Elizabeth D. Reinhardt is a Research Forester at the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab. She has degrees in English (A.B., Harvard University), and forestry (M.S. and Ph.D.), University of Montana. She is currently an associate of the Harvard University Center for the Environment and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Science, Environment and Development Group, and a faculty affiliate of the University of Montana’s School of Forestry. She serves on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Wildland Fire. 

Elizabeth’s research has included studies of tree mortality, fuel consumption, modeling fire effects, fuel dynamics and canopy fuels. In collaboration with scientists at the Fire Lab and elsewhere, she has worked on the development and delivery of computer software to support fire and fuels managers, including FOFEM (a First Order Fire Effects Model), FFE-FVS (the Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator), Nexus (a fire behavior prediction and crown fire hazard assessment program), Fuel Treatment Evaluator (a strategic planning tool for assessing potential silvicultural treatments on fuels), and FuelCalc (a program for estimating fuel quantities and characteristics, and the effects of treatment on fuels.

Research:

Delayed Tree Mortality
FFE-FVS (the Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator)
FOFEM (a First Order Fire Effects Model)
Quantifying Canopy Fuels

Selected Publications:
Reinhardt, E.D., Scott, J.H., Gray, K.L. and Keane, R.E. Estimating canopy fuel characteristics in five conifer stands in the western United States using tree and stand measurements. 2006. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36:2803-2814.

Skog, K.E,; Barbour, R.J.; Abt, K.L.; Bilek, E.M.; Burch F.; Fight, R.J.; Hugget, R.J.; Miles, P.D.; Reinhardt, E.D.; Sheppard, W.D. 2006. Evaluation of silvicultural treatments and biomass use for reducing fire hazard in western states. Forest Products Lab Research Paper FPL-RP-634.

Reinhardt, E.D.; Scott, J.H.; Lutes, D.C. FuelCalc: a method for estimating canopy fuel characteristics. In: Proceedings, First Fire Behavior and Fuels Conference, Fuels Management How to Measure Success. 2006.

Steele-Feldman, AM.; Reinhardt, E.D. Sensitivity analysis of two methods for estimating canopy fuels. 2006. In: Proceedings, First Fire Behavior and Fuels Conference, Fuels Management How to Measure Success.

Keane, R.E.; Reinhardt, E.D.; Scott, J.H.; Gray, K.L.; Reardon, J.J. 2005. Estimating forest canopy bulk density using six indirect methods. Canadian Journal of Forestry Research 35:724-739

Scott, J.H.; Reinhardt, E.D. 2005. Stereo photo guide for estimating canopy fuel characteristics in conifer stands. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-145. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

Peterson, D.L.; Johnson, M.C.; Agee, J.K.; Jain, T.B.; McKenzie, D.; Reinhardt, E.D. 2005. Forest structure and fire hazard in dry forests of the Western United States. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-628. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 30 p.

Reinhardt, E.D. 2005. Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; environmental consequences fact sheet 9: Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FFE-FVS). Res. Note RMRS-RN-23-9-WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

Scott, J.H.; Reinhardt, E.D. 2005. Effects of alternative treatments on canopy fuel characteristics in five conifer stands. Proceedings, National Silviculture Workshop.

Peterson, D.L.; Finney, M.A.; Harrington, M.G.; Keane, R.E.; Reinhardt, E.D.; Ryan, K.C. 2004. Science basis for changing forest structure to modify wildfire behavior and severity. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-120. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

Brown, J.K., Reinhardt, E.D.; Kramer, K.A. 2003. Coarse woody debris: Managing benefits and fire hazard in the recovering forest. Rocky Mountain Research Station RMRS-GTR-105. 16 p.

Reinhardt, E.D.; Crookston, N.L. Technical Editors. 2003. The Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator. Rocky Mountain Research Station RMRS-GTR-116. 218 p

Reinhardt, E.D. 2003. Using FOFEM 5.0 to estimate tree mortality, fuel consumption, smoke production and soil heating from wildland fire. In: Proceedings of the Second International Wildland Fire Ecology and Fire Management Congress and Fifth Symposium on Fire and Forest Meteorology, November 16-20, 2003, Orlando, FL. American Meteorological Society. P5.2

Gray, K.L.; Reinhardt, E.D. 2003. Analysis of Algorithms for predicting canopy fuel. In: Proceedings of the Second International Wildland Fire Ecology and Fire Management Congress and Fifth Symposium on Fire and Forest Meteorology, November 16-20, 2003, Orlando, FL. American Meteorological Society.

Peterson, D.L.; Johnson, M.C.; Agee, J.K.; Jain, T.B.; McKenzie, D.; Reinhardt, E.D. 2003. Fuels planning: managing forest structure to reduce fire hazard. In: Proceedings of the Second International Wildland Fire Ecology and Fire Management Congress and Fifth Symposium on Fire and Forest Meteorology, November 16-20, 2003, Orlando, FL. American Meteorological Society.

Scott, J.H.; Reinhardt, E.D. 2002. Estimating canopy fuels in conifer forests. Fire Management Today 62(4): 45-50.

Scott, J.H.; Reinhardt, E.D. 2002. NEXUS: a spreadsheet-based crown fire hazard assessment system. Proceedings of the Symposium, fire in California ecosystems: integrating ecology, prevention and management, Nov 17-20, 1997, San Diego, CA (S.I.): Association for Fire Ecology, Miscellaneous publication no 1, 2002: 377-381

Scott, J.H.; Reinhardt, E.D. 2001. Assessing crown fire potential by linking models of surface and crown fire behavior. Rocky Mountain Research Station Research Paper RMRS-RP-29. 59 p

Reinhardt, E.D.; Keane, R.E.; Brown, J.K. 2001. Modeling fire effects. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 2001,10: 373-380

Reinhardt, E.D.; Ryan, K.C. 1998. Methods for Estimating Effects of Management Actions Including Prescribed Fire, Salvage, and Fuel Treatment on Fuel Dynamics and Fire Potential. Interior West Fire Council Proceedings

Reinhardt, E.D.; Ryan, K.C. 1998. Analyzing Effects of Management Actions Including Salvage, Fuel Treatment and Prescribed Fire on Fuel Dynamics and Fire Potential. 20th Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference Fire in Ecosystem Management: Shifting the Paradigm from Suppression to Prescription.

