfireinthewildland-

urbaninterface(WUI)intheSouth,

theWUICenterhasexpandedits

focustoincludearangeofissues

relatedtotheurbanizationofsouthern

forests,suchashowecosystemsand

disturbanceregimesarealteredby

humaninfluences;subsequentrisksto

humanandnaturalcommunities;and

therelationshipoflandusepoliciesto

ecologicalprocessesanddisturbances

intheinterface.

Themissionofthecenter

istodevelopandcommunicate

guidelines,models,andtoolsneeded

bynaturalresourcemanagers,

policymakers,planners,andcitizens

toreduceriskstoecosystemsand

humancommunitiesinurban

andurbanizinglandscapes.The

center’stechnologytransferprogram

focusesondisseminatingnewand

existinginformation,servingasa

clearinghouseofWUIinformation,

buildingpartnershipsandcollaborative

effortsandapproaches,andfacilitating

andcreatinglinkages.

TheSouthernWildland-Urban

InterfaceCouncil(SWUIC),achartered

counciloftheSouthernGroupofState

Foresters,istheadvisorycouncilfor

theWUICenter.SWUIChelpsguide

thetechnologytransferactivitiesofthe

WUICenterandassistsinidentifying

researchneeds.Thisguidance

helpsensurethattheresearchand

technologytransferproductsofthe

WUICentermeettheneedsoftheir

stakeholders.

TheWUICenter’sWebsite,

InterfaceSouth(www.interfacesouth.

usda.govorwww.interfacesouth.

org), haspublications,trainingand

outreachprograms,decisionsupport

systems,aliteraturedatabase,aphoto

gallery,currentWUInewsandevents,

andmuchmore.Youcanalsosign

upfortheSouthernWildlandUrban

InterfaceNetworklistservfromthe

WebsiteandreceivetheInterfaceSouth

Update,anelectronic,monthlybulletin

aboutcriticalWUIissues,andthe

InterfaceSouth Post,whichcontains

currentinterfaceinformation,suchas

upcomingconferencesornewsarticles,

sentoutonaweeklybasis.

For more information:AnnieHermansen-Báezat 352–376–[email protected]

The Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and Information


Life on the Edge(continued from page 7)

planningthattakesintoconsiderationthesuitabilityofsitesforthedevelopmentproposedforthem.Wealsoneedtothinkaboutreducingriskstohumansandforestecosystemsfromeventssuchasfires,floods,andhurricanes.

There’s a certain irony in the fact that your offices are adjacent to a wildland island, isn’t there? Itisinterestingtohaveourofficerightnexttoaninterfacebetweenpeopleandwildlife.Inthespringwehadasandhillcranecouplewithtwoyoungchickswanderingaroundourbuilding,knockingonthedoorswiththeirbeaks.Weoftenfindturtlesonourfrontdoorstep,whichwepromptlyreturntoLakeAlice.We’veevenseenbaldeaglesandhawksinthevicinity.AndwearerightontheUFcampusintheheartofGainesville. Itgoestoshowthatyoucanhaveawildland-urbaninterfacejustaboutanywhere!Peopleoftenthinkofthewildland-urbaninterfaceasbeingontheedgesofcitiesortowns.Buttheinterfaceismoreofaconditionthananexactplace—it’swherethereareamixofelementscomingtogetherinonelocation,suchasthewildlifeandhumaninteractionswehavehere,orhousingsetinalandscapemanagedforbothfireresistanceandaesthetics.IloveworkinginaplacewhereIcanwalkoutthedoorandstepintothatwildland-urbaninterface.Ithinkmostofuswouldprefertoworkandliveinaplacelikethis—thechallengeismakingitsafeandsustainableforboththehumansandwildlife.

Joe Kays is a freelance science writer and editor of Explore, the research magazine for the University of Florida.

In1997,theSRS Southern Center for Urban Forestry Research & Information (UF Center)wasformedtodirecturbanforestryresearchandprovidetechnologytransferwithintheSouthernRegiontoaddresspressingissuesincludingchanginglandusepatterns,increasedurbanization,lossofforestcanopy,andchangingdemographics.TheUFCenterandtheSRS Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and Information workcloselytogetherandarenowbothpartofthesameSRSresearchworkunit. ThefocusoftheUFCenteristohelpcommunitiesandlandownersaddressabroadspectrumofsouthernurbannaturalresourceissues—fromthecitycentertothenationalforests—withafocusonthehumandimension.TheUFCenterisacooperativeeffortthatintegratesForestServiceResearch,StateandPrivateForestry,andtheNationalForestSystem.TheUFCenteralsoworkscloselywithuniversities,Stateforestryagencies(urbanandcommunityforestryprograms),cooperativeextensionservices,nonprofitorganizations,andothers. UFCenterresearchfocusesontopicssuchasurbanexpansionanddemographicshiftsandtheireffects;theroleurbanforestsplayinimprovingthelivability,healthiness,andprosperityofurbanneighborhoods;theeconomicvalueoftreesandurbanforestsinsoutherncities;theeffectivenessofurbanforestmanagementanddesignoptionsforimprovingurbanneighborhoodsandcommercialareas;andtherole

The Southern Center For Urban Forestry Research & Information

urbanforestsmayplayincarbonsequestration. TheUFCenter’stechnologytransferprogramfocuseson: •identifyingresearchandinformationneedsofcustomers; •communicatingresearchresultsandotherinformationwithcustomersthroughpublications,conferences,workshops,andotherresources; •facilitatingtheexchangeofinformationamongandbetweenresearchers,practitioners,andothersinvolvedwithurbanforestry; •providingtechnicalassistancetoStateurbanandcommunityforestryprograms;and •assistingwiththedevelopmentofstormdamageassessmentandpoststormurbanforestassessments. TheUFCenter’sWebsite,UrbanForestrySouth(www.urbanforestrysouth.org),wasdevelopedcollaborativelywiththesouthernregionalextensionforesterandtheUniversityofGeorgia,SchoolofForestry&NaturalResources.TheWebsitehasavarietyofurbanforestryresources,suchasadocumentlibrary,treeordinances,classroomactivities,presentations,andmuchmore.Youwillalsofindasectionongrantannouncementsandotherfundingopportunities,jobannouncements,andanurbanforestrymanual.

For more information:DudleyHartelat706–559–[email protected].


Ahomeinthecountry,nearthecity.Americansinrecordnumbers

arecominghometoforestandmountainretreatstobarbecueontheirdecks,putterintheirgardens,andrelaxinnaturalsurroundings. Manynewcomerstoruralsouthernretreatshaveforgotten—ormayhaveneverknown—thatwildfiresareasmuchapartoftheirnewneighborhoodlandscapesasnature’ssymphonyatsunset.Idyllichideawaysperchedatopamountainornestledinapineforestmayonedaybeinthepathofadestructivewildfirecausedbylightningorcarelessness. “TheentireSouthisbecomingonebigwildland-urbaninterface.Increasingly,peoplearebuildinghomesandrecreatingintheinterfacewithnoregardfortherisks,”saysJohn Stanturf,projectleaderattheSRS Center for Forest Disturbance SciencebasedinAthens,GA.Stanturfoverseesateamofforesters,ecologists,meteorologists,soilscientists,chemists,andcomputermodelerswhostudytheecology,management,andrestorationofsouthernforestecosystems.Heestimatesthatwildland-urbaninterfaces,or“exurban”areas,encompassthreetofivetimesmorelandthanurbanareas. “Landusemaychangefromforeststohomesitesbutthatdoesn’tchangethesurroundingtreecover,”Stanturfsays.“Thefireriskshaven’tgoneaway.”

Blazing Landscapesby Judy Bolyard Purdy

Fire in the Landscape Withfewexceptions,NorthAmericanplantcommunities—whetherforests,prairies,orsavannas—haveevolvedwithandrelyuponperiodicwildfires.Formillennia,wildfireshavesweptacrossfire-adaptedsouthernlandscapes,fromtheCoastalPlainswiththeirlongleafpineforeststothefoothillsoftheAppalachians.Firesreduceaccumulateddebris,recyclenutrientslockedindeadvegetation,andreleaseseedspackedinconesorotherstructuresthatopenwithfire’sintenseheat.Withoutfire,manyplantcommunitiesbecomechokedbyvegetationandfailtoregenerate. “Incertainecosystems,firesareasimportantassunshineandrain,”saysSRSplantecologistJoe O’Brien.“Firehascriticalimpactswedon’tevenknowaboutyet.” AfterparticularlydevastatingforestconflagrationsoccurredintheNortheastandMidwest,CongresspassedtheClarke-McNaryActin1924tobanfireasamanagementtoolonFederallands.Inthe1930s,Federalagenciesalsobeganextinguishingallaccidentalfires.Thesefireexclusionandsuppressionpolicies,combinedwithSmokeyBear’shighlyeffectivefire-preventioncampaign,createdalegacyofwildlandsthatarenowvulnerabletocatastrophicwildfires.PrivatecitizensandFederalandprivateagenciesareonceagainbeginningtoembracefireasanimportantmanagementtool.

(continued on page 10) As houses move closer to wildlands, it becomes more difficult to use prescribed burning to manage forests.(photo by Joe O’Brien, USDA Forest Service)

compass—december 2006�0�0 compass—december 2006

experiencedanespeciallylargenumberofwildlandfiresin1998.InFloridaalonethepricetagfordamagesduringan8-weekperiodwasestimatedatmorethan$600million,Wadesaid.Thatsameyear,CongresscreatedtheJointFireScienceProgramtoinventoryfuelsandevaluatetreatmentstrategies,settingupapartnershipamongtheForestServiceandtheU.S.DepartmentoftheInteriorBureausofIndianAffairsandLandManagement,NationalParkService,U.S.FishandWildlifeService,andU.S.GeologicalSurvey.

Fight Fire with Fire? Theessentialroleoffireinsouthernplantcommunitiespresentsdilemmasforbothpublicandprivateresourcemanagers.Tensionssometimesarisebetweenresourcemanagersandthepeoplewholiveinorneartheforestbecauseprescribedburnscanmeantemporaryinconvenience.Recurrentfireismandatorytoperpetuatemostnativesouthernecosystems,butshouldhomeownerslivingadjacenttoawildlandbesubjectedtosmokeandthethreatofanescapedfire?Shouldlandownersbeforcedtoreducethebuildupoffuelsontheirpropertyorshouldtheybeallowedtoletfuelsaccumulateandaccepttheincreasedriskofdamagingwildfire?Landmanagersandhomeownersmustworktogethertoforgelong-termsolutionsthatmaintainfire-adaptedecosystemswhileprotectingadjoininglandownersandthepublicfromthethreatofcatastrophicfire. “Thepastcenturyhasvividlydemonstratedthatfireexclusioncannotbeattainedoverthelongterm,”Wadesays.“Butalteredforestconditionsandfuelbuildupthatresultsfromthisfailedpolicymakethereintroductionoffiredifficultandcomplex,withamuchgreaterriskofabadoutcome.”

Blazing Landscapes(continued from page 9)

Thetimingcouldn’tbebetter.Duringthe20thcentury,theSouth’spopulationgrew319percent,comparedwith270percentfortheentireUnitedStates.Southernlandusehaschangedandforestsarenowmorefragmented.ForestServiceresearchshowsthatprescribedfiresareasoundandresponsiblewaytoprotectpeopleandtheirhomesandtoensuretheecologicalhealthoffire-affectedlandscapes.Forexample,SRSstudiesshowthatthepopulationsofmanyanimalspecies,includingbobwhitequailandturkey,increasefollowingaprescribedburnbecauseofimprovedhabitat.Butit’sgettingmoredifficultforprivateandgovernmentlandownerstouseprescribedfirebecauseofchangingpatternsoflanduse,publicconcern,andlackofknowledgeaboutforestmanagement. The13SouthernStatesthatcompriseForestService’sSouthernRegionreceivethemostlightningstrikesinthecontiguous48States,withFloridaleadingtheway.TheSouthaveragesapproximately45,000wildfiresayear,oftenburningmoreacreagethanallotherregionscombined.TheregionalsoleadstheNationinnumberofprescribedfires,saysforesterDale Wade,whoretiredfromtheForestServiceandnowtrainsandadviseslandownerstousefireasamanagementtool.“Aprescribedburneveryfewyearsmaybethemosteffectivetoolforreducingtheriskofdamaging,oftencatastrophicfires,”hesays. Wildlandfiresoftenstoponlywhenthefuelrunsoutortheweatherchanges.Theyaremoreexpensivetocontrolandmopup,costingupto10timesmorethanprescribedburns,Wadesays.Thecosttohomeownersisalsostaggering.TheUnitedStates

Fire plays an essential role in southern forest ecosystems, but can quickly become a problem for landowners living nearby. (photo by W. Robert Maple, USDA Forest Service, www.forestryimages.org)

www.srs.fs.usda.gov ��www.srs.fs.usda.gov

Prescribedfiresareoftensetinlatewinterorearlyspring,whentemperature,moisturelevel,andwinddirectionaremorepredictable.Becausemanyvegetativecommunitieshistoricallyburnedduringthegrowingseason,anincreasingpercentageofburnsarenowdoneduringthewarmermonths.Approximately6millionacresofpublicandprivatepropertyintheSoutheastaretreatedwithprescribedfireeachyear. “Weneedtobeburning30millionto40millionacresannuallyintheSouth,”Wadesays.“Andyoucan’tburnjustonceandbesafe.Inmanysituationsyou’resafeforonlyayearortwofollowingaprescribedburn.” Acarefullyplannedandexecutedprescribedfireposesaverysmallrisktopeople’slives,homes,andbusinesses.“Weuseprescribedfiresinthewildland-urbaninterfacebecausetheyareveryeffective,”Stanturfsays.“InFlorida,forexample,peoplecanstandintheirdrivewaysandwatchaprescribedfireburningnearbyinacontrolledmanner.” Tohelpsouthernresourcemanagersandprivatecitizensuseprescribedfireappropriately,SRSresearchersstudyeverythingfromsmokebehaviortofirealternatives.Inthepast,manyfire-behaviorpredictionmodelswerebasedondatafromtheWesternStates;what’struefortheWestisn’tnecessarilysofortheSouth. Thatincludeshowsmokebehaves,whichisthe criticalissueinprescribedfires,saysStanturf.SRSresearchersarestudyingsmokeproductionandmovementtounderstand,predict,andminimizeitseffects.(See related story on page 18.)AmongthereasonsthatunderstandingsmokebehaviorissocriticalfortheSouthisthehighpercentageofroadsthatpenetratesouthernforests,comparedwithmanyWesternStates.Predictingsmokebehaviorisdifficult.Itbecomeseventrickierwhensmokecombineswithmoisturetoformdenseshrouds

thatobscurevisibilityandendangermotorists,orwhenitisstirredbycoastalbreezesinvisibleonweathermaps. “Smokewillshutusdownfasterthananyotherissuebecauseofairqualityandsafetyissues,especiallyifitdriftsoverhospitalsandschoolsoracrossroadways,”Stanturfsays. AnotherreasontheSouthneedsongoingresearchisthatfragile,fragmented,andhistoricallyimportantforestcommunities,including“islandremnants”inurbanareas,arebeinglostorirreparablychangedbecauseofthelackoffire.

