Jon Keeley
Dr. Keeley is currently a research scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, stationed at Sequoia National Park.
Prior to this appointment, he served one year in Washington, D.C. as director of the ecology program for the National Science Foundation. He was professor of biology at Occidental College for 20 years and spent a sabbatical year at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He has more than 350 publications in national and international scientific journals and books. His research has focused on ecological impacts of wildfires as well as other aspects of plant ecology, including rare plants, rare habitats such as vernal pools, and plant physiology. In 1985 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and is a Fellow of the Ecological Society of America and an Honorary Lifetime Member of the California Botanical Society. He has served on the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning Environmental Review Board, and the State of California Natural Communities Conservation Program (NCCP) Board of Scientific Advisors.
Professional Experience
U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Research Scientist
(ST Scientist), 2015–present
(GS series 0408), 1998–present
University of California, Los Angeles, Adjunct Full Professor, 2001-present
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Research Associate, 1997–present
National Science Foundation, Program Director 1997–1998
Occidental College,
Professor 1988–1998
Department Chair 1982–1988
Assist/Assoc Professor 1977–1988
University of Cape Town, Visiting Professor 1990
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. (Botany) University of Georgia, Athens, 1977
M.S. (Biology) San Diego State University, 1973
B.S. (Biology) San Diego State University, 1971
Honors and Awards
Fellow, Ecological Society of America, 2014
Distinguished MEDECOS Fellow, 2011
USGS Performance Award, 2011
USGS Star Award, 2008
Honorary Lifetime Member, California Botanical Society, 1998
Fellow, Southern California Academy of Sciences, l994
Guggenheim Fellow, l985–l986
Sterling Award for Outstanding Teaching, l985
Science and Products
Calibrating a forest landscape model to simulate frequent fire in Mediterranean-type shrublands
Appropriate postfire management for the 2007 Griffith park Fire
Chaparral and fire
Subspecific variation in the widespread burl-forming Arctostaphylos glandulosa
Impact of prescribed fire and other factors on cheatgrass persistence in a Sierra Nevada ponderosa pine forest
Role of burning season on initial understory vegetation response to prescribed fire in a mixed conifer forest
Human influence on California fire regimes
A critical assessment of the Burning Index in Los Angeles County, California
Heterogeneity in fire severity within early season and late season prescribed burns in a mixed-conifer forest
Heterogeneity in fire severity within early season and late season prescribed burns in a mixed conifer forest
A structural equation model analysis of postfire plant diversity in California shrublands
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Calibrating a forest landscape model to simulate frequent fire in Mediterranean-type shrublands
In Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs), fire disturbance influences the distribution of most plant communities, and altered fire regimes may be more important than climate factors in shaping future MTE vegetation dynamics. Models that simulate the high-frequency fire and post-fire response strategies characteristic of these regions will be important tools for evaluating potential landscape changeAuthorsA.D. Syphard, J. Yang, J. Franklin, H.S. He, J. E. KeeleyAppropriate postfire management for the 2007 Griffith park Fire
No abstract available.AuthorsJon E. KeeleyChaparral and fire
Large wildfires are an inevitable feature of chaparral. The moderate temperatures during winter promote growth of extensive stands of shrublands with contiguous fuels covering massive portions of the landscape. The summer-fall drought makes these fuels highly flammable over a relatively lengthy portion of the year. Because of widespread human influence, most fires today are anthropogenic; however,AuthorsJon E. KeeleySubspecific variation in the widespread burl-forming Arctostaphylos glandulosa
The genus Arctostaphylos consists mostly of chaparral shrubs known by the common name manzanita, and one of the widest ranging of these is A. glandulosa Eastw., distributed from Baja California to Oregon. Particularly in the southern half of its range it exhibits complex patterns of morphological variation that have long presented taxonomic challenges. Phenetic analysis of morphological traits froAuthorsJon E. Keeley, Michael C. Vasey, V. Thomas ParkerImpact of prescribed fire and other factors on cheatgrass persistence in a Sierra Nevada ponderosa pine forest
Following the reintroduction of fire Bromus tectorum has invaded the low elevation ponderosa pine forests in parts of Kings Canyon National Park, California. We used prescribed burns, other field manipulations, germination studies, and structural equation modelling, to investigate how fire and other factors affect the persistence of cheatgrass in these forests. Our studies show that altering burniAuthorsJ. E. Keeley, T.W. McGinnisRole of burning season on initial understory vegetation response to prescribed fire in a mixed conifer forest
Although the majority of fires in the western United States historically occurred during the late summer or early fall when fuels were dry and plants were dormant or nearly so, early-season prescribed burns are often ignited when fuels are still moist and plants are actively growing. The purpose of this study was to determine if burn season influences postfire vegetation recovery. Replicated earlyAuthorsE. E. Knapp, D. W. Schwilk, J.M. Kane, J. E. KeeleyHuman influence on California fire regimes
Periodic wildfire maintains the integrity and species composition of many ecosystems, including the mediterranean-climate shrublands of California. However, human activities alter natural fire regimes, which can lead to cascading ecological effects. Increased human ignitions at the wildland-urban interface (WUI) have recently gained attention, but fire activity and risk are typically estimated usiAuthorsA.D. Syphard, V. C. Radeloff, J. E. Keeley, T. J. Hawbaker, M.K. Clayton, S. I. Stewart, R. B. HammerA critical assessment of the Burning Index in Los Angeles County, California
The Burning Index (BI) is commonly used as a predictor of wildfire activity. An examination of data on the BI and wildfires in Los Angeles County, California, from January 1976 to December 2000 reveals that although the BI is positively associated with wildfire occurrence, its predictive value is quite limited. Wind speed alone has a higher correlation with burn area than BI, for instance, and a sAuthorsF.P. Schoenberg, H.-C. Chang, J. E. Keeley, J. Pompa, J. Woods, H. XuHeterogeneity in fire severity within early season and late season prescribed burns in a mixed-conifer forest
Structural heterogeneity in forests of the Sierra Nevada was historically produced through variation in fire regimes and local environmental factors. The amount of heterogeneity that prescription burning can achieve might now be more limited owing to high fuel loads and increased fuel continuity. Topography, woody fuel loading, and vegetative composition were quantified in plots within replicatedAuthorsEric E. Knapp, Jon E. KeeleyHeterogeneity in fire severity within early season and late season prescribed burns in a mixed conifer forest
No abstract available.AuthorsE. E. Knapp, J. E. KeeleyA structural equation model analysis of postfire plant diversity in California shrublands
This study investigates patterns of plant diversity following wildfires in fire-prone shrublands of California, seeks to understand those patterns in terms of both local and landscape factors, and considers the implications for fire management. Ninety study sites were established following extensive wildfires in 1993, and 1000-m2 plots were used to sample a variety of parameters. Data on communityAuthorsJ.B. Grace, J. E. Keeley - Software
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