Fire management of complex rehabilitated forests - quantifying and understanding spatial variability of forest structure and fuels. Up to 5 million ha of forest is burnt by bushfire in Australia in severe fire years. The cost of fire suppression in 2002/3 in WA was in excess of 12 million dollars. Consequently, development and application of technologies and knowledge for enhancing fire management and reducing wildfire risk is of high priority and substantial economic, social and environmental b ....Fire management of complex rehabilitated forests - quantifying and understanding spatial variability of forest structure and fuels. Up to 5 million ha of forest is burnt by bushfire in Australia in severe fire years. The cost of fire suppression in 2002/3 in WA was in excess of 12 million dollars. Consequently, development and application of technologies and knowledge for enhancing fire management and reducing wildfire risk is of high priority and substantial economic, social and environmental benefit. The opportunity to conduct experimental fires across a complex landscape will enable calibration and development of technologies not previously possible. This research will define the way prescribed fire is used to integrate young rehabilitated forest into management of the broader landscape and develop more cost-effective tools for fire management.Read moreRead less
Bushfire smoke and the relationship between human and landscape health. A team of landscape ecologists, environmental chemists and public health specialists will determine the ecological causes and adverse health effects of different levels of bushfire smoke in Darwin. Darwin is an ideal setting for this research because the only source of air pollution is the high incidence of controlled and uncontrolled bushfires during the dry season causing variable air quality: a preliminary study found a ....Bushfire smoke and the relationship between human and landscape health. A team of landscape ecologists, environmental chemists and public health specialists will determine the ecological causes and adverse health effects of different levels of bushfire smoke in Darwin. Darwin is an ideal setting for this research because the only source of air pollution is the high incidence of controlled and uncontrolled bushfires during the dry season causing variable air quality: a preliminary study found a link between smoke pollution levels and asthma. The findings of the proposed research will contribute to improved fire management practices to reduce injurious smoke pollution events and contribute to setting appropriate national air quality standards.Read moreRead less
Coupled Atmosphere-Bushfire Modelling with Application to Canberra 2003. Large bushfires are by far the largest contributor to property losses in Australia. Prescribed fire is an important land management tool for farmers, foresters and park managers among others. There is a need to develop practical and accurate tools for predicting the behaviour and spread of both prescribed and uncontrolled fires. Australian bushfire research and land management would benefit greatly from the application of m ....Coupled Atmosphere-Bushfire Modelling with Application to Canberra 2003. Large bushfires are by far the largest contributor to property losses in Australia. Prescribed fire is an important land management tool for farmers, foresters and park managers among others. There is a need to develop practical and accurate tools for predicting the behaviour and spread of both prescribed and uncontrolled fires. Australian bushfire research and land management would benefit greatly from the application of modern, advanced computational methods. The time is ripe for the huge advances in computer technology and numerical modelling to be applied directly to fire problems, benefiting public safety and the safety of fire-fighting volunteers.Read moreRead less