A topographically resolved wildfire danger and drought monitoring system for the conterminous United States

Zachary A. Holden; W. Matt Jolly; Alan Swanson; Dyer A. Warren; Kelsey Jencso; Marco Maneta; Mitchell R. Burgard; Chris Gibson; Zachary Hoylman; Erin L. Landguth

doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0178.1

Treesearch

A topographically resolved wildfire danger and drought monitoring system for the conterminous United States

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Zachary A. Holden, W. Matt Jolly, Alan Swanson, Dyer A. Warren, Kelsey Jencso, Marco Maneta, Mitchell R. Burgard, Chris Gibson, Zachary Hoylman, Erin L. Landguth

Year:

2019

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0178.1

Source:

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 100(9): 1607-1613.

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Download (PDF 5.59 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/66937.pdf

Abstract

Drought can directly impact ecosystem function through reductions in productivity, but it can also indirectly impact people and ecosystems via disturbances such as wildfires. While often considered separately in terms of impacts, drought and wildfires are fundamentally linked by the weather conditions that drive moisture deficits in woody fuels and soil, which both increase potential for wildfire activity, as well as increase demand for water resources. Drought and wildfire danger are monitored at local, regional, and national scales, and the assessments made by various monitoring efforts impact a range of decisions including disbursement of drought mitigation funding, surface water allocation, and strategic placement of wildland firefighting resources.

Keywords

drought, wildfire danger, ecosystem function

Citation

Holden, Zachary A.; Jolly, W. Matt; Swanson, Alan; Warren, Dyer A.; Jencso, Kelsey; Maneta, Marco; Burgard, Mitchell; Gibson, Chris; Hoylman, Zachary; Landguth, Erin L. 2019. A topographically resolved wildfire danger and drought monitoring system for the conterminous United States. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 100(9): 1607-1613.