Fire and Forest Ecology

Fire is a natural ecological process common to many ecosystems throughout the world. Whether ignited by humans or the result of natural ignitions, fire plays a dynamic role in the environment, and large, intense wildfires are occurring more frequently. In response, forest managers and forest ecologists work to maintain forest health while at the same time reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires on public lands. To meet this mandate, forest managers employ a variety of fuel management strategies including prescribed burning. In addition, smoke emitted from wildfires and prescribed burns is an important air quality issue. Limited resources demand that smoke managers and forest ecologists prioritize and develop cost-effective mitigation strategies. STI scientists and software engineers perform research to improve the understanding of wildfire risks, fuels treatment, and smoke impacts and develop software tools and decision support systems to help the fire and fuels community make more effective fire management decisions.