Southwest Fire

A grand debate in forest management exists throughout the West, especially in the Southwest: What to do about wild land fire? The problem: Forest fires today tend to be large and hot, often destroying many natural and human resources. By contrast, past forest fires used to burn mostly as low-intensity surface fires What can be done now to rectify this situation?
The Issues of Wildland Fire:
Current fire behavior What is the current pattern of forest fires? Click here to learn about current patterns of fire frequency and behavior. Past fire patterns What is the past pattern of forest fires? Click here to learn about past patterns of fire frequency and behavior, as told from the dendrochronological (tree-ring) record. Overview How and why have forest fires changed through time? Click here to learn about how fire occurrence and behavior in Southwest forests have changed during the past 100+ years. "Prescribed fire" One management option is to start fires on purpose and/or allow natural fires to burn without suppression. Click here to learn about prescribed fire management. What about the smoke? Any management strategy using fire to fight fire must consider the issue of smoke. How to mitigate the smoke of wildland fires? Click here to learn about the smoke issue that clouds fire management. Other ways to reduce fuel loads What about other ways to reduce high forest fuel accumulations? Click here to learn of ways to reduce the forest fuel buildup. Geosciences 220 writing assignment: Click here for specific instructions to the Geosciences 220 writing assignment.

A grand debate in forest management exists throughout the West, especially in the Southwest: What to do about wild land fire?

The problem:

Forest fires today tend to be large and hot, often destroying many natural and human resources.
By contrast, past forest fires used to burn mostly as low-intensity surface fires
What can be done now to rectify this situation?

The Issues of Wildland Fire:

Current fire behavior
What is the current pattern of forest fires? Click here to learn about current patterns of fire frequency and behavior.

Past fire patterns
What is the past pattern of forest fires? Click here to learn about past patterns of fire frequency and behavior, as told from the dendrochronological (tree-ring) record.

Overview
How and why have forest fires changed through time? Click here to learn about how fire occurrence and behavior in Southwest forests have changed during the past 100+ years.

"Prescribed fire"
One management option is to start fires on purpose and/or allow natural fires to burn without suppression. Click here to learn about prescribed fire management.

What about the smoke?
Any management strategy using fire to fight fire must consider the issue of smoke. How to mitigate the smoke of wildland fires? Click here to learn about the smoke issue that clouds fire management.

Other ways to reduce fuel loads
What about other ways to reduce high forest fuel accumulations? Click here to learn of ways to reduce the forest fuel buildup.

Geosciences 220 writing assignment: Click here for specific instructions to the Geosciences 220 writing assignment.

Notes:

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Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research

University of Arizona

Laboratory
of
Tree-Ring Research

Forest Fire Management

in the Southwest

University of Arizona

Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research

Forest Fire Management in the Southwest

Laboratory
of
Tree-Ring Research

Forest Fire Management

in the Southwest