Current Research

Evaluating how spatially complex forest structures influence tree regeneration establishment and growth.

Identifying spatially explicit reference conditions for ponderosa pine and dry mixed conifer forest of the Colorado Front Range and the South Dakota Black Hills 

Assessing spatially heterogeneous forest structure impact on fire behavior in ponderosa pine and dry mixed conifer forests. 

Characterizing patterns of post-fire tree regeneration across fire severities. 

Adaptive Silvicultural Strategies for Climate Change in dry mixed conifer forests. 

Utilizing long-term growth studies to validate and calibrate the Forest Vegetation Simulator. 

Facilitating the use of prescribed fire as a management tool. 

Understanding tree regeneration dynamics after insect outbreaks and subsequent forest management activities.

Understanding the short and long-term ecological responses of mastication fuels reduction treatments in woodlands, dry, and moist coniferous forests.

Scientist in charge of Black Hills Experimental Forest: https://www.fs.fed.us/rmrs/experimental-forests-and-ranges/black-hills-experimental-forest

Research Interests

I am interested in developing and implementing innovative management strategies to enhance forest resiliency to disturbances and evaluating the subsequent ecological impacts of these activities. These research topics include restoration strategies for ponderosa pine and dry mixed conifer forests, forest stand dynamics post-disturbance, various methods of hazardous fuels reduction treatments, and developing silvicultural strategies that incorporate the uncertainty of climate change.

Past Research

Synthesizing manager's knowledge/experience and scientific literature of implementing hazardous fuels treatments practices in ponderosa pine and dry mixed conifer forests.

Post-wildfire recovery.

Fire-induced mortality thresholds of ponderosa pine seedlings and saplings.

Fuel succession and regeneration dynamics.

Understanding the interaction of mountain pine beetle and management strategies on fuel dynamics, forest structure, and potential fire behavior.

Why This Research is Important

Historically, silviculture was often synonymous with timber production; however, contemporary silviculturists manage forests for other objectives such as wildlife habitat, increased resilience to disturbances and climate change, water, recreation, and aesthetics. Practitioners require science-based knowledge to design treatments that achieve these objectives. Because of the uncertainty in the impacts of climate change to our forests, research is needed to determine the effects of various management alternatives and adapt silvicultural strategies, systems, and practices to sustain and enhance the productivity of our forested ecosystems.

Education

• University of South Carolina, B.S. Biology 1995
• Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, M.S. Forestry 2000
• Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Ph.D. Forest Science; Silviculture/Fire 2007

Professional Experience

Professional Organizations

• Association for Fire Ecology, Member (2007 - Current)
  Attend and Present at Conferences.
• International Association of Wildland Fire, Member (2007 - Current)
  Attend and Present at Conferences.
• Society of American Foresters (SAF), Member (1997 - Current)
  Attend and Present at Conventions.
• Society of Ecological Restoration, Member (2019 - )

