Pacific Southwest Region Ecology Program Annual Report
FY 2016
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/plants-animals/?cid=stelprdb5427254
CONTENTS Ecology Program Mission Statement ...... 3 R5 Program Overview ...... 3 R5 Regional Ecology Program Staff ...... 7 R5 Regional Ecology Program Publications and Reports ...... 11 R5 Ecology Program Major Accomplishments: Links to USDA & USFS Strategic goals and Region 5 Strategic Priorities ...... 14 REGIONAL OFFICE ...... 16 Cost Share Positions ...... 19 PROVINCE ECOLOGY PROGRAMS ...... 212 Central Sierra Province ...... 22 Northern Province...... 30 Sierra Cascade Province ...... 39 Southern California Province ...... 47 Southern Sierra Province ...... 52 R5 Ecology Program international support ……………………………………………………………………………. 57 R5 Ecology Program external partners ...... 58
Freezing but still smiling . Forest inventory on a Planning meeting for the 2016 Climate Change and snowy spring day, Lake Tahoe Basin Mgt Unit Natural Resources Management conference 3
R-5 Regional Ecology Program
ECOLOGY PROGRAM MISSION ecologists at the Regional level are co- managed with the University of California- STATEMENT Davis and the California Fire Science “To provide leadership and program direction Consortium. that incorporates ecological science in the Agency's multiple-scale approach to managing Primary functions at the Regional level include: natural resources for sustainability and diverse provide expert ecological input and human needs. advice to the Regional Forester, Regional Office staff, and Region 5 To facilitate understanding, development and Forests and Districts appropriate use of ecological science in Agency assist in development of Regional activities such as landscape analysis and ecological priorities as they pertain to assessment, land management planning, the USDA and USFS Strategic Plan goals inventory and monitoring, and project and R5 Strategic Priorities implementation.” act as the principal ecological liaison between USFS Region 5 and other federal and state agencies, research R5 PROGRAM OVERVIEW institutions, NGOs, the public and media The Region 5 Ecology Program provides provide assistance to the Province products and expertise fundamental to Ecologists in the form of funding, sustainable, science-based, multiple-use technical expertise, and logistical land management in the Pacific support Southwest. The Program’s principal provide assistance and ecological input purpose is to ensure and enable the to bioregional and forest assessments for Forest Plan processes application of current ecological science to develop and steward applicable land and resource management on the Regional and National standards National Forests in California. The review Ecology Program work plans Regional Program is headed by a GS-13 and products Ecologist and a GS-12 Assistant Regional aid in the recruitment of qualified Ecologist in the Regional Office. A GS-12 candidates for ecology positions Province Ecologist is stationed on each of Regionwide represent Region 5 and the Regional five Provinces (zones of three to four Ecology Program at local, Regional, and National Forests), in most cases with a GS- National functions and events 11 Associate Ecologist. Two cost-share 4
support Region 5 Forests in their vegetation classification and mapping interpretation and implementation of development of management the Regional Ecological Restoration interpretations initiative development of state & transition and support Region 5 efforts to manage for other stand-dynamics models climate change mitigation and habitat modeling, mapping, and adaptation prediction coordinate Fire Return Interval involvement with the California Fire Departure mapping in Region 5 Science Consortium at the subregional serve on the executive committee for scale the California Fire Science Consortium interaction and collaboration with manage the Research Natural Area Forest and District resource staff (RNA) Program RNA program coordination for the host serve as a technical advisor to bodies Forest such as the Regional Forest Planning core team, Regional Climate Change The Regional Ecology Program (REP) is Integration Team, and the Sierra partially supported by a Regional earmark. Nevada Forest Carnivore Conservation In FY 2016 total earmark funding came to Assessment $900,000. Earmark funds came from the Primary functions at the Province-and following sources: NFIM (21%), NFVW Forest-level include: (26%), WFHF (31%), and NFWF (22%). provision of expert vegetation & fire Province Ecologists supplement their ecology input to ecosystem Regional allocation with Forest-level management and planning (e.g. pre- funding and funding derived elsewhere NEPA consultation, monitoring, ID- (examples include the California Energy Teams, Forest planning) Commission, USFS State and Private training and technology transfer ecological support to restoration Forestry, the Tahoe Science Program, planning and implementation California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, the climate change interpretation National Fire Plan, and the Joint Fire support to fuels treatment planning Sciences Program). Until 2010, Regional monitoring design, implementation funding for the Ecology Program had fallen and analysis continuously since the early 1990’s, when fire and fire regime modeling and funding reached or exceeded $1.2 million mapping determination of site potentials and per year in 2016 dollars (Fig. 1). Staffing ecosystem suitability has also dropped significantly, from a high development of desired future of 16 in the mid 1990’s, to six in late 2011, conditions rising to ten in 2016. The Regional Ecology 5
Program is a national leader in attracting Province Forests. Province Ecologists funding from external sources (Fig. 2). Over prepare, with assistance of the Regional the last ten years, the REP has more than Ecologist and forest Resource staff, an doubled its effective budget by way of annual Program of Work describing partner funding, grants, and various types objectives, activities, and assistance of financial support from sources outside needed to complete the planned work; the the NFS annual budget. annual POW is tied to National, Regional, and Forest goals and priorities. An annual REP staff (and affiliated Forest and District meeting (1) to review the previous fiscal staff) meet at least once annually to year’s accomplishments, and (2) to discuss programs of work, funding, negotiate the upcoming fiscal year’s POW, standards and guidelines, future planning, is held with the attendance of the Province and topics of current interest. Trainings are Ecologist, the Regional Ecologist, Resource held periodically. Annual program reviews Staff officers, and any other interested and annual program of work meetings are parties. The final program of work is also held on each Province. Province agreed to by the Forest Supervisors and RO Ecologists operate under a shared services Director of Ecosystem Management. agreement between the Region and the
Sierra Nevada Fire Science Retreat in Yosemite National Park 6
Figure 1. Ecology Program (REP) funding (does not include Regional and Assistant Regional ecologists, who are funded from RO internal budget), and number of REP staff, 1984-2016.
Ecology Program budget and funding support from external sources, 2007-2016
$8,000,000 Ecol. Prog. earmark $7,000,000 External funds
$6,000,000
$5,000,000
$4,000,000
$3,000,000
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
$0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Total
Figure 2. REP earmark funding and funding secured from external sources by the REP, 2006-2015. “External” = funding from outside the Region 5 National Forest System annual budget. 7
R5 REGIONAL ECOLOGY PROGRAM STAFF
REGIONAL OFFICE
Hugh Safford, Ph.D. Regional Ecologist Pacific Southwest Region 1323 Club Drive Vallejo, CA 94592 Phone: 707-562-8934 Fax: 707-562-9050 Email: [email protected]
Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California Davis, CA 95616
Phone: 530-219-0898 Fax: 530-752-3350 Email: [email protected]
Sarah Sawyer, Ph.D. Assistant Regional Ecologist Pacific Southwest Region 1323 Club Drive Vallejo, CA 94592 Phone: 707-562-8924 Fax: 707-562-9050 Email: [email protected]
NORTHERN PROVINCE Serving Klamath, Shasta-Trinity, Mendocino and Six Rivers National Forests
Ramona Butz, Ph.D. Province Ecologist Six Rivers National Forest 1330 Bayshore Avenue Eureka, CA 95501 Phone: 707-441-3584 Email: [email protected] 8
SIERRA-CASCADE PROVINCE Serving Lassen, Modoc and Plumas National Forests
Kyle Merriam Province Ecologist Plumas National Forest P.O. Box 11500 Quincy, CA 95971 Phone: 530-283-7777 Fax: 530-283-7716 Email: [email protected]
Michelle Coppoletta Associate Province Ecologist Plumas National Forest P.O. Box 11500 Quincy, CA 95971 Phone: (530) 283-7822 Fax: 530-283-7716 Email: [email protected]
CENTRAL SIERRA PROVINCE Serving Eldorado, Tahoe, and Stanislaus National Forests
Becky Estes, Ph.D. Province Ecologist Eldorado National Forest 100 Forni Road Placerville, CA 95667 Phone: 530-642-5161 Fax: 530-621-5297 Email: [email protected]
Shana Gross Associate Province Ecologist Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit 35 College Drive South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151 Phone: 530-543-2752
Email: [email protected] 9
SOUTHERN SIERRA PROVINCE Serving Sequoia, Sierra and Inyo National Forests
Marc Meyer, Ph.D. Province Ecologist Sierra National Forest 1600 Tollhouse Road Clovis, CA 93611 Phone: 559-297-0706 ext. 4929 Fax: 559-294-4809 Email: [email protected]
Amarina Wuenschel Associate Province Ecologist Sierra National Forest 57003 Road 225 North Fork, CA 93643 Phone: 559-877-2218 ext. 3197 Email: [email protected]
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PROVINCE Serving Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino National Forests
Nicole Molinari, Ph.D. Province Ecologist Los Padres National Forest 6755 Hollister Ave, Suite 150 Goleta, CA 93117 Phone: 805-961-5732 Fax: 805-961-5729 Email: [email protected]
10
CALIFORNIA FIRE SCIENCE CONSORTIUM COSTSHARE
Christina Restaino, Ph.D. Dept. of Environmental Science and Policy University of California Davis, CA 95616 Phone: 530-519-2501 Email: [email protected]
UC-DAVIS ECOLOGY COSTSHARE
Rebecca Wayman Dept. of Environmental Science and Policy University of California Davis, CA 95616 Phone: 530-401-0471 Email: [email protected]
Ecology Program field crew training, May, 2016, Lake Tahoe Basin 11
R5 REGIONAL ECOLOGY PROGRAM PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Abrahms, B., S.C. Sawyer, N.R. Jordan, J.W. McNutt, A.M. Wilson, J.S. Brashares. 2016. Does wildlife resource selection accurately inform corridor conservation? Journal of Applied Ecology. doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12714
Bohlman, G.N., M. North, and H.D. Safford. 2016. Shrub removal in reforested post-fire areas increases native plant species richness. Forest Ecology and Management. 374: 195-210.
Butz, R.J. In press. Fire in the African savanna: identifying challenges to traditional burning practices in Tanzania and Malawi. In Fowler, C.; Welch, J.R.; Sullivan, A., editors. Fire Otherwise: An Ethnobiological Approach to Understanding the Impacts of Social and Environmental Change on Fire Ecology. University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Butz, R.J., S.C. Sawyer, H.D. Safford. 2015. An updated summary of current trends and probable future trends in climate and climate-driven processes for the Klamath National Forest and surrounding lands. USDA Forest Service. 41 p.
Butz, R.J., S.C. Sawyer, H.D. Safford. 2015. An updated summary of current trends and probable future trends in climate and climate-driven processes for the Mendocino National Forest and surrounding lands. USDA Forest Service. 40 p.
Butz, R.J., S.C. Sawyer, H.D. Safford. 2015. An updated summary of current trends and probable future trends in climate and climate-driven processes for the Shasta-Trinity National Forests and surrounding lands. USDA Forest Service. 39 p.
