My research focuses on understanding complex, multi-scale dynamics of natural and coupled human-natural systems, particularly focused on impacts of disturbance (climate changes, wildfires, insect outbreaks, erosion and sedimentation, invasive species) on landscapes, ecological communities, and natural and cultural resources.
Research summary
My projects integrate field studies, in-situ instrumentation and monitoring, ecosystem and fire models, geospatial and statistical modeling and analysis, and ecological theory to provide new insights into changing climates, disturbance regimes, and landscapes. Applications include development of strategies for restoration of forests and fire regimes, assessments of landscape resilience and vulnerability, reconstruction of long-term human-environment interactions, predictive models of climate-vegetation-disturbance interactions, quantification of fire impacts on above- and belowground cultural and natural resources, and development of new tools and techniques for quantifying and managing shifting environments. I work in coastal, boreal, and tundra ecosystems in Alaska as well as forest and woodland ecosystems in the interior west and southwestern U.S.
Professional Experience
2014 - Present Research Landscape Ecologist, US Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
2009-2014 Research Ecologist, USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Fire Sciences Lab, Missoula, Montana
2007-2009 Research Scientist, Systems for Environmental Management, Missoula, Montana
2007-2008 Climate Change Analyst, National Center for Landscape Fire Analysis, The University of Montana
2006-2007 Post-doctoral Research Scientist, Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group, The University of Montana
2004-2006 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow, The University of Montana
2001-2004 NASA Earth Systems Science Fellow, Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group, The University of Montana
1997-2000 GIS/Remote Sensing Specialist, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2006 The University of Montana Ecosystems Ecology
M.A. 1999 University of New Mexico Biogeography
B.A. 1995 University of New Mexico Anthropology
Affiliations and Memberships*
Association for Fire Ecology (Board member, 2017-present)
Alaska Fire Science Consortium (Board member, 2016-present)
Society for American Archaeology
USGS Fire Science Communities of Practice
Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) Wildfires Collaboration Team
Science and Products
Synthesis of the new North American tree-ring fire-scar network: using past and present fire-climate relationships to improve projections of future wildfire
Enhancing Climate Adaptation for Native Communities in Western Alaska: Linking Pollinator Diversity and Abundance to Berry Production in a Rapidly Changing Environment
Science to Help Move From Mortality to Recovery in Western Forests and Woodlands
Ecosystems on the Edge: Landscape and Fire Ecology of Forests, Deserts, and Tundra
Land Cover Estimates for the Kenai Peninsula Lowlands; 1973, 2002, and 2017
Predicting burn severity for integration with post-fire debris-flow hazard assessment: A case study from the Upper Colorado River Basin, USA.
Modeled interactions of mountain pine beetle and wildland fire under future climate and management scenarios for three western US landscapes
A collaborative agenda for archaeology and fire science
Climate and landscape controls on old-growth western juniper demography in the northern Great Basin, USA
Adaptation strategies and approaches for managing fire in a changing climate
Fire and forests in the 21st century: Managing resilience under changing climates and fire regimes in USA forests
Improved fire severity mapping in the North American boreal forest using a hybrid composite method
Impacts of climate changes and amplified natural disturbance on global ecosystems
Predicting wildfire impacts on the prehistoric archaeological record of the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA
U.S. Geological Survey wildland fire science strategic plan, 2021–26
Native American fire management at an ancient wildland–urban interface in the Southwest United States
Drivers of wildfire carbon emissions
Science and Products
- Science
Synthesis of the new North American tree-ring fire-scar network: using past and present fire-climate relationships to improve projections of future wildfire
Increasing wildfire activity in much of North America is having severe impacts on society and ecosystems. Climate change is a key driver of changing fire regimes across North America, with varying expressions across the continent. Modern fire records, while useful, are too short to fully characterize the complex patterns and non-linear dynamics of fire-climate relationships that are required to unEnhancing Climate Adaptation for Native Communities in Western Alaska: Linking Pollinator Diversity and Abundance to Berry Production in a Rapidly Changing Environment
