Possible land management uses of common cypress to reduce wildfire initiation risk: a laboratory study

Rocca, Gianni Della; Hernando, Carmen; Madrigal, Javier; Danti, Roberto; Moya, José Luis Barrio; Guijarro, Mercedes; Pecchioli, A.; Moya, B.

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.05.020

Cited by 32 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…As expected, attributes related to ignitability, combustibility and consumability were all higher in grass than eucalypt litter fuels, and sustainability was lower. Callitris intratropica litter had particularly low consumability, consistent with findings for Callitris glaucophylla (Scarff & Westoby, 2006), and similar to some other gymnosperms (Cornwell et al, 2015;Della Rocca et al, 2015). Similar observations, that fires within patches of C. glaucophylla are less intense, and C. glaucophylla survival is higher, than in neighbouring eucalypt forest, have been made in southern Australia (Cohn et al, 2011).…”

Section: Fuel Type and Fuel Loadsupporting

confidence: 85%

Differential demographic filtering by surface fires: How fuel type and fuel load affect sapling mortality of an obligate seeder savanna tree

et al. 2017

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We studied the effects of fuel type, fuel load and their associated flammability attributes on growth and survival of Callitris intratropica saplings. Callitris intratropica is a fire‐sensitive conifer that is widespread across northern Australia, but its range is contracting because of frequent and intense fires. A small‐scale field experiment was used to compare the effect of three fuel types (grass, eucalypt litter and C. intratropica litter), and a mix of grass and eucalypt litter by varying fuel loads within their naturally occurring bounds, and measuring multiple flammability attributes. Fuel type had the strongest influence on flammability attributes and hence sapling survival. Grass burnt rapidly, producing high temperatures, while duration of flaming was longer for eucalypt litter. Grass–eucalypt litter mixtures had flammability attributes more like grass, while C. intratropica litter was difficult to burn. Fuel load had a secondary effect, with strong interactions between fuel type and load. Differences in sapling survival could be attributed to temperatures at 5 cm height; there was no additional effect of fuel type or canopy temperature. Sapling size variables were also important, and strongly correlated with bark thickness, so we could not identify the protective mechanism. Synthesis. Mortality of Callitris intratropica saplings was consistent with damage to the lower stem, because of the direct relationship with temperatures at 5 cm height. Our results demonstrate the existence of a grass–fire cycle in C. intratropica stands, whereby hot fires damage the stands and allow grass to invade, increasing the stand ignitability and combustibility and promoting further fires. Interrupting this cycle by reducing grass fuel loads and hence the frequency of hot fires should therefore be a management priority to safeguard C. intratropica populations. Our findings also highlight that, under a common climate, vegetation type can shape fire regimes, because fuel type strongly influences flammability attributes, which in turn act as a powerful filter of plant populations.

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Section: Fuel Type and Fuel Loadsupporting

confidence: 85%

Differential demographic filtering by surface fires: How fuel type and fuel load affect sapling mortality of an obligate seeder savanna tree

et al. 2017

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“…Moreover, a minor participation of terpenoids to the combustion process in Cupressus LFF was indicated by the lower R 2 Y fit value in Tab. 4 (model 6), confirming the empirical observation by Della Rocca et al (2015). Further investigations should be addressed to study the role of water as carrier of some terpenoids, which may favour or slow down their escape during the preheating and the different stages of combustion, thus affecting their different contributions to flammability (Ciccioli et al 2014).…”

Section: Relationship Between Flammability Terpenoids and Fmcsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Our results also showed that common cypress leaves have to lose a much greater proportion of water content before ignition started, compared to the Mediterranean pines, confirming a relative ignition resilience (initial thermal inertia) of cypress LFF when samples are subjected to a relatively low heat flux (25 kW m -2 -Della Rocca et al 2015).…”