Butz, R.J., S.C. Sawyer, H.D. Safford. 2015. An updated summary of current trends and probable future trends in climate and climate-driven processes for the Six Rivers National Forest and surrounding lands. USDA Forest Service. 38 p.
Chambers, J.C., J.L. Beck, S. Campbell, J. Carlson, T.J. Christiansen, K.J. Clause, M.R. Crist, J.B. Dinkins, K.E. Doherty, S. Espinosa, K.A. Griffin, S.E. Hanser, D.W. Havlina, K.F. Henke, J.D. Hennig, L.L. Kurth, J.D. Maestas, M. Manning, K.E. Mayer, B.A. Mealor, C. McCarthy, M. Pellant, M.A. Perea, K.L. Prentice, D.A. Pyke, L.A. Wiechman, A. Wuenschel. 2016. Science Framework for the Conservation and Restoration Strategy of the Department of the Interior, Secretarial Order 3336: Using resilience and resistance concepts to assess threats to sagebrush ecosystems and sage-grouse, prioritize conservation and restoration actions, and inform management strategies. Version I, August 5, 2016. Unnumbered Publication. Fort Collins, CO: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 202 p.
Coppoletta, M., K.E. Merriam, B.M. Collins. 2016. Post-fire vegetation and fuel development influences fire severity patterns in reburns. Ecological Applications. 26: 686–699. doi:10.1890/15-0225 12
DeSiervo, M.H., E.S. Jules, M.E. Kauffmann, D.S. Bost, R.J. Butz. 2016. Revisiting John Sawyer and Dale Thornburgh’s 1969 vegetation plots in the Russian Wilderness: a legacy continued. Fremontia 44(1): 20-25.
DeSiervo, M.H., E.S. Jules, D.S. Bost, E.L. De Stigter, R.J. Butz. Patterns and drivers of recent tree mortality in diverse conifer forests of the Klamath Mountains, CA. Submitted to Canadian Journal of Forest Research in August 2016.
Dunbar-Irwin, M., and H.D. Safford. 2016. Climatic and structural comparison of yellow pine and mixed-conifer forests in northern Baja California (México) and the eastern Sierra Nevada (California, USA). Forest Ecology and Management 363: 252-266
Egan, J.M., J.M. Sloughter, T. Cardoso, P. Trainer, K. Wu, H. Safford, and D. Fournier. 2016. Multi-temporal ecological analysis of Jeffrey pine beetle outbreak dynamics within the Lake Tahoe Basin. Population Ecology 58: 441-462.
Estes, B.L., K. W. Jacobson, A.J. Jirka, B.C. Ebert, R.S. Scott. 2016. 2014 King Fire Fuel Treatment Effectiveness Summary. Management Report. R5-MR-062. Vallejo, CA: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region. 49 p.
Jules, E.S., J.I. Jackson, R.J. Butz, H.M. Kurkjian. Population structure and site characteristics of the rare Shasta snow-wreath (Neviusia cliftonii). Submitted to Madroño in July 2016.
Kavgaçı, A., E. Örtel, I. Torres, and H.D. Safford. 2016. Early postfire vegetation recovery of Pinus brutia forests: effects of fire severity, pre-fire stand type and aspect. Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry 40: 723-736.
Keeley, J.E., and H.D. Safford. 2016. Fire as an ecosystem process. Chapter 3, in H.A. Mooney and E. Zavaleta (eds). Ecosystems of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.
McGarigal, K., M. Mallek, B. Estes, H. Safford, M. Tierney, T. Walsh, T. Thane, S. Cushman. 2016. Modeling historical range of variability and future land management scenarios in the Yuba River watershed, Tahoe and Plumas National Forests, California. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region.
Merriam, K.E., M.C. Gosejohan, P.J. Weisberg, K.M. Bovee. 2016. Livestock Use Has Mixed Effects on Slender Orcutt Grass in Northeastern California Vernal Pools. Rangeland Ecology & Management 69(3): 185-194.
Merriam, K.E. 2016. Modoc Plateau and northwestern Basin and Range. Pages 89-116 in Barbour, M.G., J.M. Evens, T. Keeler-Wolf, J.O. Sawyer, editors. California’s Botanical Landscapes: A Pictorial View of the State’s Vegetation. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, California.
Meyer, M.D., B. Bulaon, M. MacKenzie, H.D. Safford. 2016. Mortality, structure, and regeneration in whitebark pine stands impacted by mountain pine beetle in the southern Sierra Nevada. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 46: 572–581. 13
Miller, J.D., H.D. Safford, and K.R. Welch. 2016. Using one year post-fire severity assessments to estimate longer-term effects of fire in conifer forests of northern and eastern California, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 382: 168-183.
Morelli, T.L., S.P. Maher, K. Nydick, W.B. Monahan, J.L. Ebersole, C. Daly, S.Z. Dobrowski, D. Dulen, S.T. Jackson, J. Lundquist, C.I. Millar, K.T. Redmond, S.C. Sawyer, S. Stock, S.R. Beissinger. 2016. Managing Climate Change Refugia for Climate Adaptation. PLoS One 11(8): e0159909. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0159909
North, M.P., B.M. Collins, H.D. Safford, and N.L. Stephenson. 2016. Montane forests. Chapter 27, in H.A. Mooney and E. Zavaleta (eds). Ecosystems of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.
Reilly, M.J., T.A. Spies, J. Littell, R.J. Butz, J. Kim. Climate, Disturbance, and Vulnerability to Vegetation Change in the Northwest Forest Plan Area. Ch 2 in the Northwest Forest Plan Science Synthesis. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.
Restaino, C.M., D.L. Peterson, and J. Littell. 2016. Increased water deficit decreases Douglas fir growth throughout western US forests. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 113(34): 9557-9562.
Rivera-Huerta, H., H.D. Safford, and J.D. Miller. 2016. Patterns and trends in burned area and fire severity 1984-2010 in the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, Baja California, México. Fire Ecology 12: 52-72.
Safford, H.D, and J.T. Stevens. In press. Natural Range of Variation (NRV) for yellow pine and mixed conifer forests in the Sierra Nevada, southern Cascades, and Modoc and Inyo National Forests, California, USA. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-___, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Albany, CA
Spencer, W.D., S.C. Sawyer, H.L. Romsos, W.J. Zielinski, C.M. Thompson, S.A. Britting. 2016. Southern Sierra Nevada fisher conservation strategy. Version 1.0. Unpublished report produced by Conservation Biology Institute, California, USA.
Stevens, J.T., H.D. Safford, M.P. North, P.M. Brown, and 14 other authors. 2016. Average stand age from forest inventory plots does not describe historical fire regimes in ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests of western North America. PLoS One 11(5): e0147688
Welch, J.R., J.K. LeCompte, R.J. Butz, J.R. Russell-Smith. In press. Anthropogenic Fire History, Ecology, and Management: An Intercontinental Review. In Fowler, C.; Welch, J.R.; Sullivan, A., eds. Fire Otherwise: An Ethnobiological Approach to Understanding the Impacts of Social and Environmental Change on Fire Ecology. University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, Utah
Welch, K.R., H.D. Safford, and T.P. Young. 2016. Predicting conifer establishment post wildfire in mixed conifer forests of the North American Mediterranean-climate zone. Ecosphere 7(12): article e01609. 14
R5 ECOLOGY PROGRAM MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
LINKS TO USDA & USFS STRATEGIC GOALS AND REGION 5 STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
USDA STRATEGIC PLAN 2010-2015 (http://www.usda.gov) 2. Ensure our National Forests and Private Working Lands are Conserved, Restored, and Made More Resilient to Climate Change, While Enhancing Our Water Resources: Objective 2.1 – Restore and Conserve the Nation’s Forests, Farms, Ranches, and Grasslands Objective 2.2 – Lead Efforts to Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change Objective 2.3 – Protect and Enhance America’s Water Resources Objective 2.4 – Reduce Risk from Catastrophic Wildfire and Restore Fire to its Appropriate Place on the Landscape
USFS STRATEGIC GOALS (http://www.fs.fed.us/publications/strategic/fs-sp-fy07-12.pdf) 1. Restore, Sustain, and Enhance the Nation’s Forests and Grasslands: Forests and grasslands have the capacity to maintain their health, productivity, diversity, and resistance to unnaturally severe disturbance.
2. Provide and Sustain Benefits to the American People: Forests and grasslands have sufficient long-term multiple socioeconomic benefits to meet the needs of society.
3. Conserve Open Space: Maintain the environmental, social, and economic benefits of forests and grasslands by reducing and mitigating their conversion to other uses.
4. Sustain and Enhance Outdoor Recreation Opportunities: A variety of high-quality outdoor recreational opportunities on the Nation’s forests and grasslands are available to the public.
5. Maintain Basic Management Capabilities of the Forest Service: Administrative facilities, information systems, and landownership management have the capacity to support a wide range of natural resource challenges. 15
6. Engage Urban America with Forest Service Programs: Broader access by Americans to the long-term environmental, social, economic, and other types of benefits provided by the Forest Service.
7. Provide Science-Based Applications and Tools for Sustainable Natural Resources Management: Management decisions are informed by the best available science-based knowledge and tools.
USFS PACIFIC SOUTHWEST REGION (R5) STRATEGIC PRIORITIES (http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/about-region/?cid=STELPRDB5150117) Ecological Restoration: The need for ecological restoration in our national forests is widely recognized due to myriad threats to our landscapes including catastrophic wildfire, climate change, and increasing human population pressures. The Forest Service recognizes the need for a more focused approach that clearly identifies ecological restoration as the primary goal for all land management actions.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Ecology Program accomplishments are organized under a series of major headings, each of which is linked to various USDA, USFS, and Region 5 goals and priorities. These include:
Climate Change: USDA Strategic Goal 2.2. USFS Strategic Goals 1, 2, 7. R5 Priority 1
Ecological Restoration: USDA Strategic Goals 2.1-2.4. USFS Strategic Goals 1, 2, 7. R5 Priority 1
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels: USDA Strategic Goals 2.1, 2.4. USFS Strategic Goals 1, 2, 7. R5 Priority 1
Forest Planning/NEPA: USDA Strategic Goals 2.1-2.4. USFS Strategic Goals 1-4. 7. R5 Priority 1
Inventory and Monitoring: USDA Strategic Goals 2.1, 2.3, 2.4. USFS Strategic Goals 1, 2, 5, 7. R5 Priority 1
Other: USDA Strategic Goals 2.1-2.4. USFS Strategic Goals 1-3, 5, 7. R5 Priority 1
Other major headings for accomplishments are also used below. Their links to the USDA, USDA, and Region 5 goals and priorities are identified in the text. 16
REGIONAL OFFICE (Regional Ecologist and Assistant Regional Ecologist accomplishments are combined)
Climate Change Chaired organization and program committees for Climate Change Adaptation and Natural Areas Management conference, October 2016 at UC-Davis Participated in Regional Climate Integration Team Led Climate Change Vulnerability/Adaptation Project for Southern California, in partnership with NGO EcoAdapt – completed workshops, completed Vulnerability Assessments, Completed Adaptation Strategy Summaries Project leader for ecosystem services assessment of Santa Clara River watershed, project includes evaluation of potential effects of climate change on services; joint project with University of California and Michigan State University Organized workshop day and provided meeting space for Region 5 climate change coordinators workshop at UC-Davis Developed and kicked-off Northwestern California Climate Change Vulnerability/Adaptation Project in partnership with EcoAdapt and BLM, held first set of workshops Wrote chapter on fire and climate change for new edition of Fire in California’s Ecosystems Acted on multiple California Landscape Conservation Cooperative Committees Worked with USFS International Programs staff and UC-Davis partners to organize and implement International Climate Change and Natural Resources Management Seminar; trained 25 international land and resource managers Conducted field trainings for Mandela Washington African Scholars group in carbon measurement and forest management Gave presentations on climate change and forest management to various professional groups, universities, and NGOs, including Region 5 Public Affairs staff, Society of American Foresters NorCal Section, Davis Botanical Society, Southwest Climate Summit, Sierra Club- Yolano Chapter, UC-Merced, Sacramento State University, etc.
