Current Research

Dickinson’s current research is focused on the links and feedbacks between fuels, fire behavior, and fire effects. Fire effects of interest include relatively direct effects, such as soil heating and tree injury and mortality, and longer-term effects on vegetation development and wildlife habitat. “Fuel ecology”, the feedbacks among fuels, fire behavior, and vegetation, is being examined in the Ohio Hills and Wisconsin. Work on the effects of prescribed fire regimes on reptile and amphibian communities and their habitat at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area is coming to completion as is research on the interactions among White Nose Syndrome, prescribed fire, and populations of bats and their insect prey at Mammoth Cave National Park. Accurate measurement of active fire continues to be a key component of Dickinson’s fire behavior and effects work, requiring development of ground and airborne measurement methods. A reliable, well understood, and easily used radiation sensor is under development and a complete set of airborne measurements is being analyzed. As in the past, collaboration with colleagues with complementary skills (e.g., physics, engineering, tree physiology, wildlife ecology) is central to Dickinson’s research approach.

Dickinson, Matthew B.; Hutchinson, Todd F.; Dietenberger, Mark; Matt, Frederick; Peters, Matthew P. 2016. Litter species composition and topographic effects on fuels and modeled fire behavior in an Oak-Hickory Forest in the Eastern USA. PLOS ONE. 11(8). 30 pp. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159997.

Mathews, Bill J.; Strand, Eva K.; Smith, Alistair M. S.; Hudak, Andrew T.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Kremens, Robert L. 2016. Laboratory experiments to estimate interception of infrared radiation by tree canopies. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 25: 1009-1014.

Effects of a landscape disturbance on the habitat use and behavior of the black racer. Copeia. 104(4): 853-863.

Kremens, Robert L.; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2015. Estimating radiated flux density from wildland fires using the raw output of limited bandpass detectors. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 24(4): 461-469.

Research Interests

Predicting fire effects with mechanistic models

Understanding wildland fire combustion and heat dissipation and transport processes and their links with fire effects

Measurement development for wildland fire monitoring

Past Research

Past research is prelude to Dickinson’s current research, having focused on predicting the relatively direct effects of fires on trees and wildlife using models and measurement. Understanding the direct effects of fire requires FireStem and FireStem 2D were developed to allow prediction of tree stem heating in fires while physiological effects of crown heating were also considered. In analogy to fire effects on trees, the risk associated with forest bats roosting in prescribed fire areas was examined. Roosting bats enter torpor (a daily hibernation-like state), increasing their vulnerability to heat and gases from fires. Active-fire measurement development began with an examination of the use of thermocouples in fires and culminated with the application of new ground and airborne measurement methods in the Prescribed Fire Combustion and Atmospheric Dynamics Research (RxCADRE) project.   

Dickinson, Matthew B.; Hudak, Andrew T.; Zajkowski, Thomas; Loudermilk, E. Louise; Schroeder, Wilfrid; Ellison, Luke; Kremens, Robert L.; Holley, William; Martinez, Otto; Paxton, Alexander; Bright, Benjamin C.; O'Brien, Joseph J.; Hornsby, Benjamin; Ichoku, Charles; Faulring, Jason; Gerace, Aaron; Peterson, David; Mauceri, Joseph. 2016. Measuring radiant emissions from entire prescribed fires with ground, airborne and satellite sensors - RxCADRE 2012. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 25: 48-61.

Dickinson, M.B.; Norris, J.C.; Bova, A.S.; Kremens, R.L.; Young, V.; Lacki, M.J. 2010. Effects of wildland fire smoke on a tree-roosting bat: integrating a plume model, field measurements, and mammalian dose-response relationships. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 40: 2187-2203. Chatziefstratiou, Efthalia K.; Bohrer, Gil; Bova, Anthony S.; Subramanian, Ravishankar; Frasson, Renato P.M.; Scherzer, Amy; Butler, Bret W.; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2013. FireStem2D — A two-dimensional heat transfer model for simulating tree stem injury in fires. PLoS One. 8(7): e70110. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0070110

Bova, Anthony S.; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2008. Beyond "fire temperatures": calibrating thermocouple probes and modeling their response to surface fires in hardwood fuels. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38:1008-1020.

Why This Research is Important

Wildfires and prescribed fires are a central concern of the US Forest Service, accounting for a large portion of its budget and the work of its employees. Colleagues' and my research focuses on developing fundamental understanding of fire dynamics and resulting fire effects on fuels, vegetation, and wildlife with the goals of improving both the state of the science and its application to management.

