Apr 14 2014

Invitation to participate in the Joint Fire Science Program Knowledge Exchange Evaluation

You are invited to participate in the national evaluation of the JFSP fire science consortia. We hope you can take the time to fill out the survey – getting a variety of responses really does help to justify our program’s ongoing funding, and getting your feedback helps us to do our job more effectively. Thanks for taking the time. The survey link is:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MN92YNB

If you were at AFSC’s workshop last week, you heard us offer a chance to win “fabulous” prizes for responding to the survey. Sorry to report we just learned that offer conflicts with the survey protocol, so please do NOT notify us that you have answered the survey. But we will offer chances for “fabulous” prizes to folks who like the AFSC Facebook page before April 28. Thanks!

Here’s the official invitation from the evaluation team at University of Nevada:
We invite you to participate in the continuing evaluation of the Joint Fire Science Knowledge Exchange Program. This web-based survey focuses on the communication and application of fire science research results and resources. We are specifically interested in knowing about your opinions and experiences with the Fire Science Consortium in your region. This project is based out of the University of Nevada, Reno and includes all of the JFSP Consortia around the country. Your responses will be used to help the JFSP Consortia address your fire science information needs and ultimately enhance fire science delivery.

The survey will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete. We realize that some of you may have completed a version of this survey in the past. Continued participation of prior respondents and participation from new respondents is essential in helping the JFSP consortia progress towards their goals. Your participation in this study is voluntary, and all of your responses will remain completely confidential. Please click on the following link or copy  and paste the link into your web browser:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MN92YNB

If you have any questions or problems accessing the survey, please contact Evaluation Coordinator Lorie Sicafuse at lsicafuse@unr.edu, telephone (775) 327-2397.

Thank you for your time and involvement in helping us learn more about how to improve fire science delivery and communication in your region.

Loretta Singletary, Ph.D., Extension Educator and Professor, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (singletaryl@unce.unr.edu)

Bill Evans, Ph.D., Professor of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Human Development, University of Nevada, Reno (wevans@unr.edu)

Lorie Sicafuse, Doctoral Candidate, Interdisciplinary Social Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno (lsicafuse@unr.edu)

Lisa Maletsky, MPH, Doctoral Student, Interdisciplinary Social Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno (lmaletsky@unr.edu)

Please forward this information to any other fire science personnel or community members who can help us learn more about fire science information needs and science delivery activities in your region. Thank you!

Apr 11 2014

Upcoming webinar: Effect of Tundra Fires on Post-fire Vegetation

Teresa Hollingsworth, USFS and Amy Breen, UAF-SNAPTundra_Fire

 

Apr 28, 2014  2:00 pm – 3:00 pm  AK time. Register.

https://akfireconsortium.uaf.edu >> Events

Amy and Teresa will summarize the history of tundra fires in Alaska and share preliminary results of their research to characterize post-fire plant communities, quantify fuel accumulation, and model tundra fire regimes and vegetation dynamics.

Find the recorded webinar <HERE>.

 

Apr 9 2014

Webinar about Black Carbon in the Atmosphere

Tundra_Fire

National experts will be giving a talk to bring you up to speed on this issue if you’d like to know more about sources of soot in the atmosphere (including wildfire) and whether pollution control efforts are having any effect.  Speakers include: In-situ ground sensing: Patricia Quinn (NOAA);  Satellite remote sensing: Ralph Kahn (NASA); and Transport modeling: Mark Jacobson (Stanford).

Date: April 18, 2014  Time: 3:00-4:30 EDT (that’s 11:00-12:30 Alaska Daylight time)   Register at IARPC Collaboration website.

Find the recorded webinar <HERE>

The Atmosphere Collaboration Team of the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) is hosting the second of two webinars on black carbon which are open to the community. The intent of the second webinar is to share information about current science questions and activities related to Arctic black carbon. Experts will be on hand to share information and answer questions in an effort to inform the Atmosphere Collaboration Team of IARPC of possible future interagency activities related to Arctic black carbon.

