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Michele Crist

Michele is the Program Manager of the Wildland Fire Science Program in the Ecosystems Mission Area.

USGS Wildland Fire Science

Flames consume woody fuels in a managed wildfire, New Mexico

USGS Fire Science is fundamental to understanding the causes, consequences, and benefits of wildfire and helps prevent and manage larger, catastrophic events. USGS scientists possess diverse technical capabilities that are used to address a variety of problems posed by wildland fires. Outcomes of USGS science can be used by fire and land managers to respond to fire-related

About USGS Fire Science

Firelight Newsletter

Fire management at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Nebraska.

USGS Firelight newsletter provides you updates on the latest USGS fire science for a changing world. Each issue features a variety of our wildland fire science, providing information, data and tools for use by managers before, during, and after fires.

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Michele is a landscape ecologist who specializes in fire science geospatial modeling and risk assessments. She manages the Wildland Fire Science Program and coordinates all fire science across the U.S. Geological Survey's mission areas, programs, and science centers. The Wildland Fire Science Program produces fundamental information to identify the patterns and trends of wildfires, understand the impacts and benefits of both wildfires and prescribed fires, and help prevent and manage larger, catastrophic events. The U.S. Geological Survey's fire scientists provide information and develop tools that are widely used by stakeholders to make decisions before, during, and after wildfires in desert, grassland, tundra, wetland, and forest ecosystems across the United States.

Professional Experience

  • Deputy Division Chief, Support Services, Fire and Aviation Program, Bureau of Land Management

  • Landscape and Fire Ecologist, Fire and Aviation Program, Bureau of Land Management

  • Wildlife Biologist, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey

  • Research Ecologist, The Wilderness Society

  • Former Board Member, Board of Directors, National Audubon Society

  • Former President, Golden Eagle Audubon Society, Boise

Education and Certifications

  • MSc. Landscape Ecology; University of Massachusetts, Amherst

  • BSc. Biology, University of Georgia, Athens

Science and Products

link
sun shinning through forest on fire with firefighter in front

USGS Fire Science Support for DOI Lands

The USGS Fire Science Support for DOI Lands project is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) effort to address key aspects of recent legislation concerning wildland fire on Department of the Interior (DOI) lands. The project was initiated in 2023, and work will continue through 2025. The project is comprised of four separate but interrelated tasks and is guided by the input of DOI bureau representatives...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Wildland Fire Science
link

USGS Fire Science Support for DOI Lands

The USGS Fire Science Support for DOI Lands project is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) effort to address key aspects of recent legislation concerning wildland fire on Department of the Interior (DOI) lands. The project was initiated in 2023, and work will continue through 2025. The project is comprised of four separate but interrelated tasks and is guided by the input of DOI bureau representatives...
Learn More
link
a road with cars cuts through a sagebrush landscape with hills in the background

Evaluating potential vectors of annual grass invasion

Invasive annual grasses, facilitated by a range of disturbances, are invading many areas within the sagebrush biome. Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado State University, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management are investigating which non-fire disturbances are most associated with the spread of invasive grasses. The findings from this study could guide...
By
Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Evaluating potential vectors of annual grass invasion

Invasive annual grasses, facilitated by a range of disturbances, are invading many areas within the sagebrush biome. Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado State University, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management are investigating which non-fire disturbances are most associated with the spread of invasive grasses. The findings from this study could guide...
Learn More
link
Cheatgrass in Eastern Nevada

Assessing the Proliferation, Connectivity, and Consequences of Invasive Fine Fuels on the Sagebrush Biome

Invasive annual grasses can replace native vegetation and alter fire behavior, impacting a range of habitats and species. A team of researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado State University, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working to identify factors that influence changes in the distribution and abundance of invasive annual grasses (IAGs)...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center, Wildland Fire Science
link

Assessing the Proliferation, Connectivity, and Consequences of Invasive Fine Fuels on the Sagebrush Biome

Invasive annual grasses can replace native vegetation and alter fire behavior, impacting a range of habitats and species. A team of researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado State University, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working to identify factors that influence changes in the distribution and abundance of invasive annual grasses (IAGs)...
Learn More

Fuel Break Treatments in the Sagebrush Biome of the Western United States, 1953 - 2018

To better inform fuel break planning and assessment, we developed a comprehensive spatial database of known existing fuel breaks from 1953 to 2018 throughout the western United States. Each fuel break is represented as a polygon in the database and is attributed with the date of installation, the treatment type employed, and the data source. The availability of these data promotes the...
By
Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Predictive Maps of Fuel Break Effectiveness by Treatment Type and Underlying Resilience to Disturbance and Resistance to Invasion Across the Western U.S.