Awards & Recognition

Featured Publications & Products

• Battaglia, Mike A.; Gannon, Benjamin; Brown, Peter M.; Fornwalt, Paula J.; Cheng, Antony S.; Huckaby, Laurie S. 2018. Changes in forest structure since 1860 in ponderosa pine dominated forests in the Colorado and Wyoming Front Range, USA.
• Addington, Robert N.; Aplet, Gregory H.; Battaglia, Mike A.; Briggs, Jennifer S.; Brown, Peter M.; Cheng, Antony S.; Dickinson, Yvette; Feinstein, Jonas A.; Pelz, Kristen A.; Regan, Claudia M.; Thinnes, Jim; Truex, Rick; Fornwalt, Paula J.; Gannon, Benjamin; Julian, Chad W.; Underhill, Jeffrey L.; Wolk, Brett. 2018. Principles and practices for the restoration of ponderosa pine and dry mixed-conifer forests of the Colorado Front Range.
• Tinkham, Wade T.; Dickinson, Yvette; Hoffman, Chad M.; Battaglia, Mike A.; Ex, Seth; Underhill, Jeffrey. 2017. Visualization of heterogeneous forest structures following treatment in the southern Rocky Mountains.
• Ziegler, Justin Paul; Hoffman, Chad; Battaglia, Michael; Mell, William. 2017. Spatially explicit measurements of forest structure and fire behavior following restoration treatments in dry forests.
• Nagel, Linda M.; Palik, Brian J.; Battaglia, Michael A.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Guldin, James M.; Swanston, Christopher W.; Janowiak, Maria K.; Powers, Matthew P.; Joyce, Linda A.; Millar, Constance I; Peterson, David L.; Ganio, Lisa M.; Kirschbaum, Chad ; Roske, Molly R. 2017. Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change: A National Experiment in Manager-Scientist Partnerships to Apply an Adaptation Framework.
• Chambers, Marin E.; Fornwalt, Paula J.; Malone, Sparkle L.; Battaglia, Michael. 2016. Patterns of conifer regeneration following high severity wildfire in ponderosa pine - dominated forests of the Colorado Front Range.
• Pelz, Kristen; Rhoades, C. C.; Hubbard, R. M.; Battaglia, M. A.; Smith, F. W. 2015. Species composition influences management outcomes following mountain pine beetle in lodgepole pine-dominated forests.
• Jain, Theresa B.; Battaglia, Mike A.; Han, Han-Sup; Graham, Russell T.; Keyes, Christopher R.; Fried, Jeremy S.; Sandquist, Jonathan E. 2012. A comprehensive guide to fuel management practices for dry mixed conifer forests in the northwestern United States.
• Battaglia, Mike; Smith, Frederick W.; Shepperd, Wayne D. 2009. Predicting mortality of ponderosa pine regeneration after prescribed fire in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA.
• Shepperd, Wayne D.; Battaglia, Michael A. 2002. Ecology, silviculture, and management of Black Hills ponderosa pine.