Webinar Synopsis

Black carbon is “the second most important human emission in terms of its climate-forcing in the present-day atmosphere; only carbon dioxide is estimated to have a greater forcing.” When BC is deposited on snow and ice, it darkens an otherwise bright surface. The darker surface may enhance the absorption of solar radiation resulting in an acceleration of snow and ice melting. In addition, BC particles suspended in the atmosphere absorb solar radiation and heat the surrounding air. Atmospheric BC can also alter cloud properties leading to changes in cloud amount and precipitation. Black carbon has multiple sources including domestic combustion for heating and cooking, diesel combustion related to transportation, fossil fuel and biofuel combustion for power generation, agricultural burning, and wildfires. Identification of the sources and types of black carbon (both the geographical region of the source and the combustion process) is necessary for effectively mitigating its climate impacts. In addition, measurements of black carbon are required to verify whether implemented mitigation strategies that target BC emissions from certain sources are actually leading to reductions in BC concentrations in the Arctic atmosphere and surface. In 2013, NOAA’s Arctic Report Card added a black carbon assessment to the Atmosphere Section; the primary conclusions of the assessment are that (1) the average equivalent black carbon concentrations in 2012 at locations Alert (Nunavut, Canada), Barrow (Alaska, USA) and Ny-Alesund (Svalbard, Norway) were similar to average EBC concentrations during the last decade and (2) equivalent black carbon has declined by as much as 55% during the 23 year record at Alert and Barrow (Sharma et al. 2013).

 

Apr 4 2014

April 8th Science for Lunch: Shortened Fire Return Intervals in Alaska


Jennifer Barnes, NPS Regional Fire Ecologist

Tuesday April 8th, 12:00 pm AK time. Contact NPS Stacia Backensto for information:  907-455-0669.

The Uluksian fire of 2007 (by P. Higuera).

The Uluksian fire of 2007 (by P. Higuera).

Jennifer will discuss the results of recent NPS studies on climate change impacts to boreal forest and tundra fire regimes.

Find the recording <HERE>.

Mar 14 2014

Webinar Recording Available– 2013 Alaska Fire Modeling Lessons Learned


Lisa Saperstein, USFWS, Brian Sorbel, NPS, and Robert Ziel, DOFFireModelingLessons

Wed, March 5, 10:00 am. Visit our Vimeo page to view all our recorded webinars or find the recording <HERE>.

Organized by the Alaska Fire Modeling and Analysis Committee, this webinar employed an expert panel to look back at some of the modeling work that occurred in 2013, specifically focused on lessons learned that can be carried forward into 2014.  Some important points covered–what’s the difference between fire modeling in FSPro vs. Canadian BEHAVE system; how to tweak landscape cover and crown fire models to get reasonable results; using auxiliary information like Google Earth, Landsat imagery, and MODIS hotspots to inform your run.  Don’t forget, there is a manual–available on the FMAC page above!: FSPro Analysis in Alaska: A Users Guide

(Image: 7 day fire spread probability of Lime Hills fire, June 24, 2013, and June 30 perimeter (black line). Courtesy Lisa Saperstein.)

Mar 3 2014

Webinar Summary: What do Forest Fires, Caribou, and Monster Truck Tires have in Common? by Matt Nolan

Dr. Matt  Nolan shared results from his recent airborne photogrammetry campaigns in Alaska, and related them to possible fire and forest management applications in a webinar on February 25, 2014.  There is now a 2-page Webinar Summary about the topic and you can also watch the recorded webinar on AFSC’s website <HERE>.  Dr. Nolan is a Research Associate Professor at UAF’s Institute of Northern Engineering with degrees in geophysics and arctic and mechanical engineering. He’sNolan-Webinar-2014-THUMB_Page_1 been pioneering new high-tech uses of an old tool—the aerial photo.  With new advances in computer processing and display technologies, airborne Digital SLR Photogrammetry is an even more powerful tool for field sciences, especially in remote areas like Alaska. Compared to LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, or aerial 3D laser scanning), the low cost of DSLR photogrammetry makes it more affordable to make time-series of high-resolution maps, opening up  new possibilities for analyzing and understanding changes in the environment. Forest inventory, fire fuels assessments (like canopy height), snow depth, and post-burn vegetation recovery and monitoring are just a few examples of applications that could benefit from time-series of topographic measurements on an annual, monthly, or other repeating basis.