Ecological Restoration Received Fulbright grant for study of postfire restoration practices in Mediterranean Basin countries Organized and MCed Reconciling Restoration with Environmental Change symposium at the 2016 Natural Areas Conference, event included nine internationally recognized restoration experts Co-organized one-week postfire restoration workshop at Yosemite National Park, October, 2015 Editor of upcoming book entitled: The Ecological Value of Chaparral Landscapes 17
Project leader for ecosystem services assessment of Santa Clara River watershed Provided scientific responses to appeal comments on Rim and King Fire restoration projects Participated in Post-Fire Restoration Workshop and draft GTR development Participated in vegetation resilience and fire management workshop for NW California National Forests, August, 2016 Carried out study evaluating accuracy of General Land Office survey witness tree protocol in and around Yosemite NP Completed review process and submitted to PSW for publication as GTR: Natural Range of Variation assessment for yellow pine and mixed conifer forests, Sierra Nevada bioregional assessment area Co-led webinar on hydrologic modeling and restoration in southern California for the California Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC) Updated and revised Fire Return Interval Departure (FRID) mapping for California Provided support to Historical Range of Variation (HRV) modeling project, Yuba River watershed, Tahoe NF Worked with UC-Davis staff on Natural Range of Variation assessment for yellow pine and mixed conifer forests in the Northwest Forest Plan area
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Organized workshop day and provided meeting space for Region 5 forest managers workshop at UC-Davis Acted as director for Sierra Nevada region of the California Fire Science Consortium (CFSC) Member, southern California fire management working group Served on science advisory board, Center for Fire Research and Outreach, UC-Berkeley Gave one radio interview, and five newspaper/blog/online interviews on fire and fuels subjects Reviewed Sierra Nevada Conservancy prescribed fire planning tool based on FRID data layers Participated in fire risk mapping workshop for northern Sierra Nevada Provided ecological support to the FireScape Mendocino collaborative Organized FERAL (Forest Ecology Random Lecture) series at UC-Davis, hosted four eminent speakers Carried out field review of tree seedling vs. shrub competition study by UC-Davis in King Fire perimeter Organized CA Fire Science Consortium field trip to Indiana Summit RNA, Inyo NF Measured Jeffrey pine growth rates at field sites in eastern Sierra Nevada Attended field trip examining forest regeneration differences on varying soils in Rich and Storrie Fires, Plumas NF 18
Led field trip to Traverse Creek Botanical Special Interest Area, Eldorado NF Attended three-day fire science retreat at Yosemite National Park Participated in fire science expert panel at the Society for Environmental Journalism annual conference
Forest Planning/NEPA Completed Southern Sierra Nevada Fisher Conservation Strategy Led Team for development of California Spotted Owl Conservation Strategy and completed initial draft Strategy Co-leading Resiliency scientific working group to address the balance between habitat retention and resilience for species conservation in the face of environmental change Translated California Spotted Owl Interim Recommendations (IRs) into plan components and aided Forests in incorporating IRs into project alternatives Translated Pacific Fisher Conservation Strategy into plan components Reviewed NWFP Science Synthesis chapters Provided general support to forest planning on Inyo NF, Sequoia NF, and Sierra NF Working on numerous Natural Range of Variation assessments for support of NWFP forest planning Reviewed compatibility of Region 6 and Region 5 data layers for forest planning
Research Natural Areas – USDA Strategic Goals 2.1, 2.4. USFS Strategic Goals 1, 3, 7. R5 Priority 1. Manager, Regional Research Natural Areas Program Reviewed multiple proposals for scientific research and management actions in Region 5 RNAs Carried out field visit to Indiana Summit RNA after control of the Washington Fire, Inyo NF
Other Worked with Northern Province and Klamath NF staff to prepare paperwork for hiring of assistant province ecologist Entered into roughly 8 new agreements with partners including Universities, NGOs, and other Agencies; modified approximately twelve existing agreements to expand partnerships and scopes of work International missions and support: o Ecological, planning, and training support in Republic of Congo and Tanzania o Worked with UC-Davis to develop agenda and lead International Climate Change and Natural Resources Management Seminar in May, 2016 19
o Taught two field days for Mandela Washington Fellowship – Young African Leaders program, on LTBMU, July, 2016 o Hosted visiting Spanish PhD student for two weeks in March, he studies fire severity mapping in Mediterranean forests o Participated in climate change and montane forest management workshop, Serra dos Órgãos National Park, Brazil, June, 2016 o Participated in fire science and fire management workshop with Humboldt Institute, Bogotá, Colombia, and carried out field review of forest restoration projects, June o Attended the Fire 2016 conference in southern France, participated in fire science outreach special session, May, 2016
REP/CALIFORNIA FIRE SCIENCE CONSORTIUM COST SHARE
Climate Change Coauthored new chapter on fire and climate change for 2nd edition of Fire in California Ecosystems Member of organizing committee and field trip coordinator for 2016 Climate Change Adaptation and Natural Areas Management conference
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Coordinated program of work for Sierra Nevada section of California Fire Science Consortium (CFSC) Wrote and oversaw completion of nine science briefs on important publications in fire and vegetation ecology and management Organized CFSC field trips to Indiana Summit Recreation Area and King Fire Hosted four distinguished speakers on forest ecology and management topics as a part of the FERAL lecture series at UC-Davis Attended annual meetings and conference calls for CFSC Appeared on NPR’s Science Friday live at the Mondavi Center on UC Davis, discussing the current bark beetle epidemic
Inventory and Monitoring Co-Investigator on study evaluating treatment effectiveness to mitigate bark beetle induced mortality across the Sierra Nevada Lead author on publication in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences titled Increased water deficit decreases Douglas-fir growth throughout western US forests 20
REP/UC-DAVIS ECOLOGY COST SHARE (50% position)
Climate Change Program committee co-chair and member of central organizing committee for the 2016 Natural Areas Conference: Climate Change Adaptation and Natural Areas Management. This conference on the UC Davis campus drew over 600 attendees, and included over 300 presentations in 34 sessions
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Designed and implemented a study examining the relationship between pre-fire bark beetle mortality and subsequent wildfire severity in California’s mixed-conifer forests Wrote a research brief for the California Fire Science Consortium website on a recent journal article related to Sierra Nevada wildfire
Inventory and Monitoring Carried out study design and collected pre-treatment data for a project monitoring the ecological effectiveness of USFS fuels reduction and ecological restoration treatments on red fir (Abies magnifica) forests of the Sierra Nevada Carried out database management and analyses for a Lake Tahoe Basin meadow monitoring project
Other Hired field crews to support multiple R5 Ecology Program projects; served as liaison between crews and UC Davis human resources personnel; monitored crew funding and budgets
Surveying snow pack in the Carson Range 21
Happy hour after FERAL lecture, UC-Davis Ecology Program annual meeting, Santa Barbara
Ecology Program staff at postfire restoration workshop, Yosemite National Park
Training field crews to sample forest structure and composition
Doris Duke Conservation Scholars field day, Sagehen Reserve, collaboration with UC Santa Cruz 22
PROVINCE ECOLOGY PROGRAMS
CENTRAL SIERRA PROVINCE
Provincewide
Climate Change Worked with Southwest Science Climate Center on their Climate Extremes project to spatially model median day’s thermal tolerance for the spotted owl Received CA LCC award for collaborative project with DRI, CSP, and USGS titled: “Decision support for meadow conservation and restoration in the Sierra Nevada Ecoregion leveraging landscape-scale retrospective and near real-time data to enhance understanding of vulnerabilities and adaptation options under changing climate” Submitted two climate hub proposals: “Informing Landscape-Scale Forest Restoration to Achieve Resilient Adaptive Ecosystems in the N. Sierra Nevada” and “Effectiveness of forest mgt treatments at reducing drought and bark-beetle caused tree mortality in California” Presented on Climate, fire, insect and disease in California at R5 Tree Mortality Insect and Disease Workshop, February 2016
Ecological Restoration Hosted Red Fir workshop (McClellan 2 December 2016) to synthesize the current science information pertaining to red fir forest ecology, and discuss a range of approaches and ideas in the restoration and monitoring of red fir forests in California Submitted proposal to FHP titled “Developing restoration priorities appropriate for the ecological condition and structure of whitebark pine in California.” Participated in 2016 CalTrout Meadows Workshop and provided review of Sierra Meadows Partnership Strategy (draft 1 and draft 2) Participated on Western Aspen Alliance Steering Committee
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Collaborated with the ecology program on development of the Post Fire Restoration strategy o Attended Post Fire Restoration Workshop in Wawona with PSW researchers, R5 Ecology Group, Remote Sensing Lab and forest staff to determine the overview of a post fire restoration strategy o Organized and developed Post Fire Restoration Assessment group 23
o Worked with strategy group to develop strategy o Worked with Case Study group to develop basis for case studies Received FHP funding to support collaborative project with Southern Sierra Province: “Effectiveness of forest management treatments at reducing drought and bark-beetle caused tree mortality in California” o Developed sampling protocol o Worked with forest staff to identify plots in forest management treatments on all Central Sierra forests. Completed two publication briefs for the California Fire Science Consortium summarizing pertinent research in fire ecology for managers Worked with Wildfire Risk and Fuel Treatment Analysis group to determine Vegetation Condition Response Functions and Highly Valued Resources and Assets (HVRA) in preparation for forest planning Participated on Southern Sierra Prescribed Fire Council Steering Committee Attended and presented at the Association for Fire Ecology Meeting, San Antonio Participated in drought working group to support submission of Joint Fire Science Proposal Submitted journal article to Ecosphere titled, “Factors influencing fire severity under moderate burning conditions in the Klamath Mountains, northern California, USA” Participated on Sequoia Work Group Presented talk entitled, “Responding to Disturbance: Post-Fire Management in the King and Rim Fires” at the Southwest Climate Summit in Sacramento, CA Collaborated with the Remote Sensing Lab to validate EDART (change detection software) in areas where beetle mortality is occurring
Forest Planning/NEPA Worked with ACCG to disseminate scientific information to support project planning through presentations and field visits with the planning committee and the full group Collaborated with local analyst to identify landscape attributes correlated with presence of fens in California
Inventory and Monitoring Worked with the Amador-Calaveras Consensus Group (ACCG) monitoring work group to develop monitoring strategy and monitoring templates for Social/Economic, Implementation, Collaborative, and Ecological Monitoring Participated in Sierra LiDAR Coordination Working Group
Other Activities Maintained red card certification. 24
Central Sierra Ecology Program presentation to Forest Leadership Team on the Tahoe Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Stanislaus, and Tahoe National Forests Contributed to R5 Ecology program Highlight report for 2014/2015 Participated on an International Programs Detail in Tanzania with Tuungane Group o Attended first detail for 3 weeks in February and second detail in July o Prepared 2 reports in collaboration with Tuungane Group and International Programs Attended Region 5 Annual and Mid-Year Ecology Meetings in Southern California and Southern Sierra Province Filled first Associate Ecologist position in the Central Sierra Province Hired two field crews (4 employees) through UC Davis: Central Sierra Province focused crew and Crew to sample treatment effectiveness in bark beetle mortality areas in Southern Sierra and Central Sierra provinces
Eldorado National Forest
Climate Change Worked with FS library to compile list of all published literature that occurred on the ENF. Provided this information to climate change coordinator as accomplishment for research and monitoring elements.
