Abstract
Abstract Accounting for externalities generated by fire spread is necessary for managing fire risk on landscapes with multiple owners. In this paper, we determine the optimal management of a synthetic landscape parameterized to represent the ecological conditions of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) plantations in southwest Oregon. The problem is formulated as a dynamic game, where each agent maximizes their own objective without considering the welfare of the other agents. We demonstrate a method for incorporating spatial information and externalities into a dynamic optimization process. A machine-learning technique, approximate dynamic programming, is applied to determine the optimal timing and location of fuel treatments and timber harvests for each agent. The value functions we estimate explicitly account for the spatial interactions that generate fire risk. They provide a way to model the expected benefits, costs, and externalities associated with management actions that have uncertain consequences in multiple locations. The method we demonstrate is applied to analyze the effect of landscape fragmentation on landowner welfare and ecological outcomes.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