Preserving Healthy Ecosystems It’sundisputedthatcertainplantcommunitiesneedfire.Longleafpineforests,forinstance,needtobeburnedevery1to3years.Yetsomehaven’tbeenburnedin50oreven90years,saysO’Brien,whostudieswaystoreintroducefirewithoutcausingmoreharmthangood.Forestsshelteredfromtheeffectsoffirefordecadesaccumulatedenselayersofneedlesontheforestfloor,fosteringarichgrowthoftreerootsnearthesurface.Whenfireisfinallyreintroducedafterseveraldecadesofexclusion,theheatdestroyssurfaceroots,andwithinthenextyearortwo,upto80percentofthelargelongleafpinetreesmaydie,accordingtoO’Brien’sresearch. Butprescribed,low-intensityburnsaren’talwayspalatableinurbansettings,suchasMiami,FL,whichishometothreatenedrocklandpineforests.Theseopen,savanna-like,subtropicalpineforestsgrowonthin-soiledlimestoneridgesandaredominatedbyslashpineinthecanopy.“Youhavesquaresofrocklandpineforest,oftenthesizeofpostagestamps,thatcontainendangeredandendemicflowerspeciesthatevolvedwithfire,”O’Briensays.“Theseforestsareembeddedinurbanareas,have



Blazing Landscapes(continued from page 11)

beenreducedinsizeby98percent,andneedfiretosurvive.” LikeO’Brien,Tom Waldropstudiesfire-dependentecosystems.TeamleaderforDisturbance Ecology in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont,Waldropispartofanationalefforttostudyfireandfiresurrogates—suchasherbicides,harvesting,andmechanicalmulching—onforeststructureandfunction.Firesurrogatescanreducefuelbuildup,butlittledataexistsabouttheirecologicalimpactandeconomiceffectiveness.Inadditiontorelativecosts,whataretheeffectsonseedlinggermination,speciesrichness,ornutrientcycling?Andareessentialprocesseslostwhenfireisexcluded? TheNationalFireandFireSurrogateStudyinvolvesmorethan130scientistsat13sitesacrossthecountrylookingatsuchissuesasinsects,diseases,andwildlife.WaldropoverseesresearchatonesiteinthePiedmontandanotherintheSouthernAppalachianMountains.Earlyresultsfromthestudy,hesays,showthat“mostecosystemcomponentsarenotadverselyimpactedbyprescribedfireormechanicalfuelreduction.Thesetreatmentscanbeusedtorestoreecosystemstructure,function,orboth.” InaseparateprojectWaldropstudiesthefire-dependentTable

MountainpinesthatgrowalongAppalachianridgetops.LittleisknownaboutfireasatoolforAppalachianandPiedmontforests,whereintentionalfirewasrestrictedfor50to80years.Waldropexperimentedwithtwofireregimens—asingle,high-intensityfireandaseriesoflow-intensityfires—anddemonstratedthatprescribedfirecanbereintroducedintoTableMountainpineforestswithlittleadverseimpact.“Thegoalistolearntousefireasamoreeffectivemanagementtoolinanecologicallysensitivemanner,”hesays. Histeamisalsousingatypeofaerialimagery,calledhyperspectralimagery,andtopographytodevelopfuelmodelsforremote,ruggedareasofSouthernAppalachianMountainsthatarehardtotraverseandcontainarichmixofplantcommunities.“Fuelloadestimatesaren’tasaccurateastheycouldbe,”hesays,“andgroundmeasurementsaretimeconsuming.”Themodelswillyieldmapsofspecificgroundfuels,suchasmountainlaurel,anativeshrubwhichcanbeexplosivelyflammableundercertainconditions. WaldropisalsoinvestigatingtwomethodsforrestoringPiedmontforestsheavilydamagedbysouthernpinebeetlesontwodifferenttypesofsites.Oneforestisanhistoricalsite,whiletheotherisbeingpreparedforacommercialtimberoperation.Portionsofeachforesthaveundergonehigh-intensityfires—hottemperature

firesthatburnthetreecrowns—andothersectionsarereceivingextensivemulchingofthedeadtreesfollowedbyseedlingplantings.Waldropiscomparingplantgrowthanddiversity,soilproperties,andtheabundanceofmycorrhizae(beneficialfungithathelprootsabsorbwaterandnutrients)underbothtreatments. It’sobviousthatsomeimportantfire-deprivedecosystemsaredecliningandothersmaydisappearalltogether.Andeventhough22States,including11intheSouth,nowhavelawstofacilitateprescribedburns,thedecisiontoburnlandscapesnearhomesandcitiescanbeacareer-endingrisk. Meanwhile,forestscontinuetogrow,fuelscontinuetoaccumulate,andlandscapescontinuetoburn—whetherfromalightningstrikeoralawnmowerspark. “Therewillbebigproblems,”Stanturfpredicts,“ifwefailtoplanahead.”

For more information:

JohnStanturfat706–559–[email protected]

JoeO’Brienat706–559–[email protected]

TomWaldropat864–656–[email protected]

DaleWade,nowconsultant(RxFireDoctor,LLC)at828–389–[email protected]

Judy Bolyard Purdy is an acquisitions editor for the University of Georgia Press and freelance science writer based in Buford, GA.

�� compass—december 2006

Rare Rockland Pine Forests Rely on Fire

Native,savanna-like,subtropicalpineforests,calledrocklandpineforests,arehotbedsofbiodiversityandhometothreatenedandendangeredplantsandanimals,suchasthemilkpeaontheleft,thatneedfiretosurvive.Littleisknownabouttheecologyoftheseforests,whichoccurinsouthernFloridanearMiamiandotherplacessuchastheBahamas(whereanativeground-nestingparrotlivesamongthepines)andCuba.Thesepineforestsprovidewinterhabitatformanymigratorybirds,includingtheendangeredKirtland’swarbler. (photo by Joe O’Brien,

USDA Forest Service)


www.srs.fs.usda.gov ��www.srs.fs.usda.gov ��

Growing Population Increases Fire Risk at the Wildland-Urban Interfaceby Steve McNulty

Yearsago,largeblocksofforestlandwereownedbyasingle

individual.However,astheselandparcelsweresoldandresold,theyweredividedamongmoreandmoreowners.Whereonceasinglepersonmayhaveowned200acres,now400peoplemayeachownhalfanacre.Thischangeinthewildland-urbaninterfacehassignificantlyimpactedhowthislandareaismanaged.Eveniftheforestisleftphysiciallyintact,itisnolongerpracticaltoharvestthetimberorcontrol

fuelbuild-upthroughcontrolledburns.Therefore,theriskofwildfiresimpactingresidentialareashasbeenincreasingforseveraldecadesaspeoplemoveoutofthecitiesandintothecountry. TheSRSForestInventoryandAnalysis(FIA)programhasmonitoredforestlocation,age,size,andspeciescompositionfortheUnitedStatessincethe1930s.Inrecentyears,thisprogramhasexpandedtoincludeover30,000forestplotsthatarere-measuredonceevery5years. DatacollectedbytheFIAprogramisveryusefulindetermininghowforestsandforestfireriskarechangingwithchangingdemographics.IntheeasternUnitedStates,thegreatestriskoflargewildfiresoccurinareasofhighlyfragmentedforestwithmuchurbanencroachment,coupledwithareasofhighforestfuelloads.Thesetwofactors

canbecombinedtoproduceawildland-urbaninterfacefireriskmapsuchasshownbelow.InthesouthernUnitedStates,partsofArkansasandTennesseerepresenttheareaswiththebestchanceoflarge-scalewildfireoccurrence.Theseareasareheavilyforested,butalsohavealargenumberofpeoplelivingoutintheforest.Incombination,thesetwofactorsmakebothfirefuelloadandwildfirecontrolchallenging;continuedpopulationpressuresarelikelytofurtherexpandtheareaofhighfireriskinthefuture.

For more information: [email protected]

Steve McNulty leads the SRS Southern Global Change unit team in Raleigh, NC.

(Wildfire Threat Map produced by the SRS Southern Global Change unit)

compass—december 2006�4

Agooddealofresearchhas

examinedtheecologicalimpacts

ofsprawl;otherworkhaslookedat

thesocialinequitiescreatedwhen

middle-incomeresidentsabandon

centralcities,leavinglowerincome

residentstodealwithproblemsthat

typicallyaccompanyurbanlife,such

asdecayinginfrastructure,problem

schools,andhighcrimerates.Farless

scholarshipcomparesacceptanceof

urbanexpansionincommunitiesthat

aresocioeconomicallyandracially

separated.

In2002,IworkedwithMyron

FloydfromNorthCarolinaState

Universityonastudyoftwotowns

inruralupperCharlestonCounty,

SC,whereperceptionsaboutfuture

developmentareinconflict.The

contestationinvolvesdifferent

visionsofgrowthfortheruralarea.

Exploratoryresearchsuggeststhese

differencesarehighlycorrelatedwith

socioeconomicstatus,which,inturn,

iscloselyalignedwithrace.

Overthepasthalfcentury,the

paceofdevelopmentontheSea

IslandsofftheSouthCarolinacoast

hasintensified.Fromtheendofthe

CivilWaruntilthe1950s,descendants

ofAfricanslaves(theGullahor

Geecheepeople)weretheprimary

inhabitantsonSouthCarolina’sbarrier

islands.Now,theseplaceshavebeen

developedintopopularresortswith

recreationalamenitiesgearedtoward

theaffluentresidentandvacationer—

andthehistoricalGullahpopulation

A Tale of Two Towns: Rural Communities Divided Over Growthby Cassandra Johnson

hasbeenlargelydisplacedbyhigh-

incomepropertyowners.

Similarpopulationandeconomic

pressuresarenowimpactingsomeof

thecoastalcountiesthatarepartof

theLowcountrynearCharleston,SC.

WhileSouthCarolina’spopulation

increasedroughly15percentfrom

1990to2000,theincreasewasmore

than28percentintheState’seight

coastalcounties.Despitegrowthand

development,substantialtraditional

African-Americanpopulationsremain

inSouthCarolina’scoastalcounties.

Theirsocioeconomicstatus,however,

differsgreatlyfromthatofmigrantand

long-timeresidentwhites.

Forinstance,thepercentageofthe

populationlivingbelowthepoverty

levelinruralupperCharlestonCounty

is16.9percent,whichapproximates

thepovertyrateforthecountyasa

whole(16.7percent),butthepoverty

rateforAfricanAmericansinthearea

isaboutfivetimeshigherthanfor

whites(23.5percentand5percent,

respectively).UpperCharleston

Countycontainsapproximately1

percentofCharleston’spopulation,

withAfricanAmericanscomprising

about64percentofthe5,091residents

andwhites35percent.

Thepreliminarystudywe

conductedshowsthatsocioeconomic

differencesbetweenAfricanAmericans

andwhitescontributegreatlyto

racialdifferencesinperceptionsof

urbangrowth.Usinginterviewsand

contentanalysisofarticlesinthe The pace of development in South Carolina’s coastal counties has stepped up in the last decade. (photo by Larry Korhnak, University of Florida)


www.srs.fs.usda.gov �5

localpress,wecomparedmunicipal

responsestourbangrowthfortwo

ruralmunicipalities“Newborn”and

“SeasideVillage”(pseudonyms)

from2002to2003.Thetowncouncil

inNewborn,wherealltheelected

officialsareAfricanAmerican,

hasbeenmuchmorereceptiveto

developmentinitiativesthanthatof

SeasideVillage,wherealltheelected

officialsarewhite.Also,within

Newborn,AfricanAmericansappear

morewillingthanwhitestoaccept

development.Newborn’spopulationof

1,195istwo-thirdsAfricanAmerican

andone-thirdwhite;SeasideVillage’s

smallerpopulationof459isroughly

93percentwhiteand7percentAfrican

American.

Clean Water Becomes Controversial Newbornwasincorporatedin1992

inresponsetourbanexpansionfrom

metropolitanCharleston.Residents

inthethenunincorporatedruralarea

fearedtheircommunitywouldbe

consumedbytheupscaledevelopment

thathadtransformedothernearby

townsintosuburbanbedroom

communities.Newborniscomposed

ofthreediscontinuousresidentialand

commercialsegments,locatedwithin

11squaremilesalongaU.S.highway.

TheeasternedgeoftheFrancisMarion

NationalForestisalsoincludedwithin

thetown’sborders.

In1997,Newbornpasseda

referendumtoestablishamunicipal

watersystembecausemanyresidents

hadcontaminatedwells.In1999,

acommunity-basedenvironmental

groupconductedanassessmentof

thestudyareaandreportedthat

substandardhousing,lackofpotable

water,andsanitationwerecritical

threatsforarearesidents.Anumber

ofresidentsreportedthatsewagefrom

poorlyconstructedsepticsystems

wascontaminatingwellwater.These

problemswereespeciallyprevalent

amongAfricanAmericans.Inthe

sameyear,thetownalsoproposed

areferendumonasewersystem,

butcancelleditbecauseofmounting

criticismfromasmall,mostlywhite

groupopposedtogrowth.

After7yearsofdebateand

controversysurroundingpublic

water,thetownbeganconstruction

ofthewatersystemin2004,funded

inpartbyaU.S.Departmentof

Agriculturegrant.Opponentsofthe

systemremainfirmintheirconviction

thatmunicipalwaterwillattract

developers;cityofficialsmaintainthat

thewatersystemrepresentsaformof

environmentaljusticeforlow-income

residentswithpoorlyconstructed

wells.

SeasideVillageisabout10miles

northeastofNewborn.Thetown

wasincorporatedinthelate1850s

andhasalong,distinguishedhistory

datingbacktoNativeAmerican

settlement.Residentshaveadeep

historyandstrongsenseofplace

forthetown.SeasideVillageproper

issurroundedbypredominantly

rural,unincorporatedAfrican-

Americancommunitiesthathavea

SeasideVillagemailingaddressbut

arenotincludedwithinthetown’s

politicalboundaries.Incontrastto

Newbornofficials,SeasideVillage’s

governingbodyisadamantlyopposed

toanytypeofdevelopmentthat

woulddetractfromthetown’srural

character.Forthemostpart,residents

herehaveproperlyfunctioningwells,

andmostaremiddle-to-upperincome

wageearners.

A Clash of Perceptions Ouranalysissuggestedthat

African-AmericanleadersinNewborn

viewurbanexpansionasonemeans

ofovercominggenerationalpoverty.

Apublicwatersystemwouldnot

onlyprovideanimmediateremedyto

theproblemofcontaminatedwater

butalsobeaconduitforlongerterm

economicstimulation.Newborn

officialsseeimprovedinfrastructure

andthesubsequentlocationof

commercialestablishmentsasbringing

muchneededjobsandopportunities

forlow-incomeresidents.

Theproposedinfrastructuremerely

highlightedwhatmanydescribedas

long-timeraceandclassdivisionsin

upperCharlestonCounty.Middle-class

residents(mostofwhomwerewhite)

fearedthatthetypeofgrowththat

couldresultfromtheinstallationof

publicwaterandsewerwouldseverely

compromisethearea’sruralcharacter

anduniqueecosystem,specificallythe

ecologicaldiversitycontainedinthe

FrancisMarionNationalForest.These

residentsalsowarnedthatsuburban

developmentwoulddisplacepoor

blackresidentsfromtheirproperty

becauseofrisingrentsandproperty

taxes.Growthopponentspointed

tothehistoryofdisplacedAfrican

AmericansfromtheSeaIslandsand

alsotomorerecentcasesofblacks

beingforcedfromlong-timeAfrican-

Americancommunitiescloserto

Charleston.Growthproponents

counteredthatthoseopposingthe

infrastructureareaprivilegedclass

notconstrainedbypersistentpoverty

orracialdiscrimination.

Inlate2005,aregionalgrowth

managementagreementtolimit

developmentneartheFrancisMarion



A Tale of Two Towns(continued from page 15)

NationalForestwasinitiatedbylarger,

urbanmunicipalitiestothesouthof

Newborn.Theproposalstipulated

that11areamunicipalities,including

Newborn,takestepstowardrestricting

growthintheruralLowcountryby

limitinghousingdensitiestoonehome

forevery25acresnearthenational

forestandbyprohibitingnewwater

andsewerlinesinnorthCharleston

County.Newborntowncouncilvoted

unanimouslyagainsttheagreement,

contendingthatgrowthisnecessary

forthetown’ssurvival.Newborn’s

voteeffectivelydefeatedtheinitiative

forthetimebeingbecauseithadtobe

agreeduponbyallmunicipalitiesin

ordertotakeeffect.

How to Cross the Racial Divide Itwasapparentafteranalyzing

boththeinterviewsandpressreports

thatthemarginalstatusofAfrican

Americans,comparedtowhitesinthe

area,isasignificantcontributorto

racialstancesondevelopment.The

responsesofthesetwopopulations

pointtoamorefundamentalproblem

inruralAmerica—thatofpersistent

ruralpoverty.Remarksfromtwo

researchrespondents(MandB)

indicatethatthequalityofpeople’s

livesiscentralwhenconsidering

long-termsustainabledevelopment.

Lifequalitymustbeaddressedbefore

anycompromiseongrowthcanbe

reached:

M:Westartedoutby…putting

togetherseveralgroupsthat

lookedatthequalityoflife

resources—welookedatwater,we

lookedattourism.Wewanted…The disparity in economic status between African Americans and whites in the South Carolina Lowcountry has contributed to conflicting views on development in the area. (photo by Bill Lea, USDA Forest Service, retired)

�6


tochangeanddevelopandmake

it(development)meetourneeds

withoutthismassivedevelopmentof

ourarea.

B:WhichisoneofthethingsI

thinkisourprimarypurpose,that

wehavetoraisethequalityoflife

so…peoplearen’tsoanxiousfor

development.Ifyoucanraisethe

qualityoflifeandofferopportunity

…thenthere’snoneedformassive

development.Peoplearen’tso

vulnerabletobigdeveloperscoming

inandsayingwe’llofferyou

$500,000foryourplace.

Inorderforthattohappen,we’re

goingtohavetobreakdownthe

separationoftheraces.Inorderfor

thatreallytooccur,forthisareanot

tobeoverdeveloped,we’regoingto

havetobreakdowntheracialdivide.

AsruralareasacrosstheSouth

continuetodevelop,wewillseemore

examplesofdifferencesinresponsesto

urbanizationanddevelopmentthatrun

alongracialandsocioeconomiclines.

ResearchersintheSouthhavehardly

beguntoexplorefactorsunderlying

thesedifferencestounderstand

betterhowsociodemographicgroups

experiencerurallandscapesand

drawonthemfortheirpersonaland

collectiveidentities.

For more information:CassandraJohnsonat706–559–[email protected]

Socioeconomic data from:U.S.DepartmentofCommerce,BureauoftheCensus.2002b.Basicfacts:basictablesandmapsfortheU.S.,States,counties,cities,towns,andAmericanIndianReservations.[Dateaccessed:February22,2003].U.S.DepartmentofCommerce,BureauoftheCensus.2002a.U.S.CensusBureau:Stateandcountyquickfacts.[Dateaccessed:February7,2003].

Cassandra Johnson is a research social scientist with the SRS Urban and Social Influences research work unit in Athens, GA.

