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Quantifying Fire Behavior Versus Societal Benefits Of Southern California Shrublands And Grasslands, Christopher Dicus, Maurica A. Zimmerman
Quantifying Fire Behavior Versus Societal Benefits Of Southern California Shrublands And Grasslands, Christopher Dicus, Maurica A. Zimmerman
Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences
Urban sprawl in southern California perpetually threatens native shrublands and grasslands, which intrinsically provide both biophysical and socioeconomic benefits to society. However, these vegetation types are simultaneously prone to high-intensity wildfires that lead to enormous damage to human interests. After the southern California firestorms of October 2003, new regulations were adopted that increased the mandatory vegetation clearance around structures in order to reduce fire risk, which may significantly impact the positive benefits that grasslands and shrublands provide. To address this apparent conflict, we investigated the tradeoffs between societal benefits derived from major shrubland, grassland, and woodland vegetation types in southern …
Reduction Of Potential Fire Behavior In Wildland-Urban Interface Communities In Southern California: A Collaborative Approach, Christopher Dicus, Michael E. Scott
Reduction Of Potential Fire Behavior In Wildland-Urban Interface Communities In Southern California: A Collaborative Approach, Christopher Dicus, Michael E. Scott
Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences
This manuscript details a collaborative effort that reduced the risk of wildfire in an affluent, wildland-urban interface community in southern California while simultaneously minimizing the environmental impact to the site. FARSITE simulations illustrated the potential threat to the community of Rancho Santa Fe in San Diego County, California, where multimillion-dollar homes were located immediately above a designated open space area that consisted primarily of 60-year-old, decadent chaparral. Post-treatment fire behavior simulations demonstrated the potential ability to moderate fire behavior. Results of the fire behavior modeling led to a recognition for the need for fuels treatments by both homeowners and regulatory …