Education

• Florida State University, Phd Tropical forest ecology, disturbance ecology, sustainable forestry, Yucatan Peninsula 1998
• Florida State University, Ms Community ecology, aquatic plant ecology 1991
• Texas A&M University , Marine Biology Coastal ecology, fish demography, fire ecology of salt marshes, sea turtle and marine mammal stranding 1988

Professional Organizations

• U.S. Forest Service, Fire Behavior Assessment Team (2013 - Current)
• International Association of Wildland Fire, Associate Editor, International Journal Of Wildland Fire (2009 - Current)

Featured Publications & Products

• Dickinson, Matthew B.; Hutchinson, Todd F.; Dietenberger, Mark; Matt, Frederick; Peters, Matthew P.; Yang, Jian. 2016. Litter Species Composition and Topographic Effects on Fuels and Modeled Fire Behavior in an Oak-Hickory Forest in the Eastern USA.
• Dickinson, Matthew B.; Hudak, Andrew T.; Zajkowski, Thomas; Loudermilk, E. Louise; Schroeder, Wilfrid; Ellison, Luke; Kremens, Robert L.; Holley, William; Martinez, Otto; Paxton, Alexander; Bright, Benjamin C.; O'Brien, Joseph; Hornsby, Ben; Ichoku, Charles; Faulring, Jason; Gerace, Aaron; Peterson, David; Mauceri, Joseph. 2016. Measuring radiant emissions from entire prescribed fires with ground, airborne and satellite sensors - RxCADRE 2012.
• Chatziefstratiou, Efthalia K.; Bohrer, Gil; Bova, Anthony S.; Subramanian, Ravishankar; Frasson, Renato P.M.; Scherzer, Amy; Butler, Bret W.; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2013. FireStem2D — A two-dimensional heat transfer model for simulating tree stem injury in fires.
• Kavanaugh, Kathleen L.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Bova, Anthony S. 2010. A way forward for fire-caused tree mortality prediction: Modeling a physiological consequence of fire.
• Dickinson, M.B.; Norris, J.C.; Bova, A.S.; Kremens, R.L.; Young, V.; Lacki, M.J. 2010. Effects of wildland fire smoke on a tree-roosting bat: integrating a plume model, field measurements, and mammalian dose-response relationships.
• Bova, Anthony S.; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2008. Beyond "fire temperatures": calibrating thermocouple probes and modeling their response to surface fires in hardwood fuels.

