Peter Robichaud
Research Engineer at the Moscow Forestry Sciences Laboratory

e-mail: probichaud[at]fs.fed.us
phone:208-883-2349

Engineering | Sediment & Erosion | Watershed Processes

• Modeling and mitigation techniques of erosion from timber-harvested and burned areas in a forest environment
• Rill and interrill erodibility and ground cover parameters
• Model components for predicting erosion from spatially-varied,  complex hillslopes
• Spatial variability
• Hydrophobic soil conditions
• Effects of prescribed fire and wildfire on erosion
• Monitoring methods and mitigation techniques

Robichaud, Pete R.; MacDonald, Lee H.; Foltz, Randy B.  2010.  Fuel management and erosion.   In: Elliot, William J.; Miller, Ina Sue; Audin, Lisa, eds. Cumulative watershed effects of fuel management in the western United States. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-231. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 79-100. 

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Foltz, R. B., P. R. Robichaud, and H. Rhee. 2009. A Synthesis of Post-Fire Road Treatments for BAER Teams: Methods, Treatment Effectiveness, and Decisionmaking Tools for Rehabilitation. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-228 Fort Collins, CO: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 152 p.

Robichaud, P. R.; Elliot, W. J.; Pierson, F. B.; Hall, D. E.; Moffet, C. A.  2009.  A probabilistic approach to modeling postfire erosion after the 2009 Australian bushfires.   In: Anderssen, R. S.; Braddock, R. D.; Newham, L. T. H., eds. 18th World IMACS Congress and MODSIM09 International Congress on modelling and simulation; July 13-17, 2009; Cairns, Australia. Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand; and International Association for Mathematics and Computers in Simulation: 1893-1899..

Robichaud, Peter R.; Lewis, Sarah A.; Brown, Robert E.; Ashmun, Louise E.  2009.  Emergency post-fire rehabilitation treatment effects on burned area ecology and long-term restoration.   Fire Ecology Special Issue. 5(1): 115-128..

Robichaud, P.R., J.W. Wagenbrenner, R.E. Brown, and K.M. Spigel. 2009. Three years of hillslope sediment yields following the Valley Complex Fires, western Montana.  Research Paper, RMRS-RP-77, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, Colorado. ­­­­­­­­­­

Dun, Shuhui; Wu, Joan Q.; Elliot, William J.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Flanagan, Dennis C.; Frankenberger, James R.; Brown, Robert E.; Xu, Arthur C.  2009.  Adapting the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model for forest applications.   Journal of Hydrology. 366: 46-54..

Elliot, W. J.; Foltz, R. B.; Robichaud, P. R.  2009.  Recent findings related to measuring and modeling forest road erosion.   In: Anderssen, R. S.; Braddock, R. D.; Newham, L. T. H., eds. 18th World IMACS Congress and MODSIM09 International Congress on modelling and simulation; July 13-17, 2009; Cairns, Australia. Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand; and International Association for Mathematics and Computers in Simulation: 4078-4084.

Lentile, Leigh B.; Smith, Alistair M. S.; Hudak, Andrew T.; Morgan, Penelope; Bobbitt, Michael J.; Lewis, Sarah A.; Robichaud, Peter R.  2009.  Remote sensing for prediction of 1-year post-fire ecosystem condition.   International Journal of Wildland Fire. 18: 594-608. 

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Robichaud, P.R., J.W. Wagenbrenner, R.E. Brown, P.M. Wohlgemuth, J.L. Beyers. 2008. Evaluating the effectiveness of contour-felled log erosion barriers as a post-fire runoff and erosion mitigation treatment in the western United States. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 17: 255-273.

Lewis, S.A.; Robichaud, P.R.; Frazier, B.E.; Wu, J.Q.; Laes, D.Y.M. 2008. Using hyperspectral imagery to predict post-wildfire soil water repellency. Geomorphology 95:192-205. 

Robichaud, P.R.; Lewis, S.A.; Ashmun, L.E. 2008. New procedure for sampling infiltration to assess post-fire soil water repellency. Res. Note. RMRS-RN-33. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 14 p.

