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Douglas J Shinneman

I am a Supervisory Research Fire Ecologist at the Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center in Boise, Idaho

My research interests include fire ecology, landscape ecology, restoration ecology, plant ecology and landscape modeling.

Professional Experience

  • 2009-present: Supervisory Research Fire Ecologist, USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID

  • 2009: Post Doctoral Position, The Nature Conservatory/U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station, Madison, WI

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D., University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (2006)

  • M.A., University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (1996)

  • B.S., Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (1989)

Science and Products

link
aspen in a post-fire seral aspen-conifer stand

Fire Ecology in Dynamic Ecosystems Team (FRESC)

Understanding how fire and other disturbances affect ecosystem health and resiliency is critically important for land managers and for society as a whole.
By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
link

Fire Ecology in Dynamic Ecosystems Team (FRESC)

Understanding how fire and other disturbances affect ecosystem health and resiliency is critically important for land managers and for society as a whole.
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 14
link
The greater sage grouse thrives in the sagebrush landscape of the West.

Greater Sage-Grouse Science (2015–17): Synthesis and Potential Management Implications

USGS led an interagency team of Federal and State agency biologists to develop a report that synthesizes greater sage-grouse scientific literature.
By
Land Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)
link

Greater Sage-Grouse Science (2015–17): Synthesis and Potential Management Implications

USGS led an interagency team of Federal and State agency biologists to develop a report that synthesizes greater sage-grouse scientific literature.
Learn More
link
Aspen Forest

Projecting the Effects of Climate Change on Aspen in the Central and Northern Rocky Mountains

Aspen is an environmentally, economically, and socially important species in the western U.S. It is typically the most abundant deciduous tree species in mountainous landscapes of the western U.S., providing food and habitat for a variety of wildlife, including black bear, deer, elk, moose, and numerous bird species. Aspen woodlands also provide high quality forage for livestock and draw tourists
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
link

Projecting the Effects of Climate Change on Aspen in the Central and Northern Rocky Mountains

Aspen is an environmentally, economically, and socially important species in the western U.S. It is typically the most abundant deciduous tree species in mountainous landscapes of the western U.S., providing food and habitat for a variety of wildlife, including black bear, deer, elk, moose, and numerous bird species. Aspen woodlands also provide high quality forage for livestock and draw tourists
Learn More

If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.

No Result Found
No results found.

If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.

Filter Total Items: 39

Understanding the effect of fire on vegetation composition and gross primary production in a semi-arid shrubland ecosystem using the Ecosystem Demography (EDv2.2) model

Wildfires in sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) dominated semi-arid ecosystems in the western United States have increased dramatically in frequency and severity in the last few decades. Severe wildfires often lead to the loss of native sagebrush communities and change the biogeochemical conditions which make it difficult for sagebrush to regenerate. Invasion of cheat- grass (Bromus tectorum) accentuates
Authors
Karun Pandit, Hamid Dashti, Andrew A. Hudak, Nancy F. Glenn, Alejandro N Flores, Douglas J. Shinneman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Developing and optimizing shrub parameters representing sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems in the Northern Great Basin using the Ecosystem Demography (EDv2.2) model

Ecosystem dynamic models are useful for understanding ecosystem characteristics over time and space because of their efficiency over direct field measurements and applicability to broad spatial extents. Their application, however, is challenging due to internal model uncertainties and complexities arising from distinct qualities of the ecosystems being analyzed. The sagebrush-steppe in western Nor
Authors
Karun Pandit, Hamid Dasthi, Nancy Glenn, Alejandro Flores, Kaitlin C. Maguire, Douglas J. Shinneman, Gerald Flerchinger, Aaron Fellow
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

Post-fire aspen (Populus tremuloides) regeneration varies in response to winter precipitation across a regional climate gradient

Altered climate and changing fire regimes are synergistically impacting forest communities globally, resulting in deviations from historical norms and creation of novel successional dynamics. These changes are particularly important when considering the stability of a keystone species such as quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), which contributes critical ecosystem services across its broad
Authors
Susan McIlroy, Douglas J. Shinneman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Modeling long-term effects of fuel treatments on fuel loads and fire regimes in the Great Basin

