Current Research

• 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
• Water repellent soil conditions
• Effects of prescribed fire and wildfire on erosion
• Monitoring methods and erosion mitigation techniques
• Watershed processes research that includes modeling and mitigation techniques of erosion after timber-harvested, prescribed fires and wildfires
• Process-based analysis of hydrology, erosion, and mitigation effects to reduce flooding and erosion. Integration of these complex processes at various spatial and temporial scales
• Developing instruments, measurement and monitoring methods for determine erosion rates
• Science You can Use Bulletin - From Watersheds to the Web: Online Tools for Modeling Forest Soil Erosion
• Research includes plot-scale infiltration, rill and interrill erodibility studies, small-catchment paired watershed studies and large-scale remote sensing projects
• International application of our knowledge in postfire hydrology effects and monitoring techniques
• Leads various research teams including the development of the popular web-based probabilistic Erosion Risk Management Tool (ERMiT) for postfire assessments
• Recently he has been investigating the effects of postfire salvage logging on hilllslope erosion, and the use of remote sensing imagery for postfire burn severity classification, water repellent soil identification and erosion control treatment effectiveness
  • Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Tools Website
  • Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Tools - Science Briefing
  • Reducing Post-Fire Runoff and Sediment Yields - Science Briefing
  • Reducing Post-Fire Hillslope Erosion - Science Briefing
  • Reducing Post-Fire Hillslope Erosion with Wood Shreds - Science Briefing

Research Interests

To investigate and develop new knowledge on infiltration, overland flow, erosion and erosion mitigation techniques in disturbed forest and rangeland conditions and develop predictive models and decision support tools for use by land managers and playing in the dirt.

Past Research

• Developed relationships on the proper moisture content needed for prescribed fires to prevent increased or accelerated erosion and devised an electronic tool to measure that moisture content for instantaneous readings in the field
• Measured post-fire erosion rates and developed predictive models for post-fire erosion rates and effectiveness of selected mitigation treatment
• Summarized the current knowledge of fire effects on hydrology and erosion in numerous publications and books for use by land managers

Why This Research is Important

Erosion is a natural process; however, past management activities have caused degradation of water quality in numerous watersheds throughout various landscapes. Therefore, we develop tools and information to help managers make better decisions based on today's and future climates for improved management of our natural resources as well as impacts on life and property. Our tools and results are used by post-fire assessment teams, land management agencies, private interests, tribal and state governments. Considerable outreach has extended our knowledge usage to Europe, Australasia and South America.

Education

• University of Massachusetts, B.S. Civil Engineering 1984
• University of Idaho, M.S. Agricultural Engineering 1989
• University of Idaho, Ph.D. Agricultural Engineering 1996

Featured Publications & Products

• Robichaud, Peter R.; Ashmun, Louise E.; Foltz, Randy B.; Showers, Charles G.; Groenier, J. Scott; Kesler, Jennifer; DeLeo, Claire; Moore, Mary. 2013. Production and aerial application of wood shreds as a post-fire hillslope erosion mitigation treatment.
• Robichaud, Peter R.; Ashmun, Louise E. 2013. Tools to aid post-wildfire assessment and erosion-mitigation treatment decisions.
• Lewis, Sarah A.; Hudak, Andrew T.; Ottmar, Roger D.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Lentile, Leigh B.; Hood, Sharon M.; Cronan, James B.; Morgan, Penny. 2011. Using hyperspectral imagery to estimate forest floor consumption from wildfire in boreal forests of Alaska, USA.
• Lewis, Sarah A.; Robichaud, Peter R. 2011. Using QuickBird imagery to detect cover and spread of post-fire straw mulch after the 2006 Tripod Fire, Washington, USA.
• Robichaud, Peter R.; Ashmun, Louise E.; Sims, Bruce D. 2010. Post-fire treatment effectiveness for hillslope stabilization.

Patents

• Robichaud, Peter; Brown, Robert. 2018. High Temperture Soil Probe.
• Robichaud, Pete; Hungerford, Roger; Gasvoda, David. 1999. Apparatus and Method for the Measurement of Forest Duff Moisture Content.
• Robichaud, Pete; Hungerford, Roger ; Gasvoda, David. 2000. Method for the Measurement of Forest Duff Moisture Content.