Ecological Restoration Attended Association for Fire Ecology Meeting, San Antonio and presented information on the Caples Restoration Project Published 2014 King Fire Fuel Treatment Effectiveness with collaborative group
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Presented on “Living with Fire” tour field trip with the Society for Environmental Journalists Collaborated with UC Berkeley researchers on King fire study looking at “Detecting conifer regeneration patterns across a gradient of high severity” Worked with Post-Doc from UC Davis to resample Long Fire Common Stand Exam plots to look at vegetation changes in managed wildfires in the Sierra Nevada Worked with PhD student from UC Merced looking at “Long-term mycorrhizal responses to wildfire in the South Fork of the American River”
Forest Planning/NEPA Provided review and ecological support to Panther Fuels Reduction and Forest Health NEPA and collaboration in ACCG 25
Presented to the South Fork of the American River Cohesive Strategy providing them background on the history of the project area
Inventory and Monitoring Trained botany forest staff on R5 range monitoring protocol to monitor vegetation response of Cody Meadow plug and pond restoration project Peavine RNA monitoring work (ID, plant collection organization, FY15 data updates) Participated in securing funding and contributing to project development for three projects in the Power Fire: o Long, J. et al. Restoring services provided by California black oak in the Power Fire o North, M. Use of prescribed fire and its effects on forest regeneration, shrubs and stand development. (Included IDT participation and guidance for NEPA) o Zhang, J. et al. Identifying desired conditions for plantation management and providing tools to identify planting and thinning techniques to reach desired conditions Collaborated on Power Fire projects with Point Blue and Institute of Bird Populations Participated with Amador to help develop district monitoring strategy that supports the ACCG monitoring goals Caples Creek Aspen Monitoring, 26 plots at 2 locations: Schneider meadow, Martin Mdw Power Fire LIDAR Validation, 29 plots in 6 strata
Other Activities Mentored FS employees on ecological undergraduate and graduate education and careers
Stanislaus National Forest
Climate Change Worked with FS library to compile list of all published literature that occurred on the SNF. Provided this information to climate change coordinator as accomplishment for research and monitoring elements.
Ecological Restoration Provided input on red fir monitoring project on Hemlock Project
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Participated on Stanislaus Long Term Tree Mortality Strategy Team Established 70 monitoring plots for effectiveness of forest management treatments at reducing drought and bark-beetle caused tree mortality. 13 plots on Calaveras, 20 plots on Groveland, and 27 plots on MiWok 26
Forest Planning/NEPA Provided support to the Yosemite Stanislaus Solutions Group on reforestation proposal for the Rim Fire Reforestation EIS
Inventory and Monitoring Collaborated with UC Berkeley researchers on Rim Fire study, “Post-fire vegetation trajectories in severely burned areas: using field and GIS-based methods to predict conifer regeneration and vegetation change at landscape scales” Participated with Calaveras to help develop Hemlock monitoring strategy that supports the ACCG monitoring goals Worked with Gordon Long from The CalFauna Foundation to determine how Sierra-wide beetle mortality is impacting mammal species
Other Activities Collaborated and provided guidance to graduate students from UC Berkeley and provided research guidance and career mentoring
Tahoe National Forest
Climate Change Worked with FS library to compile list of all published literature that occurred on the TNF. Provided this information to climate change coordinator as accomplishment for research and monitoring elements.
Ecological Restoration Provided input on Sunnyside Farm Bill CE project
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Worked with forest staff to develop protocol for prescribed burning in previously treated aspen stands
Forest Planning/NEPA Participated with working group on developing Historic Range of Variability and Future Range of Variability of the Yuba River Watershed (Pendola Fire) o Thesis completed on “Modeling historical and future range of variability scenarios in the Yuba River Watershed, Tahoe National Forest, California” o Completed report on Phase I work: McGarigal K, M Mallek, B Estes, H Safford, M Tierney, T Walsh, T Thane, S Cushman. 2016. Modeling historical range of variability and 27
future land management scenarios in the Yuba River watershed, Tahoe and Plumas National Forests, California. Report to the USDA Forest Service, Region 5 o Began collaborative process on future scenario planning developing treatment type scenarios based on current and alternative forest land use planning Presented results of Yuba River HRV project to the forest staff
Inventory and Monitoring Enhancement Projects, specifically prescribed burning based on Jones et al. 2005 Effectiveness Monitoring of Aspen Regeneration on Managed Rangelands. A monitoring method for determining if management objectives are being met in aspen communities. Continued work with the Remote Sensing Lab to quality check forest LiDAR products
Other Activities Served on thesis committee for MS Student at University of Massachusetts Amherst
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Climate Change Climate change coordinator role: worked with leadership to complete climate change scorecard responses Worked with FS library to compile list of all published literature that occurred on the LTB
Ecological Restoration EA and DN completed and signed for Restoration of Fire Adapted Ecosystems – IDT co-lead Developed implementation plan for restoration (conifer removal, burning, and headcut repair) at Benwood and Star meadows to be implemented in FY17 (from Restoration of Fire Adapted Ecosystems DN)
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Reviewed Heavenly Ski Resort Pinus albicaulis strategy Contributed to in prep article: “Berrill, J.P. et al. Curtailing Succession: Removing Conifers Enhances Understory Light and Growth of Young Aspen in Mixed Stands around Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada, USA. To be submitted early FY17
Forest Planning/NEPA IDT member for Lake Tahoe West Collaborative Landscape project. Collaborated with science team, IDT and worked on Landscape Assessment to determine project boundary Completed climate change section for Taylor Tallac Restoration project NEPA 28
Inventory and Monitoring Provided input and guidance on biological and ecological monitoring questions for the Lake Tahoe Basin Forest Plan Monitoring Plan Provided guidance and input on development of stream temperature monitoring plan. Managed ecosystem monitoring program (planning, budget, reporting) Worked with collaborators to update Blackwood TMDL language specific to veg monitoring Worked on sensitive plant habitat model analysis Reviewed monitoring report for TESP plan species Analyzed mussel relocation study data and presented results at Society for Freshwater Science Meeting and for the Upper Truckee River working group: “Western Pearlshell Mussel (Margaritifera falcata) Native Mussel Relocation Study”, May 2016 Completed public factsheet: “Western Pearlshell Mussel (Margaritifera falcata), Upper Truckee River Forest Service Relocation Efforts To Date July 2016.” Reanalyzed data in response to comments for manuscript: “Plant functional types in relation to disturbance and hydrologic gradients in mountain meadows, California, USA” for the journal Ecosphere – to be resubmitted in early FY17 Heavenly Creek SEZ, final monitoring 12 plots Blackwood Vegetation Monitoring, in two phases 30 plots Mussel Relocation Pilot Study, 37 plots in 8 reaches Pile burn monitoring in Aspen, post treatment effectiveness 3 plots at Skunk Harbor
Other Provided analysis guidance to CA State Park biologists regarding long term monitoring diversity/burning dataset Collaborated with Sarah Hall, University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student on her thesis: “Conifer encroachment as a consequence of stream restoration in montane meadows of the Lake Tahoe area, California”
29
Designing field protocols for measuring western pine Sampling tree ages in the Long Fire area, Eldorado beetle mortality with UC-Davis partners, Stanislaus NF National Forest
Field trip with Amador-Calaveras Consensus Group CFLRP, Stanislaus National Forest
Visiting prescribed fire at Meeks Bay, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Aspen monitoring in a thinned stand, Tahoe National Forest 30
NORTHERN PROVINCE
Provincewide
Climate Change Completed 5-year updates of the Climate Change Trend Summaries for each of the four Northern Province Forests, December 2015 Province Lead for the Northern California Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment o Workshops in Arcata and Redding, March 2016 Co-author of the chapter on climate change for the Northwest Forest Plan Science Synthesis Presented to Six Rivers and Klamath area Tribes and other interested parties on the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and forest plan revision process at a climate change symposium organized by the Karuk Tribe Participated in the Fire Mitigation and Forest Health Workshop for the Maycamas to Berryessa Coast Range Region focused on climate change and fire at the Pepperwood Preserve
Ecological Restoration Participant in post-fire restoration workshop in Yosemite and associated calls and subgroups, Oct 2015 o Co-author for strategy workgroup chapter of in-progress GTR Completed first field season of monitoring of vegetation recovery and the implementation of the Restoration Strategy for the 2004 Sims Fire Expanded engagement with Humboldt State University professors and students in the areas of ecological restoration, climate change, and fire management
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Co-taught Fire Effects (RX-310) at Redwoods National Park, April 2016 Maintained fireline red card qualifications as Ecologist, Resource Advisor (READ), and Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Advisory committee member for the Northern California section of the California Fire Science Delivery Network Member of the Northern Province Strategic Fire Planning Group Core member of the Mid-Coastal Mountain Wildfire Risk Assessment for the Northern Province – associated calls, webinars, and reviews Participated in the Vegetation Response Function Workshop at McClellan Wildland Fire Training Center for the Mid-Coastal Mountain Wildfire Risk Assessment, Aug 2016 31
Ongoing collaboration and province point-of-contact for Port Orford Cedar issues and root disease with PNW in R6 Modeling of dry/moist forest boundaries for R5 Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) Survey and Manage Coordinator for Research Natural Areas (RNAs) in the Klamath, Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity, and Six Rivers National Forests Began compiling analysis of Research Natural Areas in California with Regional Ecology Program colleagues Met with researchers from Humboldt State University, PSW-Redwood Sciences Laboratory, and PSW-Redding Silviculture Laboratory to facilitate ongoing collaborations Continued participation with graduate students, tribal members, professors, agency employees, and community members interested in research in the Klamath Mountains – Karuk Collaborative Participant in post-fire restoration workshop in Yosemite in Oct. 2015 Wrote two book chapters on fire ecology and traditional fire management practices currently in press in an edited volume by the University of Utah Press Reviewer for the new Terrestrial Condition Framework for the Washington Office