Publications

• Hiers, Quinn A.; Treadwell, Morgan L.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Kavanagh, Kathleen L.; Lodge, Alexandra G.; Starns, Heath D.; Tolleson, Doug R.; Twidwell, Dirac ; Wonkka, Carissa L.; Rogers, William E. 2021. Grass bud responses to fire in a semiarid savanna system.
• Quigley, Kathleen M.; Kolka, Randall ; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Kern, Christel C.; Miesel, Jessica R. 2021. Restoring open canopy pine barrens from the ground up: Repeated burns correspond with increased soil hydraulic conductivity.
• Dickinson, Matthew B.; Wold, Cyle E.; Butler, Bret W.; Kremens, Robert L.; Jimenez, Daniel ; Sopko, Paul ; O'Brien, Joseph J. 2021. The Wildland Fire Heat Budget Using Bi-Directional Probes to Measure Sensible Heat Flux and Energy in Surface Fires.
• Quigley, Kathleen M.; Kolka, Randall ; Sturtevant, Brian R.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Kern, Christel C.; Donner, Deahn M.; Miesel, Jessica R. 2020. Prescribed burn frequency, vegetation cover, and management legacies influence soil fertility: Implications for restoration of imperiled pine barrens habitat.
• Hiers, J. Kevin; O’Brien, Joseph J.; Varner, J. Morgan; Butler, Bret W.; Dickinson, Matthew ; Furman, James ; Gallagher, Michael ; Godwin, David ; Goodrick, Scott L.; Hood, Sharon M.; Hudak, Andrew ; Kobziar, Leda N.; Linn, Rodman ; Loudermilk, E. Louise; McCaffrey, Sarah ; Robertson, Kevin ; Rowell, Eric M.; Skowronski, Nicholas ; Watts, Adam C.; Yedinak, Kara M. 2020. Prescribed fire science: the case for a refined research agenda.
• Liu, Yongqiang ; Kochanski, Adam ; Baker, Kirk R.; Mell, William ; Linn, Rodman ; Paugam, Ronan ; Mandel, Jan ; Fournier, Aime ; Jenkins, Mary Ann; Goodrick, Scott ; Achtemeier, Gary ; Zhao, Fengjun ; Ottmar, Roger ; French, Nancy H. F.; Larkin, Narasimhan ; Brown, Timothy ; Hudak, Andrew ; Dickinson, Matthew ; Potter, Brian ; Clements, Craig ; Urbanski, Shawn ; Prichard, Susan ; Watts, Adam ; McNamara, Derek . 2019. Fire behaviour and smoke modelling: model improvement and measurement needs for next-generation smoke research and forecasting systems.
• Quigley, K.M. ; Wildt, R.E. ; Sturtevant, B.R. ; Kolka, R.K. ; Dickinson, M.B. ; Kern, C.C. ; Donner, D.M. ; Miesel, J.R. . 2019. Fuels, vegetation, and prescribed fire dynamics influence ash production and characteristics in a diverse landscape under active pine barrens restoration.
• Dickinson, Matthew B.; Butler, Bret W.; Hudak, Andrew T.; Bright, Benjamin C.; Kremens, Robert L.; Klauberg, Carine . 2019. Inferring energy incident on sensors in low-intensity surface fires from remotely sensed radiation and using it to predict tree stem injury.
• Prichard, Susan ; Larkin, Sim N.; Ottmar, Roger ; French, Nancy H.F.; Baker, Kirk ; Brown, Tim ; Clements, Craig ; Dickinson, Matt ; Hudak, Andrew ; Kochanski, Adam ; Linn, Rod ; Liu, Yongqiang ; Potter, Brian ; Mell, William ; Tanzer, Danielle ; Urbanski, Shawn ; Watts, Adam . 2019. The fire and smoke model evaluation experiment a plan for integrated, large fire atmosphere field campaigns.
• O’Brien, J. J.; Hiers, J. K.; Varner, J. M.; Hoffman, C. M.; Dickinson, M. B.; Michaletz, S. T.; Loudermilk, E. L.; Butler, B. W. 2018. Advances in Mechanistic Approaches to Quantifying Biophysical Fire Effects.
• Miesel, Jessica ; Reiner, Alicia ; Ewell, Carol ; Maestrini, Bernardo ; Dickinson, Matthew . 2018. Quantifying Changes in Total and Pyrogenic Carbon Stocks Across Fire Severity Gradients Using Active Wildfire Incidents.
• Hromada, Steven J.; Howey, Christopher A.F.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Perry, Roger W.; Roosenburg, Willem M.; Gienger, C.M. . 2018. Response of reptile and amphibian communities to the reintroduction of fire in an oak/hickory forest.
• Lodge, Alexandra ; Dickinson, Matthew ; Kavanagh, Kathleen L. 2018. Xylem heating increases vulnerability to cavitation in longleaf pine.
• Howey, Christopher A. F.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Roosenburg, Willem M. 2016. Effects of a landscape disturbance on the habitat use and behavior of the black racer.
• Zajkowski, Thomas J.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Hiers, J. Kevin; Holley, William; Williams, Brett W.; Paxton, Alexander; Martinez, Otto; Walker, Gregory W. 2016. Evaluation and use of remotely piloted aircraft systems for operations and research - RxCADRE 2012.
• Clements, Craig B.; Lareau, Neil P.; Seto, Daisuke; Contezac, Jonathan; Davis, Braniff; Teske, Casey; Zajkowski, Thomas J.; Hudak, Andrew T.; Bright, Benjamin C.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Butler, Bret W.; Jimenez, Daniel; Hiers, J. Kevin. 2016. Fire weather conditions and fire-atmosphere interactions observed during low-intensity prescribed fires - RxCADRE 2012.