Berry-producing plants, a key resource in Alaska Native communities, provide primary subsistence and have been integral to maintaining cultural cohesion, sense of place, and physical ties to the surrounding landscape. Despite the importance of berry-producing plants, relatively little is known about their vulnerability to changes in climate and environmental conditions. The dynamics of insect popuScience to Help Move From Mortality to Recovery in Western Forests and Woodlands
Healthy forests and woodlands in the western United States provide many important benefits, including providing habitat for wildlife, forage for livestock, and clean water for fish and human use. Yet climate change and other stressors, from wildfires and insect attacks to severe droughts, are causing unprecedented tree die offs across the region, threatening many of these ecosystem services. FolloEcosystems on the Edge: Landscape and Fire Ecology of Forests, Deserts, and Tundra
Climate changes and interacting disturbances such as wildfires, insect and disease outbreaks, and erosion and flooding can perturb and reorganize ecosystems. - Data
Land Cover Estimates for the Kenai Peninsula Lowlands; 1973, 2002, and 2017
These raster images represent continuous surfaces of estimated land cover types and probabilities for the western Kenai Peninsula circa 1973, circa 2002, and circa 2017. - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 34
Predicting burn severity for integration with post-fire debris-flow hazard assessment: A case study from the Upper Colorado River Basin, USA.
Background: Burn severity significantly increases the likelihood and volume of post-wildfire debris flows. Pre-fire severity predictions can expedite mitigation efforts because precipitation contributing to these hazards often occurs shortly after wildfires, leaving little time for post-fire planning and management.Aim: The aim of this study was to predict burn severity using pre-fire conditions oAuthorsAdam Gerhard Wells, Todd Hawbaker, John Kevin Hiers, Jason W. Kean, Rachel A. Loehman, Paul F. StebleinModeled interactions of mountain pine beetle and wildland fire under future climate and management scenarios for three western US landscapes
Mountain pine beetle (MPB) is a native disturbance agent across most pine forests in the western US. Climate changes will directly and indirectly impact frequencies and severities of MPB outbreaks, which can then alter fuel characteristics and wildland fire dynamics via changes in stand structure and composition. To investigate the importance of MPB to past and future landscape dynamics, we used tAuthorsRobert Keane, Barbara Bentz, Lisa M. Holsinger, Victoria Saab, Rachel A. LoehmanA collaborative agenda for archaeology and fire science
Humans have influenced global fire activity for millennia and will continue to do so into the future. Given the long-term interaction between humans and fire, we propose a collaborative research agenda linking archaeology and fire science that emphasizes the socioecological histories and consequences of anthropogenic fire in the development of fire management strategies today.AuthorsGrant J. Snitker, Christopher Roos, Allen Sullivan, S. Yoshi Maezumi, Douglas Bird, Michael Coughlan, Kelly Derr, Linn Gassaway, Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson, Rachel A. LoehmanClimate and landscape controls on old-growth western juniper demography in the northern Great Basin, USA
Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis Hook.) woodlands have persisted for millennia in semiarid parts of the northern Great Basin, USA, providing critical habitat for plant and animal species. Historical records suggest that the establishment of western juniper is strongly associated with regional climatic variability. For example, the abundance of western juniper pollen and macrofossils measureAuthorsRachel A. Loehman, Emily K. Heyerdahl, Gregory T. Pederson, David B. McWethyAdaptation strategies and approaches for managing fire in a changing climate
As the effects of climate change accumulate and intensify, resource managers juggle existing goals and new mandates to operationalize adaptation. Fire managers contend with the direct effects of climate change on resources in addition to climate-induced disruptions to fire regimes and subsequent ecosystem effects. In systems stressed by warming and drying, increased fire activity amplifies the pacAuthorsMartha Sample, Andrea E. Thode, Courtney Peterson, Michael Gallagher, William T. Flatley, Megan Friggens, Alexander Evans, Rachel A. Loehman, Shaula Hedwall, Leslie A. Brandt, Maria Janowiak, Christopher W. SwanstonFire and forests in the 21st century: Managing resilience under changing climates and fire regimes in USA forests