The principal motivation for this study is that sagebrush-steppe ecosystems are undergoing significant state changes, and land managers are challenged with optimizing their resources for both short- and long-term use. Yet, limited knowledge is available regarding how the sagebrush-steppe will respond to environmental changes related to precipitation and temperature regimes, and disturbance such as
Authors
Nancy F. Glenn, Alejandro N Flores, Douglas J. Shinneman, David Pilliod
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Climate and disturbance influence self-sustaining stand dynamics of aspen (Populus tremuloides) near its range margin

Species that are primarily seral may form stable (self-sustaining) communities under certain disturbance regimes or environmental conditions, yet such populations may also be particularly vulnerable to ecological change. Aspen (Populus spp.) are generally considered seral throughout the northern hemisphere, including P. tremuloides, the most widely distributed tree species in North America. Recent
Authors
Douglas J. Shinneman, Susan McIlroy
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

Integrating anthropogenic factors into regional-scale species distribution models — A novel application in the imperiled sagebrush biome

Species distribution models (SDM) that rely on regional-scale environmental variables will play a key role in forecasting species occurrence in the face of climate change. However, in the Anthropocene, a number of local-scale anthropogenic variables, including wildfire history, land-use change, invasive species, and ecological restoration practices can override regional-scale variables to drive pa
Authors
Juan M. Requena-Mullor, Kaitlin C. Maguire, Douglas J. Shinneman, T. Trevor Caughlin
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

The ecological uncertainty of wildfire fuel breaks: Examples from the sagebrush steppe

Fuel breaks are increasingly being implemented at broad scales (100s to 10,000s of square kilometers) in fire‐prone landscapes globally, yet there is little scientific information available regarding their ecological effects (eg habitat fragmentation). Fuel breaks are designed to reduce flammable vegetation (ie fuels), increase the safety and effectiveness of fire‐suppression operations, and ultim
Authors
Douglas J. Shinneman, Matthew J. Germino, David S. Pilliod, Cameron L. Aldridge, Nicole Vaillant, Peter S. Coates
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wildland Fire Science

Fuels guide and database for intact and invaded big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) ecological sites—User manual

The Fuels Guide and Database (FGD) is intended to provide fuel loading and vegetation information for big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) ecological sites in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (hereinafter the NCA) in southern Idaho. Sagebrush ecosystems in the NCA and throughout much of the Great Basin are highly influenced by non-native plants that alter succ
Authors
Douglas J. Shinneman, Justin L. Welty, Robert S. Arkle, David S. Pilliod, Nancy F. Glenn, Susan K. McIlroy, Anne S. Halford
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

Intraspecific niche models for ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) suggest potential variability in population-level response to climate change

Unique responses to climate change can occur across intraspecific levels, resulting in individualistic adaptation or movement patterns among populations within a given species. Thus, the need to model potential responses among genetically distinct populations within a species is increasingly recognized. However, predictive models of future distributions are regularly fit at the species level, ofte
Authors
Kaitlin C. Maguire, Douglas J. Shinneman, Kevin M. Potter, Valerie D. Hipkins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

A conservation paradox in the Great Basin—Altering sagebrush landscapes with fuel breaks to reduce habitat loss from wildfire

Interactions between fire and nonnative, annual plant species (that is, “the grass/fire cycle”) represent one of the greatest threats to sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems and associated wildlife, including the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). In 2015, U.S. Department of the Interior called for a “science-based strategy to reduce the threat of large-scale rangeland fire to habit
Authors
Douglas J. Shinneman, Cameron L. Aldridge, Peter S. Coates, Matthew J. Germino, David S. Pilliod, Nicole M. Vaillant
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

Methodological considerations of terrestrial laser scanning for vegetation monitoring in the sagebrush steppe

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) provides fast collection of high-definition structural information, making it a valuable field instrument to many monitoring applications. A weakness of TLS collections, especially in vegetation, is the occurrence of unsampled regions in point clouds where the sensor’s line-of-sight is blocked by intervening material. This problem, referred to as occlusion, may be
Authors
Kyle E. Anderson, Nancy Glenn, Lucas Spaete, Douglas J. Shinneman, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Susan McIlroy, DeWayne R. Derryberry
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Lidar aboveground vegetation biomass estimates in shrublands: Prediction, uncertainties and application to coarser scales

