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Article: Post-fire landscape evaluations in Eastern Washington, USA: Assessing the work of contemporary wildfires

Churchill, Derek J. / Jeronimo, Sean M.A. / Hessburg, Paul F. / Cansler, C. Alina / Povak, Nicholas A. / Kane, Van R. / Lutz, James A. / Larson, Andrew J.

Forest ecology and management. 2022 Jan. 15, v. 504

2022

Abstract: In the western US, wildfires are modifying the structure, composition, and patterns of forested landscapes at rates that far exceed mechanical thinning and prescribed fire treatments. There are conflicting narratives as to whether these wildfires are ... ...

Abstract	In the western US, wildfires are modifying the structure, composition, and patterns of forested landscapes at rates that far exceed mechanical thinning and prescribed fire treatments. There are conflicting narratives as to whether these wildfires are restoring landscape resilience to future climate and wildfires. To evaluate the landscape-level work of wildfires, we assessed four subwatersheds in eastern Washington, USA that experienced large wildfires in 2014, 2015, or 2017 after more than a century of fire exclusion and extensive timber harvest. We compared pre- and post-fire landscape conditions to an ecoregion-specific historical (HRV) and future range of variation (FRV) based on empirically established reference conditions derived from a large dataset of historical aerial photo imagery. These four wildfires proved to be a blunt restoration tool, moving some attributes towards more climate-adapted conditions and setting others back. Fires reduced canopy cover and decreased overall tree size and canopy complexity, which moved them into, or slightly outside, the FRV ranges. Moderate- and low-severity fire generally shifted closed-canopy forest structure to open-canopy classes. Patches of high-severity fire shifted patterns of forest, woodland, grassland, and shrubland towards or beyond the HRV ranges and within the FRV ranges by increasing the total area and size of non-forest patches. However, large patches of high-severity fire in dry and moist mixed-conifer forests homogenized landscape patterns beyond FRV ranges towards simplified conditions dominated by non-forest vegetation types. Fires realigned and reconnected landscape patterns with the topo-edaphic template in some cases, but pre-existing fragmentation and spatial mismatches were compounded in many others. Patches of large-tree, closed-canopy forest were reduced by high-severity fire, and the potential to restore more climate-adapted large-tree, open-canopy forest was lost. Re-establishing landscape patterns with desired patch sizes of forest, in particular patches with large trees, will take many decades to centuries and may not occur in drier locations or where seed trees are no longer present. While large wildfires burning during extreme fire weather conditions can move some attributes towards HRV and FRV ranges, intentionally planned mechanical and prescribed-fire treatments that are integrated with strategic wildfire response will better prepare and adapt landscapes for future wildfires and climate.
Keywords	administrative management ; aerial photography ; canopy ; climate ; data collection ; fire weather ; forest ecology ; forests ; grasslands ; landscapes ; prescribed burning ; shrublands ; subwatersheds ; wildfires ; woodlands
Language	English
Dates of publication	2022-0115
Publishing place	Elsevier B.V.
Document type	Article
ZDB-ID	751138-3
ISSN	0378-1127
ISSN	0378-1127
DOI	10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119796
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article: Climate change and forest management on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest, USA: Managing for dynamic landscapes

Gaines, William L. / Hessburg, Paul F. / Aplet, Gregory H. / Henson, Paul / Prichard, Susan J. / Churchill, Derek J. / Jones, Gavin M. / Isaak, Daniel J. / Vynne, Carly

Forest ecology and management. 2022 Jan. 15, v. 504

2022

Abstract: The 1994 Northwest Forest Plan signified a watershed moment for natural resource management on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest. It established clear priorities for ecologically motivated management of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and ... ...

