Self-powered alarm fights forest fires, monitors environment
Smokey the Bear says that only you can prevent wildfires, but what if Smokey had a high-tech backup? In a new study, a team of Michigan State University scientists designed…
Read More...Colorado’s snowpack is nearly gone, which is not a good sign for fire season
Colorado’s rivers and streams are still filled with plenty of cold, rushing water from this season’s snowmelt. But that natural water source won’t last much longer. Colorado’s snowpack has all…
Read More...When planting trees threatens the forest
Campaigns to plant huge numbers of trees could backfire, according to a new study that is the first to rigorously analyze the potential effects of subsidies in such schemes. The…
Read More...Scientists believe invasive grass poses a threat in desert wildfire
Scientists have been warning of the dangers of buffelgrass invading the desert for decades. But while there have been numerous efforts led by public agencies and nonprofit groups to fight…
Read More...Crews on Arizona wildfires contend with wind-driven flames
Wildfires in Arizona are typical this time of year, but high winds have been a key factor in driving the size of the blazes that are threatening rural communities, state…
Read More...Up in Smoke: Fire and Invasives on Western Rangelands
Check out this 5-minute film that introduces the colossal conservation challenge of invasive annual grasses in sagebrush habitats and the rangeland fire it can facilitate. Learn about the scale and…
Read More...Secretary Perdue announces modernization blueprint for the USDA Forest Service
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today issued a memorandum to Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen providing direction that will serve as a blueprint to help modernize the agency’s systems and approaches…
Read More...Bedrock type under forests greatly affects tree growth, species, carbon storage
A forest’s ability to store carbon depends significantly on the bedrock beneath, according to Penn State researchers who studied forest productivity, composition and associated physical characteristics of rocks in the…
Read More...Where the worst wildfire activity is expected this summer
Hot, dry weather and increasing drought conditions across the western United States this summer may result in above-average wildfire potential into September, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) outlook.…
Read More...Climate change is driving widespread forest death and creating shorter, younger trees
Forests across the world are transforming as the Earth heats up and as more frequent and severe droughts, wildfires and disease outbreaks destroy trees. In a new report published in Science magazine,…
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