Forest Planning/NEPA Began pre-assessment work for the upcoming forest plan revision process: o Co-author, core management team member, and reviewer for the NWFP Science Synthesis o Northern Province lead for the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment o Mid-Coast Wildfire Risk Assessment o Natural Range of Variability Assessments Member of the joint R5/R6 Ecological Sustainability Workgroup formed to identify data layers for use in forest plan revision and resolve conflicts between R5 and R6 layers Collaborated with R5 Remote Sensing Lab to continue implementation of local updates and corrections to existing vegetation mapping and to facilitate roll-out of the new EVEG layers for the Northern Province forests Continued collaboration with the R5 Remote Sensing Lab to create and ground truth a seral stage geospatial interface (GI) tool for the Northwest Forest Plan forests Continued working with Northwest Forest Plan forest wildlife biologists and the R5 Remote Sensing Lab to create revised NSO and other threatened and endangered (T&E) species habitat crosswalks within the R5 existing vegetation GIS layers Participated in R5-wide conference calls on whitebark pine and red fir ecology and management issues 32
Compiled complete electronic versions of all known Research Natural Area Establishment Reports with the assistance of the Forest Botanists and PSW
Inventory and Monitoring Supervised summer field crew of four Humboldt State University students o Whitebark pine monitoring o Red fir monitoring o Sims Fire restoration monitoring o Lassics lupine Participant in a workshop on red fir health in California, December 2015 Ongoing compilation and organization of data from previous Province Ecologists – supervising a volunteer student from Humboldt State University to scan ecology plot cards for upload into a database
Other Adjunct Professor in the Department of Forestry and Wildland Resources at Humboldt State University Graduate student thesis committee advisement: o Drew Bost, M.S. student, Humboldt State University, Assessing forest mortality using Landsat-derived Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) in the Russian Wilderness, California, USA Certified as Senior Ecologist by the Ecological Society of America Reviewed scientific manuscripts for: o Ecology o Energy for Sustainable Development o Forest Ecology and Management o International Journal of Wildland Fire o Journal of Arid Environments Attended and presented program goals and accomplishments at the Regional Ecology Program Annual Meeting in March 2016 Maintained professional memberships with the Ecological Society of America, Association for Fire Ecology, Natural Areas Association, California Native Plant Society, and the International Association of Wildland Fire Basic first aid and CPR refresher Executed a new Cost-Share Agreement with Humboldt State University to provide collaborative ecological field data collection and monitoring support to the Klamath, Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity, and Six Rivers National Forests Safety Journey and other mandatory training 33
Maintained international passport Continued hiring process for Northern Province Associate Ecologist position
Six Rivers National Forest
Climate Change Completed 5-year update of the Climate Change Trend Summary for Six Rivers National Forest, December 2015 Provided project-level support on climate change questions Provided input for the climate change scorecard Presented to the SRF FLT on the Climate Change Trend Summary and the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Presented to Six Rivers and Klamath area Tribes and other interested parties on the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and forest plan revision process at a climate change symposium organized by the Karuk Tribe
Ecological Restoration Ongoing support to the Western Klamath Restoration Partnership (WKRP) for meetings, field visits, monitoring, modeling, LiDAR, and science core team participation Completed first field season of monitoring of vegetation recovery and the implementation of the Restoration Strategy for the 2004 Sims Fire Ongoing support to Sims Fire Restoration Strategy ID team for the Six Rivers and Shasta- Trinity National Forests Assisted with LiDAR data processing and coordination with RSL for the Sims Fire restoration planning effort Established new cost-share agreement with HSU Sponsored Programs Foundation to conduct monitoring for the Sims Fire Restoration projects
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Provided support and roll-out assistance to the R5 Remote Sensing Lab for the new Six Rivers existing vegetation layer Worked with the R5 Remote Sensing Lab to ensure the inclusion of Ukonom Ranger District in Six Rivers data deliverables Worked with Six Rivers wildlife biologists and program manager to build wildlife queries for new existing vegetation layer Participated in the Six Rivers fuels planning meeting, January 2016 Provided project support as requested to SRF Fire and Natural Resources staffs 34
Forest Planning/NEPA Presented to the SRF FLT on the status of the Northwest Forest Plan Science Synthesis, dry/moist forest boundary line, and natural range of variation assessments Provided support for the Yurok Cultural and Ceremonial Revitalization Project within the Yurok Experimental Forest and Research Natural Area
Inventory and Monitoring Provided input for year-end WFRP monitoring report for Northern Province Ecology Program budget in WFHF
Other Met with Six Rivers NF Line Officers to facilitate future coordination and build FY 2016 program of work Participated in a handful of Six Rivers program of work and workforce planning meetings
Klamath National Forest
Climate Change Completed 5-year update of the Climate Change Trend Summary for Klamath National Forest, December 2015 Presented to Six Rivers and Klamath area Tribes and other interested parties on the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and forest plan revision process at a climate change symposium organized by the Karuk Tribe Provided project-level support on climate change questions as requested Provided input for the climate change scorecard as requested
Ecological Restoration Ongoing support to the Western Klamath Restoration Partnership (WKRP) for meetings, field visits, monitoring, modeling, LiDAR, and science core team participation Provided support and review for the Sugar Creek Research Natural Area management strategy
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Provided support and roll-out assistance to the R5 Remote Sensing Lab for the new Klamath existing vegetation layer Published manuscript in Fremontia (Jan 2016) on ongoing research in Sugar Creek: o DeSiervo, M.H., E.S. Jules, M.E. Kauffmann, D.S. Bost, and R.J. Butz. Revisiting John Sawyer and Dale Thornburgh’s 1969 vegetation plots in the Russian Wilderness: a legacy continued 35
Submitted manuscript for publication in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research on tree health in the Russian Wilderness: o DeSiervo, M.H., E.S. Jules, D.S. Bost, E.L. De Stigter, and R.J. Butz. Patterns and drivers of recent tree mortality in diverse conifer forests of the Klamath Mountains, CA. Facilitated discussions and executed an agreement between Penn State University, PSW Redding, the Klamath National Forest, and the Shasta-Trinity National Forest to conduct modeling of spatial controls on fire severity in the Klamath Mountains
Forest Planning/NEPA Provided support for the Westside Fire Recovery project as requested Provided support to KNF Fire and Natural Resources staffs as requested
Inventory and Monitoring Provided ecological monitoring section for the FY 2015 Monitoring and Evaluation Report Provided funding and support to Humboldt State University and the Forest to resample Sawyer and Thornburgh ecology plots in Sugar Creek Research Natural Area and Duck Lakes Botanical Area from the 1960s Conducted red fir monitoring in and adjacent to the Yellow, Hancock, Jake, Titus, and King Titus fire footprints as part of a region-wide look at red fir forest health in active fire regime landscapes
Other Met with Klamath NF staff to build FY 2016 program of work Coordinated with KNF staff regarding transfer of Province Ecologist equipment, data, and materials from Happy Camp Ranger District to the SRF
Mendocino National Forest Climate Change Completed 5-year update of the Climate Change Trend Summary for Mendocino National Forest, December 2015 Provided project-level support on climate change questions as requested Provided input for the climate change scorecard as requested Presented to the FireScape Mendocino Workshop in Upper Lake in April 2016 on the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Presented to the FireScape Mendocino Workshop in Paskenta in September 2016 on climate change and tree mortality Presented to the FireScape Landscape-Scale Vegetation working group on climate change and ecological processes in the FireScape area 36
Presented on the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and forest plan revision process at a meeting with local Tribes, USFS, and BLM
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Provided support and roll-out assistance to the R5 Remote Sensing Lab for the new Mendocino existing vegetation layer o Participated in the FireScape large-scale vegetation subgroup field exercise to the Pine Mountain project in Upper Lake o Provided support and field plot data to the R5 Remote Sensing Lab for the update of the Mendocino existing vegetation layer
Forest Planning/NEPA Presented to the MNF FLT on climate change, Northern Province program of work, and the R5 Ecology Program in November, 2015 Participated in FireScape Mendocino collaborative meetings and the Landscape-Scale Vegetation working group calls, meetings, and field exercises
Inventory and Monitoring Established a plan for future knobcone pine monitoring on the forest with the MNF Fire Ecologist, Rick Mowery
Other Met with Mendocino NF natural resources and fire and fuels staffs to facilitate future coordination and build FY 2016 program of work Provided support to MNF Fire Ecologist and Natural Resources staff as requested
Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Climate Change Completed 5-year update of the Climate Change Trend Summary for Shasta-Trinity National Forest, December 2015 Provided project-level support on climate change questions Provided input for the climate change scorecard
Ecological Restoration Completed first field season of monitoring of vegetation recovery and the implementation of the Restoration Strategy for the 2004 Sims Fire Ongoing support to Sims Fire Restoration Strategy ID team for the Six Rivers and Shasta- Trinity National Forests 37
Assisted with LiDAR data processing and coordination with RSL for the Sims Fire restoration planning effort Established new cost-share agreement with HSU Sponsored Programs Foundation to conduct monitoring for the Sims Fire Restoration projects
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Provided support and roll-out assistance to the R5 Remote Sensing Lab for the new Shasta- Trinity existing vegetation layer Facilitated discussions and executed an agreement between Penn State University, PSW Redding, the Klamath National Forest, and the Shasta-Trinity National Forest to conduct modeling of spatial controls on fire severity in the Klamath Mountains Provided support and field plot data to the R5 Remote Sensing Lab for the update of the Shasta-Trinity existing vegetation layer
Inventory and Monitoring Submitted manuscript for publication in Madroño on Shasta snow-wreath monitoring: o Jules, E.S., J.I. Jackson, R.J. Butz, and H.M. Kurkjian. Population structure and site characteristics of the rare Shasta snow-wreath (Neviusia cliftonii) Conducted whitebark pine monitoring in and adjacent to the Yellow, Hancock, Jake, Titus, and King Titus fire footprints as part of a region-wide look at red fir forest health in active fire regime landscapes
Other Met with Shasta-Trinity NF Natural Resources Staff Officer to build FY 2016 program of work Provided support to SHF Fire and Natural Resources staffs as requested
International Tanzania – provided GIS, land management planning, and ecology support to the Tuungane Project, a consortium of The Nature Conservancy, Pathfinder International, and the Frankfurt Zoological Society, that is focused on village land tenure, management planning, and forest conservation (February and July 2016)
Mount Lassic Wilderness, Six Rivers National Forest 38
Regeneration monitoring, 2004 Sims Fire, Shasta- Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests
Red fir forest health monitoring, Klamath National Forest
Northern Province ecology field crew, their first day on the job!