Abstract	The 1994 Northwest Forest Plan signified a watershed moment for natural resource management on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest. It established clear priorities for ecologically motivated management of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity conservation on nearly 10 million hectares of public lands in Oregon, Washington, and northern California. Conservation reserves were the primary means of safeguarding remaining old forest and riparian habitats, and the populations of northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, and Pacific salmon that depend on them. As envisioned, reserves would provide habitat for the protected species during a lengthy recovery period. However, reserve strategies were grounded on two tacit assumptions: the climate is stable, and there are limited disruptions by invasive species; neither of which has turned out to be true. Managing for northern spotted owls and other late-successional and old forest associated species within the context of static reserves has turned out to be incredibly challenging. As climatic and wildfire regimes continually shift and rapidly reshape landscapes and habitats, conservation efforts that rely solely on maintaining static conditions within reserves are likely to fail, especially in seasonally dry forests. Forest planners and managers are now occupied with efforts to amend or revise Forest Plans within the NWFP area. According to the 2012 Planning Rule, their charge is to focus management on restoring ecosystem integrity and resiliency and address impacts of climate change and invasive species. Here, we integrate information from ecological and climate sciences, species recovery planning, and forest plan monitoring to identify management adaptations that can help managers realize the original Plan goals as integrated with the goals of the 2012 Planning Rule. There are no guarantees associated with any future planning scenario; continual learning and adaptation are necessary. Our recommendations include managing for dynamic rather than static conditions in seasonally dry forests, managing dynamically shifting reserves in wetter forests, where dynamics occur more slowly, reducing stressors in aquatic and riparian habitats, and significantly increased use of adaptive management and collaborative planning.
Keywords	Oncorhynchus ; Oregon ; Strigiformes ; adaptive management ; biodiversity conservation ; climate ; climate change ; forest ecology ; forest management ; habitats ; invasive species ; protected species ; watersheds ; wildfires ; California
Language	English
Dates of publication	2022-0115
Publishing place	Elsevier B.V.
Document type	Article
ZDB-ID	751138-3
ISSN	0378-1127
ISSN	0378-1127
DOI	10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119794
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article: Tamm Review: Ecological principles to guide post-fire forest landscape management in the Inland Pacific and Northern Rocky Mountain regions

Larson, Andrew J. / Jeronimo, Sean M.A. / Hessburg, Paul F. / Lutz, James A. / Povak, Nicholas A. / Cansler, C. Alina / Kane, Van R. / Churchill, Derek J.

Elsevier B.V. Forest ecology and management. 2022 Jan. 15, v. 504

2022

Abstract: Post-fire landscapes are the frontline of forest ecosystem change. As such, they represent opportunities to foster conditions that are better adapted to future climate and wildfires with post-fire management. In western US landscapes, post-fire ... ...

Abstract	Post-fire landscapes are the frontline of forest ecosystem change. As such, they represent opportunities to foster conditions that are better adapted to future climate and wildfires with post-fire management. In western US landscapes, post-fire management has been mostly defined by short-term emergency mitigation measures, salvage harvest to recover economic value, and replanting to achieve full stocking.These approaches are largely incongruent with ecologically based forest management due to their limited scope and objectives. Here, we develop a framework for ecologically based post-fire management. Post-fire management principles are to (i) protect large-diameter trees and fire refugia; (ii) anticipate future fuel accumulation from post-fire tree mortality; (iii) reinitiate and maintain stabilizing fire-vegetation feedbacks; (iv) differentiate between climate- and dispersal-mediated transitions to non-forest; and (v) align species composition and structure with future fire regimes and climate. Stand-scale management strategies to implement these principles include (i) maintain or enhance forest resilience; (ii) restore forest conditions and resist transition to non-forest; and (iii) accept or facilitate transition to non-forest. Determining where and over what extent to deploy these stand-scale strategies in large, burned landscapes is informed by a post-fire landscape evaluation, and expressed with a landscape prescription. A post-fire landscape evaluation is a data-driven characterization of current vegetation conditions, including the immediate changes caused by wildfire, and includes a departure analysis—an evaluation of current conditions against reference conditions. The landscape prescription provides guidance about the distribution of different successional patches and their sizes across the topographic template and identifies priority areas for different post-fire treatments. We develop a geospatial framework to integrate ecological principles with a post-fire landscape evaluation that can be readily applied to management planning after wildfire. We illustrate application of these principles through the development of landscape prescriptions for two watersheds, each burned in a recent large fire, in northeast Washington, USA. Use of ecologically based post-fire management principles and landscape evaluations can help shift often contentious debates over salvage harvesting towards a more productive dialogue around how to best adapt landscapes to future conditions.
Keywords	climate ; economic valuation ; forest ecosystems ; forest management ; forests ; landscape management ; landscapes ; refuge habitats ; species diversity ; tree mortality ; wildfires
Language	English
Dates of publication	2022-0115
Publishing place	Elsevier B.V.
Document type	Article
ZDB-ID	751138-3
ISSN	0378-1127
ISSN	0378-1127
DOI	10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119680
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article: Previous wildfires and management treatments moderate subsequent fire severity

