USGS News: July Science Picks - Hot Topics (Fire and Environment)
USGS Office of Communications
Science Picks — Leads, Feeds and Story Seeds
July 2007 Edition
For Release: UPON RECEIPT
Wildland fires in the western United States are wreaking havoc on the
people, plants and wildlife in their way. As of July 13, more than 50
thousand fires had burned 2,832,759 acres in 2007. This area burned is
20 percent more than the 10-year average (1997-2007) for the same date.
For details, go to the National Interagency Fire Center Web site (
http://www.nifc.gov/fire_info/nfn.htm). This July edition of Science
Picks provides a compilation of fire science and other hot topics. USGS
scientists have investigated the effects of wildland fire on plants,
wildlife, water, soils and people to answer fire science questions asked
by land managers. USGS offers critical real-time fire information to
managers with tools such as GeoMAC (see below).
Photos and Web links are available to enhance your story. If you would
like to receive Science Picks via e-mail, would like to change the
recipient or no longer want to receive it, please e-mail dmakle@xxxxxxxx
.
July Highlights
· Natural Perchlorate in Southwest Soils May Exceed Total Amount
Manufactured to Date
· Pesticides — A Tough Break(down) for Amphibians
· Biologists Hot on Tortoise Track
· The Hot Spots in Mojave Desert Wildfires of the Past 25 Years
· Fire-fueling Invader Gets Up Early
· Given a (Fuel) Break, Nonnative Plants Can Invade Wildlands
· Marsh Health — Counting Parasites a Positive
· Beetles, Bark, and other Battles that Influence Wildland Fire Risk
· Fire Tools and Resources
· GeoMAC www.geomac.gov
· California Fire Planning and Mapping Tools
http://wildfire.cr.usgs.gov/fireplanning
· Sierra Wildland Fire Reporting System http://sierrafire.cr.usgs.gov/
· National Fire Plan http://wildfire.cr.usgs.gov/nfpmaps/viewer.htm
· Rapid Data Delivery System http://firedata.cr.usgs.gov
· How Long Does it Take Water to Flow through Aurora?
· Are Night Lights Bad for Wildlife?
LEADS (top news, updates and happenings in natural science)
Natural Perchlorate in Southwest Soils May Exceed Total Amount
Manufactured to Date: The environmental and health communities are
concerned about perchlorate, a naturally occurring and manmade chemical
that has contaminated water supplies and is assumed to cause health
problems. Just below the root zone in deserts and semi-arid regions
throughout the southwestern United States are salt-rich layers
containing substantial quantities of natural perchlorate. The amount, up
to hundreds of grams per hectare, is surprising because the amount of
the naturally occurring chemical may exceed the total amount
manufactured to date. Want to know how the presence of natural
perchlorate could complicate investigations at contamination sites? See
http://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/perchlorate_sw_soils.html or contact
David Stonestrom at (650) 329-4528 or dastones@xxxxxxxxx
Pesticides — A Tough Break(down) for Amphibians: The breakdown products
of the three most commonly used pesticides in California's agricultural
Central Valley are found to be much more toxic to amphibians than their
parent compounds, according to laboratory experiments conducted by the
USGS and Southern Illinois University scientists. Tadpoles of foothill
yellow-legged frogs were raised from eggs collected from a stream in the
California Coast Range, upwind of agricultural activities in the Central
Valley and away from areas where significant quantities of pesticides
are used. Test results indicated that chloroxon killed all tadpoles and
was at least 100 times more toxic than the lowest concentration of the
parent compound chlorpyrifos, which resulted in no mortality. Maloxon
was nearly 100 times more toxic than malathion, and diazoxon was about
10 times more toxic than diazinon. To learn more about this study, see
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1684 or contact Gary Fellers
at (415) 464-5185 or gary_fellers@xxxxxxxxx Photos can be found at
http://online.wr.usgs.gov/ocw/htmlmail/rana_boylii/images.html.
