Effects of weather, fuel and terrain on fire severity in topographically diverse landscapes of south-eastern Australia

Bradstock, Ross A.; Hammill, Kate; Collins, Luke; Price, Owen

doi:10.1007/s10980-009-9443-8

Cited by 255 publications

(251 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The classification had at least 88% accuracy (Chafer et al 2004), with independent verification finding high levels of agreement (Hammill and Bradstock 2006). Bradstock et al (2010) subsequently utilised this severity mapping to examine the relative influence that weather, time since fire, topographic position, slope and aspect had on patterns of fire severity for the Mount Hall and Nattai fires, which occur at the low end of the precipitation gradient (Fig. 1).…”

Section: -1000mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Six severity classes were mapped: (1) foliage and stems ,10 mm in the shrub and tree canopy layer consumed, (2) shrub foliage consumed and tree canopy partially scorched or consumed, (3) understorey shrub fire with complete tree canopy scorch, (4) understorey shrub fire with partial tree canopy scorch, (5) understorey shrub fire with no tree canopy scorch and (6) unburnt. Binary reclassification was undertaken as per Bradstock et al (2010) to permit two separate analyses focusing on (i) understorey fire (1: classes 3, 4, 5, 6; 0: classes 1, 2) and (ii) crown fire (1: class 1; 0: classes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). Understorey fires (UF) are confined to the shrub and ground layers, with unburnt patches sometimes present.…”

Section: -1000mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is some evidence from eucalypt forests in southern Australia that areas recently burnt (i.e. ,5-10 years since fire) by prescribed burns and wildfires will alter wildfire behaviour, even reducing the occurrence of CF under very high to extreme weather conditions (Fernandes and Botelho 2003;Bradstock et al 2010). However, analysis of 114 fires by McCarthy and Tolhurst (2001) has shown that the effectiveness of fuel reduction burning (i.e.…”

Section: Management Implications and Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Weather, fuel availability and topography are key influences on fire severity in temperate forest ecosystems globally (Collins et al 2007; Thompson and Spies 2009;Bradstock et al 2010;Murphy and Russell-Smith 2010), and are often used to quantify fire risk and wildfire probability across large spatial scales (Bradstock et al 1998;Parisien et al 2012). However, the relative effect that these variables have on fire regimes may vary across landscapes in response to environmental gradients (Schoennagel et al 2004;Krawchuk and Moritz 2011;Perry et al 2011;Price and Bradstock 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, difference Normalised Burn Ratio) and field based measures of vegetation consumption (Chafer et al 2004;Hammill and Bradstock 2006;Keeley 2009). Remotely sensed indices of reflectance change have been frequently utilised to identify variables driving spatial patterns of fire severity across forested landscapes (Collins et al 2007;Bradstock et al 2010;Murphy and Russell-Smith 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Can precipitation influence landscape controls on wildfire severity? A case study within temperate eucalypt forests of south-eastern Australia

Collins

Bradstock

Penman

2014

Int. J. Wildland Fire

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Abstract. The environmental, economic and social impacts of wildfires depend on spatial patterns of fire severity. An understanding as to how drivers of fire severity vary across broad vegetation communities exists. However, examination of variation within communities in response to gradients of moisture has received little attention so far. This study examined whether relationships between environmental variables (i.e. fire weather, topography and fuel age) and fire severity were modified by increasing mean annual precipitation. Understorey fires were more likely to occur in young fuels (i.e. ,5 years since fire) in drier sites, although this effect diminished as precipitation increased. The probability of occurrence of understorey fires under non-extreme weather and on steep slopes was reduced in wetter areas. Relationships between crown fire and weather, topography and fuel age were largely unaltered by the precipitation gradient, with only a marginally significant interaction occurring between weather and mean annual precipitation. Greater fine fuel accumulation associated with increased precipitation presumably reduced fuel limitations imposed by environmental factors (i.e. fire weather, slope, fuel age), altering their relative control on the probability of understorey fire. The probability of crown fires is predominantly driven by fire weather and is consequently less sensitive to precipitation gradients. Consideration of precipitation gradients will be necessary when identifying controls of fire severity and devising effective fire management strategies.