Cansler, C. Alina / Kane, Van R. / Hessburg, Paul F. / Kane, Jonathan T. / Jeronimo, Sean M.A. / Lutz, James A. / Povak, Nicholas A. / Churchill, Derek J. / Larson, Andrew J.

Elsevier B.V. Forest ecology and management. 2022 Jan. 15, v. 504

2022

Abstract: We investigated the relative importance of daily fire weather, landscape position, climate, recent forest and fuels management, and fire history to explaining patterns of remotely-sensed burn severity – as measured by the Relativized Burn Ratio – in 150 ... ...

Abstract	We investigated the relative importance of daily fire weather, landscape position, climate, recent forest and fuels management, and fire history to explaining patterns of remotely-sensed burn severity – as measured by the Relativized Burn Ratio – in 150 fires occurring from 2001 to 2019, which burned conifer forests of northeastern Washington State, USA. Daily fire weather, annual precipitation anomalies, and species’ fire resistance traits were important predictors of wildfire burn severity. In areas burned within the past two to three decades, prior fire decreased the severity of subsequent burns, particularly for the first 16 postfire years. In areas managed before a wildfire, thinning and prescribed burning treatments lowered burn severity relative to untreated controls. Prescribed burning was the most effective treatment at lowering subsequent burn severity, and prescribed burned areas were usually unburned or burned at low severity in subsequent wildfires. Patches that were harvested and planted <10 years before a wildfire burned with slightly higher severity. In areas managed within 5 years after an initial fire, postfire harvest and planting reduced prevalence of stand-replacing fire in reburns. However, overall, postfire management actions after a first wildfire only weakly influenced the severity of subsequent fires. The importance of fire-fire interactions to moderating burn severity establishes the importance of stabilizing feedbacks in active fire regimes, and our results demonstrate how silvicultural treatments can be combined with prescribed fire and wildfires to maintain resilient landscapes.
Keywords	Washington (state) ; administrative management ; atmospheric precipitation ; burn severity ; climate ; conifers ; fire history ; fire resistance ; fire severity ; fire weather ; forest ecology ; landscape position ; prescribed burning ; remote sensing ; wildfires
Language	English
Dates of publication	2022-0115
Publishing place	Elsevier B.V.
Document type	Article
ZDB-ID	751138-3
ISSN	0378-1127
ISSN	0378-1127
DOI	10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119764
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article: Postfire treatments alter forest canopy structure up to three decades after fire

Cansler, C. Alina / Kane, Van R. / Bartl-Geller, Bryce N. / Churchill, Derek J. / Hessburg, Paul F. / Povak, Nicholas A. / Lutz, James A. / Kane, Jonathan / Larson, Andrew J.

Elsevier B.V. Forest ecology and management. 2022 Feb. 01, v. 505

2022

Abstract: We evaluated the effects of postfire management on forest structure in mixed-conifer forests of northeastern Washington, USA. Postfire treatments were harvest-only, harvest combined with planting, planting-only, and postfire prescribed fire. We used ... ...