Biologists Hot on Tortoise Track: Two years ago, tens of thousands of
acres of desert tortoise critical habitat were burned in fires fueled
primarily by invasive grasses. Charred remains of desert tortoises were
found at several sites, but live tortoises also persisted in burned
areas and the nearby perimeter. To determine if and how tortoises are
using the habitats on and near large burned sites in the Mojave Desert,
scientists are tracking the movements of desert tortoises in summer. To
learn more, contact Ken Nussear at (702) 564-4515 or knussear@xxxxxxxxx
The Hot Spots in Mojave Desert Wildfires of the Past 25 Years:
Historically, fire has been infrequent in the Mojave Desert; its
increased occurrence, caused by the invasion of non-native annual
grasses, is a major concern. Recent studies of fire data retrieved
between 1980 and 2004 show the most dramatic changes have taken place in
middle elevation shrublands — home to Joshua trees and desert tortoises.
Research indicates that a more aggressive invasive plant/fire cycle
exists in middle and possibly lower elevation shrublands, but not at
higher elevations. For more information, see
http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pubbriefs/brookspbjan2007c.html or contact Matt
Brooks at
(702) 564-4615 or matt_brooks@xxxxxxxxx
Fire-fueling Invader Gets Up Early: By fueling wildfires that injure
and kill native plants, Red brome (a non-native annual grass) is having
a dramatic impact on Mojave Desert plant communities. According to
scientists from the USGS, the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station,
and the University of Nevada Red brome affects perennial species in
undisturbed plant communities even before wildfire becomes a problem.
Research indicates growth of Mojave Desert perennials declined because
nearby red brome plants that established in winter had 2 to 3 months of
growth before perennials were active. In comparison, red brome plants
that established later in spring were smaller and did not effectively
reduce growth of the perennials. For more information, see
http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pubbriefs/defalcopbmay2007.html or contact
Lesley DeFalco at (702) 564-4507 or lesley_defalco@xxxxxxxxx
Given a (Fuel) Break, Nonnative Plants Can Invade Wildlands: Federal,
state, local and private land managers in the United States have made
reducing hazardous fuels that feed wildland fires a priority, but fuel
modification programs can unintentionally introduce and spread nonnative
invasive plant species, according to a newly published report. After
completing a study of fuel breaks — which included construction methods,
maintenance and fire histories — on California forests and shrublands
(sage scrub, chaparral, oak woodland, and coniferous forests), USGS and
Forest service scientists say the cover and diversity of nonnative
species were significantly higher on fuel breaks than in surrounding
wildland areas. To learn more, check out the newly released report
http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/sir20065185 or contact Jon Keeley at (559)
565-3170 or jon_keeley@xxxxxxxxx
Beetles, Bark, and other Battles that Influence Wildland Fire Risk: When
a beetle bores into bark, a healthy tree responds by producing pitch
that drowns or evicts the beetle. During drought, however, trees may not
produce enough sap pressure to control the hundreds of beetles that may
attack. The insects carve pathways under the bark, eventually killing
the afflicted trees. Those trees become fuel for wildfire. In 2006, the
USGS and a multi-agency group of collaborators launched a
multidisciplinary fire science project, “Assessment of Wildfire-Related
Hazards on Human and Ecological Communities: A demonstration project in
the Front Range of Colorado.” The team of scientists is conducting a
comprehensive, systematic analysis of wildland fire risks and potential
impacts, including post-fire effects on human safety, property, critical
infrastructure and natural resources. Grand County, Colo., was chosen as
the site of this project because of its extensive tree mortality from
bark beetle outbreak, ongoing drought, a growing population in the
wildland-urban interface, and the presence of significant water
resources that supply municipal and agricultural users. For more
information, contact Deborah Martin at (303) 541-3024 and
damartin@xxxxxxxx or Randy Updike at (303) 236-5440 and updike@xxxxxxxxx
Marsh Health — Counting Parasites a Positive: Ever watched coastal marsh
birds swoop down on its unsuspecting prey and wondered if the salt marsh
is healthy? How would you tell? To answer this question, scientists at
the USGS, Princeton University, and the University of California, Santa
Barbara, are cracking open common marsh snails and counting parasitic
worms. Their claim: the more parasites, the healthier the marsh.