Publications

• Dey, Daniel C.; Knapp, Benjamin O.; Battaglia, Mike A.; Deal, Robert L.; Hart, Justin L.; O'Hara, Kevin L.; Schweitzer, Callie J.; Schuler, Thomas M. 2019. Barriers to natural regeneration in temperate forests across the USA.
• Hessburg, P.; Miller, C.; Parks, S.; Povak, N.; Taylor, A. H.; Higuera, P. E.; Prichard, S. J.; North, M.; Collins, B.; Hurteau, M. D.; Larson, A. J.; Allen, C. D.; Stephens, S. L.; Rivera-Huerta, H. ; Stevens-Rumann, C. S.; Daniels, L. D.; Gedalof, Z. ; Gray, R. W.; Kane, Van R.; Churchill, D. J.; Hagmann, R. K.; Spies, T.; Cansler, C. A.; Belote, R. T.; Veblen, T. T.; Battaglia, M.; Hoffman, C.; Skinner, C.; Safford, H. D.; Salter, R. 2019. Climate, environment, and disturbance history govern resilience of Western North American forests.
• Graham, Russell T.; Asherin, Lance A.; Jain, Theresa B.; Baggett, L. Scott; Battaglia, Michael A. 2019. Differing ponderosa pine forest structures, their growth and yield, and mountain pine beetle impacts: Growing stock levels in the Black Hills.
• Dickinson, Yvette L.; Battaglia, Michael A.; Asherin, Lance A. 2019. Evaluation of the FVS-CR diameter growth model in structurally heterogeneous ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex C. Lawson) stands in the Southern Rockies, and potential modifications.
• Brown, Peter M.; Gannon, Benjamin ; Battaglia, Mike A.; Fornwalt, Paula J.; Huckaby, Laurie S.; Cheng, Antony S.; Baggett, L. Scott. 2019. Identifying old trees to inform ecological restoration in montane forests of the central Rocky Mountains, USA.
• Mattson, Lucas R.; Coop, Jonathan D.; Battaglia, Mike A.; Cheng, Antony S.; Sibold, Jason S.; Viner, Sara . 2019. Post-spruce beetle timber salvage drives short-term surface fuel increases and understory vegetation shifts.
• Cannon, Jeffery B.; Tinkham, Wade T.; DeAngelis, Ryan K.; Hill, Edward M.; Battaglia, Mike A. 2019. Variability in mixed conifer spatial structure changes understory light environments.
• Miller, Sue; Addington, Rob; Aplet, Greg; Battaglia, Mike; Cheng, Tony; Feinstein, Jonas; Underhill, Jeff. 2018. Back to the Future: Building resilience in Colorado Front Range forests using research findings and a new guide for restoration of ponderosa and dry-mixed conifer landscapes.
• Cannon, Jeffery B.; Barrett, Kevin J.; Gannon, Benjamin M.; Addington, Robert N.; Battaglia, Mike A.; Fornwalt, Paula J.; Aplet, Gregory H.; Cheng, Antony S.; Underhill, Jeffrey L.; Briggs, Jennifer S.; Brown, Peter M. 2018. Collaborative restoration effects on forest structure in ponderosa pine-dominated forests of Colorado.
• Bigelow, Seth; Stambaugh, Michael C.; O'Brien, Joseph J.; Larson, Andrew J.; Battaglia, Michael A. 2018. Longleaf pine restoration in context comparisons of frequent fire forests.
• Malone, Sparkle L.; Fornwalt, Paula J.; Battaglia, Mike A.; Chambers, Marin E.; Iniguez, Jose M.; Sieg, Carolyn H. 2018. Mixed-severity fire fosters heterogeneous spatial patterns of conifer regeneration in a dry conifer forest.
• Hoffman, Chad M.; Collins, Brandon ; Battaglia, Mike . 2018. Wildland fuel treatments.
• Gleason, Kelly E.; Bradford, John B.; Bottero, Alessandra; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Fraver, Shawn; Palik, Brian J.; Battaglia, Michael A.; Iverson, Louis; Kenefic, Laura; Kern, Christel C. 2017. Competition amplifies drought stress in forests across broad climatic and compositional gradients.
• Bottero, Alessandra ; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Palik, Brian J.; Bradford, John B.; Fraver, Shawn ; Battaglia, Mike A.; Asherin, Lance A. 2017. Density-dependent vulnerability of forest ecosystems to drought.
