Many U.S. forest, are fire-dependent habitats. Unnatural exclusion of fire causes dense buildup of excessive amounts of fuel which burn much hotter than nature intended. Alternative treatment methods are needed to restore forests and reduce catastrophic wildfires.
A national network of research sites has been established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Interior Joint Fire Science Program to quantify the consequences and tradeoffs of using fire and fire surrogate treatments
OBJECTIVE: Develop realistic management options that can be used to treat fuels and restore ecosystems.
HOW: Use research to quantify the initial effects of fire and fire surrogate treatments on vegetation, wildlife, soils & forest floor, fuel & fire behavior, tree diseases, and economic feasibility.