Higher temperatures, lower snowpacks, drought, and extended dry periods have contributed to increased wildfire activity in recent decades. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of large fires, the cumulative area burned, and fire suppression costs and risks in many areas of the USA. Fire regimes are likely to change due to interactions among climate, fire, and other stressors and diAuthorsJames M. Vose, David L. Peterson, Christopher J. Fettig, Jessica E. Halofsky, J. Kevin Hiers, Robert E. Keane, Rachel A. Loehman, Michael C. StambaughImproved fire severity mapping in the North American boreal forest using a hybrid composite method
Fire severity is a key driver shaping the ecological structure and function of North American boreal ecosystems, a biome dominated by large, high-intensity wildfires. Satellite-derived burn severity maps have been an important tool in these remote landscapes for both fire and resource management. The conventional methodology to produce satellite-inferred fire severity maps generally involves compaAuthorsLisa M. Holsinger, Sean Parks, Lisa Saperstein, Rachel A. Loehman, Ellen Whitman, Jennifer L. Barnes, Marc-André ParisienImpacts of climate changes and amplified natural disturbance on global ecosystems
Natural disturbances maintain biological diversity and landscape heterogeneity and initiate ecosystem renewal and reorganization. However, the severity, frequency, and extent of many disturbances have increased substantially in recent decades as the result of anthropogenic climate change. Disturbances can be discrete, short-duration events, such as wildfires or hurricanes, or can exert persistent,AuthorsRachel A. Loehman, Megan Friggens, Rosemary L. Sherriff, Alisa R. Keyser, Karin L. RileyPredicting wildfire impacts on the prehistoric archaeological record of the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA
Wildfires of uncharacteristic severity, a consequence of climate changes and accumulated fuels, can cause amplified or novel impacts to archaeological resources. The archaeological record includes physical features associated with human activity; these exist within ecological landscapes and provide a unique long-term perspective on human–environment interactions. The potential for fire-caused damaAuthorsMegan Friggens, Rachel A. Loehman, Connie Constan, Rebekah KneifelU.S. Geological Survey wildland fire science strategic plan, 2021–26
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Wildland Fire Science Strategic Plan defines critical, core fire science capabilities for understanding fire-related and fire-responsive earth system processes and patterns, and informing management decision making. Developed by USGS fire scientists and executive leadership, and informed by conversations with external stakeholders, the Strategic Plan is aligned wiAuthorsPaul F. Steblein, Rachel A. Loehman, Mark P. Miller, Joseph R. Holomuzki, Suzanna C. Soileau, Matthew L. Brooks, Mia Drane-Maury, Hannah M. Hamilton, Jason W. Kean, Jon E. Keeley, Robert R. Mason,, Alexa McKerrow, James Meldrum, Edmund B. Molder, Sheila F. Murphy, Birgit Peterson, Geoffrey S. Plumlee, Douglas J. Shinneman, Phillip J. van Mantgem, Alison YorkByEcosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Science Synthesis, Analysis and Research Program, Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS) Program, Alaska Science Center, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wildland Fire ScienceNative American fire management at an ancient wildland–urban interface in the Southwest United States
The intersection of expanding human development and wildland landscapes—the “wildland–urban interface” or WUI—is one of the most vexing contexts for fire management because it involves complex interacting systems of people and nature. Here, we document the dynamism and stability of an ancient WUI that was apparently sustainable for more than 500 y. We combine ethnography, archaeology, paleoecologyAuthorsChristopher Roos, Thomas W. Swetnam, T. J. Ferguson, Matthew J. Liebmann, Rachel A. Loehman, John Welch, Ellis Margolis, Christopher H. Guiterman, William Hockaday, Michael Aiuvalasit, Jenna Battillo, Joshua Farella, Christopher KiahtipesDrivers of wildfire carbon emissions
Increasing fire frequency and severity may shift boreal forests from carbon sinks to carbon sources and amplify climate warming. Analysis indicates that that fuel characteristics are important drivers of wildfire carbon emissions across a broad range of North America’s boreal forest.AuthorsRachel A. Loehman - News
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government