Escalated wildfire activity within the western U.S. has widespread societal impacts and long-term consequences for the imperiled sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) biome. Shifts from historical fire regimes and the interplay between frequent disturbance and invasive annual grasses may initiate permanent state transitions as wildfire frequency outpaces sagebrush communities' innate capacity to...
By
Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

A retrospective assessment of fuel break effectiveness for containing rangeland wildfires in the sagebrush biome

Escalated wildfire activity within the western U.S. has widespread societal impacts and long-term consequences for the imperiled sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) biome. Shifts from historical fire regimes and the interplay between frequent disturbance and invasive annual grasses may initiate permanent state transitions as wildfire frequency outpaces sagebrush communities’ innate capacity to...
Authors
Cali L. Weise, Brianne E. Brussee, Peter S. Coates, Douglas J. Shinneman, Michele R. Crist, Cameron L. Aldridge, Julie A. Heinrichs, Mark A. Ricca
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wildland Fire Science

A sagebrush conservation design to proactively restore America’s sagebrush biome

A working group of experts with diverse professional backgrounds and disciplinary expertise was assembled to conceptualize a spatially explicit conservation design to support and inform the Sagebrush Conservation Strategy Part 2. The goal was to leverage recent advancements in remotely sensed landcover products to develop spatially and temporally explicit maps of sagebrush rangeland...
Authors
Kevin Doherty, David M. Theobald, John B. Bradford, Lief A. Wiechman, Geoffrey Bedrosian, Chad S. Boyd, Matthew Cahill, Peter S. Coates, Megan K. Creutzburg, Michele R. Crist, Sean P. Finn, Alexander V. Kumar, Caitlin E. Littlefield, Jeremy D. Maestas, Karen L. Prentice, Brian G. Prochazka, Thomas E. Remington, William D. Sparklin, John C. Tull, Zachary Wurtzebach, Katherine A. Zeller
By
Ecosystems Mission Area

Integration and tradeoffs

Managing for sagebrush ecosystems that are resilient to disturbance and resistant to invasive plants often requires managers to make tough decisions in the face of considerable complexity and uncertainty. The deci¬sion making environment is often characterized by multiple management objectives, limited manage¬ment authorities and capabilities, dynamic ecosystems and plant communities...
Authors
Michele R. Crist, Karen Prentice, Jeanne C. Chambers, Sue Phillips, Lief A. Wiechman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Ecological benefits and risks of fuel breaks vary across the sagebrush biome

Ecological benefits and risks of fuel breaks vary across the sagebrush biome

Fuel breaks – strips of land managed for reduced flammability – are designed to aid wildfire suppression and management. However, construction of fuel...

Read Article
Researchers map rates of change in invasive annual grass cover and corresponding management implications across the sagebrush biome

Researchers map rates of change in invasive annual grass cover and corresponding management implications across the sagebrush biome

The continued proliferation of invasive annual grasses could re-shape ecosystems by diminishing native vegetation and increasing the spread and...

Read Article

Science and Products

link
sun shinning through forest on fire with firefighter in front

USGS Fire Science Support for DOI Lands

The USGS Fire Science Support for DOI Lands project is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) effort to address key aspects of recent legislation concerning wildland fire on Department of the Interior (DOI) lands. The project was initiated in 2023, and work will continue through 2025. The project is comprised of four separate but interrelated tasks and is guided by the input of DOI bureau representatives...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Wildland Fire Science
link

USGS Fire Science Support for DOI Lands

The USGS Fire Science Support for DOI Lands project is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) effort to address key aspects of recent legislation concerning wildland fire on Department of the Interior (DOI) lands. The project was initiated in 2023, and work will continue through 2025. The project is comprised of four separate but interrelated tasks and is guided by the input of DOI bureau representatives...
Learn More
link
a road with cars cuts through a sagebrush landscape with hills in the background

Evaluating potential vectors of annual grass invasion

Invasive annual grasses, facilitated by a range of disturbances, are invading many areas within the sagebrush biome. Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado State University, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management are investigating which non-fire disturbances are most associated with the spread of invasive grasses. The findings from this study could guide...
By
Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Evaluating potential vectors of annual grass invasion

