These documents summarize recent research articles or studies, focusing on key findings and management implications. Research Highlights provide results from a specific fire-science article or study, while Research Syntheses combine available research results for one topic. Please contact us with relevant articles for Research Highlights, or with your key questions that might be addressed in a Research Synthesis.

Research Highlights
 
Mechanical Fuels Reduction Treatments Effects on Fire Behavior, Fuel Loads, and Forest Ecology
Originally prepared for a SFE and CFEOR workshop in 2011, this handout provides results and take-home messages learned from research conducted at the Osceola National Forest to quantify the wildfire risk reduction effectiveness and consequences to soil and vegetation of mechanically shredding and burning understory shrubs and small trees in pine flatwoods.

National Prescribed Fire Use Survey Report
This report, produced by the National Association of State Foresters and the Coalition of Prescribed Fire Councils, shares findings from a national prescribed fire use survey. The report outlines national and regional prescribed fire activity, state prescribed fire programs, and impediments limiting prescribed fire use.

Stakeholder Priorities for Deciding Where to Burn, RH 2011-1
This study investigated the differences in practitioners’ and non-practitioners' perceptions of fire management in eastern North Carolina, where a partnership has been established to promote prescribed burning in the longleaf pine ecosystem. These results, reported in Ecology and Society, provide insight into the different perspectives that stakeholder groups bring to prioritizing sites for prescribed burning. Understanding these priorities can facilitate collaborative burn projects—helping partners to meet their fire management objectives.

Research Summaries and Syntheses
 
Current Work on Prescribed Fire Related to Longleaf Pine Restoration
The Southeastern Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS) identified “Sustaining the Land of the Longleaf Pine” as a priority focus area. Given that fire is essential to the longleaf ecosystem, land managers must be able to increase the use of prescribed fire to restore and maintain longleaf pine. To that end, SERPPAS created a Prescribed Fire Work Group and charged it with developing a synthesis of current knowledge about barriers and alternatives related to prescribed fire in the Southeast, including documentation of goals and priority activities of relevant agencies, organizations, and other stakeholders. This synthesis will be used to craft a comprehensive strategic plan for prescribed fire to support longleaf pine restoration, which will be released in Fall 2012. We have posted the synthesis on the SFE Resource Center so that the compiled information will be accessible to all the fire management community and others interested in longleaf pine and prescribed fire.

Smoldering Combustion in Organic Soils: Peat and Muck Fires in the Southeastern US
This document summarizes research and key findings related to smoldering combustion in ground fires and discusses human and environmental hazards, as well as ecological effects of these fires.

Wildland Fire PM Emission Factor Workshop Summary
This document summarizes key findings of an air quality workshop early in 2012, organized by Tall Timbers Research Station, that focused on the current state of knowledge on particulate matter emission factors for wildland fires, and priorities for future research. Over 60 individuals from 17 organizations participated in the workshop. An excellent resource for bringing you up to date on an issue that influences fire management and policy.