Meeting with partners, Mendocino FireScape Collaborative, Mendocino National Forest
Monitoring Lassics lupine in the Mount Lassic Wilderness, Six Rivers National Forest 39
SIERRA CASCADE PROVINCE
Provincewide
Ecological Restoration Worked with the Regional Ecology Program and researchers from the Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) to develop a comprehensive post-fire restoration strategy for Region 5
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Published manuscript in Ecological Applications (Coppoletta et al. 2016) that investigated the factors that influence reburn severity in five overlapping fires on the Plumas and Lassen National Forests (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1890/15-0225/full); presented findings from the study at: o The 6th International Fire Ecology and Management Congress: Advancing Ecology in Fire Management. San Antonio, Texas. (November 16-20, 2015) o The Plumas National Forest Integrated Post-Fire Restoration Symposium (April 7, 2016) o The Mendocino National Forest Leadership Team meeting (April 20, 2016) Organized a field trip to discuss management of fire-adapted serotinous species such as Baker cypress attended by scientists and managers from Humboldt State University, the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the USDA Forest Service Awarded $279,393 in grant funding from the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) to investigate the effects of post-fire management on vegetation and fuels following successive wildfires in mixed conifer forests on the Plumas and Lassen National Forests. This is a collaboration between the Sierra Cascade Province Ecology program, PSW, University of California at Berkeley, and Florida Atlantic University Participated in the California Fire Science Consortium (CFSC), a network of scientists and managers funded by the JFSPto synthesize local fire science and encourage collaboration between fire researchers, land managers, and stakeholders. Prepared the following research briefs: o Old-forest species threatened by megafires, available on the CFSC’s website at: http://www.cafiresci.org/research-publications-source/category/old-forest-species- threatened-by-megafires-research-brief o What affects fire behavior more, climate or fuels? Available on the CFSC’s website at: http://www.cafiresci.org/research-publications-source/category/what-affects-fire- climate-fuels?rq=Steel o Influence of post-fire vegetation and fuels on fire severity patterns in reburns, available on the CFSC’s website at: http://www.cafiresci.org/research-publications- 40
source/category/influence-of-post-fire-vegetation-and-fuels-on-fire-severity-patterns- in-reburns-research-brief
Inventory and Monitoring Hired and supervised a field crew responsible for installing LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) verification plots throughout Regions 5 and 6 in collaboration with the PSW. Data from these plots will be used to derive metrics (e.g. canopy cover, basal area, tree density) for use in restoration planning and monitoring efforts
Forest Planning/NEPA Provided input on wildfire risk assessments being developed by Region 5 as part of the revision process for the Sierra Nevada forest plans
Other Served as a member of the regional Research Natural Areas (RNA) committee. Reviewed and approved research permits for RNAs across the region Contributed to curriculum development for the national fire science education program Fireworks, developed by the Rocky Mountain Research Station Obtained an additional $413,348 in program funding through matching funds, grants, cooperative agreements and special projects, including post-fire restoration, Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration, and forest plan revision Hired and supervised the following positions: o a GS-11 Associate Ecologist as an 120-day promotional detail o two Feather River College student interns o two GS-5 field assistants o a graduate student from Colorado State University Lead a field trip on forest ecology for agency lawyers from the Department of Justice and the Office of General Counsel as part of the Forestry for Lawyers field course
Lassen National Forest
Ecological Restoration Collaborated with the PSW and Pennsylvania State University on a study funded by the JFSP investigating vegetation succession in the Lassen National Forest pineries (old-growth ponderosa pine forest) o Coordinated and participated in data collection, which included collecting vegetation and fuels data in 107 circular 0.08-hectare (ha) plots and stem mapping trees in six 1-ha plots 41
o In collaboration with PSW, developed a comprehensive safety plan for field work, which included coordinating with law enforcement, developing an evacuation plan with the Almanor Ranger District of the Lassen National Forest, and utilizing inReach satellite devices to communicate with crew members on a daily basis
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Collected second year of data at permanent monitoring plots within the 2014 Eiler Fire perimeter on the Lassen National Forest to identify factors that influence post-fire regeneration of Baker cypress and determine how post-fire conditions, such as shrub and canopy cover, influence Baker cypress seedling survival over the long-term Collected stand condition data in Lassen National Park and the Lassen National Forest to evaluate health, structure, and composition of red fir forests with active fire regimes as part of a region-wide effort to develop reference conditions for this vegetation type Co-authored a poster describing the post-fire responses of fire dependent species after the 2014 Eiler Fire on the Lassen National Forest: o Bovee, K.; Merriam, K. 2016. Rejuvenation of Fire-Dependent Rare Plants: Responses of Hesperocyparis bakeri and Iliamna bakeri to the 2014 Eiler Fire and Management Implications. Poster presentation given at: 2016 Northern California Botanists Symposium: Plant Adaptations: Research, Conservation, and Management. California State University, Chico, California. January 11-12, 2016
Inventory and Monitoring Served as the monitoring coordinator for the Burney Hat Creek (BHC) Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project (CFLRP), which included: o Coordinating the multiparty monitoring working group o Completing the annual BHC CFLRP monitoring report o Attending local and regional (e.g. Dinkey Science and Monitoring Symposium) collaborative meetings o Coordinating all BHC CFLRP-related monitoring efforts Hosted a webinar to present and discuss monitoring results from the 2015 field season to the Burney-Hat Creek Community Forest and Watershed Collaborative Group (http://sierrainstitute.us/bhccfwg-meeting-agendas-and-notes/) Led the development of the BHC CFLRP Multiparty Monitoring Strategy: o Convened four focus groups to identify and refine key ecological monitoring questions related to: botanical resources (including invasive species); hydrology and soils; wildlife and aquatic species; fire and fuels; and ecosystem resilience o Identified and drafted 18 broad ecological monitoring questions and 40 associated sub- questions Collaborated on the following FY16 monitoring activities: 42
o Coordinated installation of 14 LiDAR verification plots in collaboration with the PSW o Conducted an analysis using LiDAR to assess whether desired conditions were achieved following implementation of the Bear Wallow Timber Sale in the North 49 project area o Developed a post-treatment implementation monitoring protocol to identify what worked, what needed improvement for future projects, and provide documentation to collaborative members and stakeholders o Coordinated data collection in 30 common stand exam plots in the North 49 project to assess changes in vegetation and fuels following treatment o Developed a protocol and coordinated data collection to assess vegetation response to meadow restoration activities at Big Lake o Trained crew members and assisted with data collection to characterize understory response within different thinning treatments; this was part of a collaborative project investigating the effects of different silviculture prescriptions on snow melt dynamics on the Lassen National Forest Developed management recommendations for Penstemon personatus (closed-throated beardtongue), including : o Reviewing and analyzing existing Penstemon personatus data collected during Herger- Feinstein Quincy Library Group monitoring o Developing a monitoring plan for proposed treatment of Penstemon personatus on the Collins Almanor Forest in collaboration with the Lassen National Forest Developed a proposal in partnership with Forest Health Protection and the Lassen National Forest to assess aspen health throughout the northern Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges
Modoc National Forest
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Contributed to a revision of the Northeastern Plateaus chapter of the Fire in California’s Ecosystems book, addressing fire regimes and effects in the Modoc Plateau and Northeastern Basin and Range Ecoregions, including the Modoc National Forest Wrote chapter describing patterns of vegetation on the Modoc National Forest: Merriam, K.E. 2016. Modoc Plateau and northwestern Basin and Range. Pp 89-116 in Michael G. Barbour, Julie M. Evens, Todd Keeler-Wolf, John O. Sawyer (eds.), California’s Botanical Landscapes: A Pictorial View of the State’s Vegetation. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA
Forest Planning/NEPA Provided input on the Great Basin Science Synthesis being developed for the Modoc and Lassen National Forests 43
Drafted a bioregional assessment summarizing the historic range of variability for red fir, hardwood, and subalpine vegetation types in the Northwest Forest Plan assessment area, including portions of the Modoc National Forests. The final report will inform forest plan revision and will be available to the public
Inventory and Monitoring Published results of three-year study investigating the role of livestock grazing on the federally listed vernal pool plant Orcuttia tenuis (slender Orcutt grass) and vernal pool communities on the Modoc Plateau, including: o Merriam, K.E.; Gosejohan, M.C.; Weisberg, P.J.; Bovee, K.M. (2016). Livestock Use Has Mixed Effects on Slender Orcutt Grass in Northeastern California Vernal Pools. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 69(3), 185-194 o Gosejohan, M.C.; Weisberg, P.J.; Merriam, K.E. [accepted]. Hydrologic influences on plant community structure in vernal pools of northeastern California. Accepted pending revisions to: WETLANDS o Bovee, K.; Merriam, K.; Gosejohan, M. [accepted]. Grazing promotes overall plant species diversity, but shifts functional group dominance in montane vernal pools. Accepted pending revisions to: Applied Vegetation Science
Plumas National Forest
Ecological Restoration Worked closely with an Enterprise team and researchers from Humboldt State University to finalize survey units, project costs, treatment units, and prescriptions for restoration of serpentine habitats in the 2000 Storrie and 2008 Rich fires, and meadow and aspen stands in the 2007 Moonlight Fire Conducted 8th year of monitoring focused on the long-term ecological response of fen vegetation to livestock exclusion on the Plumas National Forest. Analyzed data, presented preliminary results, and prepared draft manuscripts for publication, including: o Merriam, K.; Coppoletta, M.; Markwith, S. 2016. On the Fens: Can Excluding Livestock Restore Degraded Fen Wetland Ecosystems? Oral presentation given at: 2016 Northern California Botanists Symposium: Plant Adaptations: Research, Conservation, and Management. California State University, Chico. California. January 11-12, 2016 o Merriam, K.E.; Markwith, S.H.; Coppoletta, M. [in prep] Excluding Livestock Alters Species Composition in Sierra Nevada Fens. In preparation for submission to Journal of Vegetation Science 44
o Markwith, S.H.; Merriam, K.E.; Coppoletta, M. [in prep] Using assessment indicators to evaluate livestock utilization in fen wetlands. In preparation for submission to Rangeland Ecology and Management Administered a $108,000 Challenge Cost Share agreement with Colorado State University to develop restoration projects for fen wetland ecosystems in the Bucks Lake Wilderness on the Plumas National Forest
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Oversaw implementation of 235-acre fuel treatment project to protect young Baker cypress from subsequent fires before they mature through a $235,000 agreement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal partners from the Mooretown Rancheria. Presented background and scientific basis for the project at the post-fire restoration symposium on the Plumas National Forest: Merriam, K.E. 2016. Baker Cypress Regeneration and Habitat Restoration. Oral presentation given at: Plumas National Integrated Post-Fire Restoration Symposium, Plumas National Forest, Quincy, CA. April 7, 2016 Designed and implemented a case study investigating different reforestation strategies (e.g. high density square-spaced planting vs. low density cluster planting) and their influence on long-term patterns of heterogeneity. Collaborated with researchers from the University of California at Berkeley, PSW, and Feather River College to stem map and collect tree data within two permanent 0.5-1 hectare plots near Antelope Lake. Entered and analyzed the data in GIS and the Forest Vegetation Simulator Assessed condition of McNab cypress population on the Feather River District of the Plumas National Forest after pile burning project designed to reduce fuel loads and promote cypress regeneration
