Location: Water Management and Systems Research
Project Number: 3012-13660-010-032-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Apr 1, 2024
End Date: May 31, 2026
Objective:
The three primary objectives of the proposed work are to 1) complete long-term monitoring at 316 sites that have had fuel treatments in the past 10-14 years by measuring post-treatment patterns of fuel accumulation and vegetation change over time, 2) define treatment effectiveness thresholds and longevity estimates by quantifying vegetation change and simulating fire behavior, and 3) improve understanding of treatment longevity and how it may change in the future, in order to inform the frequency and type of treatments needed to maintain treatment effectiveness.
Approach:
We will collect and analyze an unprecedented dataset of 316 plots that were previously measured immediately before and after treatment, by completing vegetation and fuel surveys now, 10-14 years after treatment. From these data we will characterize how different fuel types accumulate over time, and how this affects potential fire behavior, to improve understanding of treatment effectiveness, longevity, and retreatment requirements.
