Pacific Southwest Research Station

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Science that makes a difference.

The Pacific Southwest Research Station is a world leader in natural resources research through our scientific excellence and responsiveness to the needs of current and future generations.

We represent the research and development branch of the USDA Forest Service in the states of California and Hawaii and the U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands. Our primary work occurs in California (the most populous state with the fifth largest economy in the world) and Hawaii (a strategic location in the Pacific Rim economies and tourism). Our mission is to develop and communicate science needed to sustain forest ecosystems and their benefits to society.

Youth from Group Home Plant Community Garden - Forest Service employees from the Pacific Southwest Research Station and State and Private Forestry in Davis recently completed a three-month community garden project on Earth Day, April 22. [read more from the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Region.]

2011 PSW Accomplishments Report - Our natural resources research continues to be on the cutting edge across many disciplines as we strive to respond to the needs of current and future generations. [read the report.]

New Report Assesses Impact of Climate Change on Forest Diseases - Climate change is projected to have far-reaching environmental impacts both domestically and abroad. A recently published report by the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) examines the impact of climate change on forest diseases and how these pathogens will ultimately affect forest ecosystems in the Western United States and Canada. [read the full news release.]

Scientists Find New Way to Measure Economic Impact of Forest Fires - A team of scientists from the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station and the University of Córdoba in Spain recently developed a new methodology that measures the economic impact of forest fires on timber resources. [read the full news release.]

Removal of Invasive Tree Improves Health of American Samoa Forests - Removal of the Tamaligi tree (Falcataria moluccana), an invasive and destructive non-native tree on Tutuila Island, American Samoa greatly improves the health of its diverse native forests, according to a recently published study appearing in the journal Biological Invasions. [read the full news release.]

Study of Wildfire Trends in Northwestern California Shows No Increase in Severity Over Time - Even though wildfires have increased in size over time, they haven’t necessarily grown in severity nor had corresponding negative impacts to the ecosystem, according to a recently published study appearing in the journal Ecological Applications. [read the full news release.]

Sources and Science: A Guide to Experts at the Pacific Southwest Research Station

The Pacific Southwest (PSW) Research Station carries out the research and development mission of the USDA Forest Service in California, Hawaii, and the U.S.- affiliated Pacific Islands. From the southern chaparral, montane Sierra Nevada, and coastal redwood ecosystems of California, across the ocean to the tropical wet and dry forests of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, our scientists and professionals are dedicated to enhancing knowledge of complex natural resource issues and communicating this knowledge to society.

Browse this inaugural edition of our "experts guide" to meet our researchers, discover the diversity of the scientific work that we do, and see how our science is making a difference—today and tomorrow.

Missed it when it was new? We've started a What's New archive.

Cover image North, Malcolm, ed. 2012. Managing Sierra Nevada forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-237. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 184 p.

Cover image Kliejunas, John T. 2011. A risk assessment of climate change and the impact of forest diseases on forest ecosystems in the Western United States and Canada. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-236. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 70 p.

Morelli, Toni Lyn; Carr, Susan C. 2011. A review of the potential effects of climate change on quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the Western United States and a new tool for surveying sudden aspen decline. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-235. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 31 p.

Global Climate Change

Pacific Southwest Global Change - Learn about climate change research and related activities conducted by scientists at the PSW Research Station.
Scientists talking about climate change - Video topics emphasize information of interest to wildland managers and others who want an understanding of the interaction among climate change, forests, wildfire, water supplies, fish and wildlife, and associated values, and the implications for wildland management.
Pacific Southwest Research Station and Region 5 Sustainable Operations Survey Report - Read the results of our sustainable operations survey. Current participation in sustainable operations efforts and ideas for increasing success are presented. For more information contact Pat Winter pwinter@fs.fed.us.

PSW Station participates in MillionTreesLA initiative - The Pacific Southwest Research Station is pleased to be able to provide a simple tree selection tool to assist the City of Los Angeles in meeting their goal to plant a million trees. See how to pick a one-in-a-million tree! at our Center for Urban Forestry area. Also visit http://www.milliontreesla.org to learn more about the effort.