LANDFIRE ›› Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q.	Why are we using VDDT instead of another model?

Although other quantitative state-and-transition models exist, VDDT (Beukema and others 2003) has been selected as the model of choice for nationally consistent fire and fuels projects (including LANDFIRE and FRCC) because:

• It is public domain, free and accessible to all (download at www.essa.com/vddt).
• It is a mature and time-tested model.
• It is user-friendly and relatively easy to learn.
• It is non-spatial, so we aren.t limited in places where there is a lack of spatial data, nor are we limited by data storage requirements. This aspect was critical for the Rapid Assessment phase of LANDFIRE, given the constraints of the project. For LANDFIRE National, VDDT models are paired with spatial data through the LANDSUM (Keane and others 2002) model.

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Beukema, S.J.; Kurz, W. A.; Pinkham, C.B.; Milosheva, K.; Frid, L. 2003. Vegetation Dynamics development tool, User.s Guide, Version 4.4c. Prepared by ESSA Technologies Ltd., Vancouver, BC. 239 p. [Online.] Available: www.essa.com/vddt.

Keane, R.E.; Parsons, R.; Hessburg, P. 2002. Estimating historical range and variation of landscape patch dynamics: limitations of the simulation approach. Ecological Modeling. 151: 29-49.