You are here

Home / Keywords / erosion

Keyword: erosion

Effectiveness of straw bale check dams at reducing post-fire sediment yields from steep ephemeral channels

Publications Posted on: September 14, 2019
Post-fire flooding and elevated sediment loads in channels can pose hazards to people and structures within the wildland-urban interface. Mitigation of these hazards is essential to protect downstream resources. Straw bale check dams are one treatment designed to reduce sediment yields in small ephemeral catchments (b2 ha).

After Fire: Landscape toolkit for the Southwest

Science Spotlights Posted on: July 16, 2019
Wildfires, an important natural disturbance in southwestern ecosystems, can present challenges to resource managers, communities, and private landowners when they burn areas subject to post-fire flooding and erosion. Many government agencies and research institutions have developed science and management tools for estimating post-fire effects and mitigating risks in burned landscapes. We assessed the utility of currently available tools and resources for application on non-federal lands and by non-federal user groups.

Wildfire contribution to desertification at local, regional, and global scales [Chapter 8]

Publications Posted on: July 08, 2019
Wildfire is a natural phenomenon that began with the development of terrestrial vegetation in a lightning-filled atmosphere of the Carboniferous Period (307-359 million years before the present). Sediment deposits from that era contain evidence of charcoal from post-fire ash slurry flows. As human populations developed in the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs, mankind transformed fire into one of its oldest tools.

100 years of vegetation change at the Sierra Ancha Experimental Forest

Projects Posted on: March 08, 2019
This project incorporates historical data collected at the Sierra Ancha Experimental Forest nearly 100 years ago to determine how plant communities have changed over that period of time.

Erosion and site productivity in western-montane forest ecosystems

Documents and Media Posted on: October 17, 2018
Soil loss from erosion affects site productivity by reducing the nutrient pool and water-holding capacity of the soil and by direct damage to vegetation. The effects of erosion depend on the type of erosion processes because of differences in the depth and areal extent of soil loss, the downslope rate of soil movement, and the probability of redeposition of eroded material.Document Type: Other Documents

Promoting revegetation and soil carbon sequestration on decommissioned forest roads in Colorado, USA: A comparative assessment of organic soil amendments

Publications Posted on: October 04, 2018
Forest roads are commonly decommissioned and revegetated to decrease erosion, prevent weed encroachment, manage recreation and improve overall watershed condition on federal lands, but may also provide a complementary opportunity to sequester carbon (C) in soils.

First-year postfire and postharvest soil temperatures in aspen and conifer stands

Publications Posted on: August 01, 2018
Aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) stands are in decline throughout the Interior Western United States because of fire suppression, overbrowsing by domestic livestock and native ungulates, and forest succession.

Road scholars for the western states: Protecting natural areas by improving road management research

Pages Posted on: March 29, 2018
A poorly placed or unsuitably designed road can result in landslides, flooding, gullies, stream damage, and wildlife habitat destruction. Particularly in natural areas, benefits of roads, such as accessibility and convenience, must be weighed against potential water quality degradation, scenic and wildlife habitat destruction, and hazardous driving conditions. Scientists at the Rocky Mountain Research Station helped create two free tools—GRAIP (Geomorphic Road Analysis and Inventory Package) and GRAIP-Lite—to help land managers make better decisions about road management in environmentally sensitive areas. GRAIP helps land managers analyze and predict surface erosion, gully risk, landslide risk, stream crossing failure risks, and other hazards. GRAIP-Lite allows land managers to quickly compare roads and road lengths in terms of their potential impact on the environment.

A rapid response database in support of post-fire hydrological modeling

Publications Posted on: January 06, 2017
Being prepared for an emergency is important. Every year wildfires threaten homes and lives, but danger persists even after the flames are extinguished. Post-fire flooding and erosion (Figure 1) can threaten lives, property, and natural resources.

Targeting forest management through fire and erosion modeling

Publications Posted on: January 06, 2017
Forests deliver a number of important ecosystem services, including clean water. When forests are disturbed by wildfire, the timing, quantity and quality of runoff are altered. A modelling study was conducted in a forested watershed in California, USA, to determine the risk of wildfire, and the potential post-fire sediment delivery from ~4-ha hillslope polygons within a 1500-km2 basin following a wildfire event.

Pages