Simulating fuel treatment effects in dry forests of the western United States: testing the principles of a fire-safe forest

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1018-1030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morris C. Johnson ◽  
Maureen C. Kennedy ◽  
David L. Peterson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Treatment Effects ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Crown Fire ◽  
Fuel Treatments ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
Fuel Treatment

We used the Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FFE-FVS) to simulate fuel treatment effects on 45 162 stands in low- to midelevation dry forests (e.g., ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex. P. & C. Laws.) and Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) of the western United States. We evaluated treatment effects on predicted post-treatment fire behavior (fire type) and fire hazard (torching index). FFE-FVS predicts that thinning and surface fuel treatments reduced crown fire behavior relative to no treatment; a large proportion of stands were predicted to transition from active crown fire pre-treatment to surface fire post-treatment. Intense thinning treatments (125 and 250 residual trees·ha–1) were predicted to be more effective than light thinning treatments (500 and 750 residual trees·ha–1). Prescribed fire was predicted to be the most effective surface fuel treatment, whereas FFE-FVS predicted no difference between no surface fuel treatment and extraction of fuels. This inability to discriminate the effects of certain fuel treatments illuminates the consequence of a documented limitation in how FFE-FVS incorporates fuel models and we suggest improvements. The concurrence of results from modeling and empirical studies provides quantitative support for “fire-safe” principles of forest fuel reduction (sensu Agee and Skinner 2005. For. Ecol. Manag. 211: 83–96).

scholarly journals Forest structure and fire hazard in dry forests of the Western United States

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Peterson ◽  
Morris C. Johnson ◽  
James K. Agee ◽  
Theresa B. Jain ◽  
Donald McKenzie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Forest Structure ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Dry Forests

Characterizing crown fuel distribution for conifers in the interior western United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (7) ◽  
pp. 950-957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth Ex ◽  
Frederick W. Smith ◽  
Tara L. Keyser
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Shade Tolerance ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Hazard Evaluation ◽  
Fuel Distribution ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Vertical Distribution

Canopy fire hazard evaluation is essential for prioritizing fuel treatments and for assessing potential risk to firefighters during suppression activities. Fire hazard is usually expressed as predicted potential fire behavior, which is sensitive to the methodology used to quantitatively describe fuel profiles: methodologies that assume that fuel is distributed uniformly throughout crowns have been shown to predict less severe fire behavior than those that assume more realistic nonuniform fuel distributions. We used crown fuel data from seven interior western United States conifer species to characterize within-crown fuel distributions. Fuel was shifted upward and concentrated in crowns in crowded stands compared with crowns in open stands, which suggests that the vertical distribution of fuel is shaped by foliage concentration in favorable light environments near the top of crowns and echoes the predictable relationship between crown ratio and stand density. However, unlike crown ratio, the relationship between within-crown foliage distribution and stand density was independent of the shade tolerance of a species. This implies that there is a general relationship between stand density and within-crown fuel distribution for conifers and that species differences in fuel profiles related to shade tolerance are expressed primarily in the relationship between stand density and crown ratio.

scholarly journals Unsupported inferences of high-severity fire in historical dry forests of the western United States: response to Williams and Baker

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 825-830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Z. Fulé ◽  
Thomas W. Swetnam ◽  
Peter M. Brown ◽  
Donald A. Falk ◽  
David L. Peterson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
High Severity

Predicting post-fire hillslope erosion in forest lands of the western United States

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Ellen Miller ◽  
Lee H. MacDonald ◽  
Peter R. Robichaud ◽  
William J. Elliot
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Validation Dataset ◽  
Fuel Treatments ◽  
Erosion Rates

Many forests and their associated water resources are at increasing risk from large and severe wildfires due to high fuel accumulations and climate change. Extensive fuel treatments are being proposed, but it is not clear where such treatments should be focussed. The goals of this project were to: (1) predict potential post-fire erosion rates for forests and shrublands in the western United States to help prioritise fuel treatments; and (2) assess model sensitivity and accuracy. Post-fire ground cover was predicted using historical fire weather data and the First Order Fire Effects Model. Parameter files from the Disturbed Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) were combined with GeoWEPP to predict post-fire erosion at the hillslope scale. Predicted median annual erosion rates were 0.1–2 Mg ha–1 year–1 for most of the intermountain west, ~10–40 Mg ha–1 year–1 for wetter areas along the Pacific Coast and up to 100 Mg ha–1 year–1 for north-western California. Sensitivity analyses showed the predicted erosion rates were predominantly controlled by the amount of precipitation rather than surface cover. The limited validation dataset showed a reasonable correlation between predicted and measured erosion rates (R2 = 0.61), although predictions were much less than measured values. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of predicting post-fire erosion rates on a large scale. The validation and sensitivity analysis indicated that the predictions are most useful for prioritising fuel reduction treatments on a local rather than interregional scale, and they also helped identify model improvements and research needs.