Robichaud, P.R., F.B. Pierson, R.E. Brown, and J.W. Wagenbrenner. 2008. Measuring effectiveness of three postfire hillslope erosion barrier treatments, western Montana, USA. Hydrological Processes. 22: 159-170.

Robichaud, Peter R.  2008.  Erosion Risk Management Tool (ERMiT).   Stream Notes. July: 1-4.

Foltz, Randy B.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Rhee, Hakjun  2008.  A synthesis of postfire road treatments for BAER teams: methods, treatment effectiveness, and decisionmaking tools for rehabilitation.   Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-228 Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 152 p..

Riechers, George H.; Beyers, Jan L.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Jennings, Karen; Kreutz, Erin; Moll, Jeff  2008.  Effects of three mulch treatments on initial postfire erosion in north-central Arizona.   In: Narog, Marcia G., tech. coord. Proceedings of the 2002 Fire Conference: Managing Fire and Fuels in the Remaining Wildlands and Open Spaces of the Southwestern United States. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-189. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. p. 107-113.

Pierson, Frederick B.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Moffet, Corey A.; Spaeth, Kenneth E.; Hardegree, Stuart P.; Clark, Patrick E.; Williams, C. Jason  2008.  Fire effects on rangeland hydrology and erosion in a steep sagebrush-dominated landscape.   Hydrological Processes. 22: 2916-2929.

MacDonald, Lee H.; Robichaud, Peter R.  2008.  Post-fire erosion and the effectiveness of emergency rehabilitation treatments over time.   Stream Notes. January 2008: 1-6.

Pierson, F. B.; Robichaud, P. R.; Moffet, C. A.; Spaeth, K. E.; Williams, C. J.; Hardegree, S. P.; Clark, P. E.  2008.  Soil water repellency and infiltration in coarse-textured soils of burned and unburned sagebrush ecosystems.   Catena. 74: 98-108. 

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Robichaud, P. R., W. J. Elliot, F. B. Pierson, D. E. Hall and C. A. Moffet. 2007. Predicting postfire erosion and mitigation effectiveness with a web-based probabilistic model. Catena 71:229-241.

Spigel, K.M.; Robichaud, P.R. 2007. First-year post-fire erosion rates in Bitterroot National Forest, Montana. Hydrolpgical Processes 21(8): 998-1005.

Lewis, Sarah A.; Lentile, Leigh B.; Hudak, Andrew T.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Morgan, Penelope; Bobbitt, Michael J. 2007. Mapping ground cover using hyperspectral remote sensing after the 2003 Simi and Old wildfires in southern California. Fire Ecology. 3(1):109-128.

Calkin, David E.; Hyde, Kevin D.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Jones, J. Greg; Ashmun, Louise E.; Loeffler Dan. 2007. Assessing post-fire values-at-risk with a new calculation tool. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-205. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 32 p.

Lentile, L.; Morgan, P.; Hardy, C.; Hudak, A.; Means, R.; Ottmar, R.; Robichaud, P.; Kennedy Sutherland, E.; Szymoniak, J.; Way, F.; Fites-Kaufman, J.; Lewis, S.; Mathews, E.; Shovik, H.; Ryan, K. 2007. Value and challenges of conducting rapid response research on wildland fires. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-193. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 11 p.

Robichaud, P.R.; Lewis, S.A.; Laes, D.Y.M.; Hudak, A.T.; Kokaly, R.F.; Zamudio, J.A. 2007. Postfire soil burn severity mapping with hyperspectral image unmixing. Remote Sensing of Environment (2007), doi:10.1016/j.rse.2006.11.027. 14 p.

Robichaud, P.R.; Elliot, W.J.; Pierson, F.B.; Hall, D.E.; Moffet, C.A.; Ashmun, L.E. 2007. Erosion Risk Management Tool  (ERMiT) user manual(version 2006.01.18). Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-188. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 24 p.

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