Monitoring & Modeling Mountain Air Temperatures in the Northwest U.S. and Canada

Dr. Zachary A. Holden, USFS Scientist

Phone: 406-329-3119
Email: zachary.holden@usda.gov

Dr. Anna Klene, University of Montana - Department of Geography

Phone: 406-243-4347
Email: anna.klene@umontana.edu

Sam Cushman, Research Landscape Ecologist

Phone: 928-556-2177
E-mail: samuel.cushman@usda.gov

• Gretchen Moisen (FIA)
• Bob Rhoads (FIA)
• John Abatzoglou (University of Idaho)
• Sam Cushman (RMRS)
• Dan Isaak (RMRS)
• Charlie Luce (RMRS)
• Andrew Hudak (RMRS)
• Nicholas Crookston (RMRS)
• Brett Roper (USFS WO)
• Michael Lucid (Idaho Game and Fish)
• Taylor Greenup (Lolo NF)
• Clint Muhlfeld (USGS)
• Jessica Page (NPS)
• Chris Servheen (USFWS)
• Wayne Kasworm (USFWS)
• Deborah MacKillop (BC Forestry)
• The Clark Fork Coalition  

Fire danger rating systems commonly ignore fine scale, topographically-induced weather variations. These variations create heterogeneous fuel moisture and fire danger conditions across the landscape. By understanding and modeling fine-scale fuel moistures and potential energy release of fuels, we should be able to improve our understanding of the potential behavior and effects of wildfires. Development of improved, higher spatial resolution wildfire danger forecasting tools will ultimately improve our ability to use fire as a management tool and improve firefighter safety.

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Patti Koppenol, USFS Region 1 Fire & Aviation Management

Temperature and precipitation strongly influence the occurrence and productivity of vegetation. However, modeling these variables at fine scales poses a major challenge in complex topography. Using models derived from dense networks of air temperature and humidity sensors, we are developing improved biophysical layers with which to predict occurrence and regeneration of trees and shrubs across USFS Region 1 (Idaho, Montana) and southern Canada.  High spatial resolution predictions of species occurrence will help address questions about how to better manage forests in variable and changing climates.

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Project Partners:

• Zack Holden, USFS Region 1
• Alison Mysneberge, University of Montana
• John Abatzoglou, University of Idaho

• Solomon Dobrowski, Dept. Forest Management, University of Montana
• Deb MacKillop, Canadian BC Ministry of Forests

Stream Temperature Monitoring and Modeling

Air Temperature Based Thermal Stream Habitat Model

Air Temperature Monitoring Site Locations Map

Luce, C.H., Abatzoglou, J.T. and Holden, Z.A., 2013. The Missing Mountain Water: Slower Westerlies Decrease Orographic Enhancement in the Pacific Northwest USA. Science, 342(6164): 1360-1364.

Holden, Zachary A.; Abatzoglou, John T.; Luce, Charles H.; Baggett, L. Scott. 2011. Empirical downscaling of daily minimum air temperature at very fine resolutions in complex terrain. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 151: 1066-1073.

Holden, Z. A.,  M. C. Crimmins, S. A.  Cushman and J. Littell, (2011). Empirical modeling of temporal and spatial variation in nocturnal warm season temperature across two North Idaho Mountain ranges, USA. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology.   

Rieman, B.E., D.J. Isaak, D. Myers, S. Adams, C. Luce, D. Horan, D. Nagel. 2007. Anticipated effects of climate warming on bull trout within the Interior Columbia River Basin. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 136: 1552-1565.

Massive air and stream temperature sensor networks for studying microclimatic variation in mountain landscapes of the northwestern U.S. Poster presented at the 2010 AGU Fall Meeting. San Francisco, Calif., 13-17 Dec.   

Holden, Zachary A.; Jolly, W. Matt. 2011. Modeling topographic influences on fuel moisture and fire danger in complex terrain to improve wildland fire management decision support. Forest Ecology and Management. 262: 2133-2141.