�7www.srs.fs.usda.gov

(photo by Larry Korhnak, University of Florida)


You’redrivingbeforedawnonawinterday.It’sbadenoughtobe

upsoearlyinthecold,tryingtowakeup.Yousmelledsmokewhenyoustartedout;youknowthey’vebeenburninginthenationalforesttoreducefuels.Youstarttonoticesomeshredsoffog:beforeyouknowit,you’reinsideathickdirtycloudandcan’tseeafootinfrontofyou.Thedriversofthecarsaheadandbehindyouareequallyblind,allofyoudrivingoninapanickedfaiththatnoonewillstoptoosoon. Thismayseemdramatic,butithappensfairlyoftenintheSouthduringthewinterfireseason,usuallyforonlyafewminutes,butsometimesformuchlonger.InsouthernMississippiin2000,fogandsmokefromasmallwildfirecombinedtoforma“superfog”onInterstate10inthehoursjustbeforedawn.Visibilitywentdowntoalmostzero;theinevitablepileupresultedin5fatalitiesand24injuries.Thoughthesmokeinthiscasecamefromawildfire,itcouldjustaseasilycomefromafiresettoimproveforesthealth. IntheSouth,naturalresourcemanagersdomostoftheirprescribedburninginthefirst3monthsoftheyear,atimewhentheneedsofhumanpopulationsandforestecologiescancomeintovisible—andsometimesdeadly—conflict.Toreducetheimpactofprescribedburnsonnearbyhumanpopulations,SRSscientistshaveenteredtherealmofnightsmoke,haze—andsuperfog.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyesby Zoë Hoyle


The most critical threat to human populations from prescribed fire is smoke, which can cause health problems as well as highway hazards. (photo by USDA Forest Service, www.forestryimages.org)

www.srs.fs.usda.gov �9�9

heavilyscoredbyvarioussizesofroads.“Wetookonaveryspecifictask,towriteaPC-basedprogramtosimulatethemovementofground-levelsmokeoverthecomplexterrainofthePiedmontatnight,”saysAchtemeier. Smokecanbecomeaproblematanytimeduringaprescribedburn,butvisibilityproblemsoccurmorefrequentlyinvalleybottomsatnight.Asnightfalls,aircoolsrapidlynearthegroundandwindspeedsdecline.Smokebeginstoaccumulateneartheground,especiallyfromsmolderingfuelsthatdon’tgeneratemuchheat.Thisground-huggingsmokeiscarriedthroughthevalleys,accumulatingatlowpointsandcreatinghazardswherevalleydrainagescrossroadsorbridges.Figuringoutexactlywheresmokegoesinvolvesmuchmorethanjustassumingitwilltraveldowntheterrainofthevalleys. “UndercertainweatherconditionsinthePiedmont,smokecangettrappedinshallowlayersofairnearthegroundatnightandgetcarriedtounexpecteddestinations,”saysAchtemeier.“Whenitgetsconfinedwithinvalleys,smokecanbeslowtodisperse.Whenmoistconditionsarepresent—andyouknowhowhumiditisintheSouth—thissmokecaneasilyturnintofog.” Achtemeierstressesthattheprogramheandfellowresearchersdeveloped,PB-Piedmont(PBforprescribedburn),isdesignedstrictlytopredictthemovementofsmokefromprescribedburning—notwildfire—


Where There’s Fire Prescribedburning—thesettingoffiresundercontrolledconditions—isusedtotreatsome6to8millionacresintheSoutheachyear,morethaninanyotherpartoftheUnitedStates.Abouthalftheacresareburnedtoimproveforesthealth,therestforagriculturalandrangepurposes.Southernlandmanagershavelongacceptedprescribedburningasthemosteconomicalwaytoreducetheriskofwildfiresandmaintainhabitatforfire-dependentplantandanimalspecies.Unfortunately,wherethereisfire,thereisalwayssmoke. Aspeoplemoveclosertoforests,thesmokefromcontrolledburnsbecomesmoreproblematic.Smokecancausehealthproblemsrangingfromirritatedeyesandthroatstomoreseriousdisorderssuchasasthma,bronchitis,reducedlungfunction,andevendeath.Attheveryleast,burningcausesahazethatlimitsvisibilityandcancontributetopoorairqualityacrosstheregion. Probablythegreatestdangerfromsmokecomesfromreducedvisibilityonroads.Smokeontheroadcanbehazardousanywhere,butitposesaparticularthreatintheSouth,whereprescribedburningisdoneduringthewinterrainyseasonwhenhighrelativehumidityaddstosmokedensity.Whenyouaddinfragmentationfromhumandevelopment,someofthehighestroaddensitiesintheNation,andtheerraticmovementofairacrossahighlyvariableterrain,endangeringearlymorningdriverswhendoingprescribedburningseemsalmostunavoidable.

“Mostsmoke-relatedhighwayaccidentsoccurjustbeforesunrisewhentemperaturesarecoldestandsmokeentrapmentismaximized,”saysGary Achtemeier,researchmeteorologistwiththeSRS Center for Forest Disturbance ScienceinAthens,GA.“Intheseconditions,weakdrainagewindsofeven1mileperhourcancarrysmokeover10milesduringthenight—withthedensityoftheroadsystemintheSouth,there’sagoodchancesmokeorfogwillbecarriedoveraroad.” WithfellowSRSresearchmeteorologistsScott GoodrickandYongqiang Liu,Achtemeierhastakenonthetaskofproducingtoolsmanagerscanusetopredictwheresmokewilldriftthedaytheyburnandonintothenightandearlymorningofthenextday.Theresearchersstartedbydevelopingacomputerprogramthatcombineshigh-resolutionnationalweatherdatawithapreciseunderstandingofterraintopredictsmokefromfiressetatdefinedcoordinates.TheytackledtheterrainofthePiedmontfirst,anareawherethereissignificantuseofprescribedburning—andwherepopulationandroadnetworksareexpandingrapidly.

Night Smoke in the Piedmont ThePiedmont,definedastheregionthatliesbetweentheCoastalPlainandtheAppalachianMountains,includespartsofVirginia,NorthandSouthCarolina,Georgia,andAlabama.Theterrainoftheareaisoneofgentlyrollinghillsandvalleysbisectedbynumerousstreamsandriversand


The Southern High-Resolution Modeling Consortium

In2001,aspartoftheNationalFirePlan,theForestServicesetupfiveregionalmodelingconsortiatoprovideproductsbasedonhigh-resolutionweatherdata.TheSouthernHigh-ResolutionModelingConsortium(SHRMC)wassetupbytheSRS Southern Smoke Management TeambasedinAthens,GA,incollaborationwiththeUniversityofGeorgiaAtmosphericScienceProgram.TheSHRMCsuppliesregionalandlocalweatherforecaststoforestersintheSouthernRegion,whichconsistsofthe13SouthernStatesfromVirginiatoTexas.TheSHRMCcollaborateswithotherscientists;local,State,andFederalairqualityandfireregulators;andothermodelingcentersaspartofvariousnationalinteragencymodelingconsortia. SHRMCprovidesthephysicalinfrastructureformodelingadvancesinairquality,firecontrol,smokeimpact,andweatherprediction,andfortheInternet-baseddistributionofrealtimedatatoconsortiummembers,naturalresourcemanagers,andthepublic.

For more information:shrmc.ggy.uga.edu/

�0

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes(continued from page 19)

underspecificconditions.“PB-Piedmontisawindandparticlemovementmodelthatprovidesthenumerical‘eyes’to‘see’wheresmoketrappednearthegroundwillgoatnight.Itpredictsmovement,notconcentrations,andaddressesproblemsofcomplexterraininareaswhereridgeandvalleyheightdifferencesarelessthan300feet.” Takingintoaccountthenatureofsmokeitself—aphenomenonthathasn’tbeenstudiedextensively—addedcomplexitytothemodel.“Weknewthatsmokeplumestypicallydivergeandsplitintoneighboringvalleys,andthatsmoketrappedinavalleygradually‘bleeds’awayasairentersthevalley,butwehadtofigureouthowtomodeltheprocess,”saysAchtemeier.“Wedesignedthesmokemodelsothatparticlesdivideintosmallerparticles,allowingthemodeltosimulatethebleedoutfromvalleys.” Togetatthesubtledriftofnightsmoke,thesmokemodelwascombinedwithanairflowmodeldevelopedbyAchtemeierthatsimulatespressureforcesthatmovewindsasslowas4inchesasecond.Addtothisinformationabouttopographyandlandscapefeaturessuchasroads,rivers,andstreams,thencombineitwiththemostpowerfulweatherdatadevelopedsofar.Whatyougetisamodelthattakesupatremendousamountofcomputingpowerandspace,muchmorethanatypicalnaturalresourcemanagerwouldhaveaccessto.

How It Works PB-PiedmontactuallyrunsonweatherdatasuppliedthroughahighperformancecomputersystemsetupbytheSouthern High-Resolution Modeling Consortium(SHRMC),agroupofStateandFederalagencieswhojoinedtogethertoprovidetheinfrastructureneededtorunsmokeandothermodels.PB-Piedmontisessentiallya“nowcast,”updatedhourlywithsurfaceweatherdataasitbecomesavailableovertheWeb.ComputingpowerthroughtheSHRMCmakesitpossibletorunPB-Piedmontpredictivelyoutto72hoursusingMM5,thehigh-resolutionweatherdatadevelopedbyacommunityofscientistsanddistributedthroughtheNationalCenterforAtmosphericResearch. Achtemeierrealizedearlyonthatnaturalresourcemanagersplanningprescribedburnswouldhaveveryspecificneeds.Themodelwouldhavetobesmallenoughtofitonalaptop,runfasterthanrealtimetomakepredictions—andstillbepowerfulenoughtomodelsmokeonafineterrainscale.Inaddition,themodelwouldhavetobesimpleenoughtoberunbythosewithnoexperiencewithmeteorologicalmodeling. “Keepingthemathematicssimplesothemodelcanrunrapidlyenoughtoprovidetimelypredictionsisadauntingtask,”saysAchtemeier.“That’swhywemadePB-Piedmontasimplifiedmodeldesignedtorunforthespecificweatherconditionsthatareassociatedwithsmokeentrapmentneartheground.Youcan’tapplyittootherconditions.”


Theresultisamodeleasilyinstalledontheuser’scomputer,eitherfromadiskordownloadedfromtheSHRMCWebsite.Two“weathergrabbers”areinstalledwiththemodel:everyhourtheygototheSHRMCWebsiteandgrabhigh-resolutionweatherdata.Whenamanagersitsdowntoplanaburn,themodelgrabsdataforthenext72hours,plentyoftimetotrackthemovementofsmokethroughcriticalnightandearlymorninghours—timetodecidewellinadvancewhetherornottodotheburn. ThemovementofsmokepredictedbyPB-Piedmonthasbeenvalidatedbyaircraftvideoimagingfromtwoexperimentalnightburns,andbynearly300groundobservationsofover30prescribedburns.Upgradedseveraltimes,themodelisnowbeingusedtoplanprescribedburnsbytheU.S.FishandWildlifeServiceandtheStateofSouthCarolina.

Superfog Revealed InMarch1997,SRSsmokeresearchersconducteda2-nightexperimentintheTalladegaNationalForestinwesternAlabamatovalidatethePB-Piedmontmodel.Tosimulateaprescribedburn,theysetafire50balesofhaysoakedindieselfuel.Oncethehaywasburning,theyputthefireoutwithwatertocreateamoisture-ladensmolder.Theyalsosetoff60smokebombs—allofthisbythelightofthefullmoon.


Smoke models help land managers plan prescribed burns for the least impact. (photo by USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station)


disappearing.Lookslikesuperfog,hethought,sohesetupanexperiment,usingthesameinstrumentstomeasurerelativehumidityandtemperatureheusedontheindividualsmokesoutinthefield.Hestartedburningsomeleavesinlateevening,whenthetemperaturewasrelativelylow.Whenhegotthefiregoing,hisinstrumentimmediatelyregistered100percenthumidity.“TurnsoutIhadactuallyproducedsuperfoginmyownbackyard.Imeasuredthevisibilityatlessthan4inches.” ThoughAchtemeierisconvincedthatsuperfogcanbecausedbysmoke—andaverypossibleresultofprescribedburning—othersinthescientificcommunityremainunconvinced.Butifhe’sright,hismodelscouldpreventroadaccidentsrelatedtoprescribedburning.“Itmaybethattherearesomeveryspecificconditionsinwhichsuperfogforms,andifwecanisolatetheseconditions,wemightbeabletopinpointwithin72hoursthedayswhenprescribedburnsshouldnottakeplace.”

For more information: GaryAchtemeierat706–559–[email protected].

aboutaphenomenonthatsomescientistsstilldoubttheexistenceof. Thevariousexplanationsforsuperfograngefrom“it’sjustdensesmoke”totheinvolvementofhygroscopicsmokeparticlesthatattractandbondwithwatermolecules,leadingtotheformationofwaterdropletsthatscatterlight.Someexplanationsleaveoutthesmokeparticlesandattributesuperfogsimplytotherapidcoolingofthemoisturecomingoffsmolderinglogsandstumps.Achtemeierdecidedtotakeacloserlook. In2002and2003,Achtemeier,withsystemsanalystKen ForbusandelectronicstechnicianTim GiddensfromtheSRSAthensunit,wentoutto5differentprescribedburnsites,lookingatover20individual“smokes”toseeifthebulkmoisturefromsmolderingfiresaloneisenoughtotriggersuperfog.“We’llhavetolookatthetotalmoisturebudgetbeforewecanmakeconclusions,butourpreliminaryfindingsindicatethatsmolderingcouldaddenoughmoisturetotriggersuperfog,”saysAchtemeier.“Wedidfindoutthatonanyonesiteyoucanhaveindividualsmokesthatrangefromverydrytoverymoist.Thoughthismayseemintuitive,noonehasreallytriedtodocumentit.” Infall2003,Achtemeierwasoutinhisbackyardrakingandburningleaves.Hejustcouldn’tstopthinkingaboutsmokeandsuperfog.Whenherakedoverhisburningpile,adensewhitesmokeformedthatdidn’treallydisperse,butretaineditsstructurewhilemovingaway,eventuallybreakingintopatchesand

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes(continued from page 21)

“Theonlywaytoobserveanentiresmokeplumemovingalongthegroundatnightisfromtheair,”saysAchtemeier.“Weknewthepatternssmokemakesasitscattersfromheadlights.Wewantedtoseeifwecouldobservethewholesmokeplumebylookingatthemoonlightscatteredfromit.” ThesitewasselectedforterraintypicalofthePiedmont,safety,andabsenceofotherlightsources.Theresearchersflewoverthetestfiresinasmallplanemountedwithalight-intensifiedmultispectralvideocamera,whichrecordedtheformationofsmokeonthe2nightsoftheexperimentalburns.ObservationsfromtheexperimentwerenearlyidenticaltoresultspredictedbyPB-Piedmont.Whattheresearchersdidn’trealizeatthetimewasthattheyhadalsorecordedtheformationofsuperfogonthefirstnightoftheexperiment. Superfogoccurswhentrappedsmokecombineswithwatervaporatjusttherighttemperatureandrelativehumiditytoproducezerovisibility.Scientistshadlongsuspectedtheinvolvementofsmokeintheformationofsuperfog,buttheyhadn’thadmanyopportunitiestoobservethephenomenon,whichcomesonquicklylateatnightanddissipatesjustasquicklyrightbeforesunrise.Achtemeiersawfogformduringthe1997experiment,butdidn’treallygetthesignificanceofituntilhereviewedthevideotakenthatnight.Hegotexcited—somewouldsayobsessed—

(photo courtesy Gary Achtemeier, USDA Forest Service)


Theparticulatematterandozonederivativesproducedbyboth

wildfiresandprescribedburninghaveanundeniableeffectonairquality.In1998,theU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)issuedaninterimpolicytoprotectpublichealthfromtheimpactsofairpollutantsfromwildlandfires.Aspartofthispolicy,theEPAurgedtheStatestodevelopsmokemanagementprograms.Landmanagersaccustomedtoplanningforsmokehazardsneedednewtoolstolookatlessvisibleairqualityeffectsfromprescribedfires. Withfundingfromthe2001NationalFirePlanandthecomputingpoweroftheSouthernHigh-ResolutionModelingConsortium(SHRMC),theSRS Smoke Management Team ofGary Achtemeier,Scott Goodrick,andYongqiangLiubegandevelopingaresearchtool,theSouthernSmokeSimulationSystem(SHRMC–4S)tomodelfireemissions,smokemovement,andairqualityeffects. SHRMC–4SintegratestheCommunityMultiscaleAirQualitymodeldevelopedbytheEPAwiththehigh-resolutionweatherpredictiondatageneratedbySHRMCwithDaysmoke,aprogramSRSresearchersdevelopedtosimulatethebehaviorofsmokeplumesfromprescribedburning—andtocorrectassumptionsintheprevailingmodelsthatmighthaveledtorestrictionsonanimportantforestmanagementpractice. “Whenwestartedworkingwiththeairqualitycommunity,wefoundoutthatthesystembeingusedaveragedburnsoveranentireyear,whentherearereallyonly30daysorsointheyearthatmanagerscanburnon,”saysAchtemeier.“Thisgreatlyexaggeratedtheairqualityeffectsfromprescribedburning.WedevelopedDaysmoketoindicatetheexactdayandtimeofburns,andtotakeintoaccounthowmanagersengineertheirburnssothatsmokesweepsupandaway.”

