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- Info
The look of the land: Homeowner landscape management and wildfire preparedness in Minnesota and Florida
| Author: |
Nelson, K.C.; Monroe, M. C.; Johnson, J. F. |
| Date: |
2004 |
| Periodical: |
Society and Natural Resources |
| Abstract: |
Many forest and fire agencies seek to influence homeowners to manage vegetation near their home to reduce wildfire risk. To be successful managers need to understand the range of existing landscape typologies based on a defensible space evaluation, homeowners' activities for wildfire preparedness, and what they value in landscape attributes. Interviews and visits with 80 homeowners at risk of wildfire in the wildland-urban interface of northern Minnesota and central Florida reveal that respondents managed for "naturalness," valuing their privacy, wildlife, aesthetics, and recreation. Five landscape typologies in Minnesota and four in Florida ranged from wide-open spaces to homes nestled in the deep woods. The valuing of naturalness was most closely linked to the tendency for a deep woods landscape. Respondents noted that how they manage for what they value as well as the ecosystem they live in partially explained their behavior in creating defensible space around their homes. |
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