Pacific Southwest Research Station

Education

B.S. Forest Management, 1984, Auburn University
M.S. Forest Biometrics, 1986, Auburn University
Ph.D. Wildland Resource Science, 1993, University of California, Berkeley
Emphasis Area: Fire behavior models

Research Interests/Duties

My primary research objective is to develop knowledge to facilitate the use of prescribed fire. My education and experience in forest management and prescribed fire research at the former Southern Forest Fire Lab provided me an appreciation of the utility and challenges of prescribed fire use. Currently I am focused on the application and use of various models for fire behavior and fuel treatment. These models include fire spread models, fuel moisture models, and landscape level planning models.

Current Emphases, Studies, Projects

• Marginal burning in chaparral and live fuels for prescribed fire application
• Evaluation of fuel treatment planning models
• Application of fuel moisture and fire behavior models to Hawaiian conditions
• Potential application of prescribed fire in southern California forests

Selected Publications

Some Recent Publications

Benson, R.P.; Roads, J.; Weise, D.R. 2009. Weather and climate factors influencing fire occurrence. Book chapter. Wildland Fires and Air Pollution (edited by Bytnerowicz et al.). Elsevier.

Stephens, S.L.; Weise, D.R.; Fry, D.L.; Keiffer, R.J.; Dawson, J.; Koo, E.; Potts, J.; Pagni, P.J. 2008. Measuring the rate of spread of chaparral prescribed fires in northern California. Fire Ecology 4(1): 77-86.

Tachajapong, W.; Lozano, J.; Mahalingam, S.; Weise, D.R. 2008. An investigation of crown fuel bulk density effects on the dynamics of crown fire initiation. Combustion Science and Technology 180(4): 593-615.

Fletcher, T.H.; Pickett, B.M.; Smith, S.G.;Spittle, G.S.; Woodhouse, M.M.; Haake, E.; Weise, D.R. 2007. Effects of moisture on ignition behavior of moist California chaparral and Utah leaves. Combustion Science and Technology 179(6): 1183-1203.

Castillo, J.M.; G. Enriques; M. Nakahara; D. Weise; L. Ford; R. Moraga; and R. Vihnanek. 2007. Effects of cattle grazing, glyphosate, and prescribed burning on fountaingrass fuel loading in Hawai´i. Proceedings of the 23rd Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference: Fire in Grassland and Shrubland Ecosystems. Tall Timbers Research Station, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.

Sun, L.; Zhou, X., Mahalingam, S., Weise, D.R. 2006. Comparison of burning characteristics of live and dead chaparral fuels. Combustion and Flame 144: 349-359.

Weise, D.R.; Fujioka, F.M.; Nelson, R.M., Jr. 2005. A comparison of 3 models of 1-hr time lag fuel moisture in Hawaii. Agriculture and Forest Meteorology 133:28-39.

Weise, D.R.; Zhou, X.; Sun, L.; Mahalingam, S. 2005. Fire spread in chaparral – go or no-go? International Journal of Wildland Fire, 14:99-106.

Zhou, X., Weise, D., Mahalingam, S. 2005. Experimental measurements and numerical modeling of marginal burning in live chaparral fuel beds. Proc. of the Combustion Institute 30: 2287-2294.

Engstrom, J.D.; Butler, J.K. Smith, S.G., Baxter, L.L., Fletcher, T.H., Weise, D.R. 2004. Ignition behavior of live California chaparral leaves. Combustion Science and Technology 176: 1577-1591.