Recent work (2005): [McKenzie, Stavros]

Visibility impairment from regional haze is a significant problem throughout the continental United States. A substantial portion of regional haze is produced by smoke from wildland fires. Future air quality across the United States will be sensitive to the effects of climate change on fire regimes and the smoke produced by wildland fires. Working with collaborators in the US Forest Service, Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Lab, FME scientists developed a stochastic fire generator and a continental-scale geospatial fuels database to project future concentrations of regional haze across the West under new fire regimes driven by climate change. We also published two review papers on the state of the science in simulating future smoke emissions and transport and on a conceptual framework for integrating models of climate change, wildfire, and air quality. We continue to work with modelers nationwide, providing upgrades and consultation for the software and associated databases.

Earlier work (1990s): ozone pollution [Peterson and students]

Air pollution has potentially detrimental effects on vegetation in national parks and other lands in the Pacific Northwest. Recent studies reveal that urban expansion between Vancouver, British Columbia and Portland, Oregon has reduced air quality in wildland areas of the Cascade Mountains. Ozone and acidic deposition are the air pollutants with greatest potential to impact natural resources in the Pacific Northwest. FME Lab scientists and cooperators compiled existing information on air pollution impacts in the Pacific Northwest and developed guidelines for the protection of air quality related values (AQRVs) in class 1 areas in Washington and Oregon. These guidelines are used by federal and state agencies and private companies to determine if proposed air pollution sources would damage any AQRVs; this decision determines if a prevention of significant deterioration permit will be issued.

The potential for tropospheric ozone to damage vegetation in national parks and other lands is an important issue east of Puget Sound. Ozone is highly phytotoxic, and can injure some plant species at concentrations as low as 80 ppb. The sparse network of ozone analyzers in Washington is insufficient to quantify spatial patterns of ozone distribution and provides few data for national parks. This shortcoming was addressed by establishing monitoring networks of passive ozone samplers. Specifically, samplers were placed on elevation gradients along river drainages in the Mt. Rainier National Park region. Measurements over 2 summers indicate that ozone exposure is considerably higher at high elevations than at low elevations. Some areas on the east side of the park, previously thought to be free of high ozone concentrations, also have exposures comparable to the west side during much of the summer. The network of passive ozone samplers includes national parks and national forests throughout western Washington, from the Canadian border to the Columbia River. This is the largest known effort quantifying spatial distribution of ozone using passive samplers.

A major study characterized long-term growth patterns of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in the Sierra Nevada. Cores were obtained from 1400 trees in 56 stands throughout the Sierra Nevada. Half of the stands were from the western side of the range where symptoms of ozone injury were documented, and half were from interior stands without injury. Statistical analyses indicate that some stands in the southern Sierra Nevada have reduced growth since 1960, although there is a high degree of variance among sites. The analysis quantified temporal and spatial variation of growth on a regional basis, and related growth patterns to different levels of ozone exposure and injury. This was the largest dendroecological study of a tree species in North America. It characterized regional growth trends in an important forest ecosystem and demonstrated an association between air pollution injury and growth.

In the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, another major study was completed which characterized long-term growth patterns of ponderosa pine. Cores were obtained from approximately 750 trees in 30 stands throughout the Front Range. Stands were located at different distances from the Denver metropolitan area. All cores were measured and subjected to time-series analysis and other statistical analyses. Stands that were closer to the Denver area had higher ozone exposure and lower needle retention than other stands. However, there was no indication that recent growth was lower or that there was an association between ozone exposure and growth in the Front Range. There were clear regional patterns of long-term growth related to climate, particularly dry summers and low Palmer drought index, and the relationship of growth to climate varied somewhat over the past century.

A study on the potential impacts of prolonged elevated ozone exposure on long-term growth of bigcone Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa) was conducted in the San Bernardino Mountains, California. This region has been subjected to high concentrations of ozone for at least 40 years, the result of pollutants transported eastward from the Los Angeles Basin. Bigcone Douglas- fir, mostly old growth in steep canyons, is distributed across an ozone gradient from west (high) to east (low); this coincides with a precipitation gradient from west (higher) to east (lower). Most trees with higher historic ozone exposure have lower recent basal area growth, and growth is particularly low in older trees and in trees with lower needle retention (a symptom of ozone injury in conifers). Periods of prolonged drought appear to induce reduced growth; many trees never recover. This is the first study to quantify the impacts of ozone on bigcone Douglas-fir and documents the impacts of air pollutants on an important forest ecosystem in southern Califonia.

