Pacific Southwest Research Station

Giving you access to over 25,000 online USDA Forest Service Research publications.

Recent News Releases

• Prescribed Burning Helps Managers Avoid Soil Damage [also available as pdf]
• Pacific Southwest Research Station Scientists’ Study Contributes To Colorado Senator’s Efforts. [also available as pdf]

More About Us

• Scientist Directory
• Research Programs & Projects

Research Topics

• Air Quality
• Biological Control
• Climate Change
• Ecosystem Processes
• Fire Science
• Insect and Disease
• Invasive Species
• Recreation
• Urban Forestry
• Vegetation Management
• Water and Watersheds
• Wildlife and Fish

Science that makes a difference.

The Pacific Southwest Research Station is a world leader in natural resources research through our scientific excellence and responsiveness to the needs of current and future generations.

We represent the research and development branch of the USDA Forest Service in the states of California and Hawaii and the U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands. Our primary work occurs in California (the most populous state with the fifth largest economy in the world) and Hawaii (a strategic location in the Pacific Rim economies and tourism). Our mission is to Develop and communicate science needed to sustain forest ecosystems and their benefits to society.

PSW has issued a request for proposals for Tahoe science projects funded through SNPLMA Round 11. - This opportunity can be accessed through the Grants.gov website, which includes blank forms. To access the opportunity to compete for funding under this RFP, search for one or more of the following attributes:

Opportunity Number: USDA-FS-PSW-TAHOE-2010
Opportunity Title: Tahoe Research Supported by SNPLMA Round 11
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA): 10.652 (Forestry Research)

• Request for Proposals
• Proposal template

The request for proposals closes October 27, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. Be sure to check back to this website and the Grants.gov opportunity for any updates prior to submitting your proposal.

Carbon costs and benefits of fuel treatment - The amount of carbon stored in our forest ecosystem, mainly in living biomass and soil, is also to a lesser extent also in dead wood and litter. Understory thinning and prescribed fires reduce carbon stocks and produce emissions, but continued tree growth re-sequesters that carbon in approximately 15 years. Learn about the several carbon costs that should be considered when conducting prescribed burning or thinning to reduce tree density and surface fuel loads:

• Hurteau, Matthew; North, Malcolm. 2010. Research Brief for Forest Managers: Carbon costs and benefits of fuels treatments.
• Hurteau, Matthew; North, Malcolm. 2010. Carbon recovery rates following different wildfire risk mitigation treatments. Forest Ecology and Management [in press]
• Learn about the scientists: Matthew Hurteau, Northern Arizona University; Malcolm North, USDA Forest Service PSW

Prescribed Burning Helps Managers Avoid Soil Damage - In a study funded by the Joint Fire Science Program and the National Fire Plan, soil heating was measured during a series of experimental burns that compared several soil types and moisture contents. The study revealed that soil-moisture content greater than 20 percent by volume effectively quenched the heat pulse in a wide variety of soils. From these findings, a predictive model was presented that allows fire managers to identify fuel load and moisture conditions to avoid soil damage during burning.

• Read the full news release.
• Read the journal article : Matt D. Busse, Carol J. Shestak, Ken R. Hubbert, and Eric E. Knapp. 2010. Soil Physical Properties Regulate Lethal Heating during Burning of Woody Residues. Soil Sci Soc Am J 2010 74: 947-955.
• Learn about the scientist.

Historic Critchfield Memorial Herbarium goes digital: believed to be the largest collection of pine specimens in the world. - The Station has released the online version of the historic Critchfield Memorial Herbarium. The website includes collection information as well as a photograph of each specimen. Many specimens in the collection date back to the early 1920’s and represent an important record of the development of the field of pine taxonomy. Many influential forest geneticists deposited specimens in the herbarium. The collection includes several holotypes and isotypes- specimens used to define a species. With over 4,000 specimens, it is believed to be the largest collection of pines in the world. [Read the full news release].

Bringing the woods to kids: the Richmond Edible Forest Project - The city of Richmond represents one of the most diverse populations in Contra Costa County. It also has a high poverty rate: more than 13 percent of the residents live below the federal poverty level according to a 1999 report published by the Urban Habitat Program in San Francisco. But the Richmond Edible Forest Project hopes to help change those statistics by teaching local youth how to garden and produce a healthy food source for themselves and their communities. [Read the full news release].

Summer day camps provide fun environmental education activities for Humboldt County youth - The city recreation programs of Arcata and Eureka are offering several week-long camps focused on natural resources themes such as wildlife, forestry, aquatics and fisheries, air and space, and renewable energy. Camp participants will explore their local environment, and learn about research and careers in natural resources. The camps are supported by a special program sponsored by the USDA Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest (PSW) Research Station and contributions from community partners. [Read the full news release].

Tahoe Science:

The Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) is initiating 17 new science projects (see the attached announcement for the full list) in support of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act and the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program. PSW administers this competitive Tahoe Science program with funds provided by the Bureau of Land Management through the sale of public lands as authorized by the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. The Round 10 projects will guide efforts in the areas of Forest Health, Watershed, Water Quality, and Habitat Restoration; and Air Quality and Meteorology.

Visit our Tahoe Science research partnerships pages to learn more about the program.

Missed it when it was new? We've started a What's New archive.

Winter 2010 issue of Science Perspectives - The article, An emerging triad: air pollution, beetles, and wildfire, features the work of researcher Nancy Grulke. Biochemical changes in trees stressed by drought and air pollution may attract bark beetles, which overwhelm the trees' defense mechanisms. Read this article or check out all of our Science Perspectives.

McPherson, E. Gregory; Simpson, James R.; Peper, Paula. J.; Crowell, Aaron M.N.; Xiao, Qingfu. 2010. Northern California Coast community tree guide: benefits, costs, and strategic planting. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-228. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 118 p.