Our study objectives were to model the aboveground biomass in a xeric shrub-steppe landscape with airborne light detection and ranging (Lidar) and explore the uncertainty associated with the models we created. We incorporated vegetation vertical structure information obtained from Lidar with ground-measured biomass data, allowing us to scale shrub biomass from small field sites (1 m subplots and 1
Authors
Aihua Li, Shital Dhakal, Nancy F. Glenn, Luke P. Spaete, Douglas J. Shinneman, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Susan McIlroy
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Shinneman, D.J., Palik, B.J., Cornett, M.W., 2012, Can landscape-level ecological restoration influence fire risk? A spatially-explicit assessment of a northern temperate-southern boreal forest landscape: Forest Ecology and Management, v. 274, p. 126-135.
Rickenbach, M., Schulte, L.A., Kittredge, D.B., Labich, W.G., Shinneman, D.J., 2011, Cross-boundary cooperation- A mechanism for sustaining ecosystem services from private lands: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, v. 66, no. 4, p. 91A-96A.
Fraver, S., Jain, T.B., Bradford, J.B., D'Amato, A.W., Kastendick, D., Palik, B.J., Shinneman, D.J., Stanovick, J., 2011, The efficacy of salvage logging in reducing subsequent fire severity in conifer-dominated forests of Minnesota, USA: Ecological Applications, v. 21, no. 6, p. 1895-1901.
Shinneman, D.J., Cornett, M.W., Palik, B.J., 2010, Simulating restoration strategies for a southern boreal forest landscape with complex land ownership patterns: Forest Ecology and Management, v. 259, p. 446-458.
Bauer, M., Loeffelholz, B., Shinneman, D.J., 2009, Border Lakes Land-Cover Classification: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station Research Map NRS-1, p. 14.
Shinneman, D.J., Baker, W.L., 2009, Environmental and climatic variables as potential drivers of post-fire cover of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) in seeded and unseeded semiarid ecosystems: International Journal of Wildland Fire, v. 18, p. 191-202.
Shinneman, D.J., Baker, W.L., 2009, Historical fire and multidecadal drought as context for piñon–juniper woodland restoration in western Colorado: Ecological Applications, v. 19, no. 5, p. 1231-1245.
Sturtevant, B.R., Scheller, R.M., Miranda, B.R., Shinneman, D.J., Syphard, A., 2009, Simulating dynamic and mixed-severity fire regimes- A process-based fire extension for LANDIS-II: Ecological Modelling, v. 220, p. 3380-3393.
Shinneman, D.J., Baker, W.L., 2008, Ecological restoration needs derived from reference conditions for a semi-arid landscape in western Colorado, USA: Journal of Arid Environments, v. 72, p. 207-227.
Baker, W.L., Shinneman, D.J., 2004, Fire and restoration of piñon–juniper woodlands in the western United States- A review: Forest Ecology and Management, v. 189, p. 1-21.
Shinneman, D.J., Baker, W.L., 2000, Impact of logging and roads on a Black Hills ponderosa pine forest landscape In: Knight, R.L., Smith, F.W., Buskirk, S.W., Romme, W.H., Baker, W.L., eds., Forest Fragmentation in the Southern Rocky Mountains: Boulder, CO, University Press of Colorado, p. 311-335.
Shinneman, D.J., Baker, W.L., 1997, Nonequilibrium dynamics between catastrophic disturbances and old-growth forests in ponderosa pine landscapes of the Black Hills: Conservation Biology, v. 11, no. 6, p. 1276-1288.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.

Filter Total Items: 17
Climate and Disturbance Influence Dynamics of Aspen Near its Range Margin

Climate and Disturbance Influence Dynamics of Aspen Near its Range Margin

Recent declines in aspen populations have occurred in the western U.S., especially along drought-sensitive margins of its range or where fire...

Read Article
Integrating Anthropogenic Factors into Regional-Scale Species Distribution Models

Integrating Anthropogenic Factors into Regional-Scale Species Distribution Models

Species distribution models help researchers explore how environmental conditions influence the spatial pattern of species occurrence over large areas...

Read Article
A Database Tool for Estimating Fuel Loadings Across a Range of Intact to Degraded Sagebrush Habitats in Southern Idaho

A Database Tool for Estimating Fuel Loadings Across a Range of Intact to Degraded Sagebrush Habitats in Southern Idaho

USGS researchers created an interactive Fuels Guide and Database, providing vegetation and fuel loading information and photographs for big sagebrush...

Read Article
Projecting Climate Change Effects on Aspen Distribution and Productivity

Projecting Climate Change Effects on Aspen Distribution and Productivity

Aspen forests support numerous wildlife species and provide high quality forage for livestock and game.