Andthenthereisthestructureofwildlandsmoke.EPAparticulatemodelsarebasedonsimplesmokestackplumes.Aprescribedfireincidentinspring2006causedSRSresearcherstochangehowtheylookatthestructureofsmokefromwildlandfires—andmaychangethewayparticulateconcentrationsinairaremodeledinthefuture. InApril2006,smokefromaprescribedburninCockeCounty,TN,jumpedoverthemountainstofinditswayintothestreetsofAsheville,NC.WhenAchtemeierpluggeddatafromtheburnintoDaysmoke,themodelpredictedonlyatenthoftheparticulateconcentrationsrecordedinAsheville.Puzzled,hewenttosatelliteimagesandground-levelphotoimagesoftheeventandnoticedthatwhatlookedlikeonebigplumeofsmokeonthesatelliteimageswasactuallymadeupofmanysmallupdraftcores.WhenhesimulatedfiveorsixcoresinDaysmoke,themodelgaveamoreaccuratereading. “Thisdiscoverygaveusmoreanswersaboutwhyothermodelswerenotpredictingairqualityeffectsfromprescribedburningmoreaccurately,”saysAchtemeier.“Ournextstepistodevelopanumbrellacodethatbringsallthesefindingstogether.Whenwehavethat,we’llrunasimulationusingdatafromFloridatoseehowclosewearegettingtoaccuratelypredictingairqualityeffects.” ForAchtemeier,Goodrick,andLiu,eventheskymaynotbethelimit.Intheplanningstageareproductsthatlinkshort-termandlong-termclimatedatawithwildfire,prescribedfire,andsmokemanagementdatatolookattheeffectsofclimateonwildlandfire—aswellastheeffectsoffireintheSoutheastonclimate.

For more information:GaryAchtemeierat706–559–[email protected].

��

Air Quality Issues Lead to a New Understanding of Day Smoke

www.srs.fs.usda.gov

SRS researchers developed the Daysmoke program to simulate the behavior of smoke plumes from prescribed burning. (photo by Dale Wade, Rx Fire Doctor, www.forestryimages.org)


Everyyear,arsonistssetover1.5millionfiresintheUnited

States,resultinginover$3billionindamages.ArsonisaleadingcauseofwildfireinseveralheavilypopulatedStates—Florida,forone.Oftensetnearhomesandroads,intentionallysetfirescauseadisproportionateamountofthedamageattributedtowildfireingeneral. ResearchforesterJeff PrestemonfromtheSRS Economics of Forest Protection and Management unitinResearchTrianglePark,NC,andeconomistDavid Butry,formerlywiththeSRSunitandnowwith

theNational

InstituteofStandardsand

TechnologyinGaithersburg,MD,havedevelopedamodelto

helplawenforcementagenciesbetterpredictwhereandwhenfiresmightbesetinwildlandareas—anddesignstrategiestoreducetheriskofarson.

Criminal Dimensions Forothertypesofcrimes,researchershavedocumentedthat

Time to Burn: Getting a Step Ahead of Wildland Arsonistsby Zoë Hoyle

perpetratorsoftencommitmultipleoffensesinashorttimeframe,a“spree”phenomenondescribedastemporal clustering.

Individualscommitting

propertyorviolentcrimesalsooftencommitmultiple

crimeswithinacertainarea,addingaseconddimensionofspatial clustering.Inapairofstudies,PrestemonandButrysetouttotestwhetherspatio-temporalclusteringcouldalsobeobservedinwildlandarson.Theyalsolookedattherelationshipbetweensocioeconomicfactorsandincidencesofwildlandarson—addingyetanotherdimensionbydescribingthefire-settingprocessinthecontextoftheeconomicsofcrime. “Eventhoughtheeconomicdamagesfromwildlandarsonareoftenstaggering,researchintothefactors

thatcontributetoithasbeenlimitedtoafewpublishedstudies,”saysPrestemon.“Modelsofwildlandarsonhavemostlyrelatedfiresettingto

weather,seasonaltrends,andlawenforcement,ignoringthesocioeconomic

variablesusedtopredictothertypesof

crime.” “Atthesametime,noone

hadpreviouslyidentifiedthespatio-temporaldimensionsofwildlandarsonthatwefound,”saysButry.“Ourfindingshaveuncoveredanewavenueoffireresearch,deepenedourunderstandingofarsonistbehaviors,andrevealinganotherwayinwhichhumansandsocietyinteractwiththeenvironment.”

Patterns Emerge Twostudiesrevealedsimilarspatio-temporalpatternsforarsonasforothercrimes.InonestudyinFlorida,ButryandPrestemonevaluatedwildlandarsonasbothanannualandadailyprocess.UsingannualdatafromallFloridacountiesfor1995to2001,theirmodelrevealedtheinfluenceoflawenforcement,wildlandfuels,poverty,andlaborconditionsontheratesofignitionsrecordedfortheState.


Tomeasurefinetemporalpatternsofarson,theresearchersparsedthe1995to2001dataintodailyobservations.Theyfocusedthisfine-scaleanalysisonninecountiesinFloridawithhighratesofarson.Theirmodelidentifiedtemporalclusteringthatlastedupto11days—implyinghigherriskofrepeatarsonignitionsfor11daysfollowingtheinitialfire.Thiskindofpatternhadneverbeforebeenfoundinanyresearchintohuman-ignitedwildfires. Inasecondstudy,ButryandPrestemonmeasuredthespatialaswellastemporalclusteringofarsonwildfiresusingadifferentsetofdata—dailyinformationforthesixU.S.censustractsinFloridawiththegreatestarsonactivity.Theirstatisticalresultsshowedthatanarsoneventinonecensustractwasrelatedtoarsonintheneighboringtractsforupto11days,andinthesametractforupto10days. “Notonlydidweconfirmourfindingsfromthepreviousstudy,butwealsoshowedthatarsonclustersinbothspaceandtime,”saysButry.“Inotherwords,youcanusearsonevents

inonetracttopredictfutureignitionsinthesameoradjacenttractsforseveraldays.”

How to Get Ahead of Wildland Arsonists “Combiningthepatternswefoundwithdataonlawenforcementledustoconcludethatthereare strategiesthatlawenforcementcanusetopreventwildlandarson,”saysPrestemon.“Theycancloselymonitorareaswherefireshavebeensetbefore.Theycanalsoincreasearsonenforcementondaysoftheyearwheneventsaremorecommon,andduringdroughts.” Fromtheirstudies,PrestemonandButryalsofoundthatlocationswithdifficulteconomicconditions—lowwagesandhighpovertyrates—havehigherratesofwildlandarson,afindingconsistentwithothereconomicmodelsofcrime.Theyalsofoundthatforestmanagementactivitiesarerelatedtowildlandarson,withfuelreductionsfromprescribedburningandotherwildfirescorrelatedwithlowerarsonrates. “Thisfindingisalsoconsistentwith

�5

TheSRS Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and InformationhaspartneredwithSGSFtodevelopFire in the South II,apublicationaboutthetop10findingsoftheSWRA.Dueforcompletioninmid-2007,thepublicationwillbuildonthefirstFire in the South,whichintroducestheriskassessmentinitsearlystages,describescharacteristicsoftheSouththatcontributetothewildlandfireproblem,anddiscussessolutionstothewildlandfireproblemsintheSouth.

For more informationaboutSWRA,ortodownloadacopyofFire in the South,goto:dev.sanborn.com/swra/content/deliverables/index.htm.

aneconomicmodelofwildlandarsoncrime,wherelowerfuelsincreasethecostofsuccessfullystartingfires,”saysPrestemon. ThenextstepistotestthemodelinotherlocationstoseeifthestatisticalresultsholdtrueinotherStates,andevenfurther,toconductnewresearchonwhatmotivatespeopletosetdamagingfires.“Weneedtodirectsomeofoureffortintounderstandingwhoarsonistsareandwhat,precisely,makesthembehavethewaytheydo,”saysButry.“Ifwecouldaddfeedbackfromconvictedwildlandarsonists,wecouldreallyenhanceourunderstandingofhowtheychoosewhereandwhentosetfires.Incorporatingthisinformationintothemodelwouldraiseitspredictivevaluetolawenforcementandgivemoreinsightintoanimportantsocialproblem.”

For more information:JeffPrestemonat919–549–[email protected]

DavidButryat301–975–[email protected]

Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment

Wildfireisaseriousthreattolives,property,andeconomic

andnaturalresourcesintheSouth.ToaddressthisthreattheSouthernGroupofStateForesters(SGSF),anonprofitorganizationconsistingofStateforestersfromeachofthe13SouthernStates,contractedwithSanborn,acompanywhichoffersphotogrammetric(developingmapsfromphotographs)andGeographicInformationSystemmappingservicestodevelopawildlandfireriskassessmentfortheareacoveredbytheSouthernStates.PartnersinthiseffortincludedtheForestServiceSouthernRegion,U.S.FishandWildlifeService,

www.srs.fs.usda.gov

andUSDINationalParkService,andtheBureauofIndianAffairs. Anongoingprocesstoassessrisksaswellasvaluestobeprotected,theSouthernWildfireRiskAssessment(SWRA)isatoolthatwillhelpfiremanagerspredictandtargetmorepreciselythoseareasthatareathighriskforwildfire,andallowsagenciesandorganizationsatthenational,State,andlocallevelstoobtainaclearerpictureoftheoverallpotentialforwildlandfireandassociatedproblems.Someoftheelementsincludedintheassessmentarefireoccurrence,firebehaviorpotential,suppressioneffectiveness,fireeffects,andcommunitiesatrisk.

compass—december 2006�6�6

Naturalresourceagenciesare

beingcalledupontoprovide

solutionstoincreasinglycomplex

challengesatthewildland-urban

interface(WUI).Communities

aregrowingrapidly,landowners’

managementgoalsoftenconflict,

residentsmaynotunderstandthe

benefitsofresourcemanagement,and

theresultingriskstoenvironmental

qualityandhumanqualityoflifeare

becomingmoreapparent.Tohelpmeet

theseneeds,theSouthernGroupof

StateForestersledapartnershipwith

theSRS Center for Wildland-Urban

Interface Research and Information,

theUniversityofFloridaSchoolof

ForestResourcesandConservation,

andtheU.S.FishandWildlifeService

todevelopaWUIprofessional

developmentprogram.Thisprogram

providesStateandFederalnatural

resourceagencieswithasetof

flexibleresourcestoconducttheir

owntrainingprogramsaimedtoward

buildingskillsandtoolstosuccessfully

tackleWUIissues.

Module Topics FindingsfromtheForestService

reportHuman Influences on Forest

Ecosystems: Southern Wildland-Urban

Interface Assessment anddiscussions

withagencyleaderswereusedtoform

thefourmodulesusedtotrainnatural

resourceprofessionalsworkinginthe

WUI:

•Module1:InterfaceIssues

andConnections—introduces

Changing Roles: Wildland-Urban Interface Professional Development Program

participantstokeyWUIissuesand

howtheyareinterconnected.

• Module2:ManagingInterface

Forests—providestoolsand

knowledgeforeffectivelymanaging

fragmentedforestsintheWUI,

includingmanagementpractices

appropriatefortheinterface;

equipmentandsystemsforsmall

forests;managingforwildlife,fire,

water,andvisualandrecreational

amenities;enterpriseopportunities

forlandowners;andforest

cooperatives.

• Module3:LandUsePlanning

andPolicy—explainslanduse

decisionmakingtools,andhow

naturalresourceprofessionalscan

getinvolvedinlocaldecisionmaking

andlanduseplanningprocesses.

•Module4:Communicatingwith

InterfaceResidentsandLeaders—

discusseskeytipsforeffective

communicationwithWUIresidents

andcommunityleaders.

Program Features Anumberofdifferentmaterials

areprovidedtoallowtrainerstoselect

thosethatbestmeettheirobjectives:

•Trainer’sguidesintroducethe

topicwithkeypointsfortraining

emphasis.

•Exercisesprovideaninteractive

opportunityforparticipantsto

discussandapplywhattheyare

learning.

•Factsheetsoutlineimportantpoints,

strategies,andinformationfor

participantsandtrainersiftheywant

additionalbackgroundmaterial.

•PresentationsinMicrosoft

PowerPoint®enabletrainerstoeasily

presentbackgroundinformationto

participants.

•Asetofcasestudiesprovides

examplesofinterfacechallengesas

wellassuccessstoriesfromacross

theSouth.

•ThevideoWhen Nature Is at Your

Doorstep,producedaspartofthis

project,introducesWUIissuesto

programparticipants,andcanalso

beusedforpublicoutreach.

•Abibliographyofbooks,articles,

Websites,programs,andothertools

pertainingtoeachmodulesubject

matterisprovided.

ToviewanddownloadtheWUI

ProfessionalDevelopmentProgram

materials,visit:www.interfacesouth.

usda.gov/products/training/changing_

roles.html.

For more information contact:AnnieHermansen-Báez,at352–376–[email protected].



TheSouthernUnitedStates

producesnearly60percentofthe

Nation’swood;projectionsshowthat

itwillcontinuetobetheleaderinto

thefuture.Manyofthesesouthern

forestsarelocatedinthewildland-

urbaninterface(WUI).Asurban

centersspread,largeareasofonce

primarilycontiguousforestlandare

increasinglysurroundedbyorwith

urbandevelopment;theSouthalready

hasmorecitieswithforestswithin50

milesthananyotherpartoftheUnited

States.

Biomass Sources in the Wildland-Urban Interface TheSouthisaprimelocationfor

usingwoodybiomasstoproduce

energy.Thecloseproximityofforests

tourbanareasmeansacontinuous

sourceofbiomassfuelswithout

excessivetransportationcosts.Small-

diametertreesinmanyareasneed

anewmarket,sincethepulpand

papermarketismovingoffshore

wherefibercanbeproducedata

lowercost.Biomassenergyproducers

nearplantationforestscanbenefit

fromforestthinningsandcommercial

loggingresidues.

Urbanwoodwastefromyard

trimmings,municipalsolidwaste,

utilitylineclearings,invasiveplant

removal,nativeplantrestoration,and

landclearingfordevelopmentcanalso

beusedasbiomassfuels.Providinga

sourceofenergycouldaddincentive

forlandownerstothindenseor

Wood to Energy: An Outreach Program

diseasedforeststomitigateforestfire

risk.Shortrotationwoodycropsare

anotherpotentialsource,asisdebris

fromhurricanesandothernatural

disasters.

The “Wood to Energy” Program InWUIcommunitieswhere

boththenecessarytechnology

andadequatesuppliesofbiomass

areavailable,thereisstillaneed

toeducateconcernedcitizens,

communityleaders,andthosewho

cansupplyandusewoodybiomassfor

energyproduction.

Tomeetthisneed,abiomass

outreachprogramtitled“Woodto

Energy”isbeingdevelopedthrough

apartnershipbetweenSRS,the

UniversityofFlorida,theSouthern

RegionCooperativeExtensionService,

andtheSouthernStatesBiobased

AllianceoftheSouthernStates

EnergyBoard.Theprogramisfunded

throughtheUSDOE/USDABiomass

Initiative;itsgoalistoencouragethe

useofwoodybiomassforbioenergy

productionincommunitiesatthe

wildland-urbaninterfaceinthe13

SouthernStatesandPuertoRico.

For more information: AnnieHermansen-Báezat352–376–[email protected].


The South is a prime location for using woody biomass to produce energy. (photo by Lauren McDonell, University of Florida)

compass—december 2006�8�8

Youprobablyweren’tthinkingaboutwildfirewhenyou

landscapedyouryard.Ifyouliveinafire-pronearea,youmightwanttothinkagain.ThegoodnewsisthatSRSresearchcanhelpyouplantinawaytoreducetheriskoffirereachingyourhome. WhenresearchersattheSRS Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and InformationaskedfirespecialistsacrosstheSouthabouttheirinformationneeds,manyrespondedthattheyneededtoknowmoreabouttheflammabilityoftheplantsandmulchesusedinsouthernlandscaping.Thiskindofinformationisparticularlyimportantwherehomesareclosetoorwithinfire-pronenaturalareas.Althoughallplantswillburnwiththerightconditions,somespeciesarelessflammablethanothers,makingthemmoredesirableforfirewiselandscaping. Mulchesareanotherfactorthatcanincreasetheriskoffirereachingyourhome.“Tomakeyour

Landscaping to Reduce Fire Riskby Annie Hermansen-Báez

homesafefromfiredoesn’tmeannolandscaping,”saysAlan Long,UniversityofFlorida(UF)professorandSRScollaborator.“Itmeanschoosingtheproperplantsandmulches.”