Scott, J.H.; Reinhardt, E.D. 1997. NEXUS: a spreadsheet based crown fire hazard assessment system. Fire in California Ecosystems: Integrating Ecology, Prevention and Management, San Diego, CA. November 1997

Reinhardt, E.D.; Keane, R.E.; Brown, J.K. 1997. First Order Fire Effects Model: FOFEM 4.0, User's Guide. General Technical Report INT GTR 344. 655 p.

Albini, F.A.; Reinhardt, E.D. 1997. Improved Calibration of a Large Fuel Burnout Model. International Journal of Wildland Fire 7(1): 21 28

Steele, R.; Hoffman, J.T.; Reinhardt, E.D.; Thier, R.W.; Weatherby, J.C.; Williams, R.E. 1996. A Stand Hazard Rating for Central Idaho Forests. General Technical Report INT GTR 332. 29 p

Albini, F.A.; Reinhardt, E.D. 1995. Modeling Ignition and Burning Rate of Large Woody Natural Fuels. International Journal of Wildland Fire 5(2):81 91

Albini, F.A.; Brown, J.K.; Reinhardt, E.D.; Ottmar, R.D. 1995. Calibration of a Large Fuel Burnout Model. International Journal of Wildland Fire 5(3):173 192.

Reinhardt, E.D.; Graham, R.T.; Jain, T.B.; Simmerman, D.G. 1994. Short Term Effects of Prescribed Fire in Grand Fir White Pine Western Hemlock Slash Fuels. Proceedings: Interior Cedar Hemlock White Pine Forests: Ecology and Management, March 1993. Washington State University: 221-225

Jurgensen, M.E.; Hessburg, P.F.; Lehmkuhl, J.F.; Megahan, W.F.; Nesser, J.A.; Ottmar, R.D.; Reinhardt, E.D. 1994. Risk Assessment Methodologies in the Interior West. In: Eastside Forest Ecosystem Health Assessment Volume II, Ecosystem Management: Principles and Applications. General Technical Report PNW 318: 179 202.

Arno, S.F.; Reinhardt, E.D.; Scott, J.H. 1993. Forest Structure and Landscape Pattern in the Subalpine Lodgepole Pine Type: a Procedure for Quantifying Past and Present Conditions. General Technical Report INT 294, Feb 1993. 16 p.

Reinhardt, E.D.; Wright, A.H.; Jackson, D.L. 1992. Development and Validation of a Knowledge Based System to Design Fire Prescriptions. AI Applications 6(4): 3 14.

Brown, J. K.; Reinhardt, E. D. 1991. Estimating and regulating fuel consumption to manage smoke in the Interior West. Proceedings, 11th Conference on Fire and Forest Meteorology, April 1991: 419 429.

Reinhardt, E. D.; Keane, R. E.; Brown, J. K.; Turner, D.L. 1991. Duff consumption from prescribed fire in the U.S. and Canada a broadly based empirical approach. Proceedings, 11th Conference on Fire and Forest Meteorology, April 1991: 362 370.

Brown, J. K.; Reinhardt, E. D.; Fischer, W. C. 1991. Predicting duff and woody fuel consumption in northern Idaho prescribed fires. Forest Science 37(6):1550 1566.

Reinhardt, E. D.; Brown, J. K.; Fischer, W. C.; Graham, R. T. 1991. Woody fuel and duff consumption by prescribed fire in northern Idaho mixed conifer logging slash. Research Paper INT 443, June 1991.

Reinhardt, E. D.; Ringleb, R.V. 1991. Analysis of changes in patterns of a forested landscape following wildfire using landsat data and landscape ecology methodology. Resource Technology 90: Second International Symposium on Advanced Technology in Natural Resource Management, November 1990, pp 83 93.

Reinhardt, E. D.; Brown, J. K.; Fischer W. C. 1989. Fuel consumption from prescribed fire in northern Idaho logging slash. Proceedings, 10th Conference on Fire and Forest Meteorology:155 160

Reinhardt, E. D.; Wright, A. H.; Jackson, D. H. 1989. An advisory expert system for designing fire prescriptions. Ecological Modeling 46:121 133

Ryan, K. C.; Reinhardt, E. D. 1988. Predicting postfire mortality of seven western conifers. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 18: 1291 1297.

Reinhardt, E. D.; Ryan, K. C. 1988. How to estimate tree mortality resulting from underburning. Fire Management Notes 49(4):30 36.

Reinhardt, E. D.; Ryan, K. C. 1988. Eight year post fire tree growth in a western Montana Douglas fir/western larch stand. Research Note INT 387. 6 p.

Ryan, K. C.; Peterson, D. L.; Reinhardt, E. D. 1988. Modeling long term mortality of Douglas fir. Forest Science 34(1):190 199.

Reinhardt, E. D.; Ryan, K. C. 1986. Controlling tree mortality resulting from prescribed underburning. In: Proceedings Future Forests of the Mountain West: A Stand Culture Symposium: 391 393

Brown, J. K.; Marsden, M. M.; Ryan K. C.; Reinhardt, E. D. 1985. Predicting duff and woody fuel consumed by prescribed fire in the northern Rocky Mountains. Res. Pap. INT 337