Low Income Urban Forestry Program in Tucson, Arizona, USA

Tucson is located in the Sonoran Desert, 117 km north of the US-Mexico border. The borderland region is an area experiencing increased temperatures and changing precipitation patterns caused by the combustion of greenhouse gases. Planting drought-tolerant trees to provide cooling shade has been an important mitigation strategy for Tucson and other arid cities. From 2007 to 2013, the Sonora Environmental Research Institute, Inc. (SERI) collaborated with Trees for Tucson (TFT) to distribute drought-resistant trees to low income families in south metropolitan Tucson. The Pima Association of Governments has found that this area has significantly less green spaces than other areas of Tucson. SERI conducted an extensive bilingual community outreach to recruit families, and presented tree stewardship information to families in both English and Spanish. Chilean mesquite (Prosopis chilensis and Prosopis chilensis hybrid), red push pistache (Atlantica X Integerrima), and blue palo verde (Parkinsonia florida) had the highest survival rates while willow acacia (Acacia salicina) and sweet acacia (Acacia farnesiana) had the lowest survival rates. Acacia salicina is less cold tolerant, and a severe frost in February of 2011 may have contributed to its higher mortality

Emergence and cool-season growth of Lehmann lovegrass and Arizona cottontop on different soils

Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees.), a perennial bunchgrass, has established itself well since its introduction from South Africa. Arizona cottontop (Digitaria californica (Benth.) Henr.) is a native perennial bunchgrass that sometimes appears on the same sites and soils as Lehmann lovegrass. In a greenhouse, emergence was evaluated using line-source irrigation which simulated natural summer precipitation on two soil types collected from the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER). Density and cool-season growth of each species were monitored along transects located at the SRER on three different soils. I found that although Lehmann lovegrass and Arizona cottontop emerge similarly on two soils, Arizona cottontop un-emerged caryopses had a better percent survival rate. Also, Lehmann lovegrass plants had more green above-ground biomass from November to May than Arizona cottontop, and Lehmann lovegrass was able to greenup more rapidly following rain. This study showed these species have similar emergence characteristics, but that their cool-season greening differs

Living with Wildfire in Arizona

226 pp.UACE Firewise publications (8 total)The Living with Wildfire in Arizona educational materials synthesize the most recent scientific and technically known information available on fire ecology for the ecosystems of Arizona, including mixed conifer forests, ponderosa pine forests, pinyon-juniper and oak woodlands, chaparral, grasslands and desert scrub, and riparian areas. The materials are meant to educate homeowners living in the wildland urban interface areas as to the natural function of fire in each ecosystem and what significant changes have impacted fire behavior over time. Information includes the natural role of fire, how and why fire behavior has changed over time, and the role that humans play in affecting that change in protecting themselves and their property

Climate Change and Wildfire Impacts in Southwest Forests and Woodlands

Revised; Originally Published: 20064 pp

Comparing the Ignitability of Mulch Materials for a Firewise Landscape

5 pp.Eight different landscape mulches were tested for their flammability using a propane torch, charcoal briquette, and a cigarette at two different times of the year. Three randomized compete blocks with eight one square meter plots were tested at three locations; Tucson, Prescott, and Flagstaff, Arizona. Each of the mulches was subjected to the heat of a handheld propane torch (15 seconds), a glowing charcoal briquette (five minutes), and a lit cigarette (until burned out). We found that the least dense mulches (pine needles and straw) burned rapidly when subjected to the torch and ignited after the briquette was removed. The medium density mulches (pine bark nuggets and wood chips) had low flame lengths and smoldered. Heavy density mulches (garden compost and shredded bark) only smoldered. The decomposed granite and sod did not ignite or smolder

Fire and Invasive Species Management in Hot Deserts: Resources, Strategies, Tactics, and Response

The Rangelands archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform March 2020Legacy DOIs that must be preserved: 10.2458/azu_rangelands_v31i3_bea

Living with Wildfire: Homeowners' Firewise Guide for Arizona

20 pp.Arizona Firewise CommunitiesThis publication is an update and adaptation of the widely distributed Living with Fire publication created by the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and Sierra Front Wildfire Cooperators in 1998. It is an interagency collaboration of the Arizona Firewise subcommittee of the Arizona Interagency Coordinating Group. It involved the combined efforts of the Arizona State Land Department, USDI Bureau of Indian Affairs, USDI Bureau of Land Management, USDI National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and Arizona Fire Chiefs Association. The need to revise the over seven-year old publication emerged from the subcommittees vision of building in concepts such as Firewise Zone Landscaping and Survivable Space, as well as to update the documents appearance and organization. Its purpose to provide a quality outreach tool to increase public aware concerning Firewise concepts and to encourage and facilitate the implementation of Firewise practices by communities, neighborhoods and property owners. Living with Wildfire is a twelve-page color tabloid that addresses the following topic areas important to homeowners: current situation; fire behavior and the human environment, and in various Arizona vegetation types; detailed recommendations for creating survivable space, including a checklist and landscape management zones; frequently asked questions; and emergency and evacuation guidelines. The tabloid is to be printed in bulk by federal partners and made widely available throughout the state over the next several years

Dutchwoman Butte Revisted

The Rangelands archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform March 202