Dowload Webinar Summary <<LINK>>

Feb 17 2014

Outcomes Assessment: Have we learned anything from JFSP-sponsored fire research in Alaska?

Outcome Assessment: Four Alaska JFSP Projects

The Joint Fire Science Program is doing a nation-wide survey this spring (2014) to ask managers whether sponsored research in their respective regions has improved management decisions or is useful to fire management practices.  We started thinking about this for Alaska and prepared a 2-page review of a sample of four projects dating back to 2002 to see whether they have had any impact on management in Alaska, and what their outcomes appear to be today.  Principal investigators included Scott Rupp (UAF), Phil Higuera (University of Idaho), Dan Mann (UAF), and Teresa Hollingsworth (USFS-Fairbanks).  Read our review and see if you think these projects were indeed worthwhile!

Feb 10 2014

Upcoming webinar: 2013 Alaska Fire Modeling Lessons Learned and Review


Lisa Saperstein, USFWS, Brian Sorbel, NPS, and Robert Ziel, DOF

Wed, March 5, 10:00 am AK time. Register.

Find the recording <HERE>

Organized by the Alaska Fire Modeling and Analysis Committee, this webinar will take a look back at some of the modeling work that occurred in 2013, specifically focused on lessons learned that can be carried forward into 2014. We expect plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion. Target audience would be Alaska fire modelers or anyone with an interest in fire modeling in Alaska.

Image: 7 day fire spread probability of Lime Hills fire, June 24, 2013, and June 30 perimeter (black line). Courtesy Lisa Saperstein.

Jan 29 2014

Upcoming webinar: What do Forest Fires, Caribou, and Monster Truck Tires have in Common?

Tues, Feb 25, 10:00 am AK time. Register.

Link to recording <HERE>

Please join us for a very exciting chance to hear Matt Nolan of the UAF Water & Environmental Research Center, who will share results from his recent airborne DSLR photogrammetry campaigns throughout the Alaskan Arctic and the Fairbanks area.  Advances in camera, GPS, and processing technologies over just the past few years have enabled Matt to put together a relatively inexpensive photogrammetry system that is easy, fast, accurate, and precise with no ground control. Compared to lidar, the low cost of DSLR photogrammetry means that it is now affordable to make time-series of high-resolution maps, and such time-series open up many new possibilities for analyzing and understanding changes in the environment, including topography, vegetation, and disturbance.
How could these new capabilities help fire managers and researchers?

See examples of Matt’s campaigns at http://www.drmattnolan.org/photography/2013/#

Image: Orthomosaic of Beaver Log Lakes fire scar near Lake Minchumina, 2013, courtesy Matt Nolan.
Image

Jan 19 2014

Research Brief: Fire Severity Filters Regeneration Traits to Shape Community Assembly in Alaska’s Boreal Forest

Fire Severity Filters Regeneration Traits RB-2014-1thumbto Shape Community Assembly in Alaska’s Boreal Forest:  A recent paper by Hollingsworth et al. (2013) proposes that fire severity and a plant’s intrinsic regeneration strategy are key determinants in post-fire community recovery.  The authors identify species that may fare better or worse with predicted changes in Alaska’s fire regime. Hollingsworth–who is based at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks–bases her findings on a large (n = 87) and geographically diverse set of post-fire plots in interior Alaska boreal forest.

Read More >>  |  Download Research Brief PDF (850 kb)