Media Tip Sheet: Fire Ecology at ESA2024

Experts in fire ecology will converge at the Ecological Society of America’s upcoming Annual Meeting in Long Beach, Calif., Aug. 4–9, presenting the latest research on the causes and consequences of wildland fire in dozens of talks and posters.

The growing threat of wildfire makes understanding the past, present and future of fire regimes essential. Fire ecology addresses crucial questions such as how different species and ecosystems respond to burns, which habitats are most vulnerable and how forests recover—or fail to recover—after fires. Understanding these dynamics is vital for developing effective conservation and management strategies, protecting biodiversity and mitigating the impact of future wildfires on both natural ecosystems and human communities.

The talks and posters listed below are just a few of the presentations on offer at ESA’s Annual Meeting. ESA invites staff journalists, freelance journalists, student journalists and press officers to register for free as media attendees up to and throughout the week of the conference. For eligibility information, please visit ESA’s press registration credential policy page.

Members of the media will be able to attend all scientific sessions and will have access to a press room where they can enjoy refreshments, internet access, a printer and an interview area. A virtual registration option is also available. Virtual attendees will have access to 13 livestreamed hybrid sessions as well as a variety of on-demand recorded content that will be available on the meeting platform until summer 2025.

Monday, August 5
3:30 PM – 3:45 PM	The future of fuel breaks: Reimagining community adaptation strategies to wildfires in the boreal forest that maximize socioecological benefits Presenter: Nicholas Link, Northern Arizona University Organized Oral Session – Rm 202B
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM	The importance of long-term monitoring in the management of Southern California urban wildlands Presenter: Eliza Hernandez, Irvine Ranch Conservancy Contributed Poster – Exhibit Hall
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM	Envisioning the future: Photorealistic representations of Greater Yellowstone landscapes in a warmer world with more fire Presenter: Timon Keller, University of Wisconsin-Madison Contributed Poster – Exhibit Hall
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM	Effect of long-term fire retardants on fungal communities and mycorrhizal colonization Presenter: Ryan Quaal, University of California, Riverside Contributed Poster – Exhibit Hall
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM	Shifting geography and severity of wildfires increasingly threaten dense, moist forests in California Presenter: Jonathan Wang, University of Utah Contributed Poster – Exhibit Hall
Tuesday, August 6
1:45 PM – 2:00 PM	Finding biodiversity optima in an age of climate change and shifting fire regimes Presenter: Zachary Steel, US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station Organized Oral Session – Grand Ballroom B
2:15 PM – 2:30 PM	Post-fire reforestation in a changing climate - does source of seed impact reforestation success? Presenter: Jessica Wright, US Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station Organized Oral Session – Grand Ballroom B
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM	Novel pathways of postfire recovery alter the magnitude and phenology of evapotranspiration in subalpine forests Presenter: Monica Turner, University of Wisconsin-Madison Contributed Poster – Exhibit Hall
Wednesday, August 7
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM	Riparian vegetation dynamics three years after mixed severity fire in managed forests of the western Cascades, Oregon Presenter: Laura Six, Weyerhaeuser, Strategy & Technology Contributed Talk – Rm 202A
4:15 PM - 4:30 PM	Fire impact on culturally-significant plants and biodiversity at Vaseux Lake, BC Presenter: Gracie Crafts, University of British Columbia Contributed Talk – Rm 202A
4:30 PM - 4:45 PM	Wildfire smoke impacts the body condition and capture rates of birds in California Presenter: Morgan Tingley, University of California, Los Angeles Contributed Talk – Rm 202A
Thursday, August 8
8:15 AM - 8:30 AM	Spatial and temporal effects of wildfire disturbance on mammal habitat use in fire-adapted California ecosystems Presenter: Erin Weiner, California State University, Long Beach Contributed Talk – Rm 202C
10:15 AM - 10:30 AM	Reducing the risk of wildfire-caused carbon loss at multiple scales in US West forests Presenter: Jamie Peeler, University of Montana Contributed Talk – Rm 202C
4:00 PM - 4:15 PM	Heterogeneity in post-fire plant community composition and ecosystem function is driven by grazing, gophers, and ants in a California grassland Presenter: Valerie Eviner, University of California, Davis Contributed Talk – Rm 202C
4:45 PM - 5:00 PM	What about good fire? Quantifying the beneficial ecosystem work of western U.S. wildfires from 2010-2020 Presenter: Tyler McIntosh, University of Colorado, Boulder Organized Oral Session – Rm 104B

 

On-site Press Room

Location: Room 203A, Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802

Press Room hours:
Sunday, August 4:            12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Monday, August 5:          7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday, August 6:           7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday, August 7:    7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday, August 8:         7:00 am – 5:00 pm

Phone number: (562) 499-7731  

 

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The upcoming ESA Annual Meeting will take place August 4–9 in Long Beach, California, and will feature thousands of oral and poster presentations on the latest ecological science. Learn more on the meeting website. ESA invites press and institutional public information officers to attend for free. To register, please contact ESA Public Affairs Manager Mayda Nathan directly at mayda@esa.org. On-site registration and virtual registration (providing access to the entire program and a limited number of hybrid sessions) are also available.

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The Ecological Society of America, founded in 1915, is the world’s largest community of professional ecologists and a trusted source of ecological knowledge, committed to advancing the understanding of life on Earth. The 8,000 member Society publishes six journals and a membership bulletin and broadly shares ecological information through policy, media outreach and education initiatives. The Society’s Annual Meeting attracts 4,000 attendees and features the most recent advances in ecological science. Visit the ESA website at https://www.esa.org

 

Follow ESA on social media:
Twitter/X – @esa_org
Instagram – @ecologicalsociety
Facebook – @esa.org

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