scholarly journals Long-Term Impacts of Fuel Treatment Placement with Respect to Forest Cover Type on Potential Fire Behavior across a Mountainous Landscape

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth A. Ex ◽  
Justin P. Ziegler ◽  
Wade T. Tinkham ◽  
Chad M. Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Tree Growth ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fuel Treatments ◽  
Fuel Treatment ◽  
Forest Cover Type ◽  
Cover Type ◽  
Fuel Dynamics ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Research Highlights: The impact of variation in fuels and fuel dynamics among forest cover types on the outcome of fuel treatments is poorly understood. This study investigated the potential effects of treatment placement with respect to cover type on the development of potential fire behavior over time for 48 km2 of forest in Colorado, USA. Our findings can inform the placement of fuel treatments in similar forests to maximize their effectiveness and longevity. Background and Objectives: Efficient placement of fuel treatments is essential to maximize the impact of limited resources for fuels management. We investigated how the placement of treatments with respect to forest cover type affected the rate of spread, size, and prevalence of different fire types for simulated wildfires for 50 years after treatment. Materials and Methods: We generated an analysis landscape consisting of two cover types: stands on southerly aspects had low rates of tree growth and regeneration compared to stands on northerly aspects. We then simulated 1) thinning treatments across 20% of the landscape, with treatments exclusively located on either southerly (‘south treatment’) or northerly (‘north treatment’) aspects; 2) subsequent tree growth and regeneration; and 3) wildfires at 10-year intervals. Finally, we used metrics of fuel hazard and potential fire behavior to understand the interplay between stand-level fuel dynamics and related impacts to potential fire behavior across the broader landscape. Results: Although post-treatment metrics of stand-level fuel hazard were similar among treatment scenarios, only the south treatment reduced rates of fire spread and fire size relative to no treatment. Most differences in modeled fire behavior between treatment scenarios disappeared after two decades, despite persistently greater rates of stand-level fuel hazard development post-treatment for the north treatment. For all scenarios, the overall trajectory was of shrinking fires and less crown fire behavior over time, owing to crown recession in untreated stands. Conclusions: Systematic differences among cover types, such as those in our study area, have the potential to influence fuel treatment outcomes. However, complex interactions between treatment effects, topography, and vegetation structure and dynamics warrant additional study.

Stratification approach for forest cover type and landuse mapping using IRS-1A LISS-II data — A case study

1994 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Sudhakar ◽  
R. K. Das ◽  
D. Chakraborty ◽  
B. K. Bardhan Roy ◽  
A. K. Raha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Cover Type ◽  
Cover Type

scholarly journals ABOVE GROUND TREES BIOMASS OF LORE LINDU NATIONAL PARK-CENTRAL SULAWESI : A STUDY COMBINING FIELD MEASUREMENT AND REMOTE SENSING

Agromet ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Naimatu Solicha ◽  
Tania June ◽  
M. Ardiansyah ◽  
Antonius B. W.
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Carbon Stock ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Satellite Image ◽  
Forest Biomass ◽  
Allometric Equation ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Forest Cover Type ◽  
Cover Type

