Grassland and forest understorey biomass emissions from prescribed fires in the south-eastern United States – RxCADRE 2012

Strand, Tara; Gullett, Brian K.; Urbanski, S. P.; O’Neill, Susan; Potter, Brian E.; Aurell, Johanna; Holder, Amara L.; Larkin, Narasimhan; Moore, Mark; Rorig, Miriam

doi:10.1071/wf14166

Cited by 24 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The FL grass burn L2G exhibited the same high initial PM and BC concentration and slight decrease in α a and ω as the SC burns. However, the forest burn L2F had mostly constant α a and ω that increased slightly only at the very end, suggesting a shift toward more smoldering conditions after the primary flame front passed [ Strand et al ., , Figure 12].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Particulate matter and black carbon optical properties and emission factors from prescribed fires in the southeastern United States

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aerosol optical properties of biomass burning emissions are critical parameters determining how these emissions impact the Earth's climate. Despite their importance, field measurements of aerosol optical properties from fires remain scarce. Aerosol emissions from prescribed fires of forested and grass plots in the southeastern United States were measured and compared to emissions from laboratory simulations. Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), black carbon (BC), and aerosol light scattering and absorption were characterized for all fires. Refractory BC emission factors (EFs) measured at ground level (~2 m) were 0.76 ± 0.15 g/kg, comparable to the 0.93 ± 0.32 g/kg measured aloft (~100-600 m). However, PM EFs measured by aircraft were only 18% (5.4 ± 2.0 g/kg) of those measured on the ground (28.8 ± 9.8 g/kg). Such large differences in PM EFs for the same fire have not been previously reported and may plausibly be due to the differing particle measurement methodologies being applied but also likely related to partitioning of organic compounds to the gas phase as the plume dilutes aloft. Higher PM EFs on the ground may also be related to a higher contribution from smoldering combustion. The absorption Ångström exponents (α a ) for the high intensity South Carolina fires were 3.92 ± 0.6, which was larger than prescribed forest fire in Florida (2.84) and the grass fire in Florida (2.71), implying a larger absorption contribution from brown carbon from higher-intensity fires. Aerosol optical properties from laboratory simulations did not represent field measurements.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Particulate matter and black carbon optical properties and emission factors from prescribed fires in the southeastern United States

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Further, the last three gases are among the main causes of acid rains [97]. Yet, compared to other ecosystems, the relatively small fuel loads that characterize grasslands and shrublands cause moderate emissions of GHGs, other (toxic) gases, and aerosols [98].…”

Section: Environmental Implications and Recommendations For Land Manmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wildfires in Grasslands and Shrublands: A Review of Impacts on Vegetation, Soil, Hydrology, and Geomorphology

Stavi

2019

Water

100

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Wildfires are prevalent in grasslands and shrublands. The objective of this study is to provide land managers with a general overview, by assessing the main impacts of wildfire, including those on plant communities (e.g., secondary succession and species invasion), soil characteristics (e.g., water repellency (hydrophobicity), aggregation and structure stability, and contents of organic carbon and nutrients), and surface processes (e.g., ash deposition, ground surface clogging, water runoff, soil erosion, hillslope debris flow, and dry ravel). Additionally, the study discusses the effects of livestock grazing on the functioning of post-fire grasslands and shrublands. Although mesic regions are mentioned, this review focuses on drylands. The comparatively low-to-moderate fuel loads that characterize grasslands and shrublands generate wildfires of relatively moderate intensity, resulting in moderate burn severity. Yet, it seems that because of decreased soil aggregate stability following burning, the hoof action of livestock that access burnt lands shortly after the fire increases the shearing and detachment of mineral material from the ground surface; this increases soil erodibility, with the possible risk of accelerated land degradation. The review ends with an assessment of general implications for environmental sustainability and health, and provides recommendations on wildfire control in rangelands, and on restoration of burnt lands.

show abstract

“…However, the quantity of emissions, specifically particulate matter, may likely be different. Recent emission factor research indicates a PM 2.5 range of 12.7-25 g/kg [41,47,48], roughly double those in the version used here. However, the version of FFT available at the time of this writing employs PM 2.5 emission factors of 4.8-11.8 g/kg for a mixed conifer forest, depending upon the combustion efficiency (flaming or smoldering combustion) [29,49].…”

Section: Emissions From Prescribed Fire and Wildfirementioning

confidence: 61%

Comparing Modeled Emissions from Wildfire and Prescribed Burning of Post-Thinning Fuel: A Case Study of the 2016 Pioneer Fire

Hyde

Strand

2019

Fire

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Prescribed fire is often used by land managers as an effective means of implementing fuel treatments to achieve a variety of goals. Smoke generated from these activities can put them at odds with air quality regulations. We set out to characterize the emission tradeoff between wildfire and prescribed fire in activity fuels from thinning in a case study of mixed conifer forest within the Boise National Forest in central Idaho. Custom fuelbeds were developed using information from the forest and emissions were modeled and compared for four scenarios, as follows: Untreated fuels burned in wildfire (UNW), prescribed fire in activity fuels left from thinning (TRX), a wildfire ignited on the post-treatment landscape (PTW), and the combined emissions from TRX followed by PTW (COM). The modeled mean total emissions from TRX were approximately 5% lower, compared to UNW, and between 2–46% lower for individual pollutants. The modeled emissions from PTW were approximately 70% lower than UNW. For the COM scenario, emissions were not significantly different from the UNW scenario for any pollutants, but for CO2. However, for the COM scenario, cumulative emissions would have been comprised of two events occurring at separate times, each with lower emissions than if they occurred at once.

show abstract

Grassland and forest understorey biomass emissions from prescribed fires in the south-eastern United States – RxCADRE 2012

Cited by 24 publications

References 36 publications

Particulate matter and black carbon optical properties and emission factors from prescribed fires in the southeastern United States

Particulate matter and black carbon optical properties and emission factors from prescribed fires in the southeastern United States

Wildfires in Grasslands and Shrublands: A Review of Impacts on Vegetation, Soil, Hydrology, and Geomorphology

Comparing Modeled Emissions from Wildfire and Prescribed Burning of Post-Thinning Fuel: A Case Study of the 2016 Pioneer Fire

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About