Integrating Forests, Fish, and Fire (IF3)

Integrating Forests, Fish, and Fire (IF3) is a Bayesian decision support model that uses information on forest vegetation, human alterations to terrestrial and aquatic habitat condition, and the potential for fire-related disturbance to predict post-fire population persistence for stream fish. The purpose of the model is to evaluate alternative vectors for maximizing the resilience to future fire activity of forest stands supporting sensitive stream fish, such as bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus). At this time IF3 are “alpha-level” Bayesian belief networks and have undergone limited external peer review. These models are the product of collaboration among project investigators, based on their experience in the fields of fish population ecology, hydrology, forest ecology, fire ecology, and post-fire disturbance processes. This collaboration was sponsored by the Joint Fire Sciences Program. The IF3 models differ in the way fire is simulated. Managers can simulate large, high-severity fire events that are statistically unlikely but of greatest concern.