Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management and
Research programs are on the cutting edge of studying fire and its
role in nature. From the tropical forest of Puerto Rico to the expanses
of rangelands in the west, research and scientific analysis teaches
fire managers much.
Studies about natural fire regimes for different
ecosystem types, the effects of different kinds of fire on the landscape,
the behavior of fire under different conditions, the effectiveness
of foams and retardants and the effects of different tactics used
to put fires out - these are a few of the areas that scientists
continue to study. Fire science also addresses restoration and rehabilitation
of wildlands after fire moves across watersheds, bringing new insights
into enhancing native species of trees and plants.
In addition to the ongoing Forest Service studies,
the Joint Fire Science Program was established in 1998 as a partnership
with six federal agencies to identify and encourage new research
projects to fill in the gaps in knowledge about wildland fire and
fuels.
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