Abstract
After a century of fire exclusion, western US forests are vulnerable to wildfire and bark beetles. Although integrated fire and pest management programs (e.g., prescribed burning and thinning) are being implemented efficiently, damage to forests continues. Management challenges come in the forms of diverse land ownership, dynamic forest landscapes, the uncertainty effect of management strategies, and social interaction of the increasing wildland-urban interface. Three-dimensional (3-D) landscape visualization is comprised of multi-spatial, multi-temporal, and multi-expression elements. Supplemented with GIS database, remote sensing images, and simulation models, this technique can provide a comprehensive communication medium for decision makers, scientists, stakeholders, and the public with diverse backgrounds on the wildfire and forest bark beetle management. The technique we describe here can be used to organize complicated temporal and spatial information, evaluate alternative management operations, and improve decision-making processes. The application and limitations of our technique are also discussed.
Highlights
In the western US, a major impact of management for nearly a century had been the attempted exclusion of fire from major forest vegetations [1]
A comprehensive and sophisticated communication medium, which is supplemented with geographic information system (GIS) database, remote sensing images, and simulation models, will be introduced to improve the consensus among diverse decision makers
We describe the characteristics of 3-D landscape visualization for contributing to wildfire and bark beetle management decision-making processes
Summary
In the western US, a major impact of management for nearly a century had been the attempted exclusion of fire from major forest vegetations [1]. This management approach produced shifts in successional patterns, increased the density of small trees, and resulted in the increasingly severe and extensive wildfires, and the substantially altered forest composition, structure, and vulnerability to damaging insect pests [2]. Mechanical thinning and prescribed burning (alone or in combination) are options available for modifying forest fuel structure and reducing the likelihood of potentially severe wildfires [6,7]. Some projected 3-D visualizations are included to demonstrate how this 3-D technique could help improve forest management
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 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.