Parasites seem small and invisible, hidden inside their hosts. However,
parasites strongly affect the structure of food webs, and parasite links
are necessary for measuring ecosystem stability. To learn more, see
http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2006/07/research2.html and
http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2006/08/research2.html or contact Kevin
Lafferty at
(805) 893-8778 and klafferty@xxxxxxxxx
FEEDS (USGS tools and resources)
GeoMAC www.geomac.gov
GeoMAC, an internet-based mapping application designed for fire managers
and the public, shows dynamic online maps of current fire locations and
fire perimeters in the continental United States and Alaska. In 2006,
more than 2000 perimeters were loaded into the database.
California Fire Planning and Mapping Tools
http://wildfire.cr.usgs.gov/fireplanning
The Fire Planning and Mapping Tools Web site is a user-friendly site
where users can quickly create a map of an area, print, and download
data to their PC for use with GIS software.
Sierra Wildland Fire Reporting System http://sierrafire.cr.usgs.gov/
The Sierra Wildland Fire Reporting System application is a prototype
comprehensive reporting system for all federal fires in the southern and
central Sierra Nevada range. This tool can enhance fire managers'
ability to collaborate and better understand fire and smoke impacts
across multi-agency landscapes. This application provides reporting
forms and tools for digitizing point and perimeter locations for small
fires.
National Fire Plan http://wildfire.cr.usgs.gov/nfpmaps/viewer.htm
The National Fire Plan was developed in August 2000, following a
landmark wildland fire season, to actively respond to severe wildland
fires and their impacts to communities while ensuring sufficient
firefighting capacity for the future. The plan addresses five key
points: Firefighting, Rehabilitation, Hazardous Fuels Reduction,
Community Assistance, and Accountability. The National Fire Plan
web-based application shows the completed fuel treatment sites and
communities at risk with base layer information, as well as the proposed
fuel treatments for contractors’ information.
Rapid Data Delivery System http://firedata.cr.usgs.gov
The USGS has started an internet-based data ordering service for use in
wildfire applications for GIS specialists and fire managers. The
application features interactive maps integrated with current wildfire
information that can process and re-project mosaic and tone balance
Digital Raster Graphics, Digital Orthophoto Quads, and Digital Elevation
Models and automatically disseminate the data for users to download or
to initiate a delivery of data on CD-ROM using traditional mail delivery
methods. (Note: the RDDS site is password protected and access is
limited to wildland fire personnel)
STORY SEEDS (points to ponder or investigate)
USGS Science in High Definition TV Series: USGS science will be
prominently featured in a four-part, high-definition television series
called "Faces of the Earth" on the Science Channel. The series includes
the following episodes and premier showtimes: "Building the Planet,"
July 23 at 9 p.m.; "Shaping the Planet," July 26 at 9 p.m.; "Assembling
America," Aug. 2 at 10 p.m., and "The Human World," Aug. 9 at 9 p.m.
"Faces of the Earth" is produced by the American Geological Institute
and Evergreen Films and is intended to let the viewer follow scientists
at work, and see the world like never before. To learn more about “Faces
of Earth,” find additional show times, and to watch trailers from the
series, go to http://www.facesofearth.tv. For more information, contact
Robert Ridky at (703) 648-4713 or rridky@xxxxxxxxx
How Long Does it Take Water to Flow through Aurora?: The USGS Colorado
Water Science Center is conducting rhodamine, "red-dye" tests along Toll
Gate Creek in Aurora, Colo., July 9 through August 7. The study will
provide estimates of the time it takes for water in the creek to flow
through Aurora. These estimates can be used to understand the movement
of contaminants that can be introduced to the stream either by design or
as the result of an accidental spill. The study is part of ongoing work
by the USGS and the City of Aurora. For more information, contact Heidi
Koontz at (303) 202-4763 or hkoontz@xxxxxxxxx
Are Night Lights Bad for Wildlife? When camping out in the wild, away
from the city, even under a clear, starlit sky, most of us like to have
a flashlight to light our way. Lights help humans to navigate outside at
night, but what do wildlife make of our artificial illumination?
Artificial night lighting may affect the behavior of wildlife in complex
ways and may even contribute to declines in some reptile species,
according to USGS and Texas Tech University scientists. To learn more,
see http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2006/02/pubs.html or contact Robert
Fisher at (619) 225-6422 or rfisher@xxxxxxxxx
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