Section: Ilex)supporting

confidence: 74%

“…At the 8 th day, an additional series of ignition test was performed for each species on oven dried (to constant weight) fuel samples (sixth step, FMC = 0). The IP was evaluated at a low radiant flux using an epiradiometer, simulating a lowmoderate fire condition (Cruz & Alexander 2010), according to the methodology proposed by Della Rocca et al (2015). A low radiant flux was adopted following Petriccione et al (2006) to more effectively discriminate the flammability of components and to better explore differences among species.…”

Section: Effect Of Fmc and Species On Ignition Probability (Ip)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1, Tab. 2), using an epiradiometer set as described in the previous experiment to simulate a low fire condition (Della Rocca et al 2015). Forty 1 g subsamples were tested from each collection site, totalling 560 assays on LFF and 440 assays on litter samples.…”

Section: Relation Between Flammability and Terpenoid Contentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Relevance of terpenoids on flammability of Mediterranean species: an experimental approach at a low radiant heat flux

Rocca¹,

Madrigal²,

Marchi³

et al. 2017

iForest

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One of the major factors influencing forest fuel combustion are terpenoids, a fraction of flammable Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOCs) produced and stored by most Mediterranean species. The qualitative and quantitative effect of terpenoids on flammability has been only partially explained. In this study several major terpenoid-storing Mediterranean species (common cypress and three pines) were considered and compared to Holm oak as a reference non-storing species. The terpenoids were quantified via gas chromatography (GC-MS) analysis from both live fine fuel (LFF) and litter samples, and the relations between flammability and the terpenoids content were investigated by categories (Monoterpenoids, oxygenated Monoterpenoids, Sesquiterpenoids). The effect of fuel moisture content and species on ignition probability of LFF was also explored. A very different ignition probability was observed at the same fuel moisture content for the different species (Pinus spp. > C. sempervirens > Q. ilex). The stored terpenoids explained 19% to 50% of the whole flammability of both LFF and litter. Fuel moisture content (FMC) did not substantially change the relative effect of terpenoids on flammability, except in C. sempervirens. Monoterpenoids do not seem to significantly affect flammability, while sesquiterpenoids greatly influenced most flammability components, though their relative effect varied among species. A relation between storing structure of terpenoids and flammability was suggested. The results of this study indicate that isoprenoids should be included in physical models of the prediction and propagation of wildfire in Mediterranean vegetation as significant factors in driving flammability.

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Climate change shapes the future evolution of plant metabolism

Weng

2020

Advanced Genetics

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Planet Earth has experienced many dramatic atmospheric and climatic changes throughout its 4.5-billion-year history that have profoundly impacted the evolution of life as we know it. Photosynthetic organisms, and specifically plants, have played a paramount role in shaping the Earth's atmosphere through oxygen production and carbon sequestration. In turn, the diversity of plants has been shaped by historical atmospheric and climatic changes: plants rose to this challenge by evolving new developmental and metabolic traits. These adaptive traits help plants to thrive in diverse growth conditions, while benefiting humanity through the production of food, raw materials, and medicines. However, the current rapid rate of climate change caused by human activities presents unprecedented new challenges to the future of plants. Here, we discuss the potential effects of modern climate change on plants, with specific attention to plant specialized metabolism. We explore potential avenues of future scientific investigations, powered by cutting-edge methods such as synthetic biology and genome engineering, to better understand and mitigate the consequences of rapid climate change on plant fitness and plant usage by humans.

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Possible land management uses of common cypress to reduce wildfire initiation risk: a laboratory study

Cited by 32 publications

References 34 publications

Differential demographic filtering by surface fires: How fuel type and fuel load affect sapling mortality of an obligate seeder savanna tree

Differential demographic filtering by surface fires: How fuel type and fuel load affect sapling mortality of an obligate seeder savanna tree

Relevance of terpenoids on flammability of Mediterranean species: an experimental approach at a low radiant heat flux

Climate change shapes the future evolution of plant metabolism

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