Pollutants (nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds) produced in the Puget Sound region are photooxidized and transported eastward to wildland areas, often raising ozone concentrations in the Cascade Mountains and foothills above those in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Ozone levels were measured in the Cascades with passive ozone samplers in conjunction with existing electronic ozone analyzers. Samplers were placed along elevation gradients that follow 4 river drainages towards Mt. Rainier National Park, and data were collected during the summers of 1994 and 1995. Results indicate that ozone concentrations increase with elevation at all locations. Ozone levels are generally highest in the Nisqually River and Carbon River drainages on the west side of the park, although ozone is surprisingly high on the east side of the park (away from the Puget Sound region). High ozone concentrations at higher elevations suggested that vegetation in the subalpine and alpine zones may be at risk, and that these areas should be the focus of future monitoring.

McKenzie, D., U. Shankar, R.E. Keane, E.N. Stavros, W.E. Heilman, D.G. Fox, and A.C. Riebau. 2014. Smoke consequences of new fire regimes driven by climate change. Earth’s Future. DOI 10.1002/2013EF000180.

French, N.H.F., D. McKenzie, T. Erickson, B. Koziol, M. Billmire, K.A. Endsley, N.K. Yager Scheinerman, L. Jenkins, M.E. Miller, R.D. Ottmar, and S.J. Prichard. 2014. Modeling regional-scale wildland fire emissions with the Wildland Fire Emissions Information System. Earth Interactions 18 (Paper 16).

Stavros, E.N., D. McKenzie, and N.A. Larkin. 2014. The climate-wildfire-air quality system: interactions and feedbacks across spatial and temporal scales. WIREs Climate Change doi: 10.1002/wcc.303.

French, N.H.F., D. McKenzie, R.D. Ottmar, J.L. McCarthy, R.A. Norheim, N. Hammermesh, and A.J. Soja. 2014. A US national fuels database and map for calculating carbon emissions from wildland and prescribed fire. Pages 522-529 in Fourth Fire Behavior and Fuels Conference Proceedings. Raleigh, NC, Feb 18-22, 2013, and St. Petersburg, Russia, July 1-4, 2013.

2013

Johnson, M.C., Halofsky, J.E., Peterson, D.L., and Bergin, J. 2013. Effects of salvage logging and pile-and-burn on fuel loading, potential fire behavior, fuel consumption, and emissions. International Journal of Wildland Fire 22(6): 757-769.

2012

McKenzie, D., N.H.F. French, and R.D. Ottmar. 2012. National database for calculating fuel available to wildfires. EOS Transactions 93:57-58.

Peterson, D.L., and D. McKenzie. 2012. Understanding and adapting to new stress complexes in forest ecosystems. In W. Rodgers (ed.), Climate Change: A Reader. Carolina Academic Press, Durham, NC.

2011

McKenzie, D., and J.S. Littell. 2011. Climate change and wilderness fire regimes. International Journal of Wilderness 17:22-27,31.

French, N.H.F., William J. de Groot, L.K. Jenkins, B.M. Rogers, E. Alvarado, B.Amiro,  B. de Jong, S. Goetz, E. Hoy, E. Hyer, R.E. Keane, D. McKenzie, Steven G. McNulty, B.E. Law, R.D. Ottmar, D.R. Pérez-Salicrup, J. Randerson, K.M. Robertson, and M. Turetsky. 2011. Model comparisons for estimating carbon emissions from North American wildland fire. Journal of Geophysical Research 116, G00K05, doi:10.1029/2010JG001469.

2010

McKenzie, D. 2010. The effects of climatic change and wildland fires on air quality in national parks and wilderness areas. Fire Management Today 70:26-28.

2009

McKenzie, D., Peterson, D.L., and Littell, J.S. 2009. Global warming and stress complexes in forests of western North America. In Wildland Fires and Air Pollution. Developments in Environmental Science, Volume 8. Elsevier Publishers, The Hague, Netherlands. pp. 317-337.

Baron, J.S., L. Gunderson, C.D. Allen, E. Fleishman, D. McKenzie, L.A. Meyerson, J. Oropeza, and N. Stephenson. 2009. Options for national parks and reserves for adapting to climate change. Environmental Management DOI 10.1007/s00267-009-9296-6.

