Miguel Villarreal, PhD
Dr. Miguel Villarreal is a Research Geographer with the Western Geographic Science Center at Moffett Field, CA.
Wildfire at the Crossroads
Wildfire at the Crossroads
Fire is an essential ecological process and management tool but can also be detrimental to life and property. Our findings provide a new depiction of fire regimes in the Sky Islands that can help inform fire management, restoration and regional conservation planning, fostered by local and traditional knowledge and collaboration among landowners and managers.
Remote Sensing of Biological Soil Crusts
Remote Sensing of Biological Soil Crusts
Determining the spatial extent and condition of biocrusts across landscapes continues to present considerable challenges to scientists. Remote sensing offers promising opportunities to detect and characterize biocrust communities, differentiate among biocrust community types, and monitor changes in biocrust distribution across dryland landscapes globally.
Miguel’s research involves using earth observation systems and spatial analyses to better understand how disturbances such as wildfire, invasive species, and energy development affect ecosystems, ecosystem services, and human communities, and to provide land managers information to help reduce risk and facilitate recovery after a disturbance. His geographic focus is on water-limited (dryland) regions of the west, which are particularly sensitive to complex interactions between human land use, natural disturbances, and climate change.
Miguel’s current research projects include studies of wildfire and wildlife in the Sky Island region of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, monitoring the impacts and recovery of oil and gas and solar energy developments on the Colorado Plateau and Mojave Deserts, and mapping and monitoring biological soil crusts and invasive grasses across the western US. He works closely with federal agency partners (NPS, USFWS, BLM, USFS, DOD) to develop and implement research projects.
Current and recent research projects
- Remote Sensing for Resource Management, Project Chief (2015-Present)
- Southwest Energy Development and Reclamation (SWEDR), Co-Project Chief (2015-Present)
- Biological soil crust ecology and function from space, Co-Project Chief (2020-Present)
- Southern Border Fuels Management Initiative: Strategies to reduce fire risk and improve viewsheds along the U.S. southern border, Co-Investigator (2019-Present)
- Remote Sensing for Monitoring Riverside East Solar Development Focus Area (DFA) and for Desert Energy Transmission Corridors, Principal Investigator (2021-Present)
- Assessing change in forest density and fuel loads in the absence of fire (1941-2018) at Lassen Volcanic NP using historic aerial photos, Principal Investigator (2019-Present)
- Evaluating the response of California Delta riparian ecosystems to anthropogenic and climate stressors, Principal investigator (2019-2021)
- Detection and monitoring of fire-prone early season invasive grasses in the Southwest, Co-investigator (2020-2021)
- Wildfire probability mapping based on regional soil moisture models. Co-investigator, (2020-2022)
- Assessing Vulnerability to Drought in Dryland Ecosystems of the Western U.S. Co-investigator, (2016-2018)
Professional Experience
2011-Present: Research Geographer, U.S. Geological Survey
2011-2013: Mendenhall Fellow, U.S. Geological Survey
2009-2011: Postdoctoral Research Associate, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona
2006-2009: Research Associate, Arizona Remote Sensing Center, University of Arizona
2001- 2005: Research Associate, Geography and Regional Development, University of Arizona
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Arizona
B.A. from the University of California, Davis
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 15
Filter Total Items: 24
High-resolution object-based image classifications of biological soil crusts and vegetation (Beef Basin, Utah)
This dataset contains 10 classified raster images identifying the distribution and condition of biological soil crusts using high-resolution imagery from Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). Also included are: a supplemental accuracy report and accuracy matrix for each classified image, and all associated accessory files. These images are located in Beef Basin, Southeastern Utah, and focuses...
Mapped fire perimeters from the Sky Island Mountains of US and Mexico: 1985-2011
Polygon locations of fire perimeters in the Sky Island mountain ranges in the Madrean Archipelago Ecoregion of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. These fires occurred from 1985 to 2011 and were mapped using Landsat satellite imagery.
Dataset for climate legacy and lag effects on dryland plant communities in the southwestern U.S.
This climate and vegetation index dataset was collected from readily available open source data, such as Landsat. The data represents points across the northern Colorado plateau. The vegetation type was defined based on U.S. Geological Survey ReGAP data. Using compositing techniques by season we developed a dataset of lag and legacy for each point. We could then look to understand how...