• O’Brien, Joseph J.; Loudermilk, E. Louise; Hornsby, Benjamin; Hudak, Andrew T.; Bright, Benjamin C.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Hiers, J. Kevin; Teske, Casey; Ottmar, Roger D. 2016. High-resolution infrared thermography for capturing wildland fire behaviour - RxCADRE 2012.
• Mathews, Bill J.; Strand, Eva K.; Smith, Alistair M. S.; Hudak, Andrew T.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Kremens, Robert L. 2016. Laboratory experiments to estimate interception of infrared radiation by tree canopies.
• Hudak, Andrew T.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Bright, Benjamin C.; Kremens, Robert L.; Loudermilk, E. Louise; O'Brien, Joseph J.; Hornsby, Benjamin S.; Ottmar, Roger D. 2016. Measurements relating fire radiative energy density and surface fuel consumption - RxCADRE 2011 and 2012.
• Ottmar, Roger D.; Hiers, J. Kevin; Butler, Bret W.; Clements, Craig B.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Hudak, Andrew T.; O'Brien, Joseph; Potter, Brian E.; Rowell, Eric M.; Strand, Tara M.; Zajkowski, Thomas J. 2016. Measurements, datasets and preliminary results from the RxCADRE project-2008, 2011 and 2012.
• Miller, Dan; Allison, J. D.; Crowe, C. M.; Dickinson, Matthew; Eglitis, A.; Hofstetter, R. W.; Munson, A. S.; Poland, Therese M.; Reid, L. S.; Steed, B. E.; Sweeney, J. D. 2016. Pine sawyers (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) attracted to a-pinene, monochamol, and ipsenol in North America.
• Kremens, Robert L.; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2015. Estimating radiated flux density from wildland fires using the raw output of limited bandpass detectors.
• Cannon, Jeffery B.; O'Brien, Joseph J.; Loudermilk, Louise; Dickinson, Matthew; Peterson, Chris J. 2014. The influence of experimental wind disturbance on forest fuels and fire characteristics.
• Dickinson, Matthew; Wigham, D.F. 2013. Competition among surface roots in a selectively-logged, semi-deciduous forest in southeastern Mexico - effects on seedlings of two species of contrasting shade tolerance.
• Dickinson, M.B.; Johnson, E.A.; Artiaga, R. 2013. Fire spread probabilities for experimental beds composed of mixedwood boreal forest fuels.
• Schroeder, Wilfrid; Ellicott, Evan; Ichoku, Charles; Ellison, Luke; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Ottmar, Roger D.; Clements, Craig; Hall, Dianne; Ambrosia, Vincent; Kremens, Robert. 2013. Integrated active fire retrievals and biomass burning emissions using complementary near-coincident ground, airborne and spaceborne sensor data.
• Hyde, Kevin; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Bohrer, Gil; Calkin, David; Evers, Louisa; Gilbertson-Day, Julie; Nicolet, Tessa; Ryan, Kevin; Tague, Christina. 2013. Research and development supporting risk-based wildfire effects prediction for fuels and fire management: Status and needs.
• Kremens, R.L.; Dickinson, M.B.; Bova, A.S. 2012. Radiant flux density, energy density, and fuel consumption in mixed-oak forest surface fires.
• Stout, Susan L.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Nowacki, Gregory J. 2012. The hot continental division: Oak forests, fire, and ecosystem management frame fuels management questions.
• Bova, A.S.; Bohrer, G.; Dickinson, Matthew. 2011. A model of gas mixing into single-entrance tree cavities during wildland fires.
• Song, Conghe; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Su, Lihong; Zhang, Su; Yaussey, Daniel. 2010. Estimating average tree crown size using spatial information from Ikonos and QuickBird images: Across-sensor and across-site comparisons.
• Kremens, Robert L.; Smith, Alistair M.S.; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2010. Fire metrology: Current and future directions in physics-based measurements.
• Reinhardt, Elizabeth D.; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2010. First-order fire effects models for land Management: Overview and issues.
• Stephan, Kirsten; Miller, Melanie; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2010. First-order fire effects on herbs and Shrubs: present knowledge and process modeling needs.
• Dickinson, Matthew B.; Ryan, Kevin C. 2010. Introduction: Strengthening the foundation of wildland fire Effects prediction for research and management.
• Hardy, Colin C.; Kremens, Robert; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2010. Modern developments for ground-based monitoring of fire behavior and effects.
• Butler, Bret W.; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2010. Tree injury and mortality in fires: developing process-based models.
• Suciu, Loredana; Bova, Anthony S.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Dyer, Jim; Kremens, Robert; Young, Valerie L. 2009. Airborne fire monitoring--extraction of active fire fronts from time-sequence imaging of the Arch Rock fire in southeast Ohio.
