WUI
WUI
What is a “WUI”? WUI stands for “Wildland-Urban Interface”, a term coined by fire scientists to broadly describe places where human populations bump up against, and merge into, undeveloped wild lands. WUIs form the transition between the human-built and natural environments in our watersheds.
In New Mexico, WUIs tend to be located along river corridors, near the base of mountains, and in lands that form the forest fringe. On the plains, WUIs extend into grasslands or arid shrub lands.
WUIs are important for several reasons. They tend to be in ecologically sensitive landscapes. They connect communities to the natural environment. They are subject to both natural and human-caused disturbances. Communities adjacent to these wildlands may be more exposed to natural disturbances like floods and wildfire. At the same time, WUIs are vulnerable to damage which can result from human activities.
