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UC Merced UC Merced Electronic Theses and Dissertations UC Merced UC Merced Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Fine Particulate Matter and Wildland Fire Smoke: Integrating Air Quality, Fire Management, and Policy in the California Sierra Nevada Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3gz7w3bw Author Schweizer, Donald Publication Date 2016 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 4.0 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California i UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, MERCED Fine Particulate Matter and Wildland Fire Smoke: Integrating Air Quality, Fire Management, and Policy in the California Sierra Nevada A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Donald Schweizer in Environmental Systems Committee Members: Professor Ricardo Cisneros, Advisor Professor Samuel Traina, Chair Professor Teamrat A. Ghezzehei Professor Glenn Shaw 2016 ii Portion of Chapter 2 © 2016 Elsevier Limited Portion of Chapter 3 © 2014 Elsevier Limited Portion of Chapter 5 © 2016 Springer All other chapters © 2016 Donald Schweizer iii The dissertation of Donald Schweizer is hereby approved: Ricardo Cisneros, Advisor Date Teamrat A. Ghezzehei Date Glenn Shaw Date Samuel Traina, Chair Date iv Table of Contents List of abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................... x Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... xi Curriculum Vitae ........................................................................................................................... xii Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... xiv Chapter 1.0 Smoke in the Sierra Nevada ..................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1.1 Smoke ecology ..................................................................................................... 2 Chapter 1.2 Smoke and human health ..................................................................................... 3 Chapter 1.3 Smoke and fine particulate matter in the Sierra Nevada ...................................... 5 Chapter 1.4 Fire management policy ....................................................................................... 7 Chapter 1.5 Air management policy ...................................................................................... 10 Chapter 1.6 Objectives .......................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 2.0 Limitations of agreement ....................................................................................... 14 Chapter 2.1 A comparative analysis of temporary and permanent beta attenuation monitors: The importance of understanding data and equipment limitations when creating PM 2.5 air quality health advisories. ........................................................................................................... 16 Abstract .................................................................................................................................. 16 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 17 Methods ................................................................................................................................. 18 Results .................................................................................................................................... 21 Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 30 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................ 32 Chapter 3.0 Smoke impacts from wildland fire managed for ecological benefit ...................... 34 Chapter 3.1 Wildland fire management and air quality in the southern Sierra Nevada: using the Lion Fire as a case study with a multi-year perspective on PM 2.5 impacts and fire policy .. 35 Abstract .................................................................................................................................. 35 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 36 Material and methods ............................................................................................................. 42 Results .................................................................................................................................... 46 Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 54 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................ 58 v Chapter 4.0 Smoke impacts from suppression versus ecologically beneficial wildland fires on public health over multiple years at a single site ........................................................................... 59 Chapter 4.1 Managed wildland fire as an option for smoke mitigation to air quality in the California Sierra Nevada by the reduction of landscape level megafire impacts to federal health standards for fine particulate matter. ........................................................................... 61 Abstract .................................................................................................................................. 61 Background ............................................................................................................................ 62 Methods ................................................................................................................................. 64 Results .................................................................................................................................... 68 Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 83 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................ 84 Chapter 5.0 Conclusions and policy recommendations ............................................................. 86 Chapter 5.1 Forest fire policy: change conventional thinking of smoke management to prioritize long-term air quality and public health ...................................................................... 87 Abstract .................................................................................................................................. 87 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 88 The Sierra Nevada of California Example ............................................................................. 89 Wider Policy Suggestions ...................................................................................................... 90 Chapter 5.2 Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 92 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................. 94 vi List of abbreviations APCD Air Pollution Control District AQI Air Quality Index BAM Met One, Inc. Beta-attenuation Monitor CAA the Clean Air Act CARB California Air Resources Board EBAM Met One, Inc. Environmental Beta-attenuation Monitor EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency FEM Federal Equivalency Method FLM Federal Land Manager FRM Federal Reference Method HMS Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Product HYSPLT Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model MODIS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards NASA United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NPS National Park Service, Department of the Interior PM 2.5 Fine particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in aerodynamic diameter RAWS Remote Automatic Weather Station SIP State Implementation Plan USFS United States Forest Service, Department of Agriculture WUI Wildland urban interface vii List of Figures Figure 1.1. 2011 Lion Fire temporary smoke monitoring with environmental beta-attenuation monitor (EBAM) and permanent beta-attenuation monitor (BAM) sites managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), National Park Service (NPS), and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). ........................................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 1.2. 1940s era U.S. Forest Service public campaign likens forest fires to death and destruction. ......................................................................................................................................
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