Publications

• Salis, Michele ; Del Giudice, Liliana ; Robichaud, Peter R.; Ager, Alan A.; Canu, Annalisa ; Duce, Pierpaolo ; Pellizzaro, Grazia ; Ventura, Andrea ; Alcasena-Urdiroz, Fermin ; Spano, Donatella ; Arca, Bachisio . 2019. Coupling wildfire spread and erosion models to quantify post-fire erosion before and after fuel treatments.
• Robichaud, Peter R.; Storrar, Keenan A.; Wagenbrenner, Joseph W. 2019. Effectiveness of straw bale check dams at reducing post-fire sediment yields from steep ephemeral channels.
• Bontrager, Jonathan D.; Morgan, Penelope ; Hudak, Andrew T.; Robichaud, Peter R. 2019. Long-term vegetation response following post-fire straw mulching.
• Pierson, Derek N.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Rhoades, Charles C.; Brown, Robert E. 2019. Soil carbon and nitrogen eroded after severe wildfire and erosion mitigation treatments.
• Nunes, Joao P.; Doerr, Stefan H.; Sheridan, Gary ; Neris, Jonay ; Santin, Cristina ; Emelko, Monica B.; Silins, Uldis ; Robichaud, Peter R.; Elliot, William J.; Keizer, Jacob . 2018. Assessing water contamination risk from vegetation fires: Challenges, opportunities and a framework for progress.
• Larson-Nash, Sierra S.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Pierson, Fredrick B.; Moffet, Corey A.; Williams, C. Jason; Spaeth, Kenneth E.; Brown, Robert E.; Lewis, Sarah A. 2018. Recovery of small-scale infiltration and erosion after wildfires.
• Miller, Sue; Rhodes, Charles; Robichaud, Pete; Ryan, Sandra; Kovecses, Jen; Chambers, Carl; Rathburn, Sara; Heath, Jared; Kampf, Stephanie; Wilson, Codie; Brogan, Dan; Piehl, Brad; Miller, Mary Ellen; Giordanengo, John; Berryman, Erin; Rocca, Monique. 2017. Learn from the burn: The High Park Fire 5 years later.
• Williams, C. Jason; Pierson, Frederick B.; Spaeth, Kenneth E.; Brown, Joel R.; Al-Hamdan, Osama Z.; Weltz, Mark A.; Nearing, Mark A.; Herrick, Jeffrey E.; Boll, Jan; Robichaud, Pete; Goodrich, David C.; Heilman, Phillip; Guertin, D. Phillip; Hernandez, Mariano; Wei, Haiyan; Hardegree, Stuart P.; Strand, Eva K.; Bates, Jonathan D.; Metz, Loretta J.; Nichols, Mary H. 2016. Incorporating hydrologic data and ecohydrologic relationships into ecological site descriptions.
• Robichaud, Pete; Wagenbrenner, Joseph W.; Pierson, Fredrick B.; Spaeth, Kenneth E.; Ashmun, Louise E.; Moffet, Corey A. 2016. Infiltration and interrill erosion rates after a wildfire in western Montana, USA.
• Miller, M. E.; Elliot, William; Billmire, M.; Robichaud, Pete; Endsley, K. A. 2016. Rapid-response tools and datasets for post-fire remediation: Linking remote sensing and process-based hydrological models.
• Wagenbrenner, J. W.; Robichaud, P. R.; Brown, R. E. 2016. Rill erosion in burned and salvage logged western montane forests: Effects of logging equipment type, traffic level, and slash treatment.
• Williams, C. Jason; Pierson, Frederick B.; Robichaud, Pete; Al-Hamdan, Osama Z.; Boll, Jan; Strand, Eva K. 2016. Structural and functional connectivity as a driver of hillslope erosion following disturbance.
• Shakesby, Richard A.; Moody, John A.; Martin, Deborah A.; Robichaud, Pete. 2016. Synthesising empirical results to improve predictions of post-wildfire runoff and erosion response.
• Liu, Mingliang; Barber, Michael E.; Cherkauer, Keith A.; Robichaud, Pete; Adam, Jennifer C. 2016. The effects of climate change and extreme wildfire events on runoff erosion over a mountain watershed.
• Robichaud, Pete; Elliot, William J.; Lewis, Sarah A.; Miller, Mary Ellen. 2016. Validation of a probabilistic post-fire erosion model.
• Pierson, Frederick B.; Williams, C. Jason; Robichaud, Pete. 2015. Assessing impacts of fire and post-fire on runoff and erosion from rangelands mitigation.
• Wagenbrenner, Joseph W.; MacDonald, Lee H.; Coats, Robert N.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Brown, Robert E. 2015. Effects of post-fire salvage logging and a skid trail treatment on ground cover, soils, and sediment production in the interior western United States.
• Miller, M. E.; Billmire, M.; Elliot, W. J.; Endsley, K. A.; Robichaud, P. R. 2015. Rapid response tools and datasets for post-fire modeling: Linking Earth Observations and process-based hydrological models to support post-fire remediation.