Read Article
Altering Sagebrush Landscapes with Fuel Breaks to Save Them from Wildfire

Altering Sagebrush Landscapes with Fuel Breaks to Save Them from Wildfire

Linear fuel breaks have long been used to help suppress fire in the Great Basin, and thousands of miles of new fuel breaks may be constructed in...

Read Article

Science and Products

link
aspen in a post-fire seral aspen-conifer stand

Fire Ecology in Dynamic Ecosystems Team (FRESC)

Understanding how fire and other disturbances affect ecosystem health and resiliency is critically important for land managers and for society as a whole.
By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
link

Fire Ecology in Dynamic Ecosystems Team (FRESC)

Understanding how fire and other disturbances affect ecosystem health and resiliency is critically important for land managers and for society as a whole.
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 14
link
The greater sage grouse thrives in the sagebrush landscape of the West.

Greater Sage-Grouse Science (2015–17): Synthesis and Potential Management Implications

USGS led an interagency team of Federal and State agency biologists to develop a report that synthesizes greater sage-grouse scientific literature.
By
Land Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)
link

Greater Sage-Grouse Science (2015–17): Synthesis and Potential Management Implications

USGS led an interagency team of Federal and State agency biologists to develop a report that synthesizes greater sage-grouse scientific literature.
Learn More
link
Aspen Forest

Projecting the Effects of Climate Change on Aspen in the Central and Northern Rocky Mountains

Aspen is an environmentally, economically, and socially important species in the western U.S. It is typically the most abundant deciduous tree species in mountainous landscapes of the western U.S., providing food and habitat for a variety of wildlife, including black bear, deer, elk, moose, and numerous bird species. Aspen woodlands also provide high quality forage for livestock and draw tourists
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
link

Projecting the Effects of Climate Change on Aspen in the Central and Northern Rocky Mountains

Aspen is an environmentally, economically, and socially important species in the western U.S. It is typically the most abundant deciduous tree species in mountainous landscapes of the western U.S., providing food and habitat for a variety of wildlife, including black bear, deer, elk, moose, and numerous bird species. Aspen woodlands also provide high quality forage for livestock and draw tourists
Learn More

If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.

No Result Found
No results found.

If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.

Filter Total Items: 39

Understanding the effect of fire on vegetation composition and gross primary production in a semi-arid shrubland ecosystem using the Ecosystem Demography (EDv2.2) model

Wildfires in sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) dominated semi-arid ecosystems in the western United States have increased dramatically in frequency and severity in the last few decades. Severe wildfires often lead to the loss of native sagebrush communities and change the biogeochemical conditions which make it difficult for sagebrush to regenerate. Invasion of cheat- grass (Bromus tectorum) accentuates
Authors
Karun Pandit, Hamid Dashti, Andrew A. Hudak, Nancy F. Glenn, Alejandro N Flores, Douglas J. Shinneman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Developing and optimizing shrub parameters representing sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems in the Northern Great Basin using the Ecosystem Demography (EDv2.2) model

Ecosystem dynamic models are useful for understanding ecosystem characteristics over time and space because of their efficiency over direct field measurements and applicability to broad spatial extents. Their application, however, is challenging due to internal model uncertainties and complexities arising from distinct qualities of the ecosystems being analyzed. The sagebrush-steppe in western Nor
Authors
Karun Pandit, Hamid Dasthi, Nancy Glenn, Alejandro Flores, Kaitlin C. Maguire, Douglas J. Shinneman, Gerald Flerchinger, Aaron Fellow
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

Post-fire aspen (Populus tremuloides) regeneration varies in response to winter precipitation across a regional climate gradient

Altered climate and changing fire regimes are synergistically impacting forest communities globally, resulting in deviations from historical norms and creation of novel successional dynamics. These changes are particularly important when considering the stability of a keystone species such as quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), which contributes critical ecosystem services across its broad
Authors
Susan McIlroy, Douglas J. Shinneman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Modeling long-term effects of fuel treatments on fuel loads and fire regimes in the Great Basin

The principal motivation for this study is that sagebrush-steppe ecosystems are undergoing significant state changes, and land managers are challenged with optimizing their resources for both short- and long-term use. Yet, limited knowledge is available regarding how the sagebrush-steppe will respond to environmental changes related to precipitation and temperature regimes, and disturbance such as
Authors
Nancy F. Glenn, Alejandro N Flores, Douglas J. Shinneman, David Pilliod
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Climate and disturbance influence self-sustaining stand dynamics of aspen (Populus tremuloides) near its range margin

