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Invasive Annual Grasses in Wyoming

Learn about the two new invasive annual grasses, Ventenata and Medusahead, discovered recently by Sheridan County. They are more invasive than Cheatgrass and pose many risks to both animal and plant communities. Visit this website for a handy Invasive Grass Field guide, tips on how to prevent spread, and more.
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What Do Forest Fires Really Cost?

From the Journal of Forestry: A seven-year quest to estimate forest fire costs in Colorado revealed a number of losses not usually considered. Catastrophic fires result in direct costs, rehabilitation costs, impact costs, and special value losses. They are wildfire events that imperil public health, safety, or welfare and result in significant degradation of the…
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The Efficacy of Hazardous Fuel Treatments

From the Ecological Restoration Institute: The Efficacy of Hazardous Fuel Treatments: A Rapid Assessment of the Economic and Ecologic Consequences of Alternative Hazardous Fuel Treatments Several persistent questions related to wildfire economics and fuel treatment effectiveness continue to concern federal budget analysts at the Office of Wildland Fire in the U.S. Department of Interior. In…
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Beyond Bark Beetles – 10 Short Films

Medicine Bow & Routt National Forests teamed up with the University of Wyoming’s Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources to create ten short films about the bark beetle outbreak in the Western US. Watch the films for free here.
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Fired Up for Land Preservation: Children’s Booklet!

Fired Up for Land Preservation, co-authored by Dyan Youpee (Fort Peck Assiniboine-Sioux Tribal Heritage Protection Office) and tribal elders, is an activity booklet teaching youth about the importance of land management and fire. For copies contact Dyan Youpee or Great Plains Fire Science Exchange.
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Contributions of fire refugia to resilient ponderosa pine & dry mixed‐conifer forest landscapes

Coop, J. D., DeLory, T. J., Downing, W. M., Haire, S. L., Krawchuk, M. A., Miller, C., Parisien, M.‐A., and Walker, R. B.. 2019. Contributions of fire refugia to resilient ponderosa pine and dry mixed‐conifer forest landscapes. Ecosphere 10( 7):e02809. 10.1002/ecs2.2809 We sampled tree regeneration along gradients of fire refugia proximity and density at 686…
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Limits to Ponderosa Pine Regeneration following Large High-Severity Forest Fires in the United States Southwest

Haffey, C., Sisk, T.D., Allen, C.D., Thode, A.E. & Margolis, E.Q. 2018. Limits to Ponderosa Pine Regeneration following Large High-Severity Forest Fires in the United States Southwest. Fire Ecology 14: 143-163. High-severity fires in dry conifer forests of the United States Southwest have created large (>1000 ha) treeless areas that are unprecedented in the regional…
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Reburn severity in managed and unmanaged vegetation in a large wildfire

Thompson, J.R., Spies, T.A., Ganio, L.M., 2007. Reburn severity in managed and unmanaged vegetation in a large wildfire. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104, 10743–10748 Debate over the influence of post wildfire management on future fire severity is occurring in the absence of empirical studies. We used satellite data, government agency records, and…
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Ten years after wildfires: How does varying tree mortality impact fire hazard and forest resiliency?

Camille S. Stevens-Rumann, Carolyn H. Sieg, Molly E. Hunter, Ten years after wildfires: How does varying tree mortality impact fire hazard and forest resiliency?, Forest Ecology and Management, Volume 267, 2012, Pages 199-208, ISSN 0378-1127, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2011.12.003. Read the publication here.
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Forest disturbance accelerates thermophilization of understory plant communities

Synthesis: Canopy disturbance is likely to accelerate plant community shifts towards species from warmer regions, via its effects on understory microclimate at small scales. Understory diversity can be enhanced by intermediate disturbance regimes that promote the coexistence of species with different biogeographic affinities. Stevens, J.T., Safford, H.D., Harrison, S. & Latimer, A.M. 2015. Forest disturbance…
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