U.S.-Australia Joint Seminar: Integrating Research on Fire-prone Forest Environments / Melbourne, Australia / June 1989

该奖项将支持六名美国科学家参加一个美国-澳大利亚研讨会，该研讨会将重点讨论在容易发生火灾的森林环境中与发展有关的问题。美国和澳大利亚以及世界其他地区的人类发展正在逐步扩展到基本上是野生森林的环境。人们经常被吸引到这些地区，寻求与自然和野生动物更近距离的互动，以及享受自然美景，宁静和孤独。然而，在温带森林环境中，火是自然生态过程的一个重要组成部分，发展可能对人类财产和生命造成危害。在美国和澳大利亚，对森林生态系统和森林火灾行为的科学理解已经取得了相当大的进展。在人类对环境质量和自然灾害的感知方面的研究也取得了较少但重要的进展。已经开发出了预测森林发展的模型，还有一些预测森林火灾行为的模型，还有一些将森林特征与公众对自然美景的看法联系起来的模型。然而，这些独立的研究领域尚未被整合到一个模型中，该模型可以有效地指导火灾易发森林地区的设计和开发。这次研讨会是在美澳合作科学项目下举行的，将作为一个工具，汇集两国分别研究这些相关问题领域的研究人员。目标是完成初步步骤，为设计和管理森林发展建立一个综合科学信息库，以提供人们所寻求的自然环境便利，而不对生命和财产造成不可接受的危险。讨论的目的将是确定互利双边合作的机会。研讨会的组织者是亚利桑那大学的Terry C. Daniel教授和澳大利亚墨尔本大学的Ian Ferguson教授。协办方是德克萨斯农工大学的Michael M. McCarthy教授和墨尔本大学的Ian P. Williamson教授。

This award will support the participation of six U.S. scientists in a U.S.-Australia seminar that will focus on problems associated with development in fire-prone forest environments. Human development in the U.S. and Australia, as well as other regions of the world, is progressively extending into essentially wild forested environments. People are frequently drawn to these areas seeking closer interaction with nature and wildlife, as well as enjoyment of natural scenic beauty, quiet, and solitude. However, in temperate forest environments where fire is an important component of natural ecological processes, development can prove hazardous to human property and lives. Scientific understanding of forest ecosystems and forest fire behavior has progressed considerably in the U.S. and Australia. Less, but significant, progress has also been made in research on human perception of environmental quality and of natural hazards. Models have been developed that predict forest development, others that predict forest fire behavior, and still others that relate forest characteristics to public perceptions of natural scenic beauty. However, these separate areas of study have not yet been integrated into a model that can effectively guide design and development in fire-prone forest areas. This seminar, under the U.S.-Australia Cooperative Science Program, will serve as a vehicle for bringing together researchers from both countries who have separately addressed these relevant problem areas. The goal is to complete initial steps toward the creation of an integrated scientific information base for the design and management of forest developments that can provide the natural environmental amenities that people seek, without unacceptable risks to lives and property. Discussion will be directed toward identifying opportunities for mutually beneficial binational cooperation. The seminar organizers are Professor Terry C. Daniel, University of Arizona, and Professor Ian Ferguson, University of Melbourne, Australia. Co-organizers are Professor Michael M. McCarthy, Texas A&M University, and Professor Ian P. Williamson, University of Melbourne.