Species that are primarily seral may form stable (self-sustaining) communities under certain disturbance regimes or environmental conditions, yet such populations may also be particularly vulnerable to ecological change. Aspen (Populus spp.) are generally considered seral throughout the northern hemisphere, including P. tremuloides, the most widely distributed tree species in North America. Recent
Authors
Douglas J. Shinneman, Susan McIlroy
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

Integrating anthropogenic factors into regional-scale species distribution models — A novel application in the imperiled sagebrush biome

Species distribution models (SDM) that rely on regional-scale environmental variables will play a key role in forecasting species occurrence in the face of climate change. However, in the Anthropocene, a number of local-scale anthropogenic variables, including wildfire history, land-use change, invasive species, and ecological restoration practices can override regional-scale variables to drive pa
Authors
Juan M. Requena-Mullor, Kaitlin C. Maguire, Douglas J. Shinneman, T. Trevor Caughlin
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

The ecological uncertainty of wildfire fuel breaks: Examples from the sagebrush steppe

Fuel breaks are increasingly being implemented at broad scales (100s to 10,000s of square kilometers) in fire‐prone landscapes globally, yet there is little scientific information available regarding their ecological effects (eg habitat fragmentation). Fuel breaks are designed to reduce flammable vegetation (ie fuels), increase the safety and effectiveness of fire‐suppression operations, and ultim
Authors
Douglas J. Shinneman, Matthew J. Germino, David S. Pilliod, Cameron L. Aldridge, Nicole Vaillant, Peter S. Coates
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wildland Fire Science

Fuels guide and database for intact and invaded big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) ecological sites—User manual

The Fuels Guide and Database (FGD) is intended to provide fuel loading and vegetation information for big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) ecological sites in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (hereinafter the NCA) in southern Idaho. Sagebrush ecosystems in the NCA and throughout much of the Great Basin are highly influenced by non-native plants that alter succ
Authors
Douglas J. Shinneman, Justin L. Welty, Robert S. Arkle, David S. Pilliod, Nancy F. Glenn, Susan K. McIlroy, Anne S. Halford
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

Intraspecific niche models for ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) suggest potential variability in population-level response to climate change

Unique responses to climate change can occur across intraspecific levels, resulting in individualistic adaptation or movement patterns among populations within a given species. Thus, the need to model potential responses among genetically distinct populations within a species is increasingly recognized. However, predictive models of future distributions are regularly fit at the species level, ofte
Authors
Kaitlin C. Maguire, Douglas J. Shinneman, Kevin M. Potter, Valerie D. Hipkins
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

A conservation paradox in the Great Basin—Altering sagebrush landscapes with fuel breaks to reduce habitat loss from wildfire

Interactions between fire and nonnative, annual plant species (that is, “the grass/fire cycle”) represent one of the greatest threats to sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems and associated wildlife, including the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). In 2015, U.S. Department of the Interior called for a “science-based strategy to reduce the threat of large-scale rangeland fire to habit
Authors
Douglas J. Shinneman, Cameron L. Aldridge, Peter S. Coates, Matthew J. Germino, David S. Pilliod, Nicole M. Vaillant
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

Methodological considerations of terrestrial laser scanning for vegetation monitoring in the sagebrush steppe

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) provides fast collection of high-definition structural information, making it a valuable field instrument to many monitoring applications. A weakness of TLS collections, especially in vegetation, is the occurrence of unsampled regions in point clouds where the sensor’s line-of-sight is blocked by intervening material. This problem, referred to as occlusion, may be
Authors
Kyle E. Anderson, Nancy Glenn, Lucas Spaete, Douglas J. Shinneman, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Susan McIlroy, DeWayne R. Derryberry
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Lidar aboveground vegetation biomass estimates in shrublands: Prediction, uncertainties and application to coarser scales

