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Eucalyptus saligna Sm. plantations are being tested in Hawaii as a means of providing biomass for conversion to energy. Initial growth rates have been excellent, but supplemental nitrogen (N) is needed for sustained productivity on most sites. Although responses to N fertilizer have been substantial, costs of N applications are costly in dollars and energy. The possibility of planting leguminous trees with Eucalyptus to provide the needed N was therefore investigated. In this paper, we compare the growth of E. saligna in pure, N-fertilized stands with that of E. saligna and Albizia...

Lack of information regarding fire effects is perceived by many fire and resource managers as a barrier to the effective application of prescribed fire. This lack of information, in many instances, is the result of poor diffusion of existing knowledge rather than lack of knowledge. A computerized Fire Effects Information System can make existing fire effects knowledge easily available to wildland managers. The system incorporates recent advances in the field of artificial intelligence to produce a virtual encyclopedia of fire effects information for plant species, plant communities, and...

Methods are described for making comparative valuations of future fire (or any other) research efforts when the benefits that result from some of the efforts cannot be described in dollars. The process helps research managers and scientists set priorities by using the values and beliefs of skilled fire specialists. The objective is to insure coherent decisions consistent with stated values. The process has application in decision problems faced by all executives and has been tested in a variety of forestry applications.

The evolution of Forest fire research in Canada first is examined through the works of Wright and Beall, at the Petawawa National Forestry Institute in Ontario, then some lessons are drawn from the past that ought to bear on the future. Some opinions are delivered on the future course of research in fire danger rating, prescribed fire and the impacts of fire on the forest economy.

Future improvements in the meteorological forecasts used in fire management will come from improvements in three areas: observational systems, forecast techniques, and postprocessing of forecasts and better integration of this information into the fire management process.

This paper presents a vision of the future rooted in consideration of the past 20 years in the smoke and air resource management field. This future is characterized by rapid technological development of computers for computation, communications, and remote sensing capabilities and of the possible societal responses to these advances. We discuss intellectual developments that we foresee and the likely manner in which these will be realized in the form of new tools available for air resource management. Finally we anticipate a changing climatic and political environment and we discuss the...

In 1970, it was widely assumed that by 1980 in the Pacific Northwest, prescribed fire would be a thing of the past. By 1985, however, half way from 1970 to the end of the century, the area treated by fire increased. Now, the demise of forest burning is widely expected to occur by the year 2000. Can, and will, a compromise be found between the resurgence in appreciation for fire and the continuing public pressure for improved air quality? The conflict is manageable, provided the current cooperative attitude between forest and air resource managers persists. A 50 percent emission reduction...

The Forest Fire Advanced System Technology (FFAST) project is developing a data system to provide near-real-time forest fire information to fire management at the fire Incident Command Post (ICP). The completed conceptual design defined an integrated forest fire detection and mapping system that is based upon technology available in the 1990's. System component technologies identified for an end-to-end system include airborne mounted thermal infrared (IR) linear array detectors, automatic onboard data georeferencing and signal processing, satellite communications links, and advanced data...

The future of wildland fire management depends on the course chosen by fire managers today. Our responsiveness to issues will determine how much we influence where we go. Economics in concert with a better appreciation of fire's role in ecosystem dynamics will significantly alter fire management as we know it today. Public subsidies of homeowners who refuse to take prudent fire prevention actions will dwindle. Risk management will be clearly understood. We will no longer spend more then a property is worth to protect it. Our work force will change both internally and externally. There will...

Remote Automatic Weather Stations (RAWS) were introduced to Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management field units in 1978 following development, test, and evaluation activities conducted jointly by the two agencies. The original configuration was designed for semi-permanent installation. Subsequently, a need for a more portable RAWS was expressed, and one was developed. The latest configuration is a truly portable, self-contained RAWS that can transmit via the GOES satellite or via the users' own radios. It contains a voice synthesizer and tells you what the weather conditions are at...