Slope stability effects of fuel management strategies – inferences from Monte Carlo simulations

R. M. Rice; R. R. Ziemer; S. C. Hankin

Treesearch

Slope stability effects of fuel management strategies – inferences from Monte Carlo simulations

Informally Refereed

Authors:

R. M. Rice, R. R. Ziemer, S. C. Hankin

Year:

1982

Type:

General Technical Report

Station:

Pacific Southwest Research Station

Source:

In: Conrad, C. Eugene; Oechel, Walter C. 1982. Proceedings of the symposium on dynamics and management of Mediterranean-type ecosystems, June 22-26. Gen. Tech. Rep PSW-GTR-58. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture: Berkeley, California: 365-371

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Abstract

A simple Monte Carlo simulation evaluated the effect of several fire management strategies on soil slip erosion and wildfires. The current condition was compared to (1) a very intensive fuelbreak system without prescribed fires, and (2) prescribed fire at four time intervals with (a) current fuelbreaks and (b) intensive fuel-breaks. The intensive fuelbreak system caused a slight increase in soil slip erosion and a reduction of about 12 percent in average annual wildfire area associated with each of the prescribed fire intervals. All of the prescribed fire strategies greatly reduced wildfires, but resulted in substantial increases in soil slip erosion, with the greatest increase, 282 percent, for the 15-year prescribed fire interval

Parent Publication

Proceedings of the symposium on dynamics and management of Mediterranean-type ecosystems

Keywords

PSW 4351, slope stability, fuel management, erosion, wildfires, fuelbreaks, chapparral

Citation

Rice, R. M.; Ziemer, R. R.; Hankin, S. C. 1982. Slope stability effects of fuel management strategies – inferences from Monte Carlo simulations. In: Conrad, C. Eugene; Oechel, Walter C. 1982. Proceedings of the symposium on dynamics and management of Mediterranean-type ecosystems, June 22-26. Gen. Tech. Rep PSW-GTR-58. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture: Berkeley, California: 365-371.