Fire Science: From Chemistry to Landscape Management

This textbook provides students and academics with a conceptual understanding of fire behavior and fire effects to support effective integrated fire management. It covers combustion and heat transfer, fire effects on people, plants, soils, and animals, and examples from around the Earth. Understanding fire science is critical to forecasting the implications of global change for fires and their effects.

Format: Hardback
Length: 644 pages
Publication date: 25 September 2021
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This textbook is a valuable resource for students and academics seeking to gain a comprehensive understanding of fire behavior and its effects on people and ecosystems. It offers a straightforward learning path through a combination of case studies, interactive spreadsheets, and clear explanations, making it accessible to undergraduate, graduate, and professional readers. The authors, with extensive experience in teaching fundamental concepts and applications, have synthesized cutting-edge science and applied lessons learned from fire practitioners.

The book explores fire as a vital component of the environment and human health, covering combustion and heat transfer, as well as the impact of fire on various elements of forest, grassland, and woodland ecosystems across the globe. Through case studies and examples, it connects fundamental concepts to local, landscape, and global fire implications, including social-ecological systems.

Over the past few decades, fire science and integrated fire management have made significant progress worldwide. However, society faces numerous challenges related to fires, such as the increasing occurrence of large fires that pose a threat to human lives and property, the health hazards associated with smoke, and the lengthening of fire seasons across different regions.

Fires have multiple uses, including fire suppression, wildlife conservation, habitat enhancement, livestock grazing management, fuel management, and ecological restoration. Understanding fire science is crucial for forecasting the implications of global change on fires and their effects. By increasing the positive effects of fire (such as fuel reduction and enhanced habitat for plants and animals) while reducing the negative impacts (such as loss of human lives and carbon emissions), we can achieve a more balanced and sustainable approach to fire management.

This textbook provides a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to fire behavior and its effects, making it an essential resource for students, researchers, and practitioners in the field of fire science and integrated fire management.

Weight: 1184g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030698140
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021