• Bova, Anthony S.; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2009. An inverse method to estimate stem surface heat flux in wildland fires.
• Dickinson, Matthew B.; Lacki, Michael J.; Cox, Daniel R. 2009. Fire and the endangered Indiana bat.
• Lacki, Michael, J..; Cox, Daniel R.; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2009. Meta-analysis of summer roosting characteristics of two species of Myotis bats.
• Bova, Anthony; Dickinson, Matthew. 2009. Modeling the protection afforded by burrows, cavities, and roosts during wildland surface fires.
• Lacki, Michael J.; Cox, Daniel R.; Dodd, Luke E.; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2009. Response of northern bats (Myotis septentrionalis) to prescribed fires in eastern Kentucky forests.
• Jimenez, D.; Butler, B.; Hiers, K.; Ottmar, R.; Dickinson, M.; Kremens, R.; O'Brien, J.; Hudak, A.; Clements, C. 2009. Rx-CADRE (Prescribed Fire Combustion-Atmospheric Dynamics Research Experiments) collaborative research in the core fire sciences.
• Dickinson, Matthew; Bova, Anthony; Kavanagh, Kathleen; Randolph, Antoine; Band, Lawrence. 2009. Surface fire effects on conifer and hardwood crowns--applications of an integral plume model.
• Song, C.; Dickinson, M.B. 2008. Extracting forest canopy structure from spatial information of high resolution optical imagery: tree crown size versus leaf area index.
• Kremens, Robert; Bova, Anthony; Dickinson, Matthew; Faulring, Jason; McNamara, Shari. 2006. Estimating fire behavior from overhead imagery in eastern oak forests.
• Dickinson, Matthew B., ed. 2006. Fire in eastern oak forests: delivering science to land managers.
• Yaussy, Daniel A.; Hutchinson, Todd; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Rebbeck, Joanne. 2006. Fire research on the Raccoon Ecological Management Area.
• Dickinson, Matthew B.; Bova, Anthony S. 2006. Hardwood stem injury and mortality in surface fires.
• Jones, Joshua L.; Webb, Brent W.; Butler, Bret W.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Jimenez, Daniel; Reardon, James; Bova, Anthony S. 2006. Prediction and measurement of thermally induced cambial tissue necrosis in tree stems.
• Bova, Anthony S.; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2006. Thermocouple probes in surface fires.
• Rebbeck , Joanne; Yaussy, Daniel; Iverson, Louis; Hutchinson, Todd; Long, Robert; Bova, Anthony; Dickinson, Matthew. 2006. Use of temperature-sensitive paints as an index of heat output from fire.
• Bova, A.S.; Dickinson, M.B.; Dickinson, M.B. 2005. Linking surface-fire behavior, stem heating, and tissue necrosis.
• Wildman, Richard A., Jr.; Hickey, Leo J.; Dickinson, Matthew B.; Berner, Robert A.; Robinson, Jennifer M.; Dietrich, Michael; Essenhigh, Robert H.; Wildman, Craig B. 2004. Burning of forest materials under late Paleozoic high atmospheric oxygen levels.
• Yaussy, Daniel A.; Dickinson, Mathew B.; Bova, Anthony S. 2004. Prescribed Surface-fire Tree Mortality in Southern Ohio: Equations Based on Thermocouple Probe Temperatures.
• Dickinson, Matthew B.; Johnson, Edward A. 2004. Temperature-dependent rate models of vascular cambium cell mortality.
• Dickinson, M.B.; Jolliff, J.; Bova, A.S. 2004. Vascular cambium necrosis in forest fires: using hyperbolic temperature regimes to estimate parameters of a tissue-reponse model.
• Dickinson, Matthew B. 2003. Stem mortality in surface fires. Part I, tissue response to elevated temperatures.
• Bova, Anthony S.; Dickinson, Matthew B. 2003. Surface fires and stem mortality: physical connections.
• Dickinson, M. B. 2002. Heat transfer and vascular cambium necrosis in the boles of trees during surface fires.
• Dickinson, M.B.; Whigham, D.F.; Whigham, D.F. 1999. Regeneration of mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) in the Yucatan.
• Dickinson, Matthew B.; Dickinson, Joshua C.; Putz, Francis E.; Putz, Francis E. 1996. Natural forest management as a conservation tool in the tropics: divergent views on possibilities and alternatives.

Research Highlights

Highlight	Title	Year
NRS-2013-041	More Realistic Model of Tree Trunk Heating and Injury in Wildland Fires Now Available Forest Service scientists developed new models of tree-stem heating that are the most physically realistic to date to predict tree mortality mor ...	2013
NRS-2016-170	Shift Toward Mesophytic Species in Oak Forests May Limit Fire Reintroduction Exclusion of fire from eastern mixed-oak forests is widely understood to be an important explanation for difficulty in regenerating oaks. Forest ...	2016
NRS-2020-59	Space-Based Fire Effects Mapping Scientists are building capacity to do space-based fire effects mapping and post-fire monitoring as a means of strengthening ongoing national pr ...	2020