Seasonal variations of live moisture content and ignitability in shrubs of the Mediterranean Basin

Abstract

The objectives of the present study were (i) to describe the seasonal pattern of ignition delay (ID time) and moisture content of live fine fuel (LFMC) for eight common shrub species of the Western Mediterranean Basin, and (ii) to evaluate the relationships between LFMC and ignitability. The experiment was carried out in a shrubland area located in Sardinia, Italy. LFMC and time to ignition or ID time values were determined monthly or twice a month throughout the year. Ignitability was determined by laboratory tests. Meteorological data were also collected from a weather station located in the study area. Significant linear regression equations of ID time v. LFMC were found for most of the species, with R 2 values ranging from 67 to 94%. In general, very low values of ID time were observed when LFMC ranged from 70 to 100%. In addition, two groups of species were identified, depending on seasonal changes of both LFMC and ID time (or ignitability): (i) species with LFMC not greater than 100% and high ignitability values all throughout the year, and (ii) species with large seasonal variability of LFMC and ignitability values that were low in winter and high in summer. Significant differences in ignitability among species were also observed.

Spatial Pattern of the Seasonal Drought/Burned Area Relationship across Brazilian Biomes: Sensitivity to Drought Metrics and Global Remote-Sensing Fire Products

“…As the main combustible fuel in the Cerrado consists of grasses and other ground-layer in their different physiognomies [78], our results suggest that in these ecosystems the seasonal fire activity increases with a rapid drying of grasses or herbaceous fuel. Good correlations between fire occurrence were also observed with FFDI index [79] in Cerrado and using FWI components system (i.e., FFMC) in others seasonally dry ecosystems [80][81][82]. In these regions, the fire is an essential component of vegetation dynamic and functioning.…”

Impact of drought on wildland fires in Greece: implications of climatic change?

“…This could be explained by the duration of the dry period required to cure the forest fuels in order to lose sufficient moisture content and become ignitable. It is expected that in the more humid and colder environments of Northern and Western Greece, longer drought periods are needed in order to reduce the fuel moisture content to ignitable levels (Castro et al 2003;Pellizzaro et al 2007). Thus, at Southern and Central districts (that present the highest fire activity in Greece) only the summer drought is a determinant factor for fire occurrence and severity.…”

Assessing the flammability of surface fuels beneath ornamental vegetation in wildland–urban interfaces in Provence (south-eastern France)

“…Methods to assess and compare the flammability of litter and wildland fuels vary (Petriccione et al 2006;Pellizzaro et al 2007;Ormeño et al 2009;Scarff and Westoby 2006); some use different burning devices such as fire benches (for dead fuels) and different types of ignition sources, usually calibrated samples of dead leaves of a given species (disturbed litter samples). The flammability of non-reconstructed litter samples, which are hypothesised to represent field conditions (as opposed to reconstructed litters that are typically studied (Jappiot et al 2007)), has been studied in south-eastern Author produced version of the article published in International Journal of Wildland Fire, 2012, 22(3) [333][334][335][336][337][338][339][340][341][342] Original publication available at www.publish.csiro.au/nid/114.htm doi:10.171/WF12006…”