New book on fire ecology and management across the U.S.

A comprehensive book on fire ecology and management in U.S. forests is now available.

More than 70 experts wrote the book together, including researchers, land managers, and other experts from the USDA Forest Service. Other authors represented universities, non-governmental organizations and state and federal agencies.

Forest Service scientist Katie Greenberg and Western Carolina University professor Beverly Collins compiled and edited the book.

Over its twelve chapters, the book covers:

• Fire ecology of every major forest type in the U.S.,
• Fire regimes as influenced by fire suppression,
• Land use history,
• Ecosystem integrity and restoration,
• Wildfire threats, and
• Climate change.

“This book arose out of a need for a broad synthesis of fire ecology in U.S. forests to aid in their sustainable management under our changing climate,” says Greenberg.

Over the past 30 years, the land area burned by wildfires has quadrupled. Fire suppression and climate change are interacting to make wildfires more likely. Droughts are expected to become more severe – more common and longer lasting. Some experts suggest that by 2050, wildfire severity could increase up to six times.

“The book provides management options for reducing wildfire risk into the future, while maintaining biological diversity and ecosystem integrity across U.S. forests,” says Greenberg.

Chapters with Forest Service authors or coauthors are available to the public:

• Introduction to fire ecology across USA forested ecosystems: Past, present, and future
• Fire ecology and management in Eastern broadleaf and Appalachian forests (Chapter 4)
• Fire ecology and management of forest ecosystems in the Western Central Hardwoods and Prairie-Forest Border (Chapter 5)
• Fire in floodplain forests of the southeastern USA (Chapter 6)
• Fire ecology of Rocky Mountain forests (Chapter 8)
• Fire ecology of the North American Mediterranean-Climate Zone (Chapter 9)
• Fire ecology and management in Pacific Northwest forests (Chapter 10)
• Fire ecology and management of southwestern forests (Chapter 11)
• Fire and forests in the 21st century: Managing resilience under changing climates and fire regimes in USA forests (Chapter 12)

The full book is available for purchase from the publisher, Springer. For more information, email Katie Greenberg at katie.greenberg@usda.gov.