Forest Planning/NEPA Conducted a quantitative evaluation of current meadow condition in and adjacent to the Moonlight Fire and presented findings to the Moonlight Range ID Team for use in the NEPA planning process
Inventory and Monitoring Continued implementation of the Rich Fire Restoration Astragalus webberi (Webber’s milkvetch) Habitat Enhancement Project, including: o Coordinating with Greenville High School teachers, students, and Sierra Institute summer interns to scarify seed, grow seedlings, and monitor survival of A. webberi in the greenhouse o Analyzing data and summarizing findings from over 10 years of monitoring A. webberi; presented findings at the 2016 Northern California Botanists Symposium as: 45
Coppoletta, M.; Belsher-Howe, J.; Merriam, K. One step forward and two steps back: The long journey toward conservation of a rare California endemic. Presentation given at 2016 Northern California Botanists Symposium: Plant Adaptations: Research, Conservation, and Management. CSU-Chico. January 11-12, 2016 o Initiated a new project focused on evaluating the effect of prescribed fire and pile burning on A. webberi. Established permanent monitoring plots with marked plants and manipulated fuels to simulate different fuel loadings. Also established seed plots and scraped plots (bare mineral soil) to assess germination factors o Mentoring a Quincy High School student that completed a senior project investigating the effect of shading and variable watering on A. webberi survival and growth
Other Invited speaker for Women’s history month presentation sponsored by the Plumas County Museum and the Plumas National Forest, describing pioneering botanist Rebecca Merritt Austin and her research on California pitcher plant Lead a field trip for the Environmental Sciences class at Feather River College to the Butterfly Valley Botanical Area on the Plumas National Forest
Forest ecology lesson for Forestry for Lawyers field course, UC Berkeley Meadow Valley Forestry Field Camp and Plumas National Forest
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Mapping tree spatial arrangement in a plantation on Field crews measure the height of trees planted 12 the Plumas National Forest years after wildfire, Plumas National Forest
Fen restoration field trip, Bucks Lake Wilderness, Baker cypress management field meeting with Plumas National Forest partners, Lassen National Forest
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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PROVINCE
Provincewide
Climate Change Participated and advised on climate vulnerability and adaptation workshop and products produced by EcoAdapt Member of oversight committee and Forest Service liaison for the Santa Clara Ecosystem Service and Socio-Economic Vulnerability Assessment o Reviewed funding proposals o Provided technical feedback on conservation priority assessment and MC2 vegetation and carbon modeling o Summarized R5’s approach to conducting post-fire damage and cost recovery methods o Helped develop prototype for interactive visualization tool Contributed a book chapter on “Climate Change Trends for Chaparral” Gave lecture to UCSB on USFS strategies for dealing with climate change vulnerability and adaptation Organized an oral session at the Natural Areas Conference focused on climate change impacts to the chaparral Provided expert input for EcoAdapt-led climate vulnerability assessment in grassland and oak woodlands
Ecological Restoration Member of post-fire restoration working group: o Participated in week-long session to identify need, goals and strategy o Contributed to the creation of Post-fire Ecological Assessment o Group leader for using chaparral as a case study for post-fire restoration Member of Chaparral Restoration working group, led by Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and National Forest Foundation
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Gave multiple interviews focused on future projections for conifer forests in southern California Established a southern California Fire Ecology working group to encourage dialogue between province fuels planners and ecologists Working group participant at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center in Annapolis, MD to discuss salience and wildfire Gave lecture and led field trips to recent burn areas Attended FEAT/FIREMON Integrated (FFI) fuel and vegetation summarization workshop 48
Gave fire ecology lecture for Rx 410 class Received READ/REAF certification
Forest Planning/NEPA Wrote Best Available Science and helped develop LMP monitoring strategies for climate change and focal species monitoring o Worked with Remote Sensing Lab and UC Riverside to develop focal species monitoring for exotic annual grasses Conducted review for Terrestrial Condition Class Assessment Participated in monthly regional conference calls with resource staff officers Organized symposium at the Natural Areas Conference focused on management issues facing the chaparral Participated in a multi-day NEPA training workshop Contributing editor to a Springer book focusing on “The Ecological Value of Chaparral”. Lead editor for the following chapters Plant Diversity in the Chaparral, Animal Diversity in the Chaparral and Restoration of Chaparral Landscapes
Inventory and Monitoring Established cost-share agreement with UC Santa Barbara Managed agreement budget and hired field technicians to conduct monitoring across the province Participated in urban and wildland tree pest educational workshop and outreach calls Submitted manuscript “Where have all the wildflowers gone? Exotic grass thatch creates a positive feedback suppressing native wildflowers” to the journal Oecologia for review Consulted with multiple graduate students and researchers regarding projects on National Forest lands
Angeles National Forest
Ecological Restoration Processed post-fire imagery needed to begin restoration assessment for the Sand Fire footprint
Forest Planning/NEPA Member of CA high speed rail working group
Inventory and Monitoring Provided review of UC Riverside’s approach to measuring chaparral type conversion across the Angeles NF 49
Provided feedback to California Native Plant Society and Enterprise team for Bigcone Douglas-fir mapping and monitoring
Cleveland National Forest
Climate Change Completed climate change trend summary Calculated the aboveground biomass of shrubland vegetation
Ecological Restoration Provided feedback for coastal sage scrub restoration in the San Diego River Gorge o Site visit and scouting trip o Reviewed coastal sage scrub contract and proposed restoration plan o Worked with resource staff to develop experimental design for coastal sage scrub restoration
Inventory and Monitoring Collaborated with fuels staff to establish permanent Common Stand Exams on Laguna Mountain to evaluate the effectiveness of fuel reduction activities Revisited field surveys on Palomar Mountain to measure stand and fuel structure
Los Padres National Forest
Climate Change Estimated aboveground carbon biomass for shrubland habitats Completed climate change trend summary
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Provided ecological support to the fuels officer and fuels projects, specifically the Santa Barbara Front Country Fuels Reduction project Led fieldtrips to the Rey and Sherpa Fire to enhance education about post-fire landscapes Member of the National Fish and Wildlife (NFWF) advisory team to allocate fire settlement restoration funds for the Zaca and Piru Fires o Provided technical review of NFWF business plan o Served on the advisory team to establish priorities for the Request for Proposals o Served on advisory team for project review and selection o Worked with grantees to develop projects, including identification of important questions and exploration of methodologies 50
o Collaborator on chaparral restoration project in the Piru Fire scar and on Bigcone Doug- fir spatial analysis in the Zaca Fire scar
Forest Planning/NEPA Evaluated the feasibility of selecting alternative focal species for land management monitoring Developed blue oak and grassland community monitoring plan for Happy Canyon grazing allotment project
Inventory and Monitoring Conducted surveys in pinyon pine stands with and without forest thinning. Collected stand and fuels structure data and predawn and midday pressure potential to evaluate drought stress Established long-term monitoring in Jeffrey pine stands on Frazier Mountain. Conducted common stand exams and drought stress measurements to serve as baseline data pre- treatment
San Bernardino National Forest
Forest Planning/NEPA Member of water extraction permitting IDP Team for Strawberry Creek
Inventory and Monitoring Installed long-term monitoring plots in the Lake Fire to evaluate conifer regeneration and vegetation trajectories across multiple burn severities Established long-term monitoring in the Bluff Mesa fuel reduction project to acquire baseline fuels and stand structure data before re-introduction of prescribed fire Provided technical review for “Invasive Plants of Southern California Mountains and Valleys” booklet
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Study site selection for chaparral restoration following Installing long-term monitoring plots in post-treatment type conversion from the Piru Fire, Los Padres NF conifer forests on Laguna Mountain, Cleveland NF
Evaluating drought stress of Jeffrey pine, Frazier Mountain, Los Padres NF
Conducting vegetation and regeneration surveys on the Lake Fire, San Bernardino NF
Ecology Program at the Gibraltar Fire, Santa Barbara 52
SOUTHERN SIERRA PROVINCE
Provincewide
Climate Change Served as ongoing representative in the Southern Sierra Conservation Cooperative (SSCC) MOU for SNF, INF, and SQF; SSCC partners include NPS (Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP), BLM, TNC, CBI, SNC, and other organizations o Reviewed and sponsored proposal for NPS funding focused on monitoring the effects of climate change on giant sequoia groves (SEKI, SQF, SNF) Gave presentation to the USFS R5 Climate Change Integration Team (CCIT) webinar session focused on Forest Plan Revision monitoring questions and indicators for climate change and other stressors
Vegetation, Fire and Fuels Served on California Fire Science Consortium Sierra Nevada section o Provided a California Fire Science Consortium research brief summarizing a publication focused on fire effects in Sierra Nevada forest ecosystems Served as co-PI for funded proposal entitled “Post-fire restoration to avert novel conditions in Sierra Nevada Forests” (PSW, R5 Ecology, UC Davis) Planned and facilitated R5 post-fire restoration workshop in support of the development of a comprehensive post-fire restoration strategy for terrestrial ecosystems of California o Drafted Introduction to post-fire restoration strategy draft technical report o Coordinated assessment and prioritization sections of the post-fire restoration strategy Provided technical advice to State and Private Forestry and Regional Office in the development of an ecological tree mortality response strategy based on the R5 post-fire restoration strategy
Forest Planning/NEPA Provided multiple technical reviews of Forest Plans and supporting Draft Environmental Impact Statement, especially sections on agents of change, fire management, ecological integrity, terrestrial ecosystems, other climate change relevant sections, and the plan monitoring program (Sierra, Sequoia, and Inyo NFs) Provided multiple technical reviews of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), especially the Agents of Change, Fire Management, and Ecological Integrity sections Served as main technical expert in the incorporation of the Region 5 Ecology Natural Range of Variation (NRV) assessments in the three Forest Plans and DEIS o Prepared red fir and subalpine forest GTR for publication (with PSW) 53
Assisted in ongoing technical reviews and incorporation of planning information related to the Southern Sierra fisher conservation strategy o Served on California spotted owl science team and land managers team o Provided technical input for section related to past, present, and future conditions
Inventory and Monitoring Coordinated and initiated red fir forest health monitoring project throughout Region 5 o Coordinated red fir forest inventory with multiple partners focused on natural range of variation in Sierra Nevada red fir forests (R5 Ecology, Forest Health Protection, National Park Service, PSW) o Gave two technical presentations at the USFS Region 5 Red Fir Workshop focused on red fir forest health and structure in the Sierra Nevada Coordinated ongoing forest health and tree mortality monitoring in the Sierra Nevada (R5 Ecology, Forest Health Protection, UC Davis) Assisted Dinkey Monitoring Coordinator with analysis of tree mortality data in mixed conifer stands of the Dinkey landscape
