Abstract:
The Fire-Climate-Society (FCS-1) is an online, spatially explicit strategic wildfire planning model with an embedded multi-criteria decision process that facilitates the construction of user-designed risk assessment maps under alternative climate scenarios and varying perspectives of fire probability and values at risk.
FCS-1 was developed for the varying vegetation, climate, and topography as
... well as the unique human dimensions of wild fire in four venues (Catalina/Rincons, Huachucas, Chiricahuas in southeastern Arizona and the Jemez Mountains in northern New Mexico). The model currently is made of up five "fire probability" and four "values at risk" model components. FCS-1 can be run under differing climate and corresponding fuel moisture conditions. Through an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), FCS-1 allows users to assign weights to individual model components through a series of one-on-one comparisons which graphically portray the relationship between multiple and potentially contrasting or incongruent elements of a complex problem. The on-line application can be used by an individual, and the models of a group of individuals can be merged to help understand differing views and build consensus.
[Summary provided by the University of Arizona.] 