Chen, J., J. Avise, B. Lamb, E.P. Salathé, C.F. Mass, A. Guenther, C. Wiedinmyer, J-F. Lamarque, S.M. O'Neill, D. McKenzie, and N. Larkin. 2009. The effects of global changes upon regional ozone pollution in the United States. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 9:1125-1141.

pre-2009

McKenzie, D., A.E. Hessl, and L.-K.B. Kellogg. 2006. Using neutral models to identify constraints on low-severity fire regimes. Landscape Ecology 21:139-152.

McKenzie, D., S.M. O’Neill, N. Larkin, and R.A. Norheim. 2006. How will climatic change affect air quality in parks and wilderness? In: D. Harmon, ed. Proceedings of the 2005 George Wright Society Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.

Wiedinmyer, C., B. Quayle, C. Geron, A. Belote, D. McKenzie, X. Zhang, S.M. O’Neill, and K.K. Wynne. 2006. Estimating emissions from fires in North America for air quality modeling. Atmospheric Environment 40:3419-3432.

Cooper, S.M. and Peterson, D.L. 2000. Tropospheric ozone distribution in western Washington. Environmental Pollution 107: 339-347.

Peterson, D.L. 2000. Monitoring air quality in mountains: designing an effective network. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 64: 81-91.

Sullivan, T.J., D.L. Peterson, C.L. Blanchard, and S.J. Tannenbaum. 2000. Assessment of air quality and air pollutant impacts in class I national parks of California. Report NPS/CCSOUW/NRTR-00/xx. National Park Service, Air Resources Division, Denver, CO. In press.

Schmoldt, D.L., D.L. Peterson, R.E. Keane, J.M. Lenihan, D. McKenzie, D.R. Weise, and D.V. Sandberg. 1999. Assessing the effects of fire disturbance on ecosystems: a scientific agenda for research and management. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PNW-GTR-455.

Arbaugh, M.J., D.L. Peterson, and P.R. Miller. 1999. Air pollution effects on growth of ponderosa pine, Jeffrey pine, and bigcone Douglas-fir. Pages 179-207 in P.R. Miller and J. McBride (eds.), Oxidant Air Pollution Impacts in the Montane Forests of Southern California: The San Bernardino Mountains Case Study. Springer-Verlag, New York.

Brace, S., D.L. Peterson, and D. Bowers. 1999. A guide to ozone injury in vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report GTR-PNW-446. Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR.

Peterson, D.L., D. Bowers, and S. Brace. 1999. Tropospheric ozone in the Nisqually River drainage, Mount Rainier National Park. Northwest Science 73:241-254.

Brace, S. and D.L. Peterson. 1998. Tropospheric ozone distribution in the Mount Rainier region of the Cascade Mountains, U.S.A. Atmospheric Environment 32:3629-3637.

Peterson, D.L., T.J. Sullivan, J.M. Eilers, S. Brace, D. Horner, K. Savig, and D. Morse. 1998. Assessment of air quality and air pollutant impacts in national parks of the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains. Report NPS/CCSOUW/NRTR-98/19. National Park Service, Air Resources Division, Denver, CO.

Brace, S., D.L. Peterson, D. Horner, M.D. Plocher, and B. Baker. 1996. Ozone injury in common plant species of the Cascade Mountains, U.S.A.: results of controlled exposures. Paper SS-II-1 in Proceedings of the 1996 Annual Meeting of the Pacific Northwest International Section of the Air and Waste Management Association. Pacific Northwest International Section, Air and Waste Management Association, Seattle, WA.

Cooper, S. and D.L. Peterson. 1996. Assessing tropospheric ozone in western Washington. Paper SS-II-2 in Proceedings of the 1996 Annual Meeting of the Pacific Northwest International Section of the Air and Waste Management Association. Pacific Northwest International Section, Air and Waste Management Association, Seattle, WA.

Brace, S. and D.L. Peterson. 1995. Summary of ozone monitoring at Mount Rainier National Park using passive ozone samplers during summer 1994. Pages 92-102 in N. Maykut (ed.), Ozone in the Pacific Northwest: What We Know and What We Need to Know. Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency, Seattle, WA.

Brace, S. and D.L. Peterson.1995. Spatial patterns of ozone exposure in Mt. Rainier National Park. In Proceedings of the Meeting of the Air and Waste Management Association. AWMA, Pacific Northwest Chapter, Spokane, WA.

