HUMAN INFLUENCE ON CALIFORNIA FIRE REGIMES
University of Wisconsin–Madison · United States Geological Survey · +4 more institutions
Abstract
Periodic wildfire maintains the integrity and species composition of many ecosystems, including the mediterranean-climate shrublands of California. However, human activities alter natural fire regimes, which can lead to cascading ecological effects. Increased human ignitions at the wildland-urban interface (WUI) have recently gained attention, but fire activity and risk are typically estimated using only biophysical variables. Our goal was to determine how humans influence fire in California and to examine whether this influence was linear, by relating contemporary (2000) and historic (1960-2000) fire data to both human and biophysical variables. Data for the human variables included fine-resolution maps of…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 12.78
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 62
Authors
7- ADAlexandra D. SyphardCorresponding
University of Wisconsin–Madison
- VCVolker C. Radeloff
University of Wisconsin–Madison
- JEJon E. Keeley
United States Geological Survey, University of California, Los Angeles, Sequoia (United States)
- TJTodd J. Hawbaker
University of Wisconsin–Madison
- MKMurray K. Clayton
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Topics & keywords
- Shrubland
- Vegetation (pathology)
- Fire regime
- Wildland–urban interface
- Environmental science
- Ecoregion
- Population
- Ecology
- Sustainable cities and communities