Wildland Fire Ecology and Management

BIOL 5040.001 and EADP 4980.002
Wildland Fire Management
Fall 2003

UPDATED: October 27, 2003

Course Overview

Fire is one of the oldest natural phenomena. From time immemorial, fire has shaped the evolution of plants, animals, ecosystems, and even the course of human civilization. Our ability to both create and control this potentially destructive form of energy makes fire unique among the major disturbances that influence and shape ecosystems, and as such, the active use of fire has become a key technique in conservation management.

The tremendous forest and range fires of 2000 and 2002 have shown us the deadly and destructive consequences of the past 100 years of wildland fire suppression. Recent policy initiatives have increased the controversy and the confusion over wildland fires, particularly in the "red zone," the wildland/urban interface (WUI). Many new residents, especially in rural areas of Texas, build expensive homes with poor access in areas that have extremely high potential for destructive wildfire, with little to no understanding of the risks to themselves or to the emergency personnel who must respond to the inevitable conflagrations.

This course will explore the role fire plays in the natural landscapes and urban interfaces of North America, how the interplay of science and myth has shaped wildfire management, and how the importance of fire management is rapidly increasing with new advances in understanding and its changing status in public opinion. This course will provide practical instruction in fire behavior, fuel and fire assessment methods, and fire management techniques.

FIRE LINKS
(www.ias.unt.edu/~llela/firelinks.htm)

FIRE PICTURES
(www.ias.unt.edu/~llela/wildfire.htm)

Lecture pdf files (when available) are located in the schedule (below)

Instructors

Dwight Barry
ENV 356
940.369.7165
llela@unt.edu

Bruce Hunter
ENV 320J
940.565.2991
hunter@unt.edu

Robie Robinson
WH 360
940.565.3786
robinson@unt.edu

Class will be held in ENV 391, Thursday 6-9pm

Course Requirements

Students will be expected to attend class and participate in class discussions. Grades will be based upon three in-class exams and active participation in the concluding workshop. Graduate students will be expected to write a paper based upon a fire ecology or management topic. Grading will be as follows:

	Undergraduates	Graduates
Test One	25%	20%
Test Two	25%	20%
Test Three	25%	20%
Firewise Workshop	25%	20%
Paper		20%

· The three tests will allow you the opportunity to apply your knowledge to specific problems or issues in wildland fire management, and will consist of multiple-choice type questions, terminology, evaluations of the assigned readings, and applied problem solving exercises. More information will be provided in class.

· The Firewise workshop will allow you the opportunity to apply your knowledge to a simulation exercise that addresses some of the real-world concerns and issues that individuals, communities, and emergency response (especially fire) personnel face in the wildland urban interface. More information will be provided in class.

· Graduate student essays will be publication-quality and will reflect graduate level knowledge and application of the subject matter to a wildland fire issue of their choice. More information will be provided in class.

Readings

From your favorite bookstore (you will need to order it):

True, A. 2001. Wildfire: A reader. Island Press.

Obtain in class (cost $8.00):

US Forest Service. 1989. A guide for prescribed fire in southern forests. Technical Publication R8-TP 11. NFES 2108. National Interagency Fire Center.

National Wildfire Coordinating Group. 1994. Introduction to wildland fire behavior. NFES 1860. National Interagency Fire Center.

National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Firefighter’s Guide. NFES 1571. National Interagency Fire Center.

National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Appendix B of Fireline Handbook, NWCG Handbook 3. NFES 2165. National Interagency Fire Center.

Other readings will be distributed in class as needed.

Reading schedule:

NFES and Firewise publications are meant to reinforce course material presented in class—so, if you hear it in class, and you see it these books, you will probably see it on the test!

The Wildfire Reader essays will not be discussed in class. These readings provide a wider perspective and specific social contexts on the technical issues we discuss in class, and thus (like the technical information) serve as preparatory material for the Firewise workshop at the conclusion of the semester. As something of a bonus: they’re actually fun to read—no dry academic drivel. The readings will be on the tests as short essay questions. For example, “Part 1: In the style of a movie review (2 sentences maximum), present the main point of [a reading] and why it’s worth a read. Part 2: Discuss your own opinions and thoughts that were generated from this same reading.”

Note that more reading is required as the course progresses. PLAN ACCORDINGLY!

Test 1: Fire Behavior

National Wildfire Coordinating Group. 1994. Introduction to wildland fire behavior. NFES 1860. National Interagency Fire Center.

Test 2 (October 23): Firefighting

National Wildfire Coordinating Group. 1986. Firefighter’s Guide. NFES 1571. National Interagency Fire Center.

Wildfire Reader: pages 63-78, 90-112, 113-125, 156-169, 196-199

Test 3 (November 20): Fire Ecology and Urban/Wildland Interface

US Forest Service. 1989. A guide for prescribed fire in southern forests. Technical Publication R8-TP 11. NFES 2108. National Interagency Fire Center.

National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Appendix B of Fireline Handbook, NWCG Handbook 3. NFES 2165. National Interagency Fire Center.

Firewise Readings (to be distributed)

Wildfire Reader: pages 34-45, 53-62, 79-83, 170-176, 187-195, 200-208, 215-222

TENTATIVE Course Schedule

Guest speakers in various fire management positions will present their views and experiences in wildland fire ecology and management over the course of the semester, so all dates and topics are tentative and subject to change, primarily based upon speaker availability. Links in the schedule are Adobe pdf files of the lecture slides (note: there are some formatting errors between Powerpoint and Adobe. Sorry.).

Date	Topics
August 28	Discussion of syllabus Fire Wars video
September 4	Introduction to Fire Science Fire Behavior I (S-190)
September 11	Fire Behavior I (S-190) continued Fire Behavior II (Weather, GIS, Modeling) Lecture notes
September 18	Fire Behavior Test Computer Modeling of Fire Behavior
September 25	Fire Suppression I (S-130)
October 2	Fire Suppression II Firefighter Religion: 10/18 and LCES
October 9	Engine Night Guest speakers – Fire management Denton Fire Department Prescribed Fire Solutions UNT's "Type 7"
October 16	No Class (so spend some time studying!)
October 23	Fire Suppression Test Intro to Fire Ecology Using Appendix B Intro to Prescribed Fire
October 30	Intro to Fire Effects Guest speakers – Fire Science and Management in action Maria Moreno, UNT: Evaluating fuel loads and models in a tallgrass prairie Roger Mangham, TNC: Fire Management with the Nature Conservancy Chris David, UNT: Student Association for Fire Ecology
November 6	UWI and UWI Case Studies (Berkeley, Boulder, Austin)
November 13	UWI II
November 20	Fire Ecology and UWI Test Firewise Workshop Part I
November 27	No Class: Thanksgiving Holiday
December4	Firewise Workshop II

FIRE LINKS
(www.ias.unt.edu/~llela/firelinks.htm)