Scientists and managers alike need timely, cost-effective, and technically appropriate fire-related information to develop functional strategies for the diverse fire communities. "Remote Sensing Modeling and Applications to Wildland Fires" addresses wildland fire management needs by presenting discussions that link ecology and the physical sciences from local to regional levels, views on integrated decision support data for policy and decision makers, new technologies and techniques, and future challenges and how remote sensing might help to address them. While creating awareness of wildland fire management and rehabilitation issues, hands-on experience in applying remote sensing and simulation modeling is also shared. This book will be a useful reference work for researchers, practitioners and graduate students in the fields of fire science, remote sensing and modeling applications. Professor John J. Qu works at the Department of Geography and GeoInformation Science at George Mason University (GMU), USA. He is the Founder and Director of the Environmental Science and Technology Center (ESTC) and EastFIRE Lab at GMU.
The nation's wildland fire problems have worsened dramatically over the past decade, with more than a doubling of average annual acreage burned and federal appropriations for wildland fire management. The deteriorating fire situation has led the agencies responsible for managing wildland fires on federal lands -- the Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture and four agencies in the Department of the Interior -- to reassess how they respond to wildland fire and to take steps to improve their fire management programs. This report reviewed: (1) progress the agencies have made in managing wildland fire; and (2) key actions previously recommended and are still necessary to improve wildland fire management. Charts and tables.