5-year Relative Fractional Vegetation Cover at Abandoned Energy Development Sites on the Colorado Plateau
This data release contains a single vector shapefile and two text documents with code used to generate the data product. This vector shapefile contains the locations of 365 "plugged and abandoned" well sites from across the Colorado Plateau with their respective relative fractional vegetation cover (RFVC) values. Oil and gas pads are often developed for production, and then capped...
Grassland State and Transition Map of Canyonlands National Park Needles District and Indian Creek Grazing Allotment
This raster data depicts the modeled distribution of three grassland states: Biocrust, Grass-bare, and Annualized-bare. We developed models of bare ground, total vegetation, exotic grasses and biological soil crust using spectral data from three year composites of growing season (March-October) Landsat data in Google Earth Engine and field data that were collected over the same period at...
Differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) data of wildfires in the Sky Island Mountains of the southwestern US and Northern Mexico from 1985-2011
This dataset is composed of 253 Differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) images. Each dNBR represents a rough measure of fire-related vegetation change for wildfires (>400 ha) that occurred in the Sky Island Mountains within the Madrean Archipelago Ecoregion of the United States and Northern Mexico. These fires occurred between 1985 and 2011 and were mapped using Landsat 5 and Landsat 7...
Filter Total Items: 61
A shared vision for enhancing ecological resilience in the U.S. - Mexico borderlands: The Sky Island Restoration Collaborative
No abstract available.
Authors
Laura M. Norman, Michele Girard, H. Ronald Pulliam, Miguel L. Villarreal, Valer Austin Clark, Aaron D. Flesch, Roy Petrakis, Jeremiah Leibowitz, Deborah J. Tosline, Kurt Vaughn, Tess Wagner, Caleb Weaver, Trevor Hare, Jose Manuel Perez, Oscar E. Lopez Bujanda, Josiah T. Austin, Carianne Funicelli Campbell, James B. Callegary, Natalie Wilson, Jeff S. Conn, Tom Sisk, Gary L. Nabhan
Remotely sensed fine-fuel changes from wildfire and prescribed fire in a semi-arid grassland
The spread of flammable invasive grasses, woody plant encroachment, and enhanced aridity have interacted in many grasslands globally to increase wildfire activity and risk to valued assets. Annual variation in the abundance and distribution of fine-fuel present challenges to land managers implementing prescribed burns and mitigating wildfire, although methods to produce high-resolution...
Authors
Adam Gerhard Wells, Seth Munson, Steven Sesnie, Miguel L. Villarreal
Global application of an unoccupied aerial vehicle photogrammetry protocol for predicting aboveground biomass in non-forest ecosystems
Non-forest ecosystems, dominated by shrubs, grasses and herbaceous plants, provide ecosystem services including carbon sequestration and forage for grazing, and are highly sensitive to climatic changes. Yet these ecosystems are poorly represented in remotely sensed biomass products and are undersampled by in situ monitoring. Current global change threats emphasize the need for new tools...
Authors
Andrew Cunliffe, Karen Anderson, Fabio Boschetti, Richard E. Brazier, Hugh A. Graham, Isla H. Myers-Smith, Thomas Astor, Matthias M. Boer, Leonor G. Calvo, Patrick Clark, Michael D. Cramer, Miguel S. Encinas-Lara, Stephen M. Escarzaga, Adrian Fisher, José M Fernández-Guisuraga, Kateřina Gdulová, Breahna M. Gillespie, Anne Griebel, P. Niall Hanan, Muhammed S. Hanggito, Stefan Haselberger, Caroline Ann Havrilla, Phil Heilman, Wenjie Ji, Jason W. Karl, Sabine Kraushaar, Marguerite Mauritz, Mitchell Lyons, Irene Marzolff, C. D. McIntire, Daniel Metzen, Luis A. Mendez-Barroso, Simon C. Power, Jiri Prosek, Enoc Sanz-Ablanedo, Katherine J. Sauer, Damian Schulze-Brüninghoff, Petra Šímová, Stephen Sitch, Julian L. Smit, Caiti M. Steele, Susana Suárez-Seoane, Sergio A. Vargas, Miguel L. Villarreal, Fleur Visser, Michael Wachendorf, Hannes Wirnsberger, Robert Wojcikiewicz
Contemporary fire regimes provide a critical perspective on restoration needs in the Mexico-United States borderlands
The relationship between people and wildfire has always been paradoxical: fire is an essential ecological process and management tool, but can also be detrimental to life and property. Consequently, fire regimes have been modified throughout history through both intentional burning to promote benefits and active suppression to reduce risks. Reintroducing fire and its benefits back into...
