Initiative: Assessing the socio-economic and ecosystem service impacts of wildfires and fuel treatments in the Wildland Urban Interface
Across the globe the social, economic, and ecological impacts of recent and unprecedented wildfires have increased dramatically over the past 30 years. News of these fires typically focuses on loss of forests and structures, but much less is known about their impacts on communities and the environment. Information on the severity and distribution of impacts of recent fires in California’s Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and urban areas – home to 90% of the state's population – is needed in order to better understand the resilience of landscapes and communities under urbanization, as well as the effects of emergency management messaging, and socio-ecological trajectory following wildfires.
This project will study and assess how structural losses, defensible space, fuel treatments, socio-economic impacts (particularly to vulnerable communities) and ecosystem services are affecting California’s WUI. Accordingly, we have four specific research objectives:
Explore the environmental justice aspects of wildfire impacts in California’s WUI.
Analyze the effects of wildfire on urban forests and fuel treatments in California’s WUI.
Assess the ecosystem service tradeoffs of fuel treatments/fire.
Understand the role of fire weather messaging in wildfire response.