Peterson, D.L. 1995. Air pollution effects on forest ecosystems in North America. Page 227 in E.T. LaRoe, G.S. Farris, C.E. Puckett, P.D. Doran, and M.J. Mac (eds.), Our Living Resources. National Biological Service, Washington, DC.

Peterson, D.L., D.G. Silsbee, M. Poth, M.J. Arbaugh, and F.E. Biles. 1995. Growth response of bigcone Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa) to long-term ozone exposure in southern California. Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association 45:36-45.

Horner, D. and D.L. Peterson. 1993. Goat Rocks Wilderness air quality monitoring plan. Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Packwood, WA.

Peterson, D.L., D.L. Schmoldt, J.M. Eilers, R.W. Fisher, and R.D. Doty. 1993. Guidelines for evaluating air pollution impacts on class I wilderness areas in California. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-136. Pacific Southwest Research Station, Albany, CA.

Peterson, D.L., M.J. Arbaugh, and L.J. Robinson. 1993. Effects of ozone and climate on ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) growth in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 23:1750-1759.

Graybill, D.A., D.L. Peterson, and M.J. Arbaugh. 1992. Coniferous forests of the Colorado Front Range. Pages 365-401 in R.K. Olson, D. Binkley, and M. Böhm (eds.), Response of Western Forests to Air Pollution (Chapter 9), Springer-Verlag, New York, NY.

Olson, R.K., D.L. Peterson, and M. Böhm. 1992. Western forests: what is their future? Pages 501-521 in R.K. Olson, D. Binkley, and M.. Böhm (eds.), Response of Western Forests to Air Pollution (Chapter 13), Springer-Verlag, New York.

Peterson, D.L. and M.J. Arbaugh. 1992. Mixed conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada. Pages 433-459 in R.K. Olson, D. Binkley, and M. Böhm (eds.), Response of Western Forests to Air Pollution (Chapter 11), Springer-Verlag, New York.

Peterson, D.L., M.J. Arbaugh, and L.J. Robinson. 1992. Tree growth in high elevation forests of the Sierra Nevada, California, USA. Pages 269-273 in Proceedings of the International Conference on Tree Rings and the Environment, Ystad, Sweden. University of Lund, Lund, Sweden.

Peterson, J., D. Schmoldt, D. Peterson, J. Eilers, R. Fisher, and R. Bachman. 1992. Guidelines for evaluating air pollution impacts on class I wilderness areas in the Pacific Northwest. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PNW-299. Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR.

Peterson, D.L., M.J. Arbaugh, and L.J. Robinson. 1991. Growth trends of ozone-stressed ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in the Sierra Nevada of California, USA. The Holocene 1:50-61.

Peterson, D.L. and D.A. Anderson. 1990. Content of chemical elements in tree rings of lodgepole pine and whitebark pine cores from a subalpine Sierra Nevada forest. USDA Forest Service Research Paper PSW-200. Pacific Southwest Research Station, Berkeley, CA.

Peterson, D.L., M.J. Arbaugh, and L.J. Robinson.1989. Ozone injury and growth trends of ponderosa pine in the Sierra Nevada. Pages 293-307 in R.K. Olson and A.S. Lefohn (eds.), Effects of Air Pollution on Western Forests. Air and Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh, PA.

Peterson, D.L., M.J. Arbaugh, and L.J. Robinson. 1989. The effects of ozone stress on tree growth and vigor in the Sierra Nevada of California, USA. Pages 289-294 in J. Bucher and I. Bucher-Wallin (eds.), Proceedings of the IUFRO Conference on Air Pollution and Forest Decline. Eidgenössische Anstalt für das forstliche Versuchswesen, Biremensdorf, Switzerland.

Peterson, D.L. and M.J. Arbaugh. 1988. Growth patterns of ozone-injured ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in the southern Sierra Nevada. Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association 38: 921-927.

Peterson, D.L., M.J. Arbaugh, V.A. Wakefield, and P.R. Miller. 1987. Evidence of growth reduction in ozone-stressed Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi Grev. and Balf.) in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association 37:906-912.

Peterson, D.L. 1985. Evaluating the effects of air pollution and fire on tree growth by tree ring analysis. Pages 124-131 in L.R. Donoghue and R.E. Martin (eds.), Proceedings of the Eighth Conference on Fire and Forest Meteorology, Detroit, MI, Society of American Foresters, Bethesda, MD.