Authors
Miguel L. Villarreal, José M. Iniguez, Aaron D. Flesch, Jamie S. Sanderlin, Citlali Cortés Montaño, Caroline Rose Conrad, Sandra L. Haire
Ultra‐high‐resolution mapping of biocrusts with Unmanned Aerial Systems
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) occur in drylands globally where they support ecosystem functioning by increasing soil stability, reducing dust emissions and modifying soil resource availability (e.g. water, nutrients). Determining biocrust condition and extent across landscapes continues to present considerable challenges to scientists and land managers. Biocrusts grow in patches...
Authors
Caroline Ann Havrilla, Miguel L. Villarreal, Jacob DiBiase, Michael Duniway, Nichole Barger
Wildfire risk and hazardous fuel reduction treatments along the US-Mexico border: A review of the science (1985-2019)
The ecosystems along the border between the United States and Mexico are at increasing risk to wildfire due to interactions among climate, land-use, and fuel loads. A wide range of fuel treatments have been implemented to mitigate wildfire and its threats to valued resources, yet we have little information about treatment effectiveness. To fill critical knowledge gaps, we reviewed...
Authors
Katherine M. Laushman, Seth Munson, Timothy N. Titus
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 15
Filter Total Items: 24
High-resolution object-based image classifications of biological soil crusts and vegetation (Beef Basin, Utah)
This dataset contains 10 classified raster images identifying the distribution and condition of biological soil crusts using high-resolution imagery from Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). Also included are: a supplemental accuracy report and accuracy matrix for each classified image, and all associated accessory files. These images are located in Beef Basin, Southeastern Utah, and focuses...
Mapped fire perimeters from the Sky Island Mountains of US and Mexico: 1985-2011
Polygon locations of fire perimeters in the Sky Island mountain ranges in the Madrean Archipelago Ecoregion of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. These fires occurred from 1985 to 2011 and were mapped using Landsat satellite imagery.
Dataset for climate legacy and lag effects on dryland plant communities in the southwestern U.S.
This climate and vegetation index dataset was collected from readily available open source data, such as Landsat. The data represents points across the northern Colorado plateau. The vegetation type was defined based on U.S. Geological Survey ReGAP data. Using compositing techniques by season we developed a dataset of lag and legacy for each point. We could then look to understand how...
5-year Relative Fractional Vegetation Cover at Abandoned Energy Development Sites on the Colorado Plateau
This data release contains a single vector shapefile and two text documents with code used to generate the data product. This vector shapefile contains the locations of 365 "plugged and abandoned" well sites from across the Colorado Plateau with their respective relative fractional vegetation cover (RFVC) values. Oil and gas pads are often developed for production, and then capped...
Grassland State and Transition Map of Canyonlands National Park Needles District and Indian Creek Grazing Allotment
This raster data depicts the modeled distribution of three grassland states: Biocrust, Grass-bare, and Annualized-bare. We developed models of bare ground, total vegetation, exotic grasses and biological soil crust using spectral data from three year composites of growing season (March-October) Landsat data in Google Earth Engine and field data that were collected over the same period at...
Differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) data of wildfires in the Sky Island Mountains of the southwestern US and Northern Mexico from 1985-2011
This dataset is composed of 253 Differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) images. Each dNBR represents a rough measure of fire-related vegetation change for wildfires (>400 ha) that occurred in the Sky Island Mountains within the Madrean Archipelago Ecoregion of the United States and Northern Mexico. These fires occurred between 1985 and 2011 and were mapped using Landsat 5 and Landsat 7...
Filter Total Items: 61
A shared vision for enhancing ecological resilience in the U.S. - Mexico borderlands: The Sky Island Restoration Collaborative
No abstract available.