Our study objectives were to model the aboveground biomass in a xeric shrub-steppe landscape with airborne light detection and ranging (Lidar) and explore the uncertainty associated with the models we created. We incorporated vegetation vertical structure information obtained from Lidar with ground-measured biomass data, allowing us to scale shrub biomass from small field sites (1 m subplots and 1
Authors
Aihua Li, Shital Dhakal, Nancy F. Glenn, Luke P. Spaete, Douglas J. Shinneman, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Susan McIlroy
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Shinneman, D.J., Palik, B.J., Cornett, M.W., 2012, Can landscape-level ecological restoration influence fire risk? A spatially-explicit assessment of a northern temperate-southern boreal forest landscape: Forest Ecology and Management, v. 274, p. 126-135.
Rickenbach, M., Schulte, L.A., Kittredge, D.B., Labich, W.G., Shinneman, D.J., 2011, Cross-boundary cooperation- A mechanism for sustaining ecosystem services from private lands: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, v. 66, no. 4, p. 91A-96A.
Fraver, S., Jain, T.B., Bradford, J.B., D'Amato, A.W., Kastendick, D., Palik, B.J., Shinneman, D.J., Stanovick, J., 2011, The efficacy of salvage logging in reducing subsequent fire severity in conifer-dominated forests of Minnesota, USA: Ecological Applications, v. 21, no. 6, p. 1895-1901.
Shinneman, D.J., Cornett, M.W., Palik, B.J., 2010, Simulating restoration strategies for a southern boreal forest landscape with complex land ownership patterns: Forest Ecology and Management, v. 259, p. 446-458.
Bauer, M., Loeffelholz, B., Shinneman, D.J., 2009, Border Lakes Land-Cover Classification: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station Research Map NRS-1, p. 14.
Shinneman, D.J., Baker, W.L., 2009, Environmental and climatic variables as potential drivers of post-fire cover of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) in seeded and unseeded semiarid ecosystems: International Journal of Wildland Fire, v. 18, p. 191-202.
Shinneman, D.J., Baker, W.L., 2009, Historical fire and multidecadal drought as context for piñon–juniper woodland restoration in western Colorado: Ecological Applications, v. 19, no. 5, p. 1231-1245.
Sturtevant, B.R., Scheller, R.M., Miranda, B.R., Shinneman, D.J., Syphard, A., 2009, Simulating dynamic and mixed-severity fire regimes- A process-based fire extension for LANDIS-II: Ecological Modelling, v. 220, p. 3380-3393.
Shinneman, D.J., Baker, W.L., 2008, Ecological restoration needs derived from reference conditions for a semi-arid landscape in western Colorado, USA: Journal of Arid Environments, v. 72, p. 207-227.
Baker, W.L., Shinneman, D.J., 2004, Fire and restoration of piñon–juniper woodlands in the western United States- A review: Forest Ecology and Management, v. 189, p. 1-21.
Shinneman, D.J., Baker, W.L., 2000, Impact of logging and roads on a Black Hills ponderosa pine forest landscape In: Knight, R.L., Smith, F.W., Buskirk, S.W., Romme, W.H., Baker, W.L., eds., Forest Fragmentation in the Southern Rocky Mountains: Boulder, CO, University Press of Colorado, p. 311-335.
Shinneman, D.J., Baker, W.L., 1997, Nonequilibrium dynamics between catastrophic disturbances and old-growth forests in ponderosa pine landscapes of the Black Hills: Conservation Biology, v. 11, no. 6, p. 1276-1288.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.

Filter Total Items: 17
Climate and Disturbance Influence Dynamics of Aspen Near its Range Margin

Climate and Disturbance Influence Dynamics of Aspen Near its Range Margin

Recent declines in aspen populations have occurred in the western U.S., especially along drought-sensitive margins of its range or where fire...

Read Article
Integrating Anthropogenic Factors into Regional-Scale Species Distribution Models

Integrating Anthropogenic Factors into Regional-Scale Species Distribution Models

Species distribution models help researchers explore how environmental conditions influence the spatial pattern of species occurrence over large areas...

Read Article
A Database Tool for Estimating Fuel Loadings Across a Range of Intact to Degraded Sagebrush Habitats in Southern Idaho

A Database Tool for Estimating Fuel Loadings Across a Range of Intact to Degraded Sagebrush Habitats in Southern Idaho

USGS researchers created an interactive Fuels Guide and Database, providing vegetation and fuel loading information and photographs for big sagebrush...

Read Article
Projecting Climate Change Effects on Aspen Distribution and Productivity

Projecting Climate Change Effects on Aspen Distribution and Productivity

Aspen forests support numerous wildlife species and provide high quality forage for livestock and game.

Read Article
Altering Sagebrush Landscapes with Fuel Breaks to Save Them from Wildfire

Altering Sagebrush Landscapes with Fuel Breaks to Save Them from Wildfire

Linear fuel breaks have long been used to help suppress fire in the Great Basin, and thousands of miles of new fuel breaks may be constructed in...

Read Article
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