• Morgan, Penelope; Moy, Marshell; Droske, Christine A.; Lewis, Sarah A.; Lentile, Leigh B.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Hudak, Andrew T.; Williams, Christopher J. 2015. Vegetation response to burn severity, native grass seeding, and salvage logging.
• Page-Dumroese, D. S.; Robichaud, P. R.; Brown, R. E.; Tirocke, J. M. 2015. Water repellency of two forest soils after biochar addition.
• Robichaud, Peter R.; Rhee, Hakjun; Lewis, Sarah A. 2014. A synthesis of post-fire Burned Area Reports from 1972 to 2009 for western US Forest Service lands: Trends in wildfire characteristics and post-fire stabilisation treatments and expenditures.
• Wagenbrenner, Joseph W.; Robichaud, Peter R. 2014. Post-fire bedload sediment delivery across spatial scales in the interior western United States.
• Berryman, Erin M.; Morgan, Penelope; Robichaud, Peter R.; Page-Dumroese, Deborah. 2014. Post-fire erosion control mulches alter belowground processes and nitrate reductase activity of a perennial forb, heartleaf arnica (Arnica cordifolia).
• Miller, Sue; Elliot, Bill; Robichaud, Pete; Foltz, Randy; Flanagan, Dennis; Brooks, Erin. 2014. Science You Can Use Bulletin: From watersheds to the web: Online tools for modeling forest soil erosion.
• Hines, Sarah; Brenkert-Smith, Hannah; Champ, Patty; Joyce, Linda; Robichaud, Pete; Ryan-Burkett, Sandra. 2014. Science You Can Use Bulletin: Our relationship with a dynamic landscape: Understanding the 2013 Northern Colorado Flood.
• Morgan, Penelope; Moy, Marshell; Droske, Christine A.; Lentile, Leigh B.; Lewis, Sarah A.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Hudak, Andrew T. 2014. Vegetation response after post-fire mulching and native grass seeding.
• Moody, John A.; Shakesby, Richard A.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Cannon, Susan H.; Martin, Deborah A. 2013. Current research issues related to post-wildfire runoff and erosion processes.
• Foltz, Randy B.; Robichaud, Peter, R. 2013. Effectiveness of post-fire Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) road treatments: Results from three wildfires.
• Robichaud, P. R.; Jordan, P.; Lewis, S. A.; Ashmun, L. E.; Covert, S. A.; Brown, R. E. 2013. Evaluating the effectiveness of wood shred and agricultural straw mulches as a treatment to reduce post-wildfire hillslope erosion in southern British Columbia, Canada.
• Robichaud, Peter R.; Lewis, Sarah A.; Wagenbrenner, Joseph W.; Ashmun, Louise E.; Brown, Robert E. 2013. Post-fire mulching for runoff and erosion mitigation; Part I: Effectiveness at reducing hillslope erosion rates.
• Robichaud, Peter R.; Wagenbrenner, Joseph W.; Lewis, Sarah A.; Ashmun, Louise E.; Brown, Robert E.; Wohlgemuth, Peter M. 2013. Post-fire mulching for runoff and erosion mitigation; Part II: Effectiveness in reducing runoff and sediment yields from small catchments.
• Lewis, Sarah A.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Hudak, Andrew T.; Austin, Brian; Liebermann, Robert J. 2012. Utility of remotely sensed imagery for assessing the impact of salvage logging after forest fires.
• Elliot, W. J.; Robichaud, P. R.; Foltz, R. B. 2011. Erosion processes and prediction in NW U.S. forests.
• Miller, Mary Ellen; MacDonald, Lee H.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Elliot, William J. 2011. Predicting post-fire hillslope erosion in forest lands of the western United States.
• Robichaud, P. R.; Elliot, W. J.; Wagenbrenner, J. W. 2011. Probabilistic soil erosion modeling using the Erosion Risk Management Tool (ERMIT) after wildfires.
• Peppin, Donna L.; Fule, Peter Z.; Sieg, Carolyn Hull; Beyers, Jan L.; Hunter, Molly E.; Robichaud, Pete. 2011. Recent trends in post-wildfire seeding in western US forests: costs and seed mixes.
• Hudak, Andrew T.; Rickert, Ian; Morgan, Penelope; Strand, Eva; Lewis, Sarah A.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Hoffman, Chad; Holden, Zachary A. 2011. Review of fuel treatment effectiveness in forests and rangelands and a case study from the 2007 megafires in central, Idaho, USA.
• Wagenbrenner, Joseph W.; Robichaud, Peter R. 2011. Rill erosion rates in burned forests.
• Wohlgemuth, Pete; Beyers, Jan; Robichaud, Pete. 2011. The effectiveness of aerial hydromulch as an erosion control treatment in burned chaparral watersheds.
• Wagenbrenner, N. S.; Germino, M. J.; Lamb, B. K.; Foltz, R. B.; Robichaud, P. R. 2011. Wind erosion of soils burned by wildfire.
