Adding fuel to the fire: the impacts of non-native grass invasion on fire management at a regional scale.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Widespread invasion by non-native plants has resulted in substantial change in fire-fuel characteristics and fire-behaviour in many of the world's ecosystems, with a subsequent increase in the risk of fire damage to human life, property and the environment. Models used by fire management agencies to assess fire risk are dependent on accurate assessments of fuel characteristics but there is little evidence that they have been modified to reflect landscape-scale invasions. There is also a paucity of information documenting other changes in fire management activities that have occurred to mitigate changed fire regimes. This represents an important limitation in information for both fire and weed risk management.

Methodology/principal findings

We undertook an aerial s

SUBMITTER: Setterfield SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3653883 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature