Event Title
Factors Contributing to the Changes in Wildfire Incidence in California between 2000 and 2010
Location
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Start Date
1-5-2014 10:00 AM
End Date
1-5-2014 11:00 AM
Project Type
Poster- Restricted to Campus Access
Description
Since 2000, California has experienced some of the worst wildfires in the history of the United States. This project aims to study trends in potential factors contributing to wildfires and determine how they may be related to a changing level in wildfire incidence. In order to determine the change in wildfire incidence data from the Department of the Interiors LANDFIRE program was used. The geospatial layer, Mean Fire Return Interval (MFRI), quantifies the average period between fires under the presumed historical fire regime. The MFRI layer is derived from vegetation disturbance models. MFRI maps of California for both, 2001 and 2010 were reclassified so that the ArcGIS Raster Calculator tool could be used to calculate the change in fire incidence. The computed changed levels of fire incidence map was then converted to a county map of California, with each county having its own attribute representing the average change fire incidence. This county map was then used to compare changes in fire incidence with changing weather data including precipitation and temperature.
Faculty Sponsor
Manny Gimond
Sponsoring Department
Colby College. Environmental Studies Program
CLAS Field of Study
Interdisciplinary Studies
Event Website
http://www.colby.edu/clas
ID
574
Factors Contributing to the Changes in Wildfire Incidence in California between 2000 and 2010
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Since 2000, California has experienced some of the worst wildfires in the history of the United States. This project aims to study trends in potential factors contributing to wildfires and determine how they may be related to a changing level in wildfire incidence. In order to determine the change in wildfire incidence data from the Department of the Interiors LANDFIRE program was used. The geospatial layer, Mean Fire Return Interval (MFRI), quantifies the average period between fires under the presumed historical fire regime. The MFRI layer is derived from vegetation disturbance models. MFRI maps of California for both, 2001 and 2010 were reclassified so that the ArcGIS Raster Calculator tool could be used to calculate the change in fire incidence. The computed changed levels of fire incidence map was then converted to a county map of California, with each county having its own attribute representing the average change fire incidence. This county map was then used to compare changes in fire incidence with changing weather data including precipitation and temperature.
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2014/program/211