Mountain Scholar

Mountain Scholar is an open access repository service that collects, preserves, and provides access to digitized library collections and other scholarly and creative works from Colorado State University and the University Press of Colorado. It also serves as a dark archive for the Open Textbook Library.

Communities in Mountain Scholar

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Colorado State University, Fort Collins 26358
Explore the Colorado State University community’s scholarly output as well as items from the University at large and the CSU Libraries.
Open Textbook Library Archive 25
A limited number of titles are available here. To see all OTL titles, please visit the Open Textbook Library at https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks. Only Open Textbook Library staff have access to all OTL Archive titles held in Mountain Scholar.
University Press of Colorado 1067
Access is limited to University Press of Colorado members. Non-members: to purchase books, please visit https://upcolorado.com/.

Recent Submissions

Access status: Open Access ,
Piñon cone and seed collection for reforestation: frequently asked questions and answers in Colorado and New Mexico
(2025-09) Schloegel, Catherine A., author; Sloan, Joshua L., author; Chambers, Marin E., author; Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, publisher
Access status: Open Access ,
Summary: evaluation of the Treatment and Wildfire Interagency Geodatabase
(2025) Franz, Scott, author; Courtney, Karissa, author; Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes, publisher
A social science evaluation of the TWIG Viewer with identified audiences.
Access status: Open Access ,
Innovation to support wildfire risk-based decision-making: examining the incident strategic alignment process
(2025) Buettner, William Cole, author; Aldworth, Tyler, author; Greiner, S. Michelle, author; Beeton, Tyler A., author; Schultz, Courtney A., author; Springer Open, publisher
Background: In the face of increased complexity, the USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) is emphasizing the use of risk-based spatial analytics and expert coaching of fire managers through consistent processes and practices to inform safer, effective, and strategic decision-making during incident management. The Incident Strategic Alignment Process (ISAP) integrates collaborative dialogue with risk management assistance (RMA) and other spatial analytics to develop and deploy a consistent, science-based strategic planning model for incident management. An important challenge is understanding the impact of frameworks like the ISAP to track their efficacy over time and their impact on approaches to incident management. Using concepts from the implementation of innovation literature, we investigated the following questions: (1) What is the perceived value of the ISAP according to line officers and incident managers who have used it? and (2) What factors affected the adoption and use of the ISAP at different system levels (i.e., individual, organizational, and cultural)? We examined three case studies: the 2023 Elkhorn Fire (Case 1), San Juan fires (Quartz Ridge, Bear Creek, Mosca fires; Case 2), and the Six Rivers Forest Lightning (SRF) Complex (Case 3), utilizing participant observation and 30 semi-structured interviews with key informants. Results: We found that interviewees valued the ISAP because it helped provide a consistent approach when communicating risk and strategy, fit into existing workflows, and facilitated difficult but necessary conversations. Challenges included a lack of knowledge and technical skills to support use, communication between incident managers and administrators, and unit dynamics and culture that impeded the adoption of new approaches. Facilitating factors included clear leadership communication and buy-in, favorable biophysical conditions for considering different management approaches, collaborative history, and the capacity to support the ISAP implementation. Conclusion: Our findings revealed organizational factors that influenced the use and application of wildfire innovation. Across cases, there was a wide understanding of the application of the ISAP. In line with interviewee recommendations, we suggest that additional education will be needed to help increase knowledge and communication in the context of new federal expectations. Finally, we found that the ISAP helped facilitate multiparty risk communication, which will be invaluable during high-emergency wildfires and criticism of organizational legitimacy.
Access status: Open Access ,
From landscape strategy to management unit development
(2025-12) Rhea, Allison, author; Slack, Andrew, author; Huayhuaca, Ch'aska, author; Edinger, Jackie, author; Beeton, Tyler, author; Dunn, Jarod, author; Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, publisher
Access status: Open Access ,
Brief communication: RxGaming- a flexible open-source tool using aerial lidar to incorporate tree spatial patterns in mechanical treatments
(2025-10-21) Bartl-Geller, Bryce N. author; Chamberlain, Caden, author; Kane, Jonathan T., author; Jeronimo, Sean, author; Van Wagtendonk, Liz, author; Kane, Van R., author; Springer, publisher
Dry forest ecosystems in the western United States face the pressure of uncharacteristically severe wildfires and widespread drought-induced mortality as a result of fire exclusion, past management practices, and climate change. Implementing forest treatments that incorporate individual tree, clump, and opening (ICO) patterns can help to increase forest resilience to these disturbances. We explore tradeoffs in meeting treatment goals while incorporating ICO concepts in a case study using RxGaming, a publicly available, open-source software tool. The RxGaming tool provides a framework for decision making via 1) visualization and assessment of current stand structure and 2) treatment simulations using an algorithm that incorporates ICO-based thinning methods and reflects user-defined objectives.