Other Provided multiple technical reviews of Southern Sierra Nevada Fisher Conservation Strategy, including foraging, diet, fire effects, and climate change sections Participated in post-fire assessment of the Indiana Summit RNA (following 2016 Clark Fire) to determine long-term ecological restoration objectives Co-organized Region 5 post-fire restoration technical workshop in October 2015 o Coordinated development of a regional post-fire restoration strategy that incorporates climate adaptation and decision support tools (ongoing) o Presented draft restoration strategy to the R5 Director of State and Private Forestry and Regional Entomologist to support restoration planning in forest mortality landscapes Provided technical information to reporter at the Mammoth Sheet related to recent tree mortality in the southern Sierra Nevada Served on selection panel for wildlife biologist/aquatic biologist position on the Sierra NF Provided professional review of science article in the Natural Areas Journal
Sierra National Forest
Climate Change Advised SNF ecosystem staff on long-term restoration approach within tree mortality landscapes impacted by climate change, drought, insect outbreaks, and fire 54
Ecological Restoration Provided technical support to the Dinkey Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project (CFLRP) o Assisted Monitoring Coordinator of the Dinkey CFLRP and served as co-chair of the Dinkey Monitoring Work Group o Coordinated LiDAR-based ecological monitoring for the Dinkey CFLRP o Served on Science and Monitoring Symposium steering committee o Provided support for annual ecological monitoring report
Vegetation, Fire, and Fuels Provided support to PSW for collaborative ecological research at Teakettle Creek RNA/Teakettle Experimental Forest (SNF) o Research was funded by the Joint Fire Science Program (2015) o Participated in and provided support to Teakettle carbon study field demonstration to Regional Office, Sierra Nevada Conservancy, California Air Resource Board, and CALFIRE
Forest Planning/NEPA Served on the Sierra NF Forest Plan Revision Interdisciplinary Team Provided technical reviews of the SNF Forest Plan
Inventory and Monitoring Coordinated tree mortality monitoring on the Sierra NF (R5 Ecology, Forest Health Protection, UC Davis)
Other Assisted SNF Ecosystem Staff Officer with conversion of Associate Province Ecologist from the Presidential Management Fellow Program to the SNF Served on selection panel for forest wildlife biologist/aquatic biologist position on the SNF
Sequoia National Forest
Forest Planning/NEPA Provided technical review of the SQF Forest Plan
Vegetation, Fire, and Fuels Provided field support and technical advisement to researchers at the University of California Davis for fire effects monitoring in the 2015 Rough Fire on the SQF and SNF 55
Attended and provided support to the Region 5 meeting focused on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the purpose of increasing the use of fire to meet ecological and other management objectives
Inyo National Forest
Inventory and Monitoring Assisted with the immediate post-fire assessment of the Indiana Summit RNA (following 2016 Clark Fire) to determine long-term ecological restoration and monitoring objectives Published manuscript entitled ‘Mortality, structure, and regeneration in whitebark pine stands impacted by mountain pine beetle in the southern Sierra Nevada’ in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research based on whitebark pine inventory (Inyo NF)
Forest Planning/NEPA Served on the INF Forest Plan Revision Interdisciplinary Team Provided focused technical review of the INF Forest Plan
Other Provided technical information to reporter at the Mammoth Sheet newspaper focused on recent tree mortality in the southern Sierra Nevada
Interagency field trip to Wawona area prescribed fires, Yosemite NP
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Forest carbon study field demonstration at Teakettle Tree mortality and restoration treatment effectiveness Experimental Forest, Sierra National Forest monitoring, Sierra National Forest
Field reconnaissance for tree mortality monitoring project, Sierra National Forest
Fire severity and bark beetle sampling following the 2015 Rough Fire, Giant Sequoia National Monument
Indiana Summit RNA field trip with CA Fire Science Consortium, Inyo National Forest
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R.E.P. SUPPORT TO USFS INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
Village forest scouts completing GPS training, Tanzania, Meeting with partners in national fire science collaboration with TNC and Frankfurt Zoo initiative, Bogotá, Colombia
International Climate Change and Nat Resource Mgt Fire Management Planning Workshop, Republic of Seminar, Sagehen Reserve, Tahoe NF Congo
Fire and climate change mgt assistance, Itatiaia Mandela Washington African Scholars field day, LTB National Park, Brazil 58
R5 ECOLOGY PROGRAM EXTERNAL PARTNERS
Bureau of Land Management (Serpentine chaparral study, Climate change adaptation conference, Baker Cypress study, OHV Monitoring, Inyo NF-BLM fuels planning) California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Rare plants monitoring, statewide vegetation mapping and classification standards, State vegetation plots database, Black Backed Woodpecker working group) California Energy Commission (Interagency Forestry Working Group) CalFire (California Fire Science Consortium, climate change adaptation conference, California fire perimeter database) California Native Plant Society (Statewide vegetation mapping standards, State vegetation plots database, chapter presentations) California State Parks (Climate change adaptation conference, LTBMU: meadow condition and trend monitoring and Emerald Point old growth inventory) Chico State University Herbarium (serpentine geoecology and fire ecology field seminars) CONAFOR-Mexican Forest Service (Baja California fire management working group) CONANP-Mexican Park Service (Baja California fire management working group, General Land Office forest structure validation study, fire severity monitoring) Conservation Biology Institute (California Spotted Owl conservation assessment, Pacific Fisher conservation assessment and atrategy, vegetation and fire modeling under future climate change scenarios) EcoAdapt (Northwestern California climate change adaptation project) Humboldt State University/Department of Biological Sciences (Chips Fire reburn study, Plumas NF; Northern Province inventory and monitoring; Sugar Creek RNA, Klamath NF) Institute for Bird Populations (Black Backed Woodpecker working group) Joint Fire Sciences Program (California Fire Science Consortium; fire-dependent cypress species study, Plumas and Klamath NFs; Beaver Creek Pinery prescribed fire study, Lassen NF) Michigan State University (Santa Clara River ecosystem services assessment, wildfire charcoal production study) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (DEVELOP National Program, Ames Research Center; fire effects on watersheds and snowpack) Natural Areas Association (National NAA board, climate change adaptation conference) National Forest Foundation (Treasured Landscapes Initiative; climate change adaptation conference, forest restoration projects) National Park Service/Santa Monica Mountains NRA (California Fire Science Consortium) 59
National Park Service/Sequoia NP (Southern Sierra Parks resource planning) National Park Service/Yosemite NP (General Land Office forest structure validation study, red fir forest health in fire-adapted landscapes ecological inventory) National Park Service/Western Pacific Region (climate change adaptation conference, California Fire Science Consortium, Southern Sierra Nevada Fire Science Integration Working Group) Natural Resource Conservation Service/Soil survey (Ecosite development) Northern California Prescribed Fire Council Point Blue Conservation Science (science advisory committee; Black Backed Woodpecker working group; bird and bat monitoring projects) PNW-Research Station (PNW) (Science Synthesis for NWFP Forest planning; NWFP: fuel treatment needs in eastside pine) PSW-Research Station (PSW) (Forest Planning science syntheses; GTR-220 & 237 implementation; Regional Research Natural Area Program; California Fire Science Consortium; Black Backed Woodpecker working group; Klamath Mountains: fire severity study; GLORIA climate change monitoring; red fir forest health ecological inventory) Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (Regional aspen initiative, Project level: Klamath NF, Lassen NF, Shasta-Trinity NF) Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) (Santa Clara River watershed ecosystem services assessment, study of fire severity and relationship to postfire avian fauna; Black Backed Woodpecker working group; assessment of socioeconomic vulnerability to climate change) Sierra Forest Legacy (Sierra Nevada forest management; southern Sierra Nevada prescribed fire council; negotiations with EPA, Cal EPA, etc., re. smoke emissions from Rx fire; fuel treatment effectiveness and ecological effects monitoring, RNA fuels management) Southern Sierra Conservation Cooperative (climate change adaptation and vulnerability assessment in the southern Sierra Nevada) Southern Sierra Fire Science Working Group (fire science symposium focused on federal lands in the southern Sierra Nevada; ecoregional federal fire management plan assessment) Southern Sierra Prescribed Fire Council (fire management in the southern Sierra Nevada) Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (Healthy Vegetation and Hazardous Fuels desired conditions and monitoring protocols; LTBMU meadow management plan; GLORIA climate change monitoring; Threshold monitoring) TerraPeninsular (Baja California fire management working group) The Nature Conservancy (climate change adaptation conference, SoCal chaparral symposium, Northern and Southern Sierra Partnership climate change adaptation planning) 60
The Wilderness Society (climate change adaptation conference, Wildland Fire Use policies; Sierra Nevada management under climate change; ecological monitoring of the Dinkey Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project) University of California- Berkeley/Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management (California Fire Science Consortium, General Land Office forest structure validation study, comparative study of current fire regimes in Sierra Nevada and Sierra San Pedro Martir, Mexico;) University of California-Berkeley, Center for Fire Research and Outreach (climate change adaptation conference, CFRO advisory committee) University of California-Davis/Department of Environmental Science and Policy (California Fire Science Consortium, Ecology Program cost-share position, General Land Office forest structure validation study, study of grazing and productivity effects on annual grassland composition, summer field crew coordination) University of California-Davis/Department of Plant Pathology (Sudden Oak Death impacts on fire severity and forest fuels) University of California-Davis/Department of Plant Sciences (study of fire and climate change effects on Sierra Nevada oaks, postfire tree regeneration inventory, study of climate effects on forest regeneration, forest structure and climate comparison study between Baja California and eastern Sierra Nevada Jeffrey pine forests) University of California-Davis/Information Center for the Environment (Santa Clara River watershed ecosystem services assessment; International Climate Change and Resource Management Seminar; FRID mapping; Wieslander VTM map digitization; resampling of 1930s VTM vegetation plots) University of California Extension (California Fire Science Consortium, southern Sierra Nevada prescribed fire council; Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Project, Tahoe Wildfire Summit, forest and fire ecology outreach) University of California-Merced (study of fire impacts on forest mycorrhizae) University of Massachusetts (historical range of variation assessments, westslope Sierra Nevada) University of Montana (Moonlight Fire postfire inventory, species habitat modeling of likely climate change effects, resampling of 1930s VTM vegetation plots) University of Nevada-Reno (Orcuttia monitoring and conservation assessment) University of Washington (various LiDAR-based forest restoration projects) US Fish and Wildlife Service (California fisher climate impact assessment; Black Backed Woodpecker working group) US Forest Service International Programs (Baja California fire management working group; Mediterranean ecosystem management initiative; International Climate Change and Resource Management Seminar; various international missions) 61
US Geological Survey/Biological Resources Division (Santa Clara River watershed ecosystem services assessment, California Fire Science Consortium, Sierra Nevada: climate change science program; S. California: multiple hazards mapping project; fire severity in chaparral fires)
Pacific Southwest Region Ecology Program and UC-Davis support staff, 2016