• Parson, Annette; Robichaud, Peter R.; Lewis, Sarah A.; Napper, Carolyn; Clark, Jess T. 2010. Field guide for mapping post-fire soil burn severity.
• Robichaud, Pete R.; MacDonald, Lee H.; Foltz, Randy B. 2010. Fuel management and erosion.
• Robichaud, P. R.; Wagenbrenner, J. W.; Brown, R. E. 2010. Rill erosion in natural and disturbed forests: 1. Measurements.
• Wagenbrenner, J. W.; Robichaud, P. R.; Elliot, W. J. 2010. Rill erosion in natural and disturbed forests: 2. Modeling approaches.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Elliot, W. J.; Foltz, R. B.; Robichaud, P. R. 2009. Recent findings related to measuring and modeling forest road erosion.
• 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.
• Robichaud, Peter R.; Wagenbrenner, Joseph W.; Brown, Robert E.; Spigel, Kevin M. 2009. Three years of hillslope sediment yields following the Valley Complex fires, western Montana.
• 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.
• 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.
• Robichaud, Peter R. 2008. Erosion Risk Management Tool (ERMiT).
• Robichaud, P. R.; Wagenbrenner, J. W.; Brown, R. E.; Wohlgemuth, P. M.; Beyers, J. L. 2008. Evaluating the effectiveness of contour-felled log erosion barriers as a post-fire runoff and erosion mitigation treatment in the western United States.
• 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.
• Robichaud, Peter R.; Pierson, Frederick B.; Brown, Robert E.; Wagenbrenner, Joseph W. 2008. Measuring effectiveness of three postfire hillslope erosion barrier treatments, western Montana, USA.
• MacDonald, Lee H.; Robichaud, Peter R. 2008. Post-fire erosion and the effectiveness of emergency rehabilitation treatments over time.
• 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.
• Lewis, Sarah A.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Frazier, Bruce E.; Wu, Joan Q.; Laes, Denise Y. M. 2008. Using hyperspectral imagery to predict post-wildfire soil water repellency.
• Elliot, William J.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Miller, I. Sue. 2007. Erosion rates from forests and rangelands following fuel management.
• Lentile, Leigh; Morgan, Penny; Hardy, Colin; Hudak, Andrew; Means, Robert; Ottmar, Roger; Robichaud, Peter; Sutherland, Elaine; Way, Frederick; Lewis, Sarah. 2007. Lessons learned from Rapid Response Research on wildland fires.
• Robichaud, Peter R.; Lewis, Sarah A.; Laes, Denise Y. M.; Hudak, Andrew T.; Kokaly, Raymond F.; Zamudio, Joseph A. 2007. Postfire soil burn severity mapping with hyperspectral image unmixing.
• Hudak, Andrew T.; Morgan, Penelope; Bobbitt, Michael J.; Smith, Allstair M. S.; Lewis, Sarah A.; Lentile, Leigh B.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Clark, Jess T.; McKinley, Randy A. 2007. The relationship of multispectral satellite imagery to immediate fire effects.
• Lentile, L.; Morgan, P.; Hardy, C.; Hudak, A.; Means, R.; Ottmar, R.; Robichaud, P.; Sutherland, E. Kennedy; 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.
• Robichaud, Pete; Lillybridge, T.R.; Wagenbrenner, Joseph. 2006. Effects of postfire seeding and fertilizing on hillslope erosion in north-central Washington, USA.
• Hudak, A. T.; Lewis, S.; Robichaud, P.; Morgan, P.; Bobbitt, M.; Lentile, L.; Smith, A.; Holden, Z.; Clark, J.; McKinley, R. 2006. Sensitivity of Landsat image-derived burn severity indices to immediate post-fire effects.
• Elliot, William; Robichaud, Pete. 2005. Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; environmental consequences fact sheet 08: Evaluating sedimentation risks associated with fuel management.
• Hudak, Andrew T.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Evans, Jeffery B.; Clark, Jess; Lannom, Keith; Morgan, Penelope; Stone, Carter. 2004. Field validation of Burned Area Reflectance Classification (BARC) products for post fire assessment.
• Hudak, Andrew; Morgan, Penelope; Stone, Carter; Robichaud, Pete; Jain, Terrie; Clark, Jess. 2004. The relationship of field burn severity measures to satellite-derived Burned Area Reflectance Classification (BARC) maps.
• Neary, Daniel G.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Beyers, Jan L. 2000. Burned area emergency watershed rehabilitation: Program goals, techniques, effectiveness, and future directions in the 21st Century.