Fire and Environmental Research Applications Team

Fire and Climatic Variability in the Pacific Northwest:
Integrating Science and Management

FERA developed a multi-scale analysis of the relationships between climate, topography, and spatio-temporal patterns in historical fire regimes in the inland Pacific Northwest. We used existing fire history data from seven watersheds on the Okanogan-Wenatchee and Colville National Forests. Clear differences in fire regimes between the historical period (1650-1900) and the period after initiation of fire suppression in the region (after 1900) were documented.

Publications

Hessl, A.E., D. McKenzie, and R. Schellhaas. 2004. Drought and
Pacific Decadal Oscillation linked to fire occurrence in the inland
Pacific Northwest. Ecological Applications 14:425-442. Abstract [.html]

Kellogg, Lara-Karena B.; McKenzie, Donald; Peterson, David L.; Hessl, Amy E. 2008. Spatial models for inferring topographic controls on historical low-severity fire in the eastern Cascade Range of Washington, USA. Landscape Ecology. 23: 227-240.
Abstract and full text [.html]

The Fire-Climate Connection
Joint Fire Science Program. 2007. Fire Science Digest. 1(October). 12 p.
Full text [.pdf]

Final Report to the Joint Fire Science Program [.pdf]

Drought and Pacific Decadal Oscillation Linked to Fire Occurrence in the Inland Pacific Northwest -- Hessl, Amy E.; McKenzie, Don; Schellhaas, Richard. 2004. Ecological Applications. 14(2): 425-442.
Abstract [.html] Full-text [.pdf 652kb]

Using Neutral Models to Identify Constraints on Low-Severity Fire Regimes -- McKenzie, Donald; Hessl, Amy E.; Kellogg, Lara-Karena B. 2006. Landscape Ecology. 21:139-152.
Abstract and full text [.html]

Team Lead: Don McKenzie

Cooperators:

We acknowledge funding provided by the Joint Fire Science Program under Project JFSP 01-1-6-01.