Abstract	We evaluated the effects of postfire management on forest structure in mixed-conifer forests of northeastern Washington, USA. Postfire treatments were harvest-only, harvest combined with planting, planting-only, and postfire prescribed fire. We used aerial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) to measure vertical and horizontal components of postfire forest structure over a period of 2 to 32 years after fires. We compared treated areas to control areas with similar bioclimatic environments and past fire severity. We used niche overlap statistics to quantify distributions of individual forest structure components and PERMANOVA to assess forest structural response to the presence or absence of treatments, past fire severity, time since treatment, and bioclimatic setting. Harvest alone after fire decreased dominant tree height and reduced vertical canopy complexity and the cover of tall trees. Harvest combined with planting increased dominant tree height, vertical complexity, and cover in lower height strata. Planting and prescribed fires showed little difference in forest structure relative to untreated controls. Overall, the burn severity of the initial fire was the strongest influence on postfire structure, and many aspects of vertical and horizontal forest structure showed little difference with increasing time since fire.
Keywords	administrative management ; burn severity ; fire severity ; forest canopy ; forest ecology ; forests ; lidar ; planting ; prescribed burning ; statistics ; tree height
Language	English
Dates of publication	2022-0201
Publishing place	Elsevier B.V.
Document type	Article
ZDB-ID	751138-3
ISSN	0378-1127
ISSN	0378-1127
DOI	10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119872
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article: Wildfire severity and postfire salvage harvest effects on long‐term forest regeneration

Povak, Nicholas A / Churchill, Derek J / Cansler, C. Alina / Hessburg, Paul F / Kane, Van R / Kane, Jonathan T / Lutz, James A / Larson, Andrew J

Ecosphere. 2020 Aug., v. 11, no. 8

2020

Abstract: Following a wildfire, regeneration to forest can take decades to centuries and is no longer assured in many western U.S. environments given escalating wildfire severity and warming trends. After large fire years, managers prioritize where to allocate ... ...

Abstract	Following a wildfire, regeneration to forest can take decades to centuries and is no longer assured in many western U.S. environments given escalating wildfire severity and warming trends. After large fire years, managers prioritize where to allocate scarce planting resources, often with limited information on the factors that drive successful forest establishment. Where occurring, long‐term effects of postfire salvage operations can increase uncertainty of establishment. Here, we collected field data on postfire regeneration patterns within 13‐ to 28‐yr‐old burned patches in eastern Washington State. Across 248 plots, we sampled tree stems <4 m height using a factorial design that considered (1) fire severity, moderate vs. high severity; (2) salvage harvesting, salvaged vs. no management; and (3) potential vegetation type (PVT), sample resides in a dry, moist, or cold mixed‐conifer forest environment. We found that regeneration was abundant throughout the study region, with a median of 4414 (IQR 19,618) stems/ha across all plots. Only 15% of plots fell below minimum timber production stocking standards (350 trees/ha), and <2% of plots were unstocked. Densities were generally highest in high‐severity patches and following salvage harvesting, although high variability among plots and across sites led to variable significance for these factors. Post hoc analyses suggested that mild postfire weather conditions may have reduced water stress on tree establishment and early growth, contributing to overall high stem densities. Douglas fir was the most abundant species, particularly in moderate‐severity patches, followed by ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, western larch, and Engelmann spruce. Generalized additive models (GAMs) revealed species‐level climatic tolerances and seed dispersal limits that portend future challenges to regeneration with expected future climate warming and increased fire activity. Postfire regeneration will occur on sites with adequate seed sources within their climatic tolerances.
Keywords	Larix occidentalis ; Picea engelmannii ; Pinus contorta var. latifolia ; Pinus ponderosa ; Pseudotsuga menziesii ; cold ; fire severity ; forest regeneration ; forests ; global warming ; managers ; models ; planting ; salvage logging ; seed dispersal ; stems ; timber production ; trees ; uncertainty ; water stress ; weather ; wildfires ; Washington (state)
Language	English
Dates of publication	2020-08
Publishing place	John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Document type	Article
Note	JOURNAL ARTICLE
ZDB-ID	2572257-8
ISSN	2150-8925
ISSN	2150-8925
DOI	10.1002/ecs2.3199
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article: Applying LiDAR Individual Tree Detection to Management of Structurally Diverse Forest Landscapes

Jeronimo, Sean M A / Kane, Van R / Churchill, Derek J / McGaughey, Robert J / Franklin, Jerry F

Journal of forestry. 2018 June 29, v. 116, no. 4

2018

Abstract: LiDAR individual tree detection (ITD) is a promising tool for measuring forests at a scale that is meaningful ecologically and useful for forest managers. However, most ITD research evaluates methods over small homogeneous areas, while many forest ... ...

