Peter M. Wohlgemuth
Riverside, CA 92507-6071
United States
In one study, Wohlgemuth found that prescribed fires reduce the soil erosion from subsequent wildfires, suggesting that prescribed burns may be a sediment management tool in addition to helping to manage vegetation or reduce fuel buildup. Wohlgemuth found that prescribed fires reduced postfire cleanup costs and, perhaps, even the need for expensive soil retention structures.
In a second study, Wohlgemuth discovered that seeding with ryegrass is not an effective postfire erosion control measure, although the grass species has long been a standard erosion control plant in California. Wohlgemuth's field tests revealed that ryegrass replaced, rather than augmented, the cover of postfire native regrowth and was no better at reducing erosion than unseeded controls. His findings helped to steer postfire management response away from seeding as an erosion-control technique.
In the future, Wohlgemuth — who enjoys working outdoors on real-world problems — will continue to quantify and model postfire sediment changes for planning and risk assessment.
- Member, American Geophysical Union, Current
- Member, Association for Fire Ecology, Current
- Wohlgemuth, Peter M.; Riggan, Philip J.; Birosik, Shirley A. 2021. Chapter 16: Ecoregion 11.1.1 California Coastal Sage, Chaparral, and Oak Woodlands: San Dimas Experimental Forest, California
- Wohlgemuth, Peter M.; Lilley, Keith A. 2018. Sediment delivery, flood control, and physical ecosystem services in southern California chaparral landscapes
- Wohlgemuth, Pete. 2016. Long-term hydrologic research on the San Dimas Experimental Forest, southern California: lessons learned and future directions
- Amatya, Devendra; Campbell, John; Wohlgemuth, Pete; Elder, Kelly; Sebestyen, Stephen; Johnson, Sherri; Keppeler, Elizabeth; Adams, Mary Beth; Caldwell, Peter; Misra, D. 2016. Hydrological processes of reference watersheds in Experimental Forests, USA
- 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
- Hubbert, Ken R.; Wohlgemuth, Peter M.; Beyers, Jan L. 2012. Effects of hydromulch on post-fire erosion and plant recovery in chaparral shrublands of southern California
- Hubbert, Ken R.; Wohlgemuth, Pete M.; Beyers, Jan L.; Narog, Marcia G.; Gerrard, Ross. 2012. Post-Fire soil water repellency, hydrologic response, and sediment yield compared between grass-converted and chaparral watersheds
- Wohlgemuth, Pete; Beyers, Jan; Robichaud, Pete. 2011. The effectiveness of aerial hydromulch as an erosion control treatment in burned chaparral watersheds
- Wohlgemuth, P.M.; Beyers, J.L.; Robichaud, P.R. 2010. The Effectiveness of Aerial Hydromulch as a Post-Fire Erosion Control Treatment in Southern California
- Wohlgemuth, Pete. 2009. San Dimas Experimental Forest, California—a giant outdoor hydrologic lab
- Wohlgemuth, P. M.; Beyers, J. L.; Hubbert, K. R. 2009. Rehabilitation strategies after fire: the California, USA experience
- Wohlgemuth, P. M.; Hubbert, K. R. 2008. The effects of fire on soil hydrologic properties and sediment fluxes in chaparral steeplands, southern California
- Hubbert, K. R.; Wohlgemuth, P. M.; Preisler, H. K. 2008. Pre- and postfire distribution of soil water repellency in a steep chaparral watershed
- 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
- Wohlgemuth, Peter M.; Hubbert, Ken R.; Beyers, Jan L.; Weise, David R. 2007. Evaluating the effectiveness of burned area emergency response (BAER) efforts after the 2003 wildfires, southern California
- Wohlgemuth, Peter M.; Robichaud, Peter R. 2007. The effects of selected postfire emergency rehabilitation techniques on small watershed sediment yields in southern California
- Meixner, T.; Fenn, Mark E.; Wohlgemuth, P.; Oxford, M.; Riggan, P. 2006. N saturation symptoms in chaparral catchments are not reversed by prescribed fire
- Hubbert, K.R.; Preisler, H.K.; Wohlgemuth, P.M.; Graham, R.C.; Narog, M.G. 2006. Prescribed burning effects on soil physical properties and soil water repellency in a steep chaparral watershed, southern California, USA
- de Koff, Jason P.; Graham, Robert C.; Hubbert, Ken R.; Wohlgemuth, Peter M. 2006. Prefire and postfire erosion of soil nutrients within a chaparral watershed
- Loomis, John; Wohlgemuth, Pete; González-Cabán, Armando; English, Don. 2003. Economic benefits of reducing fire-related sediment in southwestern fire-prone ecosystems
- Beyers, Jan; Wakeman, C.D.; Conard, S.G.; Wohlgemuth, Pete. 2002. Impacts of postfire grass seeding on vegetation recovery in southern California chaparral
- Wohlgemuth, Pete; Beyers, Jan; Wakeman, C.D.; Conard, S.G. 2002. Effects of fire and emergency seeding on hillslope erosion in southern California chaparral
- Wohlgemuth, Peter M.; Hubbert, Ken R.; Robichaud, Peter R. 2001. The effects of log erosion barriers on post-fire hydrologic response and sediment yield in small forested watersheds, southern Califonia
- Beyers, Jan L.; Wakeman, Carla D.; Wohlgemuth, Peter M.; Conard, Susan G. 1998. Effects of post-fire grass seeding on native vegetation in southern California chaparral
- Barro, Susan C.; Wohlgemuth, Peter M.; Campbell, Allan G. 1989. Post-Fire Interactions Between Riparian Vegetation and Channel Morphology and the Implications for Stream Channel Rehabilitation Choices
- Dunn, Paul H.; Barro, Susan C.; Wells, Wade G., II.; Poth, Mark A; Wohlgemuth, Peter M.; Colver, Charles G. 1988. The San Dimas experimental forest: 50 years of research
- Wells, Wade G., II.; Wohlgemuth, Peter M. 1987. Sediment traps for measuring onslope surface sediment movement