The Right List of Plants Homeownersinterestedinlandscapingtoreducetheriskoffireoftenlookforalistoflandscapeplantswithlowflammabilitytoguidetheirselections. Thefewlistsavailableareusuallybasedonobservationoranecdotalevidence,ratherthanonresearch.Theymayincluderelatedspeciesfoundonfirewiseplantlistsfromotherpartsofthecountry;eventhoughrelated,plantspeciesfromotherregionsdonotnecessarilyhavethesameflammabilityasspeciesfoundintheSouth.Thereisarealneedforaccuratelists. “ExtensionpersonnelandfireprofessionalsthatIcontactedwerelookingforlistsoffirewiseplantstogivetowildland-urbaninterface

residentsthey’reworkingwith,”saysAnna Behm Mosozera,UFresearcheronthefirewiselandscapeproject.“Theysawfirewiselistsasakeycomponentinhelpingresidentsmakeinformeddecisionsaboutlandscapinginfire-proneareas.” Toaddressthisneed, SRSresearcher Wayne Zipperer andcollaboratorsatUFandtheNationalInstituteofStandardsandTechnology(NIST)areconductingaseriesofstudiestoevaluateplantflammability.BehmMosozeraledapreliminarystudyontheflammabilityofshrubsfoundintheunderstoryofthepineflatwoodsandhardwoodhammockecosystemsofthesouthernCoastalPlain,andcameupwithfourmeasuresthatcouldbeusedtorankplantflammability:ignitability,sustainability,combustibility,andconsumability.Theresearchfocusedonshrubsbecausepreviouspostfireassessmentstudiesindicatedthatthepresenceofshrubswasakeycontributingfactortowhetherahomewasdamagedordestroyedbyawildfire. Basedonresultsfromthisstudy,theresearchersdevelopedaflammabilitykeythaturbanforesters,extensionagents,andotherscanusetocreatefirewiseplantlistsforhomeownersintheareaswheretheywork.Thestep-by-steprankingmethodisbasedoneasy-to-identifycharacteristicssuchastypeofplant(tree,palm,shrub,orvine);distancebetweenthegroundandbranches;textureofthebarkorleaves(coarse,medium,orfine);densenessoftheplant;andotherfactors.Aftercompletingallofthesteps,the

Landscaping—either by using horizontal separation or by using plants with low flammability—can reduce the risk of fire to houses. (photo by Larry Kohrnak, University of Florida)


resourceprofessionalcanidentifyplantsas“notfirewise,”“at-riskfirewise,”“moderatelyfirewise,”or“firewise.”BehmMosozeracautionsthatthoughthismethodisagreatwaytomakeyourownlocalplantlist,itshouldalsobecomparedtoothersourcesofinformationsuchaslocalfireexperts. Inanotherstudy,thesameresearcherslookedspecificallyattheflammabilityof34noninvasiveshrubspeciescommonlyusedinlandscapingacrosstheSouth.FirespecialistsinmanySouthernStateshelpeddeterminetheshrubstobetestedbyfillingoutasurvey.Oncetheshrubspecieswereselected,comprehensiveburntrialswereconductedundercontrolledconditionsattheNISTBuildingandFireResearchLaboratoryinGaithersburg,MD.Flammabilitymeasurementsweretaken,suchas:timeuntilignition,heatreleaserate,andmaximumflameheight.Fromthesestudiesaflammabilityrankingofthe34shrubswasgeneratedforusebyfireprofessionalsintheSouth.Thisinformationalsohelpedtovalidateandrefinetheflammabilitykey.Theresearchteamhopestoexpandthisstudytoincludemorespeciesinthefuture.

Safe Mulching Anotherstudyisinvestigatingtheflammabilityoffourmulchescommonlyusedaroundhomes—pinestraw,shreddedcypress,andsmall-andlarge-chunkpinebarknugget.Manypeopleusethese


�9

The Four Components of Plant Flammability

Inthefirewiselandscapingcontext,

flammabilityreferstotheabilityof

aplanttoigniteandtransferheat

and/orflamestosurroundingplants

orstructures.Plantsareflammablefor

differentreasons;someplantsignite

quickly,butalsoburnoffquickly.

Otherplantsarenoteasytoignite,but

canburnforalongtimeonceignited.

Flammabilityismadeupoffour

components:

• Ignitability—thelengthoftimeuntil

aplantstartsburningwhenexposed

toaflameorotherheatsource

•Combustibility—howrapidlyor

intenselyaplantburns:therateof

spreadandrateofheat(orenergy)

givenofffromaburningplant

•Sustainability—thelengthoftime

theplantwillsustainafire

•Consumability—howcompletelythe

plantburns,orthequantityofthe

plantthatisconsumedduringafire

Flammability study on pine-straw mulch. (photo by Wayne Zipperer, USDA Forest Service)

compass—december 2006�0�0 compass—december 2006

Landscaping to Reduce Fire Risk(continued from page 29)

mulchesdirectlyuptoandincontactwiththeirhomes,yetlittleisknownabouttheirflammability.“Theinformationwearecollectingwillhelphomeownersdeterminethebestmulchtypetohavearoundtheirhomesintheeventoffirethreat,”saysBrian Hinton,UFresearcherwhoisworkingontheprojectwithSRSresearcherZipperer. Ininitialtestsburningpinestrawandlarge-chunkpinebarknuggets,temperaturesreached700to800degreesat4inchesabovethemulches.Thesmallerpinebarkchunksreached400to500degrees,andtheshreddedcypressreached300to400degrees.Ignitiontemperaturesformostfuelsareusuallyintherangeof600degrees.Pinestrawtendedtoflareupimmediately,whilebothsizesofpinebarknuggetstendedtosmolderandcontinuetogenerateheatoveralongerperiodoftime. Theabilityofmulchestoholdmoisturewasfoundtobeacriticalfactorinfluencingtheirflammability.Thestudyislookingathowfirespreadsacrossmulchandfrommulchtoplants,andhowthearrangement

ofplantsaffectshowfirespreadstohomes.Zipperercautionsthatifyouliveinafire-pronearea,mulchesshouldnotbeplacedimmediatelyadjacenttostructures,regardlessofmulchtype.Finalresultsfromthisstudywillbeavailablenextyear. Informationaboutplantandmulchflammabilitywillhelphomeownerstoplantheirlandscapestoreducefireriskandstillretainmanyoftheotherlandscapingbenefitstheydesire,suchascreationofwildlifehabitat,conservationofenergyandwater,andaesthetics.Thisinformationwillalsohelpimprovepredictivefiremodels—andultimately,developmorefirewisecommunities.

For more information: AnnieHermansen-Báezat 352–376–[email protected]

To access the flammability key:

www.interfacesouth.org/products/fact_sheets/Preparing_Firewise_Plant_List.pdfor

www.interfacesouth.org/products/flammability_key.html

For more information about these flammability studies and other related projects:

www.interfacesouth.org/products/research.html

Generallyspeaking,tobe“firewise”

isbeadequatelypreparedforthe

possibilityofwildfire.Inthissense,

firewiseconsistsofmanycomponents,

including:communitydesign,escape

routesandplans,construction

materials,andlandscaping.Firewise

landscapinginvolvesmodifyingthe

landscapearoundthehometocreatea

“defensiblespace.”Withinthisspace,

plantingsshouldbeseparatedboth

verticallyandhorizontallytobreakup

vegetationandreducetheamountof

fuelavailableforfirespread.Creating

defensiblespacealsoimprovesaccess

forfirefightersandtheirequipment.

Inaddition,itisrecommended

thatlandscapeplantswithlow-or

moderate-flammabilitycharacteristics

beusedinthedefensiblespace.

For more information:www.firewise.org

What Do We Mean by “Firewise” Landscaping?

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Aspeoplecontinuetomoveintothewildland-urbaninterface,

firewiselandscapingbecomesmoreimportantforprotectinghomesandfamiliesfromwildfires.Firewiselandscapingcanseemtoconflictwithotherlandscapinggoalssuchascreatingwildlifehabitatorconservingwaterandenergy,butfewdifferencesactuallyexist.Inthoseinstanceswherethereareconflictingobjectives,smallmodificationssuchasthefollowingcanbemade.

Avoid flammable plants near your home Firewiseplantingdiscouragesplantingshrubsandtreesnearthehome;conversely,energyconservationlandscapingprinciplesrecommendthattreesandshrubsbeplacedclosetothehomeforshading.Toresolvethisconflict,selectshrubandtreespecieswithlowflammability.Leave2to3feetbetweenshrubbranchesandyourhome,andtrimshrubstostay2feetbelowthewindows.Trimtreebranchesupto10feet. Well-maintainedlawnshavelowflammabilityandareoftenusedinfirewiselandscaping,butlawnsarenotrecommendedforcreatingwildlifehabitator

��TOOLBOX

Lan

dow

ner

’sconservingwater.Acompromiseistokeepawell-maintainedlawninhigh-trafficareasaroundthehouseandplantalternativegroundcoversinlow-trafficareasandontheouteredgesofthedefensiblespace(definedasanareaofmodifiedvegetationextendingatleast30feetfromthehouseinalldirections).Somealternativegroundcoversincludestonesandorganicmulchesandplantsoflowflammability.

Maintain vertical separation Whilefirewiselandscapingrecommendsreducingtheverticallayeringofvegetation,landscapingforwildlifeencouragesitforcoverandhabitat.Ifyouliveinanareaathighriskoffire,youshouldgiveprioritytofirewiselandscapingandmaintainverticalseparationwithinthedefensiblespace.Beyondthedefensiblespace,islandsofverticallylayeredvegetationcanbecreatedaslongastheyareseparatedhorizontallybyareasclearedofdensevegetation.

Clear dead plant material and organic mulches away from the home Removingdeadplantsandbrushpilesisrecommendedforfirewiselandscaping,butthoseplantmaterialsprovideexcellentwildlifehabitat.Ifthepropertyislargeenough,smallisolatedbrushpiles,snags,andotherdeadplantmaterialscanremainaslongastheyaremorethan60feetfromthehome.

Firewiselandscapingdiscouragestheuseoforganicmulchesclosetothehomeduetotheirpotentialfirehazard;however,mulchesareusefulinlandscapingforwaterconservation.Toreducepotentialfirerisk,maintainanarea2to3feetoutfromthehomeasbaregroundorcoveredbyrockorgravel.Chooseorganicmulchesoflowflammability.

For information on selecting plants based on flammability:

Selecting and Maintaining Plants for Firewise Landscapingatwww.interfacesouth.org/products/fact_sheets/Selecting_Maintaining_Firewise_Plants_Landscaping.pdf.

For more information: AnnieHermansen-Báezat352–376–[email protected].

Sara Sillars is employed by the University of Florida as a technology transfer intern at the Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and Information.

Tips for Reducing Wildfire Risk While Achieving Other Landscaping Goalsby Sara Sillars

(pho

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Combiningresourcesisessentialtoaddressingemergingissues

intheSouth.TheSRS Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and Information(theWUICenter)locatedinGainesville,FL,activelypartnerswithavarietyoforganizations—includinglocal,State,andFederalagencies,universities,andnongovernmentalorganizations—toensurethattheresearchitconductsisrelevant,andthatinformationreachescommunitiesthatcanbenefitfromit. Localeswithwildland-urbaninterfaceissuesparticularlybenefitfromscience-basedcollaborativeeffortsthatoffersolutionstourbanizationdrivenchallenges.ThreesuchSRSpartnerships—withtheUniversityofGeorgia(UGA),AuburnUniversity,andAmericanForests—exemplifythestrengthofcooperationinsolvingnaturalresourceissuesthathavecreptovercitylimits.

What Works in Tree Canopy Policies Treesincitiesprovideshadeonthoselongsummerdays,buttheyalsoensureimportantecologicalservicessuchascleanwaterandair,aswellasreducetheurbanheatislandeffectfromconcreteandotherhardsurfaces. Goodtreecanopycoveralsoprovidesdecreasedenergybills,increasedpropertyvalues,andurbanwildlifehabitat.

AscitiessuchasAtlanta,GA,continuetoexpandataphenomenalpace,theareacoveredbytreecanopyrapidlydecreases. ResearchersfromUGA,incollaborationwiththeWUICenter,arestudyingtheimpactofcounty-andcity-levellandusepolicesontreecanopycoverage.Determiningwhichgovernmentpolicieshelppreserveorincreasetreecanopyshouldalsoidentifyenvironmentallyfriendlyordinances. “Weneedtounderstandtherolepolicyplaysinurbantreecanopy,”emphasizesEd Macie,whoservesadualroleasteamleaderfortheWUICenterandasregionalurbanforesterfortheForestService,SouthernRegionHeadquartersinAtlanta.“Ourgoalistocommunicatetolocallandusedecisionmakerstheimpactoftreecanopyontheenvironment.” The2-yearstudyencompassesthe10-countymetroregionaroundAtlantaandinvolvesdigitizingandcalculatingtreecanopycoveragefromGeographicInformationSystems(GIS)data,thentyingittovariablessuchasincome,education,employment,andpopulationgrowth.AnInternetsurveywillalsoqueryplanners,naturalresourceprofessionals,andenvironmentalorganizationstogainanimpressionoftheeffectivenessoflocaltreecanopyordinances.Oncethedataiscomplete,researcherswilldeterminethecorrelationbetweenthe

Three Communities on the Edge by Perdita Spriggs


The SRS WUI Center collaborates with a variety of partners to address wildland-urban interface issues in communities across the South. (photo by Larry Kohrnak, University of Florida)


changesintreecanopyandthelocalpoliciesinplace. “Rightnow,wedon’tknowwhichpoliciesaredoingagoodjob,”saysJeff Dorfman,professorinUGA’sDepartmentofAgriculturalandAppliedEconomics.“Manylocalgovernmentshavetreeordinancesthatrestrictownersandbuilders.However,nooneknowswhichpoliciesarethemosteffective.”


EdMacieat404–347–[email protected].

Rapid Change Comes to the Florida Panhandle Florida’spopulationcontinuestogrowatoneofthefastestratesintheNation,withtheFloridaPanhandlepreparingforrapidchangesinlandownershipoverthenextfewyears.MassivedevelopmentisalreadyfollowingthetransitionoftheSt.JoeCompany,Florida’slargestlandowner,fromtimbercompanytomajorlanddeveloper.Thoughdevelopmentcouldbringsomepositivechanges—increasedjobs,healthcareservices,andeducationalopportunities—itcouldalsogreatlyaffectthenaturalsystemsoftheareaifnotproperlydone. WorkingwithAuburnUniversity’sCenterforForestSustainability,theWUICenterinitiatedpredevelopmentresearchontheareasslatedforrapidchange.Thesestudieswilllookatecological,social,andeconomicissuesinthearea,theirinterrelation,andtheinfluenceofurbandevelopment. “Normally,studieswouldcomeinmuchlater,afterthedevelopmenthasoccurred,”saysWayne Zipperer,researchforesterattheWUICenter.“Wehavetheuniqueopportunitytosampleparticularareasbeforedevelopmentandcomparethatdatatothepostdevelopedstate.”

Theprojectwilluseanintegratedapproachtodevelopspecificlanduseandcoverdata,primarilythroughvegetationanalysis,watersampling,andsocioeconomicstudies.Usingforesthealthmonitoringprotocols,researcherswillmonitorchangesinforestconditionsandcomparethemtonationalvalues. Graeme Lockaby,codirectorfortheCenterforForestSustainabilityatAuburn,agreesthattheresultswillhavefar-reachingimpacts.“Wewillbeabletomonitorchangesasdevelopmentoccurs,determinewhicharepositiveornegative,andprovideguidanceonmakingdevelopmentmorecompatiblewiththeremainingforests.” Thelong-termprojectwillalsoinvolveparticipantresearchbymaintainingcloseconnectionswithresidents,developers,andenvironmentalistsasthestudyprogresses,engagingtheirinputina“livingandbreathing”researcheffort.


WayneZippererat352–376–[email protected].

Post-Katrina Analysis Aids Gulf Coast Recovery Efforts HurricaneKatrinawroughtdevastatingdamagetotheGulfCoastregion.Thephysicalcompositionoftensofthousandsofsquaremiles,includingforestsandstreams,waschanged,with100-percentlossofforestcanopycoverinsomeareasandanaverageof40percentlossinmostcommunities.Astherecoveryprocesscontinues,WUICenterresearchersandAmericanForests,thenation’soldestnonprofitcitizens’conservationorganization,havepartneredtoanalyzehurricaneimpactstonaturalsystems,withprimaryemphasisonwildfiresusceptibilityandthelossofecosystemservices.Analysesplannedincludemeasuringtheriskoffire,basedonfuelsandconditions,toprovidedatatoStateforesters


��www.srs.fs.usda.gov


Mostofthetechnicalreportsandarticleslistedbelowareavailable

infulltextPDFformatfromtheSRSpublicationsdatabaseatwww.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/,orfromTreesearch,theUSDAForestServiceResearchandDevelopmentPublicationsonlinedatabase,atwww.treesearch.fs.fed.us/.

ProductsoftheSRS Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and Informationcanbefoundatwww.interfacesouth.usda.gov/.

Seeing the Houses Through the TreesMacie,E.A.;Hermansen,L.A.,eds.2002.Human influences on forest ecosystems: the southern wildland-urban interface assessment.Gen.Tech.Rep.SRS–55.Asheville,NC:U.S.DepartmentofAgricultureForestService,SouthernResearchStation.159p.