Abstract	LiDAR individual tree detection (ITD) is a promising tool for measuring forests at a scale that is meaningful ecologically and useful for forest managers. However, most ITD research evaluates methods over small homogeneous areas, while many forest managers work over large, complex landscapes. We investigated how ITD results varied across diverse structural conditions in California’s Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests and what this taught us about when and how to apply ITD. Our results suggest that it is advantageous to use ITD when it improves analysis interpretability, when measuring horizontal patterns, or when field data are unavailable. In the latter case, it is best to focus on measures dominated by large trees, like basal area and biomass. Thinking of ITD results as “tree-approximate objects” including one dominant tree and up to a few subordinate tree respects LiDAR’s strengths and limitations; we illustrate how this concept keeps analyses consistent across varying structural conditions.
Keywords	biomass ; forestry ; forests ; lidar ; mountains ; trees ; California
Language	English
Dates of publication	2018-0629
Size	p. 336-346.
Publishing place	Oxford University Press
Document type	Article
Note	NAL-AP-2-clean
ISSN	1938-3746
DOI	10.1093/jofore/fvy023
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article: Adapting western North American forests to climate change and wildfires: 10 common questions

Prichard, Susan J. / Hessburg, Paul F. / Hagmann, R. Keala / Povak, Nicholas A. / Hurteau, Matthew D. / Kane, Van R. / Keane, Robert E. / Kolden, Crystal A. / North, Malcolm / Parks, Sean A. / Safford, Hugh D. / Stevens, Jens T. / Yocom, Larissa L. / Churchill, Derek J. / Gray, Robert W. / Lake, Frank K. / Khatri‐Chhetri, Pratima

Ecological applications. 2021 Dec., v. 31, no. 8

2021

Abstract: We review science‐based adaptation strategies for western North American (wNA) forests that include restoring active fire regimes and fostering resilient structure and composition of forested landscapes. As part of the review, we address common questions ...

Abstract	We review science‐based adaptation strategies for western North American (wNA) forests that include restoring active fire regimes and fostering resilient structure and composition of forested landscapes. As part of the review, we address common questions associated with climate adaptation and realignment treatments that run counter to a broad consensus in the literature. These include the following: (1) Are the effects of fire exclusion overstated? If so, are treatments unwarranted and even counterproductive? (2) Is forest thinning alone sufficient to mitigate wildfire hazard? (3) Can forest thinning and prescribed burning solve the problem? (4) Should active forest management, including forest thinning, be concentrated in the wildland urban interface (WUI)? (5) Can wildfires on their own do the work of fuel treatments? (6) Is the primary objective of fuel reduction treatments to assist in future firefighting response and containment? (7) Do fuel treatments work under extreme fire weather? (8) Is the scale of the problem too great? Can we ever catch up? (9) Will planting more trees mitigate climate change in wNA forests? And (10) is post‐fire management needed or even ecologically justified? Based on our review of the scientific evidence, a range of proactive management actions are justified and necessary to keep pace with changing climatic and wildfire regimes and declining forest heterogeneity after severe wildfires. Science‐based adaptation options include the use of managed wildfire, prescribed burning, and coupled mechanical thinning and prescribed burning as is consistent with land management allocations and forest conditions. Although some current models of fire management in wNA are averse to short‐term risks and uncertainties, the long‐term environmental, social, and cultural consequences of wildfire management primarily grounded in fire suppression are well documented, highlighting an urgency to invest in intentional forest management and restoration of active fire regimes.
Keywords	climate ; climate change ; fire fighting ; fire suppression ; fire weather ; forest management ; forests ; land management ; wildfires ; wildland fire management ; wildland-urban interface
Language	English
Dates of publication	2021-12
Publishing place	John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Document type	Article
Note	JOURNAL ARTICLE
ZDB-ID	1074505-1
ISSN	1939-5582 ; 1051-0761
ISSN (online)	1939-5582
ISSN	1051-0761
DOI	10.1002/eap.2433
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article: Real-Time Monitoring with a Tablet App Improves Implementation of Treatments to Enhance Forest Structural Diversity