scholarly journals Will Future Climate Favor More Erratic Wildfires in the Western United States?

2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (11) ◽  
pp. 2410-2417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lifeng Luo ◽  
Ying Tang ◽  
Shiyuan Zhong ◽  
Xindi Bian ◽  
Warren E. Heilman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Regional Climate Models ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Lower Atmosphere ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
Increased Risk

AbstractWildfires that occurred over the western United States during August 2012 were fewer in number but larger in size when compared with all other Augusts in the twenty-first century. This unique characteristic, along with the tremendous property damage and potential loss of life that occur with large wildfires with erratic behavior, raised the question of whether future climate will favor rapid wildfire growth so that similar wildfire activity may become more frequent as climate changes. This study addresses this question by examining differences in the climatological distribution of the Haines index (HI) between the current and projected future climate over the western United States. The HI, ranging from 2 to 6, was designed to characterize dry, unstable air in the lower atmosphere that may contribute to erratic or extreme fire behavior. A shift in HI distribution from low values (2 and 3) to higher values (5 and 6) would indicate an increased risk for rapid wildfire growth and spread. Distributions of Haines index are calculated from simulations of current (1971–2000) and future (2041–70) climate using multiple regional climate models in the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program. Despite some differences among the projections, the simulations indicate that there may be not only more days but also more consecutive days with HI ≥ 5 during August in the future. This result suggests that future atmospheric environments will be more conducive to erratic wildfires in the mountainous regions of the western United States.

scholarly journals Resource Communication. Temporal optimization of fuel treatment design in blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) plantations

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. eRC09 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Martin ◽  
Brigite Botequim ◽  
Tiago M. Oliveira ◽  
Alan Ager ◽  
Francesco Pirotti
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Eucalyptus Globulus ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Fire Behaviour ◽  
Fuel Treatments ◽  
Fuel Treatment ◽  
Management Planning ◽  
Wildfire Risk ◽  
Forest Management Planning ◽  
Eucalypt Plantations

Aim of study: This study was conducted to support fire and forest management planning in eucalypt plantations based on economic, ecological and fire prevention criteria, with a focus on strategic prioritisation of fuel treatments over time. The central objective was to strategically locate fuel treatments to minimise losses from wildfire while meeting budget constraints and demands for wood supply for the pulp industry and conserving carbon.Area of study: The study area was located in Serra do Socorro (Torres Vedras, Portugal, covering ~1449 ha) of predominantly Eucalyptus globulus Labill forests managedcultivated for pulpwood by The Navigator Company.Material and methods: At each of four temporal stages (2015-2018-2021-2024) we simulated: (1) surface and canopy fuels, timber volume (m3 ha-1) and carbon storage (Mg ha-1); (2) fire behaviour characteristics, i.e. rate of spread (m min-1), and flame length (m), with FlamMap fire modelling software; (3) optimal treatment locations as determined by the Landscape Treatment Designer (LTD).Main results: The higher pressure of fire behaviour in the earlier stages of the study period triggered most of the spatial fuel treatments within eucalypt plantations in a juvenile stage. At later stages fuel treatments also included shrublands areas. The results were consistent with observations and simulation results that show high fire hazard in juvenile eucalypt stands.Research highlights: Forest management planning in commercial eucalypt plantations can potentially accomplish multiple objectives such as augmenting profits and sustaining ecological assets while reducing wildfire risk at landscape scale. However, limitations of simulation models including FlamMap and LTD are important to recognise in studies of long term wildfire management strategies.Keywords: Eucalypt plantations; Fire hazard; FlamMap; fuel treatment optimisation; Landscape Treatment Designer; wildfire risk management.

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