Audio by Alexis Neukirch | USDA Forest Service | 02.17.2026
To effectively manage fire, land and fire managers need detailed, current local information – for example, the amount of burnable material present, fuel moisture levels, winds, temperatures, and terrain changes across time and space. Managers also need these data to decide where, when, and how to treat a landscape while balancing costs and benefits, projected wildfire risk, and potential......
Audio by Alexis Neukirch | USDA Forest Service | 01.29.2026
The USDA Forest Service is required to develop “land management plans,” which serve as roadmaps for maintaining the health and productivity of national forests and grasslands. These plans are designed to support ecological integrity, or an ecosystem’s ability to withstand environmental disturbance. One way that national forests and grasslands, or “planning units”, measure ecological......
Audio by Alexis Neukirch | USDA Forest Service | 01.21.2026
Until recently, wildlife habitat maps were static documents that can quickly become outdated anytime landscape conditions changed due to disturbances like wildfire, drought, and timber harvest. But now, researchers at the Rocky Mountain Research Station and their collaborators have developed an approach for producing near-real-time wildlife habitat maps using Google Earth Engine. These......
Audio by Alexis Neukirch | USDA Forest Service | 01.05.2026
When wildland firefighters head into the field, they know the work is dangerous; but until now, agencies lacked detailed data on exactly which activities and hazards posed the greatest threats. A recent analysis of five years of serious firefighter injuries offers new insights. Music courtesy of Souvenir Thread....
Audio by Alexis Neukirch | USDA Forest Service | 11.18.2025
It’s no secret that wildland fires kill trees, but are more trees killed by fire when they are already stressed from drought? New research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service indicates that prefire drought can increase tree mortality after fire, even with the same level of tree damage. Music courtesy of Souvenir Thread....
Audio by Alexis Neukirch | USDA Forest Service | 11.18.2025
Recently published research syntheses in the Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) about ground-nesting bird species of management concern describe how prescribed fire can help meet these needs for chuck-will’s-widows, eastern whip-poor-wills, and northern bobwhites. Music courtesy of Souvenir Thread....
Audio by Alexis Neukirch | USDA Forest Service | 09.08.2025
In a study led by Katie Driscoll, two stream restoration techniques were evaluated for their effectiveness in recovering degraded riparian ecosystems. The research focused on the use of Beaver Dam Analogs and plug-in ponds to address issues caused by channel incision and lowered water tables due to livestock overgrazing. By analyzing plant traits, the study aimed to assess changes in community......
Audio by Alexis Neukirch | USDA Forest Service | 08.13.2025
The video highlights the importance of science in managing ponderosa pine ecosystems, particularly regarding fire dynamics. It discusses how historical fire patterns, characterized by frequent low and mixed severity fires, have been altered by fire suppression since European settlement. Chris Suhar's synthesis of various studies reveals that while frequent fires were common, high severity......
