The California Geographer Vol. 48 (2008)
http://hdl.handle.net/10211.3/215400
Journal of California Geographical Society2024-03-28T16:06:29ZInfluences of stand structure and fuel treatments on wildfire severity at Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest, northeastern California
http://hdl.handle.net/10211.2/2806
Influences of stand structure and fuel treatments on wildfire severity at Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest, northeastern California
Fairbanks, Dean H.K.; Skinner, Carl; Symons, Julie N.
This study utilizes forest stand structures and fuel profiles to
evaluate the influence of different types of silvicultural treatments
on fire severity in the Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest
(BMEF), located within Lassen National Forest of northeastern
California. We compare the severity of fire, assessed based on
tree crown and bole scorch on 100 ha experimental treatment
plots, following a wildfire started on adjacent national forest
lands. Non-parametric statistical testing showed that selective
thinning combined with prescribed surface fuel burning is the
most effective method for preventing crown fire and minimizing
fire severity in an interior Pinus ponderosa forest. These results
also suggest that various combinations of the silvicultural treatments
assessed can be effective at reducing the potential for
severe fire spreading into wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas
(supporting defensible space CA law PRC 4291), while suggesting
approaches for U.S. Forest Service lands that can result in more
resilient ecosystems in similar western U.S. forests treated with
similar silvicultural methods.
2008-01-01T00:00:00ZGeography from the back of the 2008 AAG program: is geography what we say or what we do?
http://hdl.handle.net/10211.2/2783
Geography from the back of the 2008 AAG program: is geography what we say or what we do?
Rodrigue, Christine Mary
This paper compares and contrasts what California geographers say
geography is and what geographers actually do, both in California
and at our flagship national conference, the Association of American
Geographers. The paper begins with an examination of definitions
of geography placed on the Web pages of university departments of
geography in the State of California. It then characterizes the distribution of tenured and probationary faculty interests, as listed on
department Web pages. These 202 California geographers are then
categorized into broad specialties (e.g., physical, environmental,
human, GIScience, and regional geographers) and their proportions
discussed. Lastly, the distribution of topics for sessions at the Association
of American Geographers 2008 annual meeting is described.
Quite a disparity emerges among what California geographers tell
the public geography is, their own interests and specialties, and the
foci of the national conference. Implications for the health of the
discipline are disquieting.
2008-01-01T00:00:00ZGraduate degrees in geographic education: exploring an online model
http://hdl.handle.net/10211.2/2782
Graduate degrees in geographic education: exploring an online model
Allen, Casey D.; Dorn, Ronald I.
The national demand for online teacher graduate degrees has
led to a national explosion of pedagogically oriented curriculum
and instruction master's degrees in private and public universities.
Subject-matter-rich online graduate degrees for teachers
have been slow to follow. This paper describes the design and
implementation of the only online geography master's degree
in geographic education in the United States. The collectively
rich national bank of K-12 geography education materials makes
this type of degree possible. In a partnership with College of
Education faculty, the program of study combines 24 semester
credits in geography and 6 credits in education leading to a
capstone project.
2008-01-01T00:00:00ZLate 20th century land change in the Central California Valley ecoregion
http://hdl.handle.net/10211.2/2781
Late 20th century land change in the Central California Valley ecoregion
Sleeter, Benjamin M.
This research challenges two general assumptions of land-cover
change in California's Central Valley ecoregion. They are (1)
the primary land-cover change occurring in urbanization of
agricultural lands, and (2) that the ecoregion experienced a
rapid decline in farmland between 1973 and 2000. Our findings
indicate that while urbanization is significant, it is secondary
to conversions occurring between agriculture and rangelands
(grasslands/shrublands). Furthermore, we estimate that farmland
increased in area over the study period, expanding from 71.6% of the ecoregion in 1973 to 72.4% in 2000, a net increase of 357 New agricultural lands were often found at the ecoregion
periphery in the form of nut orchards and grapes, indicating a
general shift away from traditional low-risk and low-value field
crops to high-risk and high-value specialty crops. Rangeland is
estimated to have declined by nearly 20%, from 19.2% of the
ecoregion in 1973 to 15.4% in 2000, while developed lands increased
from 6.5% to 9.0% over the same time period. Changes
between agriculture and rangeland accounted for over 70% of
all estimated change, while changes directly associated with
urbanization accounted for approximately 14% of all identified
land-cover change. Across all land-cover classes, we estimated
that 12.4% of the ecoregion changed from one land-cover type to
another during the 27 -year study and that the period of highest
change was between 1973 and 1980. Many drivers may explain
these results, including the influence of regional climate variability
and drought. This research suggests that drought, if severe
enough over an extended number of years, has the potential
to significantly influence rates and types of regional land-cover
change. Understanding these coupled human-environment
relationships has implications for monitoring biogeochemical
systems, natural resources, and ecosystem services at local to
regional scales.
2008-01-01T00:00:00Z