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
Fire Ecology in Dynamic Ecosystems Team (FRESC)
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.
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.
Estimating vegetation biomass and cover across large plots in shrub and grass dominated drylands using terrestrial lidar and machine learning
Potential influence of wildfire in modulating climate-induced forest redistribution in a central Rocky Mountain landscape
Identifying key climate and environmental factors affecting rates of post-fire big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) recovery in the northern Columbia Basin, USA
Landsat 8 and ICESat-2: Performance and potential synergies for quantifying dryland ecosystem vegetation cover and biomass
Exploring climate niches of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson) haplotypes in the western United States: Implications for evolutionary history and conservation
Fire patterns in the range of the greater sage-grouse, 1984-2013 - Implications for conservation and management
Challenges of establishing big sgebrush (Artemisia tridentata) in rangeland restoration: effects of herbicide, mowing, whole-community seeding, and sagebrush seed sources
Approaches to modeling landscape-scale drought-induced forest mortality
Fire modulates climate change response of simulated aspen distribution across topoclimatic gradients in a semi-arid montane landscape
Quantifying and predicting fuels and the effects of reduction treatments along successional and invasion gradients in sagebrush habitats
Management of aspen in a changing environment
Fire regimes of quaking aspen in the Mountain West
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.
Science and Products
- Science
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.Filter Total Items: 14 - Data
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.
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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: 39Estimating vegetation biomass and cover across large plots in shrub and grass dominated drylands using terrestrial lidar and machine learning
Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has been shown to enable an efficient, precise, and non-destructive inventory of vegetation structure at ranges up to hundreds of meters. We developed a method that leverages TLS collections with machine learning techniques to model and map canopy cover and biomass of several classes of short-stature vegetation across large plots. We collected high-definition TLS sAuthorsKyle E. Anderson, Nancy F. Glenn, Lucas P. Spaete, Douglas J. Shinneman, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Susan McIlroy, DeWayne R. DerryberryPotential influence of wildfire in modulating climate-induced forest redistribution in a central Rocky Mountain landscape
IntroductionClimate change is expected to impose significant tension on the geographic distribution of tree species. Yet, tree species range shifts may be delayed by their long life spans, capacity to withstand long periods of physiological stress, and dispersal limitations. Wildfire could theoretically break this biological inertia by killing forest canopies and facilitating species redistributioAuthorsJohn L. Campbell, Douglas J. ShinnemanIdentifying key climate and environmental factors affecting rates of post-fire big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) recovery in the northern Columbia Basin, USA
Sagebrush steppe of North America is considered highly imperilled, in part owing to increased fire frequency. Sagebrush ecosystems support numerous species, and it is important to understand those factors that affect rates of post-fire sagebrush recovery. We explored recovery of Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp.wyomingensis) and basin big sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp. tridentata) coAuthorsDouglas J. Shinneman, Susan McIlroyLandsat 8 and ICESat-2: Performance and potential synergies for quantifying dryland ecosystem vegetation cover and biomass
The Landsat 8 mission provides new opportunities for quantifying the distribution of above-ground carbon at moderate spatial resolution across the globe, and in particular drylands. Furthermore, coupled with structural information from space-based and airborne laser altimetry, Landsat 8 provides powerful capabilities for large-area, long-term studies that quantify temporal and spatial changes in aAuthorsNancy F. Glenn, Amy Neuenschwander, Lee A. Vierling, Lucas Spaete, Aihua Li, Douglas J. Shinneman, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Susan McIlroyExploring climate niches of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson) haplotypes in the western United States: Implications for evolutionary history and conservation
Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson) occupies montane environments throughout western North America, where it is both an ecologically and economically important tree species. A recent study using mitochondrial DNA analysis demonstrated substantial genetic variation among ponderosa pine populations in the western U.S., identifying 10 haplotypes with unique evolutionary lineages that gAuthorsDouglas J. Shinneman, Robert E. Means, Kevin M. Potter, Valerie D. HipkinsFire patterns in the range of the greater sage-grouse, 1984-2013 - Implications for conservation and management
Fire ranks among the top three threats to the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) throughout its range, and among the top two threats in the western part of its range. The national research strategy for this species and the recent U.S. Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3336 call for science-based threats assessment of fire to inform conservation planning and fire managementAuthorsMatthew L. Brooks, John R. Matchett, Douglas J. Shinneman, Peter S. CoatesChallenges of establishing big sgebrush (Artemisia tridentata) in rangeland restoration: effects of herbicide, mowing, whole-community seeding, and sagebrush seed sources
The loss of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) on sites disturbed by fire has motivated restoration seeding and planting efforts. However, the resulting sagebrush establishment is often lower than desired, especially in dry areas. Sagebrush establishment may be increased by addressing factors such as seed source and condition or management of the plant community. We assessed initial establAuthorsMartha M. Brabec, Matthew J. Germino, Douglas J. Shinneman, David S. Pilliod, Susan K. McIlroy, Robert S. ArkleApproaches to modeling landscape-scale drought-induced forest mortality
Drought stress is an important cause of tree mortality in forests, and drought-induced disturbance events are projected to become more common in the future due to climate change. Landscape Disturbance and Succession Models (LDSM) are becoming widely used to project climate change impacts on forests, including potential interactions with natural and anthropogenic disturbances, and to explore the eAuthorsEric J. Gustafson, Douglas J. ShinnemanFire modulates climate change response of simulated aspen distribution across topoclimatic gradients in a semi-arid montane landscape
Content Changing aspen distribution in response to climate change and fire is a major focus of biodiversity conservation, yet little is known about the potential response of aspen to these two driving forces along topoclimatic gradients. Objective This study is set to evaluate how aspen distribution might shift in response to different climate-fire scenarios in a semi-arid montane landscape, and qAuthorsJian Yang, Peter J. Weisberg, Douglas J. Shinneman, Thomas E. Dilts, Susan L. Earnst, Robert M SchellerQuantifying and predicting fuels and the effects of reduction treatments along successional and invasion gradients in sagebrush habitats
Sagebrush shrubland ecosystems in the Great Basin are prime examples of how altered successional trajectories can create dynamic fuel conditions and, thus, increase uncertainty about fire risk and behavior. Although fire is a natural disturbance in sagebrush, post-fire environments are highly susceptible to conversion to an invasive grass-fire regime (often referred to as a “grass-fire cycle”). AfAuthorsDouglas J. Shinneman, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Nancy F. GlennManagement of aspen in a changing environment
Aspen communities are biologically rich and ecologically valuable, yet they face myriad threats, including changing climate, altered fire regimes, and excessive browsing by domestic and wild ungulates. Recognizing the different types of aspen communities that occur in the Great Basin, and being able to distinguish between seral and stable aspen stands, can help managers better identify restorationAuthorsDouglas J. Shinneman, Anne S. Halford, Cheri Howell, Kevin Krasnow, Eva K. StrandFire regimes of quaking aspen in the Mountain West
Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is the most widespread tree species in North America, and it is found throughout much of the Mountain West (MW) across a broad range of bioclimatic regions. Aspen typically regenerates asexually and prolifically after fire, and due to its seral status in many western conifer forests, aspen is often considered dependent upon disturbance for persistence. InAuthorsDouglas J. Shinneman, William L. Baker, Paul C. Rogers, Dominik KulakowskiNon-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.
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