Monroe,M.C.;Bowers,A.W.;Hermansen,L.A.2003.The moving edge: perspectives on the southern interface, southern wildland-urban interface assessment focus group report.Gen.Tech.Rep.SRS–63.Asheville,NC:U.S.DepartmentofAgricultureForestService,SouthernResearchStation.35p.

Vince,S.W.;Duryea,M.L.;Macie,E.A.;Hermansen,L.A.2005.Forests at the wildland-urban interface: conservation and management.BocaRaton,FL:CRCPress.293p.

Wear,D.N.;Greis,J.G.2002.Southern forest resource assessment.Gen.Tech.Rep.SRS–53.Asheville,NC:U.S.DepartmentofAgricultureForestService,SouthernResearchStation.103p.

RECOMMENDED READING


Three Communities on the Edge(continued from page 33)

forafire-riskmanagementsystem.Additionally,researcherswilluseecosystemanalysisformulastomeasurechangesinstormwatermanagement,airpollutionremoval,carbonstorage,andcarbonsequestrationfunctions.Theresultingdatawillbeextremelyusefultolocaldecisionmakersduringtherebuildingprocess. “Wewanttobetterunderstandtheimpactonecologicalservicessuchasairandwaterquality,anddeterminethevalueofwhathasbeenlost,”explainsMacie,whomanagesthecooperativeagreementandisalsoanadvisortoAmericanForests.“Wewillalsohaveabetterideaoftheimpactcatastrophiceventshaveonourecosystem,andbeabletomoreclearlycommunicatetheneedforemergencysupportfundstohelpwithrecoveryefforts.” The2-yearproject,coveringnearly200squaremiles,willuseGISdata,satelliteimagery,andaerialphotostodetectlandchanges,assesstheloss

oftreecanopycover,andquantifythevalueoflostecologicalservices.GISfilesthatmirrortheshapeofacityorcountywillbeusedtoprovideanecologicalanalysisofexistinglandfeaturesandassistindeterminingfutureplansforrebuilding. “Wedon’tmakedecisionsforthecommunity,althoughwewillrunrebuildingscenariosthattheyrequest,”saysGary Moll,vicepresidentoftheUrbanForestsCenteratAmericanForests.“Ultimately,weprovidethemwiththedata,tools,andtrainingtolookatareas,determinetheirecosystemservices,anddecidehowtomixthoseintothecommunity.” Localcommunitieswillhavethetraininganddata,inausableandsimplifieddesktopformat,torerunanalyseswithnewdataasneeded.Studyresultsshouldunderscoretheimportanceoflocalcommunityinvolvementinrestorationactivitiesandprovideinsighttobetterplancommunitiestominimizeandmitigatecatastrophicevents.


EdMacieat404–347–[email protected].

SRS researchers and collaborators are looking at how the transition of the St. Joe Company from timber to land development will affect the natural resources of the Florida Panhandle. (photo by Rodney Kindlund, USDA Forest Service)

www.srs.fs.usda.gov �5�5

Achtemeier,G.L.;Goodrick,S.;Liu,Y.2005.A coupled modeling system for connecting prescribed fire activity data through CMAQ for simulating regional scale air quality.In:EastFIREconferenceproceedings.Fairfax,VA:GeorgeMasonUniversity.[Numberofpagesunknown].

Liu,Y.;Achtemeier,G.L.;Goodrick,S.2005.Simulation and experiment of air quality effects of prescribed fires in the Southeast.In:EastFIREconferenceproceedings.Fairfax,VA:GeorgeMasonUniversity:1-4.

Time to Burn Butry,D.T.;Prestemon,J.P.2005.Spatio-temporal wildland arson crime functions.SelectedpaperpresentedattheannualmeetingoftheAmericanAgriculturalEconomicsAssociation,July26-29,2005,Providence,RI.28p.

Prestemon,J.P.;Butry,D.T.2005.Time to burn: modeling wildland arson as an autoregressive crime function.AmericanJournalofAgriculturalEconomics.87(3):756-770.

Changing Roles: WUI Professional Development ProgramMacie,E.A.;Hermansen,L.A.,eds.2002.Human influences on forest ecosystems: the southern wildland-urban interface assessment.Gen.Tech.Rep.SRS–55.Asheville,NC:U.S.DepartmentofAgricultureForestService,SouthernResearchStation.159p.

Monroe,M.C.;McDonell,L.W.;Hermansen-Báez,L.A.,eds.2006.Changing roles: wildland-urban interface professional development program.Gainesville,FL:UniversityofFlorida.[Numberofpagesunknown].[Trainingnotebook].

Landscaping to Reduce Fire RiskBehm,A.L.;Long,A.J.;Monroe,M.C.[andothers].2006.Fire in the wildland-urban interface: preparing a firewise plant list for WUI residents.Gainesville,FL:UniversityofFlorida,InstituteofFoodandAgriculturalSciences;U.S.DepartmentofAgricultureForestService,SouthernResearchStation,SouthernCenterforWildland-UrbanInterfaceResearchandInformation.7p.

Doran,J.D.;Randall,C.K.;Long,A.J.2005.Fire in the wildland-urban interface: selecting and maintaining firewise plants for landscaping.Gainesville,FL:UniversityofFlorida,InstituteofFoodandAgriculturalSciences;U.S.DepartmentofAgricultureForestService,SouthernResearchStation,SouthernCenterforWildland-UrbanInterfaceResearchandInformation.7p.

Tips for Reducing Wildfire Risk While Achieving Other Landscaping GoalsRandall,C.K.;Hermansen-Báez,L.A.;Acomb,G.2005.Fire in the wildland-urban interface: reducing wildfire risk while achieving other landscaping goals.Gainesville,FL:UniversityofFlorida,InstituteofFoodandAgriculturalSciences;U.S.DepartmentofAgricultureForestService,SouthernResearchStation,SouthernCenterforWildland-UrbanInterfaceResearchandInformation.7p.

A Tale of Two TownsJohnson,C.Y.;Bowker,J.M.2004.African American land memories.EnvironmentalEthics.26:57-75.

Johnson,C.Y.;Floyd,M.F.2006.A tale of two towns: black and white municipalities respond to urban growth in the South Carolina lowcountry. HumanEcologyReview.13(1):23-38.

Blazing LandscapesMiller,S.R.;Wade,D.D.2003.Re-introducing fire at the urban/wild-land interface: planning for success. Forestry.76(2):253-259.

Mohr,H.H.;Waldrop,T.A.2006.A simulation of wildfire behavior in piedmont forests. In:Gen.Tech.Rep.SRS-92.Asheville,NC:U.S.DepartmentofAgriculture,ForestService,SouthernResearchStation.pp.507-509.

Outcalt,K.W.;Wade,D.D.2004.Fuels management reduces tree mortality from wildfires in southeastern United States. JournalofAppliedForestry.J.28(1):28-34.

Waldrop,T.A.;Mohr,H.H.;Brose,P.H.2006.Early dynamics of Table Mountain pine stands following stand-replacement prescribed fires of varying intensity. In:Gen.Tech.Rep.SRS-92.Asheville,NC:U.S.DepartmentofAgriculture,ForestService,SouthernResearchStation.pp.471-474.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes Achtemeier,G.L.2005.Planned burn-Piedmont. A local operational numerical meteorological model for tracking smoke on the ground at night: model development and sensitivity tests.InternationalJournalofWildlandFire.14:1-14.

www.srs.fs.usda.gov


WHAT CAN

EXPERIMENTALFORESTSTEACH US ABOUT FIRE IN THEWILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE?

LocatedintheGeorgiaPiedmontnearJuliette,GA,theHitchiti

Experimental Forest (Hitchiti)wasestablishedbyPresidentFranklinD.Rooseveltin1939onabandonedfarmlandpurchasedbytheFederalGovernment.The4,735-acreexperimentalforesthashostedmorethan30yearsofresearchonloblollypine—andmorerecently,prescribedfire.ItisalsoknownastheBrenderDemonstrationForest,whichwasestablishedin1987bytheSRS,theGeorgiaForestryCommission,andtheSouthernIndustrialForestResearchCounciltoshowcasepinemanagement

fornonindustrialprivatelandowners. Prescribedfiremaynotseemlikeawildland-urbaninterfaceissue,butwith6to8millionacresburnedannually,plannedburningisanimportantforestmanagementtoolthatoftenrunscountertotheneedsoftheincreasingnumberofhomeownerswholivenearforestsintheSouth.Researchonthemostefficientmethodstoconductandmanageprescribedburnsallowsresourcemanagerstocontinuethisimportantpracticeaspopulationgrowsinthesouthernregion.

Since the 1920s, the USDA Forest Service has maintained a system of experimental forests to test hypotheses and collect long-term data about the ecological effects of fire, grazing, insect infestations, air pollution, and other disturbances. In the South, researchers from Federal agencies and universities use 15 active experimental forests for studies ranging from the practices needed to maintain healthy forests, to the water filtration functions of forests, to habitat restoration for endangered species. Experimental forests are some of the few places in the United States where long-term data are collected about forests and how they change over time. These living laboratories also serve as demonstration sites where cooperators and landowners can see the results of different forest management options.

�6

Research on prescribed fire at the Hitchiti Experimental Forest demonstrates the efficacy of the practice in Piedmont forests. (USDA Forest Service photo)



ThePiedmont,roughlydefinedastheareabetweentheAppalachianMountainsandtheAtlanticCoastalPlain,extendsfromMarylandtoAlabama.Inthe1800s,muchoftheregionwasclearedforfarming,resultinginextensiveerosionandinsomeareas,soildepletionfromcottonproduction.Areasabandonedinthe1900swererecolonizedbyamixtureofnativehardwoodandpinetrees,withsignificantacresinloblollypine—oftencalledold-fieldpinebecauseitcouldproducedenseseedlingstandsfromafewmaturefencerowtrees.Todayaboutone-thirdofPiedmontforestlandiscoveredbystandsofloblollyorshortleafpine.Hardwood-dominatedforests,mainlyoakandhickory,coveranotherthirdoftheregion;another20percentisdominatedbyamixtureofoakandpine.

Back to the Burn MostoftheHitchitiisinsecond-andthird-growthforest,withstandscontainingloblollyandshortleafpinemixedwithhardwoods.Yellow-poplarandblackwalnutplantationsarealsofoundontheexperimentalforest.Centuriesbefore,NativeAmericansmaintainedthepine-dominatedstandsoftheGeorgiaPiedmontbyfrequentburning.Lightning-ignitedfireswereactuallyrare,sincemostofthestormsintheareacomewithsignificantrainfall.Aperiodoffiresuppressionfollowedreestablishmentofforestsinthe1930s,whenpinestandswereoftenreplacedbyhardwoodsordevelopeddensehardwoodunderstories.Prescribedburningisagainbeingusedtorestoreopenpineforestsforkeyspeciessuchasthered-cockadedwoodpeckerandtoreducefuelsforwildfire. Thoughtheuseofprescribedfiretomaintainthehealthofsouthern

forests,promoteseedproductioninfire-dependentplants,andbenefitwildlifeisalmostuniversallyaccepted,thepracticehasbecomeincreasinglydifficultasmorepeoplemoveclosertoforests.Prescribedburningdoeshavenegativeimpacts,mostlyrelatedtothesmokeitproduces.Smokeparticlescanaggravatehealthproblems,lowerregionalairquality,andreducevisibilityonroadsandbridges.Thoughsomepeoplequestionthecontinueduseofburning,stoppingorevenlimitingitsusewouldquicklyleadtomoreofthethickforestundergrowththatfeedsdestructivewildfire.ScientistsfrommultipleSRSresearchunitsworkwithawiderangeofcooperatorstofindthebestandsafestwaystousefiretorestoreandmaintainforests. In1989,ateamofscientistsledbySRSresearcherDale WadeestablishedaseriesofplotsontheHitchititotestburningregimes—usingdifferentseasonsandfrequencies—onfuelsandtheunderstoryandoverstorycompositionofPiedmontforests.Theytestedresponsestosixdifferenttreatmentsinastandofnaturallyregeneratedloblollyandshortleafpinesthathadnotbeenburnedinover50years,trackingresultsbyperiodicmeasurementsandsurveys.Eachtreatmentwasreplicatedfourtimes,withthe15-yearmeasurementstakenin2004.Kenneth Outcalt,SRSresearchplantecologistbasedinAthens,GA,tookovermanagementofthestudywhenWaderetiredinJanuary2003.“ThereareonlyahandfulofstudieslikethisintheSouth,”saysOutcalt.“ThisistheonlyonethatIamawareofinthePiedmont,orinthesemixedpineandhardwoodstands.”

Visual Proof of Benefits Becausetheplotsarelocatedalongamajorroad—andnexttothepopularHitchitiHikingTrail—researchersand

forestersusetheresearchplotstodemonstratetheeffectsofprescribedburningtothepublic,thedifferencereadilyapparentbetweenplotswherefirehasbeenexcludedandthosethathavebeenburnedfrequentlyatlowintensities.AcompetitivegrantfromtheJointFireScienceProgramwasusedtofundapermanentoutdoordisplay,individualtreatmentplotsigns,andafactsheetforaself-guidedtouroftheprescribedburnstudy. The15-yearmeasurementsshowedthateveninfrequentburningwillcontrolthehardwoodsaplingsandwoodyundergrowththatbegintotakeoverforestunderstories.Burningalsoincreasestheherbaceouscoverintheunderstory,oftenadesirablegoalinrestorationandwildliferecoveryefforts—anditdoesn’taffectthelargepinesthathousethered-cockadedwoodpecker.Thoughprescribedfirewillnotreduceahardwoodmidstory,thepracticegivesmanagersastartingpointforotheroptions.“Burningevery3to4yearsisallmanagersneedtodotokeepfuelloadsdownandreducewildfirehazard,”saysOutcalt.“Ifamanagerwantstocreatered-cockadedwoodpeckerhabitat,theyneedtothinoverstory,removemidstory,andburnonaregularbasis.” Asademonstrationforest,theHitchitihasanon-sitemanagerandstaffwhoprovideoutreachandtourstointerestedgroups.Theprescribedburnstudyisafeaturedstopontoursconductedforotherresearchers,landmanagers,foreignscientists,students,StateandFederalemployees,andtheinterestedpublic.TheexperimentalforestalsoincludesanarboretumofnativeGeorgiatrees,twointerpretivewalkingtrails,andtheHitchitiNaturalArea.–ZH

For more information:KenOutcaltat706–559–[email protected].


STATION...ar

ou

nd

theExperimentalForests

1 Bent Creek NC

2 Blue Valley NC

3 Coweeta NC

4 John C. Calhoun SC

5 Santee SC

6 Scull Shoals GA

7 Hitchiti GA

8 Olustee FL

9 Chipola FL

10 Escambia AL

11 Tallahatchee MS

12 Delta MS

13 Harrison MS

14 Palustris LA

15 Stephen F. Austin TX

16 Crossett AR

17 Alum Creek AR

18 Sylamore AR

19 Henry F. Koen AR

Thepaceofurbanizationisacceleratinginmanypartsofthe

world,leadingtorapidlychangingenvironmentalconditionsalongurban-ruralinterfaces.Inturn,thesechangingconditionsarecreatingnewecologicalandsocietalchallengesandopportunities.Thisconference,whichwilltakeplaceApril9–13,2007,inAtlanta,GA,seekstobringtogetherresearchers,practitioners,andpolicymakerstosharecurrentresearchresultsandtoidentifyknowledgegapsregardingtheinteractionbetweenurbanizationandnaturalresources.Inparticular,approachesthatfocusonintegratingsocioeconomicandecologicalresearchwillbehighlighted.Thereisfundingavailabletohelpundergraduateandgraduatestudentsattendtheconference,andspecialtimewillbesetasideforpersonalinteractionbetweenkeynotespeakersandstudents. Papertopicsinclude:howecosystemsarebeingalteredby

humaninfluences—directandindirectstressors,restoringandrehabilitatingterrestrialandaquaticecosystemsalteredbyurbanization,howurbanizationaltersthecharacteristicsofnaturaldisturbances,therelationship(s)betweenlandusepoliciesandecologicalprocessesanddisturbancesalongwildland-urbaninterfaces,spatialandscaleaspectsoflandusechange,andmanymore. SponsorsincludeAuburnUniversity’sCenterforForestSustainability,theSRSSouthernCenterforWildland-UrbanInterfaceResearchandInformation,andtheNationalScienceFoundation.


www.sfws.auburn.edu/urbanruralinterfaces/orcontactDavidLabandat334–844–[email protected].

