An optimization model for aggregation of prescribed burn units

• James P. Minas ^[1] ; John W. Hearne ^[2]
  1. [1] Wilfrid Laurier University

     Wilfrid Laurier University

     Canadá

     
  2. [2] Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University

     Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University

     Australia

     
• Localización: Top, ISSN-e 1863-8279, ISSN 1134-5764, Vol. 24, Nº. 1, 2016, págs. 180-195
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen

  • Fire is a natural component of many terrestrial ecosystems; however, uncontrolled intense wildfires can cause loss of human life and destruction of natural resources. Prescribed burning is a management activity undertaken for the purposes of both wildfire hazard reduction and the preservation of fire-adapted ecosystems. Achievement of prescribed burn targets is made difficult by operational constraints such as limited personnel, equipment and suitable weather for undertaking burning. Prescribed burn program implementation may benefit from efficiencies gained in undertaking larger burns. Here, we present a mixed-integer programming formulation for aggregation of prescribed burn units. The model minimizes the total prescribed burn perimeter requiring management, by aggregating existing ‘fundamental’ burn units into larger compact and contiguous units or ‘clusters’. This problem is a special case of the ‘supervised regionalization’ or the ‘ p -regions problem’. The model’s functionality is demonstrated on a test landscape and a number of extensions and implementation issues are discussed.