Linking complex forest fuel structure and fire behaviour at fine scales

Loudermilk, E. Louise; O’Brien, Joseph J.; Mitchell, Robert J.; Cropper, Wendell P.; Hiers, J. Kevin; Grunwald, Sabine; Grego, John M.; Fernández-Diaz, Juan Carlos

doi:10.1071/wf10116

Cited by 82 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…If heterogeneity in fire behavior translates to heterogeneous fire effects, as seems likely from some detailed studies [80,81], then aggregated fuel patterns should lead to greater diversity in subsequent regeneration and growth patterns, a critical aspect of forest resilience [14,79]. Additionally, our hypothesis of increased sensitivity to aggregated fuel patterns under less severe conditions, if correct, bolsters the idea that greater fine-scale heterogeneity in fire behavior should result with lower wind speeds or less active surface fuels.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 50%

Numerical Investigation of Aggregated Fuel Spatial Pattern Impacts on Fire Behavior

Parsons

Linn

Pimont

et al. 2017

Land

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Landscape heterogeneity shapes species distributions, interactions, and fluctuations. Historically, in dry forest ecosystems, low canopy cover and heterogeneous fuel patterns often moderated disturbances like fire. Over the last century, however, increases in canopy cover and more homogeneous patterns have contributed to altered fire regimes with higher fire severity. Fire management strategies emphasize increasing within-stand heterogeneity with aggregated fuel patterns to alter potential fire behavior. Yet, little is known about how such patterns may affect fire behavior, or how sensitive fire behavior changes from fuel patterns are to winds and canopy cover. Here, we used a physics-based fire behavior model, FIRETEC, to explore the impacts of spatially aggregated fuel patterns on the mean and variability of stand-level fire behavior, and to test sensitivity of these effects to wind and canopy cover. Qualitative and quantitative approaches suggest that spatial fuel patterns can significantly affect fire behavior. Based on our results we propose three hypotheses: (1) aggregated spatial fuel patterns primarily affect fire behavior by increasing variability; (2) this variability should increase with spatial scale of aggregation; and (3) fire behavior sensitivity to spatial pattern effects should be more pronounced under moderate wind and fuel conditions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 50%

Numerical Investigation of Aggregated Fuel Spatial Pattern Impacts on Fire Behavior

Parsons

Linn

Pimont

et al. 2017

Land

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Also, it does not provide a 3D biomass distribution. Calibration of TLS has also been used for fuel and fire effect characterization [25][26][27][28], but never in the past for leaf biomass estimation at plot scale.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating Leaf Bulk Density Distribution in a Tree Canopy Using Terrestrial LiDAR and a Straightforward Calibration Procedure

et al. 2015

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Abstract:Leaf biomass distribution is a key factor for modeling energy and carbon fluxes in forest canopies and for assessing fire behavior. We propose a new method to estimate 3D leaf bulk density distribution, based on a calibration of indices derived from T-LiDAR. We applied the method to four contrasted plots in a mature Quercus pubescens forest. Leaf bulk densities were measured inside 0.7 m-diameter spheres, referred to as Calibration Volumes. Indices were derived from LiDAR point clouds and calibrated over the Calibration Volume bulk densities. Several indices were proposed and tested to account for noise resulting from mixed pixels and other theoretical considerations. The best index and its calibration parameter were then used to estimate leaf bulk densities at the grid nodes of each plot. These LiDAR-derived bulk density distributions were used to estimate bulk density vertical profiles and loads and above four meters compared well with those assessed by the classical inventory-based approach. Below four meters, the LiDAR-based approach overestimated bulk densities since no distinction was made between wood and leaf returns. The results of our method are promising since they demonstrate the possibility to assess bulk density on small plots at a reasonable operational cost.

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“…In laboratory fuel moisture desorption experiments, Kreye et al () found that turkey oak, southern red oak, post oak ( Q. stellate ), sand post oak, and white oak ( Q. alba ) approximated the drying response times of longleaf pine. The intricacies of litterfall, decomposition, and their interactions with the diversity of understory plants in longleaf pine ecosystems suggest that our understanding of effects of pyrophytic oaks on fire behavior in this ecosystem is still nascent (Hendricks et al , Loudermilk et al , Kreye et al ).…”

Section: Litter Fuels and Firementioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological value of retaining pyrophytic oaks in longleaf pine ecosystems

et al. 2014

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Species intolerant to fire, defined as lacking adaptations needed to establish dominance in a frequently burned landscape, are found within fire‐prone ecosystems globally. Such species are frequently targeted for reduction or eradication to further conservation or restoration of biological diversity because the dominant paradigm in restoration of fire‐dependent communities is to reduce the dominance or eliminate fire‐intolerant invaders. To explore this paradigm, we examined the role of oaks (Quercus spp.) within fire‐dependent upland and sandhill longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystems of the southeastern United States. These pine‐oak ecosystems have among the highest levels of biodiversity in the temperate zone. This diversity is inextricably linked to a frequent fire regime and includes many species readily top‐killed by fire, particularly oaks, which were common in the early settlement landscape. In examining the diversity of oak species found within longleaf pine ecosystems, we identify a group of pyrophytic oaks and show that these oaks are critical components of sandhill and other longleaf pine ecosystems, and their occurrence should be considered as part of conservation and restoration goals. Providing a better understanding of the ecological role of such species will benefit conservation management and strategic planning in fire‐prone southeastern ecosystems and more broadly where fire is used as a management tool. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.

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Linking complex forest fuel structure and fire behaviour at fine scales

Cited by 82 publications

References 28 publications

Numerical Investigation of Aggregated Fuel Spatial Pattern Impacts on Fire Behavior

Numerical Investigation of Aggregated Fuel Spatial Pattern Impacts on Fire Behavior

Estimating Leaf Bulk Density Distribution in a Tree Canopy Using Terrestrial LiDAR and a Straightforward Calibration Procedure

Ecological value of retaining pyrophytic oaks in longleaf pine ecosystems

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