August Conference Represents Step Forward for Science Delivery

Report from the Southern Region Conference on Technology Transfer and Extension in Natural Resources held in Hot Springs, AR, August 2–4, 2006

by Mike Rauscher

Forthefirsttimeinrecentmemory,specialistsinnaturalresource

technologytransferandsciencedeliveryfromacrosstheSouthernUnitedStatesgatheredtogetheratoneconferencetoshareexperiencesandconsidernewideas.SouthernRegionalExtensionForesterBill Hubbardservedasprogramchairandmasterofceremoniesfortheconference,whichbroughttogetherprofessionalsintechnologytransferandsciencedeliveryfromtheSRS,ForestServiceStateandPrivateForestry,Stateforestryagencies,anduniversityextension.Unliketheirscienceprogramcounterparts,professionalsintechnologytransferandsciencedeliveryhaverarelyheldregionalmeetingsofthistype.Theknowledgeexchangethattookplaceoverthe3dayswasmetwithenthusiasmbybothpresentersandparticipants,withmanyexpressingthedesiretocontinuethis

Emerging Issues Along Urban/Rural Interfaces ConferenceApril 9–13, 2007, Atlanta, GA


newtraditionofsharingprofessionalexperiences. Ann Bartuska,DeputyChiefforResearchandDevelopmentwiththeForestService,gavethefirstkeynotespeech.Dr.Bartuskaemphasizedthatthenaturalresourceresearchcommunityneedstoassiduouslyfocusonsciencethatpeoplecanuse.ShepointedtoseveralSRSscienceapplicationpartnerships—theSouthern Center for Urban Forestry,theSouthern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and Information,andtheForest Encyclopedia Network Partnership—asimportantcooperativeeffortsthatcaptureusefulscientificknowledge,transformitintounderstandablepackets,andmakeitimmediatelyandinexpensivelyaccessibletoabroadrangeofaudiences.Thesecondkeynotespeaker,Martha Monroe,UniversityofFloridaextensionspecialist,providedaconceptualframeworkforthefullrangeoftechnologytransferandsciencedeliveryfunctions.Sheemphasizedthatdifferentapproachesarerequiredfordifferentaudiences,especiallyaudienceswhodonotknowyetthattheyneedourinformation. Conferenceattendeesagreedontwoconcretedecisions:first,toestablishatechnologytransfer/sciencedeliveryworkinggrouptoraiseanddiscussimportantissuesandopportunitiestoservethepublicintheSouthbetter;andsecond,toperformasystematicassessmentofforestryandnaturalresourcetargetaudiencestoidentifythemosteffectivemeansofreachingthoseaudiences,especiallycurrentlyunderservedaudiences.Thisaudienceanalysiswillalsoassesshowwellourscientificknowledgehaspenetratedintodifferentpopulationsofaudiences,againwithspecialattentiontounderservedaudiences.Oncetargetaudiencesareidentifiedandtheirneedsunderstood,wecandesignandimplementperiodicmonitoringandevaluationsurveysthatcreatefeedbackloopsbetweensuppliersandconsumersofscientificknowledge. Theattendeesenjoyed44oralpresentationsand15posterscoveringawiderangeofsubjectsofinteresttotechnologytransferandsciencedeliveryprofessionals.Programdetailscanbefoundatwww.sref.info/2006/techtransfer.ProceedingsarebeingpreparedandwillbeannouncedontheWebsite.

Mike Rauscher, research forester housed in the SRS science delivery group, is the creative force behind the development and implementation of the Forest Encyclopedia Network, available online at www.forestencyclopedia.net/.

SRS Chief’s Awards

TwoSRSresearchscientistsandamulticulturalprogrammanager

havereceivedthisyear’sprestigiousUSDAForestServiceChief’sAwards.John Stanturf,Kenneth Outcalt,andLouise K. WychewerehonoredforoutstandingindividualachievementsinareasthatrecognizedcuttingedgeresearchaswellasmulticulturalismthroughouttheAgency.Fromacompetitivepoolof200nomineesnationally,theywereamong35recipientsofawardsataWashington,DC,ceremonyearlySeptember2006. John Stanturf,projectleaderfortheSRS Center for Disturbance SciencebasedinAthens,GA,receivedtheChief’sDistinguishedScientistAwardforhisleadershipindevelopingmethodsforrestorationoftemperateforestsandfordevelopinginnovativemethodstorehabilitateandrestoresouthernforestecosystems.Formorethan25years,hehasdemonstratedleadershipinacademic,public,andprivatesectorcommunities,andisrecognizedinternationallyasaforestrestorationexpert.Stanturfhasauthorednumerousscientificpublicationsandisaffiliatedwithavarietyofprofessionalandscientificorganizations,includingtheSocietyofAmericanForestersandtheInternationalUnionofForestryResearchOrganizations. Kenneth Outcalt,researchforesterwiththeSRS Center for Disturbance Science,receivedtheChief’sNaturalResourceStewardshipAwardinrecognitionofhisinnovativeapproachestostewardshipoftheuniquelongleafpineecosystembyrestoringfiredisturbance,andreducingtheriskofwildfirewhileprotectingbiodiversityonnationalforestland.A29-yearcareeristwithSRS,Outcalt’sfocuseshisresearcheffortsonfireandplantecologyandsilviculture. Louise Wyche,SRSprogrammanagerstationedatAlabamaA&MUniversity(AAMU)inNormal,AL,receivedtheChief’sMulticulturalOrganizationAwardforexceptionaleffort,commitment,andsupportoftheForestServiceMulticulturalWorkforceStrategicInitiative’sgoaltobuildandretainamulticulturalorganization.Duringher14yearswithSRS,Wychehasworkedtirelesslywithnumerousindustries,agencies,andorganizationsacrossthecountrytorecruitandtraindiversestudentsfromAAMUforprofessionalcareersthroughouttheForestService. EachChief’sAwardrecipientalsoreceivedanSRSDirector’sAwardearlierthisyear.

Barnett Receives Life-Time Achievement Award

James Barnett,retiredprojectleaderoftheSRS Ecology and

Management of Even-Aged Southern Pine ForestsunitinPineville,LA,receivedalife-timeachievementawardfromtheSouthernForestNurseryAssociationduringtheirbi-annualmeetinginTyler,TX,July10-13,2006.Barnettwasrecognizedforthevision,energy,andleadershiphebroughttohismorethan40yearsofForestServiceresearch—andforhiscommitmenttorestoringsouthernpinestotheirformerrange.Throughhisresearch,Barnettenhancedseedgerminationandnurserypracticesthatunderliethesuccessofcurrenteffortstoafforestandreforestsouthernpines.Heisrecognizedasaninternationalauthorityonnurseriesandregeneration.

Upcoming Conferences2006–20072006

Dec. 18–20—SoilsandRestorationEcologyconference,DePaulUniversity,Chicago,Il. www.srs.fs.usda.gov/events/sre/

2007

Feb. 26–Mar. 1—14thBiennialSouthernSilviculturalResearchConference,Athens,GA. www.srs.fs.usda.gov/bssrc2007/

Feb. 28–Mar. 2—“TimberlandsinTransition,”CoastalPlainChapter,SocietyforEcologicalRestoration,Apalachicola,FL. www.ser.org/cpc/default.asp

May 14–19—IUFROForestLandscapeRestorationConference,Seoul,SouthKorea. www.srs.fs.usda.gov/korea/

June 6–8—EastFireIIConference,GeorgeMasonUniversity,Fairfax,VA.eastfire.gmu.edu/temp/eastfirewatch/conference.htm

Jim

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Natural Resources Inventory and Monitoring1Bentley,JamesW.;Cartwright,Walter

E.2006.Alabama’s timber industry—an

assessment of timber product output and

use, 2003.Resour.Bull.SRS-107.Asheville,

NC:U.S.DepartmentofAgriculture,Forest

Service,SouthernResearchStation.45p.

In2003,roundwoodoutputfrom

Alabama’sforeststotaled1.08billion

cubicfeet.Millbyproductsgenerated

fromprimarymanufacturersamounted

to410millioncubicfeet.Almostallplant

residueswereusedprimarilyforfueland

fiberproducts.Pulpwoodwastheleading

roundwoodproductat521millioncubic

feet;sawlogsrankedsecondat404million

cubicfeet;veneerlogswerethirdat107

millioncubicfeet.Thenumberofprimary

processingplantswas178.Totalreceipts

amountedto1.1billioncubicfeet.

2Bentley,J.W.;Howell,M.;Johnson,

T.G.2006.Florida’s timber industry—an





In2003,volumeofroundwoodoutput

fromFlorida’sforeststotaled509million

cubicfeet,2percentmorethanin1999.

Millbyproductsgeneratedfromprimary

manufacturersdecreasedto151million

cubicfeet.Almostallplantresidueswere

usedprimarilyforfuelandfiberproducts.

Pulpwoodwastheleadingroundwood

productat271millioncubicfeet;sawlogs

rankedsecondat171millioncubicfeet;

veneerlogswerethirdat32millioncubic

feet.Totalreceiptsdeclined2percentto

484millioncubicfeet.Thenumberof

primaryprocessingplantsdeclinedfrom93

in1999to92in2003.

NEW PRODUCTS

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3Bentley,JamesW.;Johnson,T.G.

2006.North Carolina harvest and

utilization study, 2002.Resour.Bull.

SRS-109.Asheville,NC:U.S.Department

ofAgriculture,ForestService,Southern

ResearchStation.23p.

In2002,aharvestandutilizationstudy

wasconductedon108operations

throughoutNorthCarolina.Therewere

2,926totaltreesmeasured;1,693,or58

percent,weresoftwood,while1,233,or42

percent,werehardwood.Resultsfromthis

studyshowedthat86percentofthetotal

softwoodvolumemeasuredwasutilized

foraproduct,and14percentwasleftas

loggingresidue.Seventy-fivepercentof

thetotalhardwoodvolumemeasuredwas

utilizedforaproduct,while25percent

wasleftasloggingresidue.

4Howell,Michael;Becker,CharlesW.

2006.Virginia’s timber industry—an





In2003,roundwoodoutputfromVirginia’s

forestsdecreasedto488millioncubicfeet.


manufacturerstotaled174millioncubic

feet,6percentlessthanin2001.Seventy-

fivepercentoftheplantresidueswereused

primarilyforfuelandfiberproducts.Saw

logsweretheleadingroundwoodproduct

at229millioncubicfeet;pulpwoodranked

secondat186millioncubicfeet;composite

panelswerethirdat54millioncubicfeet.

Thenumberofprimaryprocessingplants

decreasedfrom248in2001to234in

2003.Totalreceiptsremainedstableat492

millioncubicfeet.

5Howell,M.;New,B.D.;Mann,M.C.

2006.North Carolina’s timber industry—

an assessment of timber product

output and use, 2003.Resour.Bull.

SRS-112.Asheville,NC:U.S.Department

ofAgriculture,ForestService,Southern

ResearchStation.42p.

In2003,industrialroundwoodoutputfrom

NorthCarolina’sforeststotaled776million

cubicfeet,2percentmorethanin2001.


manufacturersincreasedfour-tenthsof1

percentto315millioncubicfeet.Almost

allplantresidueswereusedprimarilyfor

fuelandfiberproducts.Sawlogswerethe

leadingroundwoodproductat399million

cubicfeet;pulpwoodrankedsecondat267

millioncubicfeet;veneerlogswerethird

at57millioncubicfeet.Thenumberof

primaryprocessingplantsdeclinedfrom

249in2001to235in2003.Totalreceipts

increased20.7millioncubicfeetto742

millioncubicfeet.

6Johnson,T.G.;Steppleton,C.D.2006.

Southern pulpwood production, 2004.

Resour.Bull.SRS-111.Asheville,NC:U.S.

DepartmentofAgriculture,ForestService,

SouthernResearchStation.39p.

In2004,theSouth’sproductionof

pulpwoodincreasedfrom61.3million

cordsin2003to63.8millioncords.

Roundwoodproductionincreased6percent

to47.0millioncordsandaccountedfor74

percentofthetotalpulpwoodproduction.

Theuseofwoodresiduedeclined1percent

to16.8millioncords.Alabamaledthe

Southintotalproductionat10.2million

cords.In2004,89millswereoperatingand

drawingwoodfromthe13SouthernStates.

PulpingcapacityofSouthernmillsdeclined

from127,390tonsperdayin2003to

125,182tonsperday,andstillaccounts

formorethan70percentoftheNation’s

pulpingcapacity.

7Oswalt,SonjaN.;Brandeis,Thomas

J.;Dimick,BrittaP.2006.Phytosociology

of vascular plants on an international

biosphere reserve: Virgin Islands

National Park, St. John, U.S. Virgin

Islands.CaribbeanJournalofScience.

42(1):53-66.

TheVirginIslandsNationalParkonthe

islandofSt.John,U.S.VirginIslands,is

oneofthefewprotectedcontiguoustracts

ofLesserAntilleandryandmoistforest

intheCaribbeanbasin,abiodiversity

“hotspot”ofinternationallyrecognized

importance.Weinvestigatedthe

relationshipsofvegetationcommunities

toenvironmentalvariablesandcompared

therelativecontributionofnativeand

introducedspeciesinextantforest

communitiesonSt.Johnusinganisland-

wideforestvegetationinventoryand

monitoringnetworkofpermanentplots.

Forest Ecosystem Restoration and Management8Bragg,DonC.2005.Learning the hard

way: the beginnings of Forest Service

research in Arkansas.JournalofForestry.

103(5):248-254.

Peopletakeforgrantedthatforestry,and

theresearchthatsupportsit,hasalways

beenaround.Inreality,theestablishment

ofaresearchbasistothepracticesofthe

ForestServicehasbeenalong-running

struggle.InArkansas,ForestServicestaff

beganassistinglandownersjustafterthe

turnofthe20thcentury,andformedthe

basisofmostforestresearchandextension

untilotheragenciesstartedcontributing

substantiallyaround1940.Theformation

oftheSouthernForestExperiment

Stationin1921,eventuallyfollowedby

theestablishmentoftheCrossettand

Sylamoreexperimentalforests,further

from the Southern Research Station...

4�www.srs.fs.usda.gov


strengthenedtheforestryresearch

programinArkansas,andallowedforthe

widespreadimplementationofsustainable,

scientificallybasedforestry.

9Lang,Ping;Dane,Fenny;Kubisiak,

ThomasL.2006.Phylogeny of Castanea

(Fagaceae) based on chloroplast trnT-L-F

sequence data.TreeGenetics&Genomes.

2(3):132-139.

SpecieswithinthegenusCastanea(the

chestnutsandchinkapins)arenative

tothetemperatezonesoftheNorthern

Hemisphere,fromAsiatoEuropeand

NorthAmerica.ThegenusCastanea

hasbeendividedintothreesections

basedonburandcupulecharacteristics.

ChloroplastDNAsequencedatasuggest

thatevolutionaryinterrelationships

amongtheCastaneaspeciesmaybemore

appropriatelydescribednotbyburand

cupulecharacteristics,butbycurrent

geographicdistributions.Anumberof

chloroplastDNAmarkersarenowavailable

forhypothesizingthelikelymaternal

lineageofanyCastaneatree,anissueof

greatimportancetothebreedingefforts

aimedatrestoringAmericanchestnutto

forestsoftheEasternUnitedStates.

10Ma,Siyan;Chen,Jiquan;Butnor,John

R.[andothers].2005.Biophysical controls

on soil respiration in the dominant patch

types of an old-growth, mixed-conifer

forest.ForestScience.51(3):221-232.

California’sSierraNevadaold-growth,

mixed-coniferforestsarecomprisedof

severalecologicalpatchtypes,which

cyclecarboninverydifferentways.These

patchesareincloseproximityandvary

fromlargeforesttrees(sugarpine,redfir,

whitefir),tonitrogen-fixingceanothus

shrubsanddrysandypatcheswith

drought-adaptedplants.Tounderstand

thefactorswhichcontrolseasonallosses

ofcarbontotheatmosphere,weused

portableandautomatedmeasurement

systemstosamplesoilrespirationfrom

snowmelttomid-summerdrought.The

highestrespirationrateswerefoundinthe

shrubsystem,followedbytheforestand

baresoilpatches.Thesoilrespirationrate

variedwithchangesindailytemperature,

thoughmoistureeffectsdominated

theresponse.Shortlyaftersnowmelt,

saturatedconditionsinhibitedrespiration,

therewasalongperiodinthespring

whereoptimumsoilmoistureproduced

thehighestfluxrates,andthensummer

droughtreducedrates.Usingthisdata

wedevelopedanexponentialmodelto

calculatethetotalsoilCfluxsummedby

anarea-weightedaverageacrossallthree

patchtypes(660±163gCm-2)foryear

2000.

11Roberds,JamesH.;Strom,Brian

L.2006.Repeatability estimates for

oleoresin yield measurements in three

species of the southern pines.Forest

EcologyandManagement.228:215-224.

Thesouthernpinebeetleisthemost

destructiveinsectpestofpinesinhabiting

theSoutheasternUnitedStates.Individual

treesofthesespeciesthatdischargelarge

quantitiesofoleoresinuponwounding

areconsideredtobemostresistantto

attackbythisaggressivebarkbeetle.A

tree’scapacitytoproduceoleoresincan

beassessedbymeasuringamountsof

thischemicalcompositethatflowfrom

smallsurfacewoundscutintoitstrunk

atbreastheight.Toevaluatetheability

oftreestoyieldoleoresin,investigators

needtoknowhowmanyofthese

measurementsarerequiredpertreefora

properassessment.Answerstothisand

otherrelatedsignificantquestionsdealing

withvariabilityintreeoleoresinyieldcan

beobtainedbystudyingitsrepeatability,

ameasureoftraitconsistencywithin

individuals.Inthispaperwereport

estimatesofrepeatabilityforoleoresin

yieldinthreespeciesofthesouthernpines.

