Spatial optimization of the pattern of fuel management activities and subsequent effects on simulated wildfires

Methods for scheduling forest management activities in a spatial pattern (dispersed, clumped, random, and regular) are presented, with the intent to examine the effects of placement of activities on resulting simulated wildfire behavior. Both operational and fuel reduction management prescriptions are examined, and a heuristic was employed to schedule the activities. The main hypothesis is that simulated wildfire effects during a severe fire season may be mitigated by scheduling activities in a pattern across the landscape. Results suggest: (1) operational management prescriptions, designed to promote the development of forest structure within a desired range of stand density, were not appropriate for mitigating wildfire effects, and (2) increased harvest levels obscure spatial patterns of activity, making patterns less clear as harvests increase. Results also suggest that fuel reduction management prescriptions may marginally minimize wildfire severity during a severe fire season, when scheduled in a spatial pattern.