• Fornwalt, Paula J.; Rocca, Monique E.; Battaglia, Michael; Rhoades, Charles C.; Ryan, Michael G. 2017. Mulching fuels treatments promote understory plant communities in three Colorado, USA, coniferous forest types.
• Owen, Suzanne M.; Sieg, Carolyn H.; Meador, Andrew J. Sanchez; Fule, Peter Z.; Iniguez, Jose M.; Baggett, L. Scott; Fornwalt, Paula J.; Battaglia, Michael A. 2017. Spatial patterns of ponderosa pine regeneration in high-severity burn patches.
• Ziegler, Justin P.; Hoffman, Chad M.; Fornwalt, Paula J.; Sieg, Carolyn H.; Battaglia, Michael A.; Chambers, Marin E.; Iniguez, Jose M. 2017. Tree regeneration spatial patterns in ponderosa pine forests following stand-replacing fire: Influence of topography and neighbors.
• Buechling, Arne; Martin, Patrick H.; Canham, Charles D.; Shepperd, Wayne D.; Battaglia, Michael. 2016. Climate drivers of seed production in Picea engelmannii and response to warming temperatures in the southern Rocky Mountains.
• Lehman, Chadwick P.; Rumble, Mark A.; Battaglia, Michael A.; Mills, Todd R.; Asherin, Lance A. 2016. Influence of mountain pine beetle epidemic on winter habitat conditions for Merriam's turkeys: Management implications for current and future condition.
• Graham, Russell T.; Asherin, Lance A.; Battaglia, Michael A.; Jain, Terrie; Mata, Stephen A. 2016. Mountain pine beetles: A century of knowledge, control attempts, and impacts central to the Black Hills.
• Tinkham, Wade T.; Hoffman, Chad M.; Ex, Seth A.; Battaglia, Michael A.; Saralecos, Jarred D. 2016. Ponderosa pine forest restoration treatment longevity: Implications of regeneration on fire hazard.
• Falster, Daniel S.; Duursma, Remko A.; Ishihara, Masae I.; Barneche, Diego R.; FitzJohn, Richard G.; Varhammar, Angelica; Aiba, Masahiro; Ando, Makoto; Anten, Niels; Aspinwall, Michael J.; Baltzer, Jennifer L.; Baraloto, Christopher; Battaglia, Michael; Battles, John J.; Bond-Lamberty, Ben; Breugel, Michiel van; Claveau, Yves; Dannoura, Masako; Delagrange, Sylvain; Domec, Jean-Christophe; Fatemi, Farrah; Feng, Wang; Gargaglione, Veronica; Goto, Yoshiaki; Hagihara, Akio; Hall, Jefferson S.; Hamilton, Steve; Harja, Degi; Hiura, Tsutom; Holdaway, Robert; Hutley, Lindsay S.; Ichie, Tomoaki; Jokela, Eric J.; Kantola, Anu; Kelly, Jeff W. G.; Kenzo, Tanaka; King, David; Kloeppel, Brian D.; Kohyama, Takashi; Komiyama, Akira; Laclau, Jean-Paul; Lusk, Christopher H.; Maguire, Douglas A.; Maire, Guerric Le; Makela, Ammikki; Markesteijn, Lars; Marshall, John; McCulloh, Katherine; Miyata, Itsuo; Mokany, Karel; Mori, Shugeta; Myster, Randall W.; Nagano, Masahiro; Naidu, Shawna L.; Nouvellon, Yann; O'Grady, Anthony P.; O'Hara, Kevin L.; Ohtsuka, Toshiyuki; Osada, Noriyuki; Osunkoya, Olusegun O.; Peri, Pablo Luis; Petritan, Any Mary; Poorter, Lourens; Portsmuth, Angelika; Potvin, Catherine; Ransijn, Johannes; Reid, Douglas; Ribeiro, Sabina C.; Roberts, Scott D.; Rodriguez, Rolando; Saldana-Acosta, Angela; Santa-Regina, Ignacio; Sasa, Kaichiro; Selaya, N. Galia; Sillett, Stephen C.; Sterck, Frank; Takagi, Kentaro; Tange, Takeshi; Tanouchi, Hiroyuki; Tissue, David; Umehara, Toru; Vadeboncoeur, Matthew A.; Valladares, Fernando; Vanninen, Petteri; Wang, Jian R.; Wenk, Elizabeth; Williams, Richard; Ximenes, Fabiano de Aquino; Yamaba, Atsushi; Yamada, Toshihiro; Yamakura, Takuo; Yanai, Ruth D.; York, Robert A. 2015. BAAD: a biomass and allometry database for woody plants.
• Brown, Peter M.; Battaglia, Michael A.; Fornwalt, Paula J.; Gannon, Benjamin; Huckaby, Laurie S.; Julian, Chad; Cheng, Antony S. 2015. Historical (1860) forest structure in ponderosa pine forests of the northern Front Range, Colorado.
• Jain, Theresa B.; Battaglia, Mike A.; Han, Han-Sup; Graham, Russell T.; Keyes, Christopher R.; Fried, Jeremy S.; Sandquist, Jonathan E. 2014. A comprehensive guide to fuel management practices for dry mixed conifer forests in the northwestern United States: Inventory and model-based economic analysis of mechanical fuel treatments.
