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Public perceptions of forest
restoration in the Southwest: a synthesis of selected surveys and
literature
Kimberly Lowe
Picture of a prescribed fire in progress on Mars Hill from Woodlands Village Boulevard in Flagstaff, Arizona. Photo by Peter Friederici.
The restoration of forest ecosystems is an important, yet
sometimes controversial, practice. In recent years, numerous studies have
explored how the public perceives forest health, restoration, and fire; however,
few analyses have summarized and compared results across studies. The purpose of
the publication entitled “Public perceptions of forest restoration in the
Southwest: a synthesis of selected surveys and literature,” co-authored by Jesse
Abrams and Kimberly Lowe, is to identify consistencies in the results of recent
studies, assess the public’s overall understanding of forest restoration issues,
and evaluate areas of continuing controversy. The information presented here is
a synthesis of public survey research conducted throughout the country, with a
primary focus on research conducted in the Southwest. We integrated a broad
spectrum of literature in our evaluation, including peer-reviewed publications,
gray literature, and unpublished studies. For more, click here.
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Alumni Corner – Winter
2005/2006
Robin Long
  
Check in with our obviously busy alumni
and one current employee by clicking here.
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Monitoring Landscape-Scale
Restoration Treatment Implementation
John Paul
Roccaforte
Picture of two maps showing the reduction in crowning index from before treatment in 1996/1997 to after treatment in 2003.
In 1995, the Ecological Restoration Institute
(ERI) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) began a collaborative effort to
implement landscape-scale restoration treatments in a ponderosa pine ecosystem
at Mt. Trumbull. The primary goal of the Mt. Trumbull Ponderosa Pine Ecosystem
Restoration Project was to restore forest structure and ecosystem processes
within the historical range of variability, as well as reduce fuel loads,
disrupt fuel continuity, and reduce the likelihood of stand-replacing crown
fires. Find out if the treatments worked by reading the summary of this recently
completed study by clicking here.
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New Faces/Recent Promotions at the
ERI
Judy Springer
    
Find out who these new faces belong to
by clicking here.
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Long-Term Effects of Livestock Grazing
on Ponderosa Pine
Jonathan D. Bakker,
Ph.D.
Series of pictures from a grazing exclosure in a ponderosa pine forest taken in 1932, 1956 and 2005 showing an increase in tree density that may have been both caused and minimized by livestock grazing.
Just how does livestock grazing affect the
overstory (trees) in a northern Arizona ponderosa pine forest? To find out,
click here.
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Fungi: A novel solution in road
restoration?
Joe Trudeau
Picture of Joe Trudeau kneeling in the dirt near a road intensively studying the plants and soil.
Can fungi help restore a road back into part of
the functioning ecosystem? Find out how by clicking here.
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top.
White Mountains Landscape Assessment
Workshop
Jesse Abrams
Three people working together and looking over information spread out on a table regarding proposed restoration projects in the White Mountains of Arizona.
The White Mountains Landscape Assessment (WMLA)
stakeholder workshop was held October 25th through the 27th, 2005 at “The
Gathering Place” in Pinetop-Lakeside. The purpose of the workshop was to bring a
diverse group of stakeholders from the White Mountains region of east-central
Arizona together to collaboratively offer recommendations for landscape-scale
restoration using data and modeling tools developed by the Forest Ecosystem
Restoration Analysis (ForestERA) project at Northern Arizona University. Find
out more by clicking here.
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New Literature of Interest to
Restoration Ecologists in the Southwest
Just like it sounds,
a list of many of the recent publications about restoration ecology. To see what
titles you might need to add to your personal library click here.
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Please send your comments, and your story ideas to
Judith.Springer[at]nau.edu.
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Karen.Gilbreath[at]nau.edu. | 
ERI Newsletter 