Fire and Fuels

Fire and fire frequency on rangelands impacts plant diversity, forage availability, and frequency of fire further affects ranchers’ income when public lands are closed to grazing during recovery after fire.  Annual grasses contribute to large-scale fire and loss of sagebrush.  At higher elevations, sagebrush density can dominate fire effects suggesting loss of a mosaic of sagebrush densities across mountain big sagebrush landscapes. Stakeholders identified the need for additional coordination of research, communication via outreach and education, increased collaboration to implement management solutions, and connections between individuals and organizations working to manage fire and fuels on rangelands. 

Project list

Refining Post-Wildfire Recovery with New Technologies, Climate Smart Practices, and Targeted Grazing

Project Leads: Tracey Johnson (UI-CNR), Eric Winford (UI-CNR), Jason Karl (UI-CNR), Jim Sprinkle (UI-Extension), Cameron Weskamp (UI-CALS), John Hall (UI-Extension) 

Research: Evaluation of Linear Fuel Break Systems and Using Remote Sensing Data to Estimate Live Fuel Moisture Content in South-Central Idaho 

Project Leads: Kayla Johnston* (UI-CNR), Eva Strand (UI-CNR), Tim Prather (UI-Extension) 

An Economic Evaluation of Linear Vegetative Fuel Breaks and Wildfire in Southern Idaho

Project Leads: Aaron Johnston* (UI-CALS), Katherine Lee (UI-CALS) 

Publications

Visit the University of Idaho VERSO page for a full list of fire & fuel publications from Rangeland Center Members

  • Harrison, G. R., Jones, L. C., Ellsworth, L. M., Strand, E. K., & Prather, T. S. (2024). Cheatgrass alters flammability of native perennial grasses in laboratory combustion experiments. Fire Ecology, 20(1), . https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-024-00338-z
  • Fernandez-Guisuraga, J. M., Calvo, L., Fernandes, P. M., Hulet, A., Perryman, B., Schultz, B., Jensen, K. S., Enterkine, J., Boyd, C. S., Davies, K. W., Johnson, D. D., Wollstein, K., Price, W. J., & Arispe, S. A. (2023). Estimates of fine fuel litter biomass in the northern Great Basin reveal increases during short fire-free intervals associated with invasive annual grasses. The Science of the Total Environment, 860, 160634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160634
  • Arispe, S. A., Johnson, D. D., Wollstein, K. L., Hulet, A., Jensen, K. S., Schultz, B. W., Sprinkle, J. E., McDaniel, M. F., Ryan, T., Mackenzie, M., & Cunningham, S. (2022). Strategic Partnerships to Leverage Small Wins for Fine Fuels Management. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 85(1), 66–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2022.09.004
  • Strand, E. K., Ellsworth, L. M., Newingham, B., Shaff, S. E., Williams, C. L., Reeves, M. C., Pyke, D. A., Schupp, E. W., & Chambers, J. C. (2022). Fuel reduction treatments reduce modeled fire intensity in the sagebrush steppe. Ecosphere, 13(5), . https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4064