• Jain, Theresa B.; Battaglia, Mike A.; Han, Han-Sup; Graham, Russell T.; Keyes, Christopher R.; Fried, Jeremy S.; Sandquist, Jonathan E. 2014. A comprehensive guide to fuel management practices for dry mixed conifer forests in the northwestern United States: Mechanical, chemical, and biological fuel treatment methods.
• Jain, Theresa B.; Battaglia, Mike A.; Han, Han-Sup; Graham, Russell T.; Keyes, Christopher R.; Fried, Jeremy S.; Sandquist, Jonathan E. 2014. A comprehensive guide to fuel management practices for dry mixed conifer forests in the northwestern United States: Monitoring.
• Jain, Theresa B.; Battaglia, Mike A.; Han, Han-Sup; Graham, Russell T.; Keyes, Christopher R.; Fried, Jeremy S.; Sandquist, Jonathan E. 2014. A comprehensive guide to fuel management practices for dry mixed conifer forests in the northwestern United States: Prescribed fire.
• Dickinson, Yvette L.; Addington, Rob; Aplet, Greg; Babler, Mike; Battaglia, Mike; Brown, Peter; Cheng, Tony; Cooley, Casey; Edwards, Dick; Feinstein, Jonas; Fornwalt, Paula; Gibbs, Hal; Matonis, Megan; Pelz, Kristen; Regan, Claudia. 2014. Desirable forest structures for a restored Front Range.
• Hubbard, Rob; Battaglia, Michael; Rhoades, Chuck; Thinnes, Jim; Martin, Tom; Underhill, Jeff; Westfahl, Mark. 2014. Forests in transition: Post-epidemic vegetation conditions Chapter 4.
• Jain, Theresa B.; Battaglia, Michael A.; Graham, Russell T. 2014. Northern Rocky Mountain experimental forests: Settings for science, management, and education alliances.
• Miller, Sue; Jain, Theresa; Battaglia, Mike A.; Han, Han-Sup; Graham, Russell T.; Keyes, Christopher R.; Fried, Jeremy S.; Sandquist, Jonathan E. 2014. Science You Can Use Bulletin: Revisiting disturbance: A new guide for keeping dry mixed conifer forests healthy through fuel management.
• Fule, Peter Z.; Swetnam, Thomas W.; Brown, Peter M.; Falk, Donald A.; Peterson, David L.; Allen, Craig D.; Aplet, Gregory H.; Battaglia, Mike A.; Binkley, Dan; Farris, Calvin; Keane, Robert E.; Margolis, Ellis Q.; Grissino-Mayer, Henri; Miller, Carol; Sieg, Carolyn Hull; Skinner, Carl; Stephens, Scott L.; Taylor, Alan. 2014. Unsupported inferences of high-severity fire in historical dry forests of the western United States: Response to Williams and Baker.
• Collins, Bryon J.; Rhoades, Chuck C.; Battaglia, Michael A.; Hubbard, Robert M. 2012. Effects of salvage logging on fire risks after bark beetle outbreaks in Colorado lodgepole pine forests.
• Malcolm, Karl; Rhoades, Chuck; Battaglia, Michael; Fornwalt, Paula; Hubbard, Rob; Elder, Kelly; Collins, Byron. 2012. Science You Can Use Bulletin: From death comes life: Recovery and revolution in the wake of epidemic outbreaks of mountain pine beetle.
• Rhoades, C. C.; Battaglia, M. A.; Rocca, M. E.; Ryan, M. G. 2012. Short- and medium-term effects of fuel reduction mulch treatments on soil nitrogen availability in Colorado conifer forests.
• Collins, B. J.; Rhoades, C. C.; Battaglia, M. A.; Hubbard, R. M. 2012. The effects of bark beetle outbreaks on forest development, fuel loads and potential fire behavior in salvage logged and untreated lodgepole pine forests.
• Klutsch, Jennifer G.; Battaglia, Mike A.; West, Daniel R.; Costello, Sheryl L.; Negron, Jose F. 2011. Evaluating potential fire behavior in lodgepole pine-dominated forests after a mountain pine beetle epidemic in north-central Colorado.
• Collins, Byron J.; Rhoades, Charles C.; Hubbard, Robert M.; Battaglia, Michael A. 2011. Tree regeneration and future stand development after bark beetle infestation and harvesting in Colorado lodgepole pine stands.
