Objective: Assess how fundamental ecosystem processes respond to fire and thinning disturbance. Studies are focused on primary alterations in forest conditions (soil nutrient cycling, microclimate and forest structure), basic ecosystem processes (CO₂ respiration, decomposition, water movement, herbivory, growth and mortality) and first-order trophic food chains (seeds, fungal fruiting bodies, invertebrates and small mammals).

1. Nitrogen and carbon dynamics, and litterfall (Heather Erickson, unaffliated).

2. Microclimate and soil temperature (Jiquan Chen and Siyan Ma, University of Toledo).

3. Soil and coarse woody debris invertebrates (Jim Marra and Bob Edmonds, University of Washington).

4. Nitrogen throughfall and leaching (Dale Johnson, University of Nevada, Reno; Carolyn Hunsaker, USFS PSW Research Station, Fresno, CA; and Brent Roath, USFS Sierra National Forest).

5. Decomposition (Marty Jurgensen, Michigan Technological University).

6. Soil moisture and tree regeneration (Andy Gray, USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, Portland, OR).

7. Tree pests and pathogens (Patricia Maloney and Dave Rizzo, University of California, Davis).

8. Canopy and shrub invertebrates (Tim Schowalter, Louisiana State University).

9. Flying squirrels, chipmunks, and truffles (Marc Meyer and Malcolm North; USFS PSW Research Station; Doug Kelt, University of California Davis).

10. Canopy cover, herb and shrub cover (Rebecca Wayman, University of California, Davis; and Malcolm North, USFS PSW Research Station).

11. Bryoria, lichen diversity and their response to thinning (Tom Rambo, Michael Barbour, University of California, Davis; Malcolm North, USFS PSW Research Station, Davis, CA).

12. Structure, composition and spatial distribution of forest (Malcolm North, USFS PSW  Research Station, Davis, CA).

13. Tree diameter growth response to disturbance (Malcolm North, USFS PSW Research Station, Davis, CA).

14. Tree regeneration in burned shrub patches (Ruth Kern, California State University, Fresno; Malcolm North, USFS PSW Research Station, Davis, CA; Andy Gray, USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, Portland, OR).

15. Seed rain and germination patterns (Ruth Kern, California State University, Fresno).

16. Mycorrhizal diversity (Antonio Izzo and Tom Bruns, University of California, Berkeley).

17. Remote sensing of old-growth structure (Carolyn Hunsaker USFS PSW Research Station, Fresno, CA; Craig Dobson, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Ralph Dubayah, University of Maryland; Robert Knox, NASA, Goddard Flight Center).

18. Coarse woody debris dynamics (Jim Innes, USFS PSW Research Station, Davis, CA).

19. The effects of predicted global climate change and N deposition on forest understory aboveground biomass production (Matthew Hurteau, University of California, Davis  Malcolm North, USFS PSW  Research Station, Davis, CA).

20. CO₂ respiration (Siyan Ma, Amy Concilio, Jiquan Chen, University of Toledo; John Butnor, USFS SE Research Station, Research Triangle Park, NC).

21. Tree regeneration, soil moisture, and dendroecology (Harold Zald , USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, Portland, OR).

22. Annual cone crop abundance (Malcolm North, USFS PSW Research Station, Davis, CA).

     

1. California State University, Fresno, CA
2. Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI
3. NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
4. University of California, Berkeley, CA
5. University of California, Davis, CA
6. University of Maryland, College Park, MD
7. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
8. University of Nevada, Reno, NV
9. University of Washington, Seattle, WA
10. USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, Portland, OR
11. USFS Pacific Southwest Research Station, Fresno, CA
12. USFS Sierra National Forest, Clovis, CA
13. University of Toledo, Toledo OH , Teakettle Page at LEES Lab, University of Toledo
14. USFS Southern Research Station, Research Triangle Park, SC

• Twelve of the above institutions have contributed funds, student help, equipment and/or overhead.
  
  
• The following organizations have awarded grants for Teakettle research:
  • California State University Agricultural Research Initiative
  • Environmental Protection Agency STAR Fund
  • McIntire-Stennis Fund
  • Mellon Foundation
  • Northwest Science Research Fund
  • PSW Internal Competitive Grants
  • USFS Forest Health and Technology Initiative
  • Joint Fire Sciences Program