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Section: -1000mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: -1000mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Management Implications and Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Can precipitation influence landscape controls on wildfire severity? A case study within temperate eucalypt forests of south-eastern Australia

Collins

Bradstock

Penman

2014

Int. J. Wildland Fire

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Fire management strategies to maintain species population processes in a fragmented landscape of fire‐interval extremes

Tulloch

Pichancourt

Gosper

et al. 2016

Ecological Applications

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Changed fire regimes have led to declines of fire-regime-adapted species and loss of biodiversity globally. Fire affects population processes of growth, reproduction, and dispersal in different ways, but there is little guidance about the best fire regime(s) to maintain species population processes in fire-prone ecosystems. We use a process-based approach to determine the best range of fire intervals for keystone plant species in a highly modified Mediterranean ecosystem in southwestern Australia where current fire regimes vary. In highly fragmented areas, fires are few due to limited ignitions and active suppression of wildfire on private land, while in highly connected protected areas fires are frequent and extensive. Using matrix population models, we predict population growth of seven Banksia species under different environmental conditions and patch connectivity, and evaluate the sensitivity of species survival to different fire management strategies and burning intervals. We discover that contrasting, complementary patterns of species life-histories with time since fire result in no single best fire regime. All strategies result in the local patch extinction of at least one species. A small number of burning strategies secure complementary species sets depending on connectivity and post-fire growing conditions. A strategy of no fire always leads to fewer species persisting than prescribed fire or random wildfire, while too-frequent or too-rare burning regimes lead to the possible local extinction of all species. In low landscape connectivity, we find a smaller range of suitable fire intervals, and strategies of prescribed or random burning result in a lower number of species with positive growth rates after 100 years on average compared with burning high connectivity patches. Prescribed fire may reduce or increase extinction risk when applied in combination with wildfire depending on patch connectivity. Poor growing conditions result in a significantly reduced number of species exhibiting positive growth rates after 100 years of management. By exploring the consequences of managing fire, we are able to identify which species are likely to disappear under a given fire regime. Identifying the appropriate complementarity of fire intervals, and their species-specific as well as community-level consequences, is crucial to reduce local extinctions of species in fragmented fire-prone landscapes.

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Fine‐scale spatial climate variation and drought mediate the likelihood of reburning

Parks

Parisien

Miller

et al. 2018

Ecological Applications

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In many forested ecosystems, it is increasingly recognized that the probability of burning is substantially reduced within the footprint of previously burned areas. This self-limiting effect of wildland fire is considered a fundamental emergent property of ecosystems and is partly responsible for structuring landscape heterogeneity (i.e., mosaics of different age classes), thereby reducing the likelihood of uncharacteristically large fires in regions with active fire regimes. However, the strength and longevity of this self-limiting phenomenon is not well understood in most fire-prone ecosystems. In this study, we quantify the self-limiting effect in terms of its strength and longevity for five fire-prone study areas in western North America and investigate how each measure varies along a spatial climatic gradient and according to temporal (i.e., annual) climatic variation. Results indicate that the longevity (i.e., number of years) of the self-limiting effect ranges between 15 yr in the warm and dry study area in the southwestern United States to 33 yr in the cold, northern study areas in located in northwestern Montana and the boreal forest of Canada. We also found that spatial climatic variation has a strong influence on wildland fire's self-limiting capacity. Specifically, the self-limiting effect within each study area was stronger and lasted longer in areas with low mean moisture deficit (i.e., wetter and cooler settings) compared to areas with high mean moisture deficit (warmer and drier settings). Last, our findings show that annual climatic variation influences wildland fire's self-limiting effect: drought conditions weakened the strength and longevity of the self-limiting effect in all study areas, albeit at varying magnitudes. Overall, our study provides support for the idea that wildland fire contributes to spatial heterogeneity in fuel ages that subsequently mediate future fire sizes and effects. However, our findings show that the strength and longevity of the self-limiting effect varies considerably according to spatial and temporal climatic variation, providing land and fire managers relevant information for effective planning and management of fire and highlighting that fire itself is an important factor contributing to fire-free intervals.

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Effects of weather, fuel and terrain on fire severity in topographically diverse landscapes of south-eastern Australia

Cited by 255 publications

References 28 publications

Can precipitation influence landscape controls on wildfire severity? A case study within temperate eucalypt forests of south-eastern Australia

Can precipitation influence landscape controls on wildfire severity? A case study within temperate eucalypt forests of south-eastern Australia

Fire management strategies to maintain species population processes in a fragmented landscape of fire‐interval extremes

Fine‐scale spatial climate variation and drought mediate the likelihood of reburning

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