Invasive annual grasses, facilitated by a range of disturbances, are invading many areas within the sagebrush biome. Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado State University, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management are investigating which non-fire disturbances are most associated with the spread of invasive grasses. The findings from this study could guide...
Learn More
link
Cheatgrass in Eastern Nevada

Assessing the Proliferation, Connectivity, and Consequences of Invasive Fine Fuels on the Sagebrush Biome

Invasive annual grasses can replace native vegetation and alter fire behavior, impacting a range of habitats and species. A team of researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado State University, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working to identify factors that influence changes in the distribution and abundance of invasive annual grasses (IAGs)...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Land Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center, Wildland Fire Science
link

Assessing the Proliferation, Connectivity, and Consequences of Invasive Fine Fuels on the Sagebrush Biome

Invasive annual grasses can replace native vegetation and alter fire behavior, impacting a range of habitats and species. A team of researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado State University, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working to identify factors that influence changes in the distribution and abundance of invasive annual grasses (IAGs)...
Learn More

Fuel Break Treatments in the Sagebrush Biome of the Western United States, 1953 - 2018

To better inform fuel break planning and assessment, we developed a comprehensive spatial database of known existing fuel breaks from 1953 to 2018 throughout the western United States. Each fuel break is represented as a polygon in the database and is attributed with the date of installation, the treatment type employed, and the data source. The availability of these data promotes the...
By
Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Predictive Maps of Fuel Break Effectiveness by Treatment Type and Underlying Resilience to Disturbance and Resistance to Invasion Across the Western U.S.

Escalated wildfire activity within the western U.S. has widespread societal impacts and long-term consequences for the imperiled sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) biome. Shifts from historical fire regimes and the interplay between frequent disturbance and invasive annual grasses may initiate permanent state transitions as wildfire frequency outpaces sagebrush communities' innate capacity to...
By
Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

A retrospective assessment of fuel break effectiveness for containing rangeland wildfires in the sagebrush biome

Escalated wildfire activity within the western U.S. has widespread societal impacts and long-term consequences for the imperiled sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) biome. Shifts from historical fire regimes and the interplay between frequent disturbance and invasive annual grasses may initiate permanent state transitions as wildfire frequency outpaces sagebrush communities’ innate capacity to...
Authors
Cali L. Weise, Brianne E. Brussee, Peter S. Coates, Douglas J. Shinneman, Michele R. Crist, Cameron L. Aldridge, Julie A. Heinrichs, Mark A. Ricca
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wildland Fire Science

A sagebrush conservation design to proactively restore America’s sagebrush biome

A working group of experts with diverse professional backgrounds and disciplinary expertise was assembled to conceptualize a spatially explicit conservation design to support and inform the Sagebrush Conservation Strategy Part 2. The goal was to leverage recent advancements in remotely sensed landcover products to develop spatially and temporally explicit maps of sagebrush rangeland...
Authors
Kevin Doherty, David M. Theobald, John B. Bradford, Lief A. Wiechman, Geoffrey Bedrosian, Chad S. Boyd, Matthew Cahill, Peter S. Coates, Megan K. Creutzburg, Michele R. Crist, Sean P. Finn, Alexander V. Kumar, Caitlin E. Littlefield, Jeremy D. Maestas, Karen L. Prentice, Brian G. Prochazka, Thomas E. Remington, William D. Sparklin, John C. Tull, Zachary Wurtzebach, Katherine A. Zeller
By
Ecosystems Mission Area

Integration and tradeoffs

Managing for sagebrush ecosystems that are resilient to disturbance and resistant to invasive plants often requires managers to make tough decisions in the face of considerable complexity and uncertainty. The deci¬sion making environment is often characterized by multiple management objectives, limited manage¬ment authorities and capabilities, dynamic ecosystems and plant communities...
Authors
Michele R. Crist, Karen Prentice, Jeanne C. Chambers, Sue Phillips, Lief A. Wiechman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Ecological benefits and risks of fuel breaks vary across the sagebrush biome

Ecological benefits and risks of fuel breaks vary across the sagebrush biome

Fuel breaks – strips of land managed for reduced flammability – are designed to aid wildfire suppression and management. However, construction of fuel...

Read Article
Researchers map rates of change in invasive annual grass cover and corresponding management implications across the sagebrush biome

Researchers map rates of change in invasive annual grass cover and corresponding management implications across the sagebrush biome

The continued proliferation of invasive annual grasses could re-shape ecosystems by diminishing native vegetation and increasing the spread and...

Read Article
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