Written by Josh McDaniel, January 2013
Over the past decade, fuel treatments using mechanical mastication have become increasingly common. Mastication provides a means to treat fuels that are otherwise difficult to treat with prescribed fire. However, a number of questions have arisen regarding the effectiveness and impact of the treatments. We spoke with land managers across the Southwest who have implemented mastication treatments and observed their performance and effects. Some of their insights are presented here along with summaries of research conducted on mastication treatments.
