Science brief examining how mastication treatments influence fire behavior, fuel consumption, and management costs.
This FireEarth Science Brief synthesizes research evaluating how mastication treatments affect fire behavior in western U.S. forests. Mastication, which redistributes thinned vegetation as chipped or mulched surface fuels, is widely used to reduce extreme fire hazards and create defensible space. The brief summarizes laboratory and prescribed-fire experiments conducted in ponderosa pine stands at the University of Idaho Experimental Forest. Researchers compared coarse and fine mastication treatments one and two growing seasons after treatment.
Results showed generally low and variable flame lengths and rates of spread across treatments. Coarse mastication was faster and approximately 15% more cost-effective than fine mastication, with similar fire behavior outcomes. However, masticated fuels, particularly under field conditions, produced extended smoldering combustion, which may increase smoke production and the risk of spot fires. Findings highlight tradeoffs between treatment efficiency, fire intensity reduction, and smoke emissions, underscoring the need for additional coupled laboratory and field research to guide adaptive forest management.
The production of this science brief was supported by the National Science Foundation through award DMS-1520873.
This publication is part of an archive and may not meet current digital accessibility standards. CSANR is working to improve digital accessibility of all materials. If you need this content in an alternative format, please contact csanr@wsu.edu.
Authors
Kirkpatrick, A. and Hall, S. A.
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Suggested Citation
Kirkpatrick, A.W. 2021. A Tool to Predict the Effects of Land Management on Water and Sediment Yield. FireEarth Science Brief No. 13. Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University. Available at: https://csanr.wsu.edu/publications/fireearth-brief13
Year Published
2021
Areas of Focus
Climate & Environment and Research Engagement & Communication
Topics
Climate Change, Natural Resources, and Production Systems
