Science Reviews, Briefs, & Summaries

The NRFSN develops science reviews, briefs, and summaries to summarize the best available science and current research, identify knowledge gaps, and document learning that was part of past fire science events.

Science Reviews - Science reviews summarize and review the state-of-knowledge on current topics of importance for fire and fuels management in the Northern Rockies. 

• Post-fire tree regeneration (or lack thereof) can change ecosystems (2020) - Camille Stevens-Rumann, Penny Morgan, Kimberley T. Davis, Kerry Kemp, and Jarod Blades
• The effects of previous wildfires on subsequent wildfire behavior and post-wildfire recovery (2019) - Camille Stevens-Rumann, Susan J. Prichard, and Penny Morgan
• Quaking aspen in the Northern Rockies: retention and restoration (2017) - Camille Stevens-Rumann, Penny Morgan, Eva Strand, and Diane Abendroth

Research Briefs - Topic-focused reviews of current fire science research in the Northern Rockies.

• Wildfire effects on microclimate conditions and tree regeneration in mixed conifer forests (2022) - Kyra D. Wolf, Kimberley T. Davis, and Philip E. Higuera
• Short-interval high severity reburns change the playing field for forest recovery (2022) - Tyler Hoecker and Monica G. Turner
• Fire ecology and management of spotted knapweed, diffuse knapweed, and yellow starthistle (2022) - Robin Innes
• Effects of seed source pattern on post-fire tree recovery (2021) - Jamie L. Peeler
• Whitebark pine growth and defense in response to mountain pine beetle outbreaks (2021) - Nickolas E. Kichas
• Lick Creek: Lessons learned after 20+ years of fuel treatments in ponderosa pine (2021) - Sharon Hood, Christopher Keyes, Duncan Lutes, and Anna Sala
• What makes a resilient landscape? Climate, fire and forests in the Northern Rockies (2021) - Monica G. Turner
• Climatic controls on post-fire ponderosa pine and Douglas-fire regeneration and growth (2020) - Kimberley T. Davis and Lacey E. Hankin 
• Wildland firefighter smoke exposure and risk of lung and cardiovascular disease (2020) - Kathleen M. Navarro and Linda Mutch
• Mountain big sagebrush - Fire regimes (2019) - Robin Innes
• Community conversations: applying traditional knowledge to fire management and research (2019) - Hannah Lopez, Frank Lake, Vita Wright (Joint research brief with California Fire Science Consortium)
• Wildland fire radio communication - Common myths and best practices (2018) - Anne E. Black, R. Fox, E. Gabor, D. Thomas, J. Ziegler
• Fire behavior and ecological effects of burning masticated forest fuels (2018) - Penny Morgan, Alistair Smith, Aaron Sparks, Camille Steven-Rumann, Zachary Lyon, Robert Keefe, Pamela Sikkink
• Mountain big sagebrush - Fire ecology and management (2017) - Robin Innes
• Aging masticated fuels - How do they change over time? (2017) - Pam Sikkink
• Effectiveness and longevity of wildland fire as a fuel treatment (2016) - Sean Parks and Corey Gucker

Webpage Reviews - Topic-focused reviews of current Northern Rockies fire issues with links to a variety of additional supporting resources.

• Fire and bark beetles
• Climate change, disturbances, and management

Field Trip Summaries - Field trips and tours hosted or co-hosted by the NRFSN are documented here.

• Western Rx fire science research burn - Field tour at Lubrecht Experimental Forest
• Marshall Woods Restoration Project - Challenges to building consensus and convenying fire hazard mitigation and ecological restoration needs to the public
• Tribal fire and forest management - Confederated Salish-Kootenai fire history, philosophy, and resource management strategies
• Lolo Peak Fire 2017 - From the wilderness to the wildland urban interface
• Conserving whitebark pine in ski areas - Demonstrations at Whitefish Mountain Resort
• Suppressing fire at the wilderness boundary - The Bear Creek Fires of 2015, Spotted Bear Ranger District
• Yellowstone fire history and fire ecology - Insights 27 years after the 1988 fires
• Fuels treatments in ponderosa pine - Visits to the Boise National Forest and Boise Basin Exp. Forest
• 40 years of wilderness fire - In the Selway-Bitterroot and Frank Church-River of No Return
• Collaborative fuels reduction and restoration - Experiences from the Southwestern Crown of the Continent
• The Bitterroot Valley fires of 2000 - Revisiting experiences and fire effects 13 years later
• Restoration fuels treatments in old-growth - Visiting research plots in western larch and ponderosa pine forests
• The ecological importance of severe fire - Site visits to Lolo Creek and Blue Mountain burned areas
• Whitebark pine restoration challenges - Restoration site visits in the Bridger Mountains
• Integrated fuels/restoration treatments - Field tour of the Priest River Experimental Forest

Workshop Summaries - Workshops hosted or co-hosted by the NRFSN are documented here.

• Adapting fuel treatments in a changing climate - Prescribed fire, mechanical treatments, wildfire, and restoration
• Whitebark pine workshop - Science, management, and community