Welcome to the US Forest Service,
Rocky Mountain Research Station's home page.
I am very proud of our employees and the work that they do.
We are here to serve the American public, and through this website we have provided a host of information that
we think will help you understand our natural environment. Our research results help decision makers
develop informed choices about the conservation of natural resources. Please explore our website and
learn what we have to offer. You will find links to websites for our research programs.
The Station's published research is available free of charge through this website.
our welcome video.
What's New
2009 Climate Change Research Strategy
The Rocky Mountain Research Station's
2009 Climate Change Research Strategy.
highlights the station's climate change research and science delivery capacity to support the needs of it clients and partners.
For more information on the station's climate change effort, please contact any member of our climate change coordination team listed below.
Internal Science Activity Integration and Collaboration—Cindy Swanson (406-329-3388, cswanson[at]fs.fed.us)
External Partnerships and Science Management Coordination—Jan Engert (970-498-1377, jengert[at]fs.fed.us)
Reporting, Accountability and Staff Support—Jennifer Hayes (970-498-1349, jenniferhayes[at]fs.fed.us)
2009 RMRScience Newsletters
Protecting Riparian Habitats (Feb 2009)
reports on a few of the many
examples of riparian research
underway throughout the Rocky
Mountain Research Station’s
territory. Findings are
helping assure that managers
and planners have the best
science available for long-term
sustainability of these critical
ecosystems.
Fire and Nonnative Invasive Plants (Oct 2009)
discussed wildland fire, a process
important to the function
of most wildland ecosystems in
the United States, which often influences
the presence and abundance of
nonnative plants and the influence
of nonnative invasive species on
plant communities.
A new state-of-knowledge review
of information on relationships
between wildland fire and
nonnative invasive plants is
providing fire managers and other
resource specialists with critical
information to help prevent
invasions after fire, eradicate
or control invasives in burned
areas, and even use fire to manage
these species.
2008 Strategic Framework Update
The
2008 Strategic Framework Update
has recently been published. This and the
Strategic Framework (2003)
will help guide the station over the next decade. It is the product
of a dialog with our stakeholders and employees to examine the
station’s capabilities, anticipate research issues, and describe our
future role.
Stream Temperature Modeling
Stream Temperature Modeling,
a site developed by the Air, Water and Aquatics Environments Program,
describes three different statistical procedures for predicting suitable fish habitat by modeling or inferring stream temperature. Statistical temperature models are well suited for broad-scale applications because they are less data intensive than mechanistic stream models, provide estimates of parameter precision, and can often be easily derived from existing databases.
2008 RMRS Research Accomplishments Report
The 2008 RMRS Research Accomplishments report
highlights the station's activities in 2008, including long-term research at experimental forests and rangelands, conserving biological diversity in
research natural areas, conservation education, and science and resource management.
Science Now
The Race Against White Pine Blister Rust
Those gnarly, old, stately trees that reside on mountaintops throughout the Rocky Mountains have withstood
harsh weather, hurricane-like winds, and other stresses for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years.
A new alarming reality is that these resilient five-needle pine forests are not beyond the reach of
human-caused stresses that threaten their survival and sustainability.
What’s Happening to the Western Aspen?
Those who live in the western mountain areas look forward to the spectacular fall coloration of aspen.
But some aspen stands are dying here in the West, with many stands being replaced by conifers, prompting
researchers to examine the reasons and look for the best restoration methods.
Bark Beetles: Not All Bad?
Bark beetles have taken a toll on the coniferous forests of the west, and it’s not a pretty sight. The beetle outbreaks have left behind acres and acres of dead trees with rust-colored needles. But the outbreaks are not all bad. Tree die-offs affect the scenery and introduce management challenges in high-value areas such as ski areas, campgrounds, and sites managed for forest products. But the bark beetles have a place in ecological processes such as nutrient cycling, providing food and habitat for wildlife.
How Lynx Choose Dens
Finding a suitable home is an important challenge facing Canada lynx, a species listed in 2000 as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. But the specific type of habitat the Canada lynx prefer hasn’t been well defined, which makes managing the ecosystems that affect the lynx difficult. A new study that tracked lynx habitat behavior from 1999 to 2006 helps answer some of the questions about lynx habitat.
Are Wildfires Good for Amphibians?
Boreal toads like it hot. Although wildfires can threaten some sensitive species, a recent study finds that certain amphibians are resistant, and boreal toads might even benefit from wildfires.