• Sharik, Terry L.; Adair, William; Baker, Fred A.; Battaglia, Michael; Comfort, Emily J.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Delong, Craig; DeRose, R. Justin; Ducey, Mark J.; Harmon, Mark; Levy, Louise; Logan, Jesse A.; O'Brien, Joseph; Palik, Brian J.; Roberts, Scott D.; Rogers, Paul C.; Shinneman, Douglas J.; Spies, Thomas; Taylor, Sarah L.; Woodall, Christopher; Youngblood, Andrew. 2010. Emerging themes in the ecology and management of North American forests.
• Battaglia, Mike A.; Nelson, Kellen; Kashian, Dan; Ryan, Michael G. 2010. Forest biomass and tree planting for fossil fuel offsets in the Colorado Front Range.
• Battaglia, Mike A.; Rocca, Monique E.; Rhoades, Charles C.; Ryan, Michael G. 2010. Surface fuel loadings within mulching treatments in Colorado coniferous forests.
• Seidenberg, Joseph; Springer, Judy; Nicolet, Tessa; Battaglia, Mike; Vothja, Christina. 2009. Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes (SWERI) Biophysical Monitoring Workshop Report.
• Battaglia, Mike A.; Smith, Frederick W.; Shepperd, Wayne D. 2008. Can prescribed fire be used to maintain fuel treatment effectiveness over time in Black Hills ponderosa pine forests.
• Lezberg, Ann L.; Battaglia, Michael A.; Shepperd, Wayne D.; Schoettle, Anna W. 2008. Decades-old silvicultural treatments influence surface wildfire severity and post-fire nitrogen availability in a ponderosa pine forest.
• Battaglia, Michael A.; Shepperd, Wayne D. 2007. Ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, and spruce-fir forests Chapter 2.
• Battaglia, Michael A.; Dodson, Jonathan M.; Shepperd, Wayne D.; Platten, Mark J.; Tallmadge, Owen M. 2005. Colorado Front Range fuel photo series.
• Pecot, Stephen D.; Horsley, Stephen B.; Battaglia, Michael A.; Mitchell, Robert J. 2005. The influence of canopy, sky condition, and solar angle on light quality in a longleaf pine woodland.
• Battaglia, Michael A.; Mitchell, Robert J.; Mou, Paul P.; Pecot, Stephen D. 2003. Light transmittance estimates in a longleaf pine woodland.
• Battaglia, Michael A.; Mou, Pu; Palik, Brian; Mitchell, Robert J. 2002. The effect of spatially variable overstory on the understory light environment of an open-canopied longleaf pine forest.

Research Highlights

Highlight	Title	Year
RMRS-2018-86	Building resilience in Colorado Front Range forests In the mid-1800s, Colorado’s Front Range forests were more open and two to three times less dense than they are today. Today, these forests ha ...	2018
RMRS-2017-212	Experimental Forests: Great places to learn about forest science and management Scientists used an experimental forest network to develop different management strategies and make science accessible for managers and other par ...	2017
RMRS-2017-193	Goshawks, bark beetles, and timber management: Can they coexist? Wildlife habitat and timber production are critical elements of the management of many national forests. The Black Hills National Forest in West ...	2017
RMRS-2017-205	How does forest structure impact fire behavior in ponderosa pine and dry mixed conifer forests? Restoration in historically frequent fire forests of the western U.S. often attempts to restore the historical characteristics of forest structu ...	2017
RMRS-2016-2	Science-based Ponderosa Pine Forest Restoration on the Colorado Front Range A large number of forested acres are scheduled for treatment over the next decade in an effort to restore historical forest structure and functi ...	2016
RMRS-2017-198	Spatial patterns of ponderosa pine regeneration in high-severity burn patches Over the past three decades, wildfires in Southwestern United States ponderosa pine forests have increased in size and severity, leaving large p ...	2017