How effective are landscape scale fuel treatments?

Sharon M. Hood

Treesearch

How effective are landscape scale fuel treatments?

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Sharon M. Hood

Year:

2023

Type:

Science Bulletins and Newsletters

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Download (PDF 1.63 MB)

Download (PDF 1.63 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/66899.pdf

Abstract

Appropriately designed fuel treatments reduce negative outcomes of wildfire and in some cases promote beneficial wildfire outcomes. Wildfires are a landscape scale phenomenon; therefore, fuel treatments should be evaluated at a landscape level to maximize effectiveness. This requires shifting perspective to think of a landscape mosaic, rather than an individual site. Given the inability to treat all forests at risk from wildfire, understanding where and how fuel treatments can be most influential at the landscape scale is crucial. Scientists at the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) recently examined what we currently know about the effectiveness of landscape scale fuel treatments from literature reviews of empirical evidence, simulation studies, and case studies.

Keywords

landscape scale, fuel treatments, wildfire

Citation

Hood, Sharon. 2023. How effective are landscape scale fuel treatments? Connected Science, September 2023. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.