Afire: The 14th Victim & Forward (Mann Gulch 75)
Forestcast
When Harry Gisborne, the Forest Service's first fire scientist, died investigating the Mann Gulch Fire in 1949, he became known as its '14th victim.' Through personal stories and historical accounts, we explore how the tragic fire that killed 13 firefighters led to the creation of the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab and revolutionized wildland fire research. Current and former lab leaders, and , share how Mann Gulch's legacy continues to shape firefighter safety and fire science today. Related Research: (2024) (2023) (2023) (2020) (2017) (2014) (2012) (1993) (1977) ...
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Afire: The 13th Fire & Beyond (Mann Gulch 75)
Forestcast
On a scorching August afternoon in 1949, a small fire in Montana's Mann Gulch turned catastrophic in just minutes. Through storyteller David Turner, experience this haunting tale that transformed wildland firefighting forever, and discover how this fire claimed the lives of 13 smokejumpers and sparked a revolution in fire safety and science. Join Forestcast as we travel to Helena, Montana to commemorate this monumental moment in Forest Service history, and find out how science is part of this story. Related Research: Forestcast is an official USDA Forest Service podcast, and is...
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Afire: A Chief's Perspective on Fire
Forestcast
How does research shape a Chief’s decisions about fire? Through personal stories and reflections, shares how scientific discoveries have transformed our agency’s understanding of fire, and explains how research informs decision-making at the highest levels, the role of partnerships in advancing fire science, and the future of fire management across our landscapes. Related Research: Forestcast is an official USDA Forest Service podcast, and is produced by . Want more information? Visit us at Questions or ideas for the show? Contact Jon at [email protected]
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Afire: Fire Ignition, Mitigation & Recovery
Forestcast
Fire shapes landscapes and lives, but how do humans shape fire? By measuring wildfire ignition, mitigation, and recovery, as well as the wildland-urban interface—where houses meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland vegetation—scientists are uncovering the complex dynamics between wildfire and human behavior. Research social scientist, , sheds light on the rapidly growing wildland-urban interface and the challenges it poses for fire management and community resilience. Research forester, , delves into private landowners' behavior in central Oregon, and the surprising...
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Afire: Fire Effects Above and Belowground
Forestcast
Fire affects forests above and belowground. Travel along on a multiscale journey from forest-wide influences to molecular-level changes, unraveling the knowns and unknowns of fire effects on soil, vegetation, and carbon. explains how fire affects tree mortality, tracing the pivotal role of carbohydrates in a tree's post-fire survival. investigates the production and persistence of black carbon in soils, shedding light on its potential climate implications. shares innovative techniques for measuring belowground heat transfer during fires, and unveils the intricate effects on soil...
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Afire: Fire Weather, Wind & Smoke
Forestcast
From whipping winds that fan flames to swirling smoke that obscures visibility, fire weather is a complex phenomenon. In Episode 4 of "Afire," hear from three meteorologists at the intersection of the intricate relationships between fire weather, wind, and smoke. explains how large-scale atmospheric patterns, like extended dry periods before a wildfire, may contribute to the development of extreme fire events. discusses WindNinja, a high-resolution wind model that simulates local winds in complex terrain. And investigates the turbulent dynamics of small‑scale surface fires, as...
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Afire: Understanding Different Fire
Forestcast
Prescribed fire plays a vital role in creating healthy landscapes that better survive natural and human-caused disturbances, while reducing wildfire risk to communities, infrastructure, and natural and cultural resources. Episode 3 of "Afire" highlights three scientists and partnerships that are attempting to better understand and utilize prescribed fire. From Georgia, ecologist explains how researchers and forest managers are forming unique meetings that spark fresh ideas and advancements in prescribed burning across the South. In California, forester begins research into the processes...
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Afire: Understanding Fire Differently
Forestcast
Indigenous tribes gained their unique understanding of fire, and the role of fire on the landscape, long before European settlers came to what is now called North America. Since then, the relationship between federal fire management and indigenous perspectives has often been one of misunderstanding and mistrust. On Episode 2 of "Afire," join Forest Service scientists, , a tribal descendant, and , a tribal member, as they explain the ways in which Forest Service fire research is collaborating with tribes to jointly strive to better understand and manage fire. Related Research: (2023) ...
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Afire: Understanding Fire
Forestcast
Fire is a form all of its own, but a simple way to understand fire is as a swarm. A swarm of bees. Or starlings. Or mosquitos. A spreading fire is a swarm of ignitions, a series of small fires over and over. Season 4 of Forestcast is a series of fires, a series of voices. It’s a 360-degree introduction to fire from a scientific standpoint. The story of how fire research shapes our landscapes, and our lives. Through kaleidoscoping voices from across the country, listeners will be taken inside the largest forest research organization in the world to hear from seventeen scientists on what...
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Flying the Nuthatch Home
Forestcast
Once spanning nearly 6 million acres in Missouri's Ozarks, the shortleaf pine and oak woodland ecosystem has dwindled to 100,000 acres today. Along with the loss of this habitat, a bird—the brown-headed nuthatch—disappeared as well. However, after decades of woodland restoration, the brown-headed nuthatch has returned to Missouri—by plane. Over two summers in 2020 and 2021, a team of scientists successfully captured and flew 102 birds from Arkansas to Missouri, marking the bird’s return to the state after being locally extinct since 1907. Weighing in at a mere one-third of an ounce,...
info_outlineInsect biological control comes in all shapes and sizes — parasitoids, predators, or pathogens. So, what happens when neither a parasitoid nor a predator are feasible? Well, sometimes we have to turn away from using insects to attack insect pests, and turn to using an even smaller organism, something microscopic: a pathogen — in this case a fungus.
Related Research:
- “Introduction and Establishment of Entomophaga maimaiga, a Fungal Pathogen of Gypsy Moth in Michigan” (1995)
- “Discovery of Entomophaga maimaiga in North American gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar” (1990)
Scientists:
- Andrew "Sandy" Liebhold, Research Entomologist, Northern Research Station, Morgantown, West Virginia
- David Smitley, Professor, Michigan State University, Department of Entomology, East Lansing, Michigan
Produced by the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station.
Want more information? Visit us at https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/nrs/products/multimedia/podcasts/forestcast-season-1-balance-and-barrier-episode-3-slowing-spongy
Questions or ideas for the show? Connect with Jon at: [email protected]