Authors
Laura M. Norman, Michele Girard, H. Ronald Pulliam, Miguel L. Villarreal, Valer Austin Clark, Aaron D. Flesch, Roy Petrakis, Jeremiah Leibowitz, Deborah J. Tosline, Kurt Vaughn, Tess Wagner, Caleb Weaver, Trevor Hare, Jose Manuel Perez, Oscar E. Lopez Bujanda, Josiah T. Austin, Carianne Funicelli Campbell, James B. Callegary, Natalie Wilson, Jeff S. Conn, Tom Sisk, Gary L. Nabhan
Remotely sensed fine-fuel changes from wildfire and prescribed fire in a semi-arid grassland
The spread of flammable invasive grasses, woody plant encroachment, and enhanced aridity have interacted in many grasslands globally to increase wildfire activity and risk to valued assets. Annual variation in the abundance and distribution of fine-fuel present challenges to land managers implementing prescribed burns and mitigating wildfire, although methods to produce high-resolution...
Authors
Adam Gerhard Wells, Seth Munson, Steven Sesnie, Miguel L. Villarreal
Global application of an unoccupied aerial vehicle photogrammetry protocol for predicting aboveground biomass in non-forest ecosystems
Non-forest ecosystems, dominated by shrubs, grasses and herbaceous plants, provide ecosystem services including carbon sequestration and forage for grazing, and are highly sensitive to climatic changes. Yet these ecosystems are poorly represented in remotely sensed biomass products and are undersampled by in situ monitoring. Current global change threats emphasize the need for new tools...
Authors
Andrew Cunliffe, Karen Anderson, Fabio Boschetti, Richard E. Brazier, Hugh A. Graham, Isla H. Myers-Smith, Thomas Astor, Matthias M. Boer, Leonor G. Calvo, Patrick Clark, Michael D. Cramer, Miguel S. Encinas-Lara, Stephen M. Escarzaga, Adrian Fisher, José M Fernández-Guisuraga, Kateřina Gdulová, Breahna M. Gillespie, Anne Griebel, P. Niall Hanan, Muhammed S. Hanggito, Stefan Haselberger, Caroline Ann Havrilla, Phil Heilman, Wenjie Ji, Jason W. Karl, Sabine Kraushaar, Marguerite Mauritz, Mitchell Lyons, Irene Marzolff, C. D. McIntire, Daniel Metzen, Luis A. Mendez-Barroso, Simon C. Power, Jiri Prosek, Enoc Sanz-Ablanedo, Katherine J. Sauer, Damian Schulze-Brüninghoff, Petra Šímová, Stephen Sitch, Julian L. Smit, Caiti M. Steele, Susana Suárez-Seoane, Sergio A. Vargas, Miguel L. Villarreal, Fleur Visser, Michael Wachendorf, Hannes Wirnsberger, Robert Wojcikiewicz
Contemporary fire regimes provide a critical perspective on restoration needs in the Mexico-United States borderlands
The relationship between people and wildfire has always been paradoxical: fire is an essential ecological process and management tool, but can also be detrimental to life and property. Consequently, fire regimes have been modified throughout history through both intentional burning to promote benefits and active suppression to reduce risks. Reintroducing fire and its benefits back into...
Authors
Miguel L. Villarreal, José M. Iniguez, Aaron D. Flesch, Jamie S. Sanderlin, Citlali Cortés Montaño, Caroline Rose Conrad, Sandra L. Haire
Ultra‐high‐resolution mapping of biocrusts with Unmanned Aerial Systems
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) occur in drylands globally where they support ecosystem functioning by increasing soil stability, reducing dust emissions and modifying soil resource availability (e.g. water, nutrients). Determining biocrust condition and extent across landscapes continues to present considerable challenges to scientists and land managers. Biocrusts grow in patches...
Authors
Caroline Ann Havrilla, Miguel L. Villarreal, Jacob DiBiase, Michael Duniway, Nichole Barger
Wildfire risk and hazardous fuel reduction treatments along the US-Mexico border: A review of the science (1985-2019)
The ecosystems along the border between the United States and Mexico are at increasing risk to wildfire due to interactions among climate, land-use, and fuel loads. A wide range of fuel treatments have been implemented to mitigate wildfire and its threats to valued resources, yet we have little information about treatment effectiveness. To fill critical knowledge gaps, we reviewed...
Authors
Katherine M. Laushman, Seth Munson, Timothy N. Titus