12SwordSayer,MaryAnne;Haywood,

JamesD.2006.Fine root production and

carbohydrate concentrations of mature

longleaf pine (Pinus palustris P. Mill.) as

affected by season of prescribed fire and

drought.Trees.20:165-175.

Ourgoalwastoassesshowseasonof

prescribedfireaffectsrootgrowthand

carbohydrateconcentrationsoflongleaf

pine,andidentifythetimeofyearwhen

fireleastaffectsrootprocesses.Root

growthwaslessonJuly-burnedplots

thanoneitherMarch-orMay-burned

plots;weattributethistotheeffectoffire

oninteractionbetweenrootprocesses

andsoilenvironment.Soilmoistureand

temperaturemayhavebeenlessfavorable

forrootgrowthontheJuly-burnedplots.

Wedeterminedthatfirewouldimpacttree

growthlessinNovemberthroughMarch.

Also,severedroughtwasassociatedwith

a3-monthdelayinpeakrootgrowth,

andprolongeddroughtcoincidedwith

areductioninrootstarchstorage.We

concludethatseasonofprescribedfire

affectsrootprocesses,butthatsevereor

prolongeddroughtmayinteractwithor

overridetheseeffects.

Forest Values, Uses, and Policies13Behm,AnnaL.;Duryea,Mary

L.2003.Fire in the wildland-urban

interface: considering fire in Florida’s

ecosystems.Gainesville,FL:Universityof

Florida,InstituteofFoodandAgricultural

Sciences;USDAForestService,Southern

ResearchStation,SouthernCenterfor

Wildland-UrbanInterfaceResearchand

Information.14p.[Editor’snote:This

publicationwasfundedbytheNational

FirePlanthroughtheUSDAForestService,

SouthernResearchStation,Southern

CenterforWildland-UrbanInterface

ResearchandInformation.]

ManyFloridiansliveclosetoorwithin

naturalecosystemsofFloridainanarea

termedthewildland-urbaninterface.The

wildlandsassociatedwiththeinterface



dependonfiretomaintainbiodiversityand

health.Intheabsenceoffire,vegetation

quicklygrows,creatingfuelforvery

intensewildfire.Inmanywildlands,firein

theseecosystemsisinevitablebecauseof

lightningorhuman-causedignitions.With

thisthreatofwildfire,theserenityofliving

intheseenvironmentscanbedisrupted.

Becauseofthedifferencesinplantspecies,

soils,andwateravailability,wildfire

frequencyandintensityvaryamongthe

ecosystemswhichareassociatedwiththe

wildland-urbaninterface.

14Behm,AnnaL.;Long,AlanJ.;Monroe,

MarthaC.[andothers].[Dateunknown].

Fire in the wildland-urban interface:

preparing a firewise plant list for WUI

residents.Gainesville,FL:Universityof





Information.11p.[Editor’snote:WayneC.

ZippererandL.AnnieHermansen-Báez,

SouthernResearchStation,co-authored

thispublication.]

Thisisaguideformakinglocal

firewiseplantliststhatcanassistlocal

homeownerswithfirewiselandscaping.

Itincludesastep-by-stepmethodfor

determiningwhetherornotaparticular

plantisappropriateforfirewise

landscaping.Extensionagents,nursery

personnel,landscapearchitects,and

urbanforesterscanusethispublicationfor

preparinglocalfirewiseplantlists.

15Clark,Alexander,III;Daniels,Richard

F.;Jordan,Lewis.2005.Juvenile/mature

wood transition in loblolly pine as

defined by annual ring specific gravity,

proportion of latewood, and microfibril

angle.WoodandFiberScience.38(2):

292-299.

Intensivelymanagedsouthernpines

growrapidlyduringtheearlyyearsof

rotation,reachmerchantablesizeata

youngerage,andcontainasignificantly

highproportionofjuvenilewood.Juvenile

woodisacylinderofwoodsurrounding

thepithandextendingthelengthofall

trees,andisproducedbyyoungcambium

intheliveactivecrown.Juvenilewood

haslowerstiffnessandstrengthand

morelongitudinalshrinkagethanmature

wood,andisnotasdesirableforlumber

production.Landownersandlumber

manufacturesneedtounderstandtheeffect

offorestmanagementpracticesonjuvenile

woodformation.Thispaperevaluates

twomethodsfordeterminingtheyearof

transitionwhenatreestopsproducing

juvenilewoodandstartstoproducemature

wood4.5feetaboveground,basedon

annualringspecificgravity,proportionof

latewood,andmircofibrilangle.

16Doran,J.Douglas;Randall,Cotton

K.;Long,AlanJ.2004.Fire in the

wildland-urban interface: selecting

and maintaining firewise plants for

landscaping.Gainesville,FL:Universityof





Information.7p.

Oneofthemajorissuesinthesouthern

wildland-urbaninterfaceisthelossof

homestowildfire.Selectinglandscape

plantsbasedontheirflammabilitycan

bechallengingforhomeownersand

landscapers,asfewplantguideslist

firewiseplantsorrankplantsbytheir

flammability.Thispublicationoutlines

keyplantcharacteristicsthathavethe

greatesteffectonflammability,which

canhelphomeownersmakeinformed

decisionsaboutwhichplantstoselect

whencreatinganareaofdefensiblespace,

orhowtomodifyexistingplantstoprevent

thespreadofwildfire.Plantcharacteristics

arediscussedatthreelevels:plant

parts(primarilyleaves),wholeplants,

andgroupsofplants.Selectingfirewise

plantscanreducewildfirerisk;butduring

droughtconditions,mostplantswillburnif

exposedtoenoughheat,regardlessoftheir

flammability.


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importantfactorsinfluencingbuilding

survivalduringawildfirearefireintensity,

vegetationcharacteristics,andbuilding

materials(especiallyroofing).Strategiesfor

protectinghomesfromwildfireshavebeen

developedwiththesefactorsinmind.This

Extensionfactsheetexaminesfactorsthat

affectfirebehavior,strategiestoreducefire

risk,andexamplesofriskreduction.

19Shupe,ToddF.;Groom,LeslieH.;

Eberhardt,ThomasL.[andothers].2006.

Mechanical and physical properties of

composite panels manufactured from

Chinese tallow tree furnish.Forest

ProductsJournal.56(6):64-67.

Chinesetallowtreeisanoxious,invasive

plantintheSoutheasternUnitedStates.

Itisgenerallyconsideredanuisance

andhasnocurrentcommercialuse.The

objectiveofthisresearchwastodetermine

thetechnicalfeasibilityofusingthestem

woodofthisspeciesforparticleboard,

fiberboard,andstructuralflakeboard.Due

toitsrapidgrowth,Chinesetallowtree

couldbealeadingrawmaterialforbio-

basedcompositepanels.Thispreliminary

studyindicatedthatChinesetallowtree

canbesuccessfullyusedforallthree

compositepaneltypestoproducepanels

meetingvariousAmericanNational

StandardsInstitutegradesbasedon

modulusofrupture,modulusofelasticity,

andinternalbond.

Threats to Forest Health20Fraedrich,StephenW.;Cram,

MichelleM.;Zarnoch,StanleyJ.2005.The

effect of fallow on Longidorus americanus,

a nematode associated with stunting of

loblolly pine seedlings in Georgia (USA).

Nematology7(4):487-493.

Basicinformationaboutsoil-bornepests

thatoccurinforesttreenurseriesis

essentialtodevelopmentofintegrated

pestmanagementprograms.Longidorus

americanusisaplant-parasiticnematode

thatcausesseverestuntingofloblolly

17Eberhardt,ThomasL.;So,Chi-Leung;

Herlihy,AmyH.;So,Po-Wah.2006.Use of

gadolinium chloride as a contrast agent

for imaging spruce knots by magnetic

resonance.WoodandFiberScience.38(3):

527-234.

Treatmentsofsprucewoodblocks

withaparamagneticsalt,gadolinium

(III)chloride,incombinationwith

solventpretreatments,providedthefirst

assessmentofcontrastagentsasameans

toenhancethevisualizationofwood

featuresbymagneticresonanceimaging

(MRI).Imagescollectedincollaboration

withresearchersattheMRCClinical

SciencesCentre(ImperialCollege,London,

UK)showedthattheincorporated

gadoliniumionsresultedinanabruptloss

insignalinazonearoundeachknot.This

phenomenonallowsthevisualizationof

compressionwoodknowntosurround

softwoodknots.Applicationsinclude

studiesonwoodanatomybyMRIandthe

modelingofwooddefects.

18Randall,CottonK.2003.Fire in the

wildland-urban interface: understanding

fire behavior.Gainesville,FL:Universityof





Information.6p.[Editor’snote:This

publicationwasfundedbytheNational

FirePlanthroughtheUSDAForestService,

SouthernResearchStation,Southern

CenterforWildland-UrbanInterface

ResearchandInformation.]

Wildlandfiresposeaseriousthreatto

humanlifeandpropertywhenhomesare

builtinfire-proneecosystems.Developing

abasicunderstandingofthefactors

thatdeterminewildfiremovementand

intensity(collectivelycalledfirebehavior)

willallowhomeownersandbuildersto

assessfirehazardontheirpropertyand

determinewhattheycandotominimize

risk.Researchhasshownthatthemost


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pineseedlings.Fieldandgrowthchamber

studiesdeterminedthatpopulation

densitiesofthisnematodedecreased

rapidlyinfallowsoilin3to4months,and

werenotdetectibleafter9to12months.

Longidorus americanusdoesnotsurvivewell

intheabsenceofahost,andtheuseof

fallowmaybeanacceptablealternativeto

pesticidesforthecontrolofthisnematode.

21Fraedrich,StephenW.;Dwinell,L.

David.2005.Effects of dazomet, metam

sodium, and oxamyl on Longidorus

populations and loblolly pine seedling

production.SouthernJournalofApplied

Forestry.29(3):117-122.

Soilfumigationwithmethylbromidehas

beenastandardpracticeforcontrolof

soil-bornepestproblemsinforesttree

nurseries.Theuseofmethylbromideis

currentlybeingphasedoutworldwide

becausethechemicalhasbeenimplicated

inthedepletionofstratosphericozone.

Wefoundthatalternativefumigants,

dazometandmetamsodium,wereeffective

forreducingpopulationdensitiesofa

plant-parasiticnematoderesponsible

forstuntingloblollypineseedlings.Pine

seedlingsproducedinnurserybedswith

thefumigantsweresignificantlylarger

thanthoseproducedinnonfumigated

beds.Althoughfumigationwaseffective

forcontrolofthenematodeduringthe

firstseedlingcrop,productionofasecond

cropwithoutadditionaltreatmentwould

beinadvisablebecauseofincreasesin

nematodepopulationsbytheendofthe

firstgrowingseason.

22Riitters,KurtH.;Wickham,James

D.;Wade,TimothyG.2006.Evaluating

ecoregions for sampling and mapping

land-cover patterns.Photogrammetric

Engineering&RemoteSensing.72(7):781-

788.


Anecoregionisanareadefinedby

biophysicalparameterssuchasclimate

andtopographythatcontainsadistinct

assemblageofnaturalcommunities.

Ecologicalassessmentsuseecoregions,

likecountiesandwatersheds,as

geographicunitsforsamplingand

mappingenvironmentalconditions.This

researchevaluatedtheuseofecoregions

formonitoringforestfragmentationand

otherland-coverpatternsacrossthelower

48States.Ecoregionsprovedeffectivefor

explainingthegrossregionaldistribution

ofdominantland-covertypes,butwereno

moreeffectivethancountiesorwatersheds

forexplainingthegeographicdistribution

offorestfragmentationorotherland-cover

patterns.

23Zurlini,G.;Riitters,K.;Zaccarelli,N.

[andothers].2006.Disturbance patterns

in a socio-ecological system at multiple

scales.EcologicalComplexity.3:119-128.

Complexitytheoryofferspotentialto

understandthedynamicsoflandusein

relationtoecologicalhealthinhuman-

dominatedlandscapes,butfieldtestsare

requiredtodeveloptoolsandtechniques

foranalysis.Thisresearchexploredthe

useofremotesensingtocharacterize

disturbancepatternsrepresentingland

usechanges,andtheuseofcomplexity

theorytointerprettheresults.Theresults

indicatethatthelikelihoodandpattern

ofdisturbancehavecharacteristicspatial

scales,which,inturn,suggeststhat

theconceptsof“scaledomains”and

“attractors”fromcomplexitytheorywill

helptounderstand,model,andevaluate

theimportanceoflandscapechangesover

time.

Forest Watershed Science24 Adams,SusanB.;Warren,MelvinL.,

Jr.2005.Recolonization by warmwater

fishes and crayfishes after severe drought

in upper Coastal Plain hill streams.

TransactionsofAmericanFisheriesSociety.

134:1173-1192.

Anextremedroughtin2000dried

numeroussmall,normallyperennial

streamsinnorthernMississippi.We

studied12streamreacheswherewehad

predroughtdata,andsampledthefishand

crayfishforoneyearafterthedrought.

Sevenofthereacheshaddriedduringthe

drought,whereasfiveremainedflowing.

Flowsresumedinlateautumn2000,and

recolonizationwasslowoverthewinter.

Recolonizationincreasedconsiderably

duringearlyspring2001;byJune,fish

abundance,speciescomposition,and

speciesrichnessandcrayfishdensity

indrysitesweresimilartopredrought

values.Althoughingeneralthefauna

recoveredquickly,somelingeringeffects

onfishandcrayfishassemblagespersisted

afteroneyear.Theresultsareusefulfor

understandingandpredictingeffectsof

disturbanceandhabitatfragmentationon

streamcommunities.

25Sanchez,FelipeGarza;Leggett,

ZakiyaHolmes;Sankar,Sabapathy.2005.

Analyzing water soluble soil organics

as trifluoroacetyl derivatives by liquid

state proton nuclear magnetic resonance.

CommunicationsinSoilScienceandPlant

Analysis.36:2793-2805.

Watersolubleorganiccompoundsare

importantinforestsbecausetheyprovide

afoodsourceforsoilmicrobes,assistin

cyclingnutrients,andhelpbuildupcarbon

inthesoil.Theseorganiccompounds

comeprimarilyfromliveanddeadroots,

anddecomposingleaves.Inorderto

examinehowlandmanagementaffects

carbonandnutrientcycling,weneedto

beabletodeterminehowtheamount

andcompositionofthewatersoluble

organicshavebeenaltered.Wedescribea

methodbywhichwecandetectamounts

aslowasafewmillionthsofagramand

yetmaintaintheabilitytodeterminethe

chemicalcompositionofthematerial.


Research Work UnitsLocation &Project Leader Name & Web Site Phone

Forest Ecosystem Restoration and Management

Asheville,NC UplandHardwoodEcology& 828-667-5261DavidLoftis Management www.srs.fs.usda.gov/bentcreek

Auburn,AL RestoringLongleafPine 334-826-8700KrisConnor Ecosystems www.srs.fs.usda.gov/4111

Monticello,AR SouthernPineEcology 870-367-3464JamesGuldin www.srs.fs.usda.gov/4106

Saucier,MS GeneticsandFoundations 228-832-2747DanaNelson ofProductivity www.srs.fs.usda.gov/organization/ unit/mississippi.htm#SRS-4153

Forest Values, Uses, and Policies

Athens,GA UrbanandSocialInfluences 706-559-4263KenCordell,acting www.srs.fs.usda.gov/trends

Auburn,AL ForestOperations 334-826-8700BobRummer www.srs.fs.usda.gov/forestops/

Pineville,LA Characterizationand 318-473-7268LesGroom PropertiesofWood www.srs.fs.usda.gov/4701

ResearchTriangle ForestEconomicsandPolicy 919-549-4093Park,NC www.srs.fs.usda.gov/econDavidWear

Threats to Forest Health

Asheville,NC EasternForestEnvironmental 828-257-4854DannyLee ThreatAssessmentCenter www.srs.fs.usda.gov/cc /threatassessment.htm

Athens,GA DisturbanceEcology 706-559-4316JohnStanturf http://srs.fs.usda.gov/disturbance

Pineville,LA Insects,Diseases,andInvasive 318-473-7232KierKlepzig PlantsofSouthernForests www.srs.fs.usda.gov/4501

Forest Watershed Science

Franklin,NC ForestWatershedScience 828-524-2128JimVose www.srs.fs.usda.gov/coweeta

Lincoln,NE NationalAgroforestryCenter 402-437-5178MicheleSchoeneberger www.nac.gov

Stoneville,MS BottomlandHardwoods 662-686-3154TedLeininger www.srs.fs.usda.gov/cbhr

Natural Resources Inventory and Monitoring

Knoxville,TN ForestInventoryandAnalysis 865-862-2000BillBurkman www.srsfia2.fs.fed.us


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Science You Can Use!In the next issue of Compass, we will look at a wide range of practices developed by SRS research to “clean up” the environment. These practices range from using fast-growing trees to establish buffers and clean toxic waste from soil to constructing and restoring wetlands.

(photo by Thomas C. Croker, USDA Forest Service, www.forestryimages.org)

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COMPASS - Southern Research · compass—december 2006 ... SRS Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and ... resource management—that public attitudes