Maher, Colin T / Oja, Emily / Marshall, Abigail / Cunningham, Matthew / Townsend, Lucas / Worley-Hood, Graham / Robinson, Luke Ruffner / Margot, Taylor / Lyons, Drew / Fety, Stuart / Schneider, Eryn E / Jeronimo, Sean M A / Churchill, Derek J / Larson, Andrew J

Journal of forestry. 2019 Apr. 30, v. 117, no. 3

2019

Abstract: Implementing treatments to create structural complexity and spatial heterogeneity within forest stands can be difficult and time consuming. We asked if real-time implementation monitoring with an Android OS tablet application can facilitate successful ... ...

Abstract	Implementing treatments to create structural complexity and spatial heterogeneity within forest stands can be difficult and time consuming. We asked if real-time implementation monitoring with an Android OS tablet application can facilitate successful implementation of such treatments. We compared two tree-marking methods—free selection (FS) and individuals, clumps and openings (ICO)—which were used to implement the same silvicultural prescription. ICO marking guidelines differed from FS in one way: inclusion of targets describing the number of tree clumps of different sizes to be left, with real-time monitoring of progress towards these targets using the tablet app. ICO trials were more successful at producing desired conditions. FS trials resulted in stand densities below the target and lacked large and very large tree clumps. Implementation efficiency (trees marked per person-hour) was similar between the two systems. Real-time implementation monitoring of quantitative targets can increase the likelihood of treatment success.
Keywords	forestry ; forests ; spatial variation ; trees
Language	English
Dates of publication	2019-0430
Size	p. 280-292.
Publishing place	Oxford University Press
Document type	Article
Note	NAL-AP-2-clean
ISSN	1938-3746
DOI	10.1093/jofore/fvz003
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article: Adapting western North American forests to climate change and wildfires: 10 common questions.

Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America

2021 Volume 31, Issue 8, Page(s) e02433

Abstract: We review science-based adaptation strategies for western North American (wNA) forests that include restoring active fire regimes and fostering resilient structure and composition of forested landscapes. As part of the review, we address common questions ...

Abstract	We review science-based adaptation strategies for western North American (wNA) forests that include restoring active fire regimes and fostering resilient structure and composition of forested landscapes. As part of the review, we address common questions associated with climate adaptation and realignment treatments that run counter to a broad consensus in the literature. These include the following: (1) Are the effects of fire exclusion overstated? If so, are treatments unwarranted and even counterproductive? (2) Is forest thinning alone sufficient to mitigate wildfire hazard? (3) Can forest thinning and prescribed burning solve the problem? (4) Should active forest management, including forest thinning, be concentrated in the wildland urban interface (WUI)? (5) Can wildfires on their own do the work of fuel treatments? (6) Is the primary objective of fuel reduction treatments to assist in future firefighting response and containment? (7) Do fuel treatments work under extreme fire weather? (8) Is the scale of the problem too great? Can we ever catch up? (9) Will planting more trees mitigate climate change in wNA forests? And (10) is post-fire management needed or even ecologically justified? Based on our review of the scientific evidence, a range of proactive management actions are justified and necessary to keep pace with changing climatic and wildfire regimes and declining forest heterogeneity after severe wildfires. Science-based adaptation options include the use of managed wildfire, prescribed burning, and coupled mechanical thinning and prescribed burning as is consistent with land management allocations and forest conditions. Although some current models of fire management in wNA are averse to short-term risks and uncertainties, the long-term environmental, social, and cultural consequences of wildfire management primarily grounded in fire suppression are well documented, highlighting an urgency to invest in intentional forest management and restoration of active fire regimes.
MeSH term(s)	Climate Change ; Fires ; Forests ; North America ; Wildfires
Language	English
Publishing date	2021-10-13
Publishing country	United States
Document type	Journal Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. ; Review
ZDB-ID	1074505-1
ISSN	1939-5582 ; 1051-0761
ISSN (online)	1939-5582
ISSN	1051-0761
DOI	10.1002/eap.2433
Database	MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE

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