Forests play an important role in global carbon cycling, since they hold a large pool of carbon as well as potential carbon sinks and sources to the atmosphere. Accurate estimation of forest biomass is required for greenhouse gas inventories and terrestrial carbon accounting. The information on biomass is essential to assess the total and the annual capacity of forest vigor. Estimation of aboveground biomass is necessary for studying productivity, carbon cycles, nutrient allocation, and fuel accumulation in terrestrial ecosystem. The possibility that above ground forest biomass might be determined from space is a promising alternative to ground-based methods. Remote sensing has opened an effective way to estimate forest biomass and carbon. By the combination of data field measurement and allometric equation, the above ground trees biomass possible to be estimated over the large area. The objectives of this research are: (1) To estimate the above ground tree biomass and carbon stock of forest cover in Lore Lindu National Park by combination of field data observation, allometric equation and multispectral satellite image; (2) to find the equation model between parameter that determines the biomass estimation. The analysis showed that field data observation and satellite image classification influencing much on the accuracy of trees biomass and carbon stock estimation. The forest cover type A and B (natural forest with the minor timber extraction) has the higher biomass than C and D (natural forest with the major timber extraction and agro forestry), it is about 607 ton/ha and 603 ton/ha. Forest cover type C is 457 ton/ha. Forest cover type D has the lowest biomass is about 203 ton/ha. Natural forest has high biomass, because of the tropical vegetation trees heterogeneity. Forest cover D has the lowest trees biomass because its vegetation component as secondary forest with the homogeneity of cacao plantation. The forest biomass and carbon estimation for each cover type will be useful for the further equation analysis when using the remote sensing technology for estimating the total biomass and for the economic carbon analysis.Forests play an important role in global carbon cycling, since they hold a large pool of carbon as well as potential carbon sinks and sources to the atmosphere. Accurate estimation of forest biomass is required for greenhouse gas inventories and terrestrial carbon accounting. The information on biomass is essential to assess the total and the annual capacity of forest vigor. Estimation of aboveground biomass is necessary for studying productivity, carbon cycles, nutrient allocation, and fuel accumulation in terrestrial ecosystem. The possibility that above ground forest biomass might be determined from space is a promising alternative to ground-based methods. Remote sensing has opened an effective way to estimate forest biomass and carbon. By the combination of data field measurement and allometric equation, the above ground trees biomass possible to be estimated over the large area. The objectives of this research are: (1) To estimate the above ground tree biomass and carbon stock of forest cover in Lore Lindu National Park by combination of field data observation, allometric equation and multispectral satellite image; (2) to find the equation model between parameter that determines the biomass estimation. The analysis showed that field data observation and satellite image classification influencing much on the accuracy of trees biomass and carbon stock estimation. The forest cover type A and B (natural forest with the minor timber extraction) has the higher biomass than C and D (natural forest with the major timber extraction and agro forestry), it is about 607 ton/ha and 603 ton/ha. Forest cover type C is 457 ton/ha. Forest cover type D has the lowest biomass is about 203 ton/ha. Natural forest has high biomass, because of the tropical vegetation trees heterogeneity. Forest cover D has the lowest trees biomass because its vegetation component as secondary forest with the homogeneity of cacao plantation. The forest biomass and carbon estimation for each cover type will be useful for the further equation analysis when using the remote sensing technology for estimating the total biomass and for the economic carbon analysis.

scholarly journals Estimates of Down Woody Materials on Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia

2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason R. Applegate
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Forest Inventory ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Forest Cover Type ◽  
Cover Type ◽  
Forest Cover Types ◽  
Structure Class

Abstract An inventory of down woody materials (DWM) was conducted on Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, to develop a baseline of DWM abundance and distribution to assist in wildland fire management. Estimates of DWM are necessary to develop accurate assessments of wildfire hazard, model wildland fire behavior, and establish thresholds for retaining DWM, specifically CWD (coarse woody debris), as a structural component of forest ecosystems. DWM were sampled by forest type and structure class using US Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) field procedures. DWM averaged 12–16 tn/ac depending on forest cover type and structure class. Coarse woody debris (CWD) averaged 2.7–13.0 tn/ac depending on forest cover type and structure class. CWD comprised more than 70% of DWM across all forest cover types and structure classes. Fine woody debris (FWD) averaged 0.05–3.2 tn/ac depending on fuel hour class, forest cover type, and structure class. DWM was consistently higher in mature (sawtimber) forests than in young (poletimber) forests across all forest cover types, attributed to an increased CWD component of DWM. The variability associated with DWM suggests that obtaining robust estimates of CWD biomass will require a higher sampling intensity than FWD because of its nonuniform distribution in forest systems. FIA field procedures for tallying and quantifying DWM were practical, efficient, and, subsequently, included as permanent metrics in Fort A.P. Hill's Continuous Forest Inventory program.

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 Cover Type Prediction using Cartographic Variables

2018 ◽  
Vol 182 (30) ◽  
pp. 14-18
Author(s):  
Tejas Anant ◽  
R. Bhargavi ◽  
Tanmay Anant ◽  
R. M.
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Cover Type ◽  
Cover Type

scholarly journals Post-fire fuel succession in a rare California, USA, closed-cone conifer

Fire Ecology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bret A. McNamara ◽  
Jeffrey M. Kane ◽  
David F. Greene
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Short Interval ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Fuel Loading ◽  
Cone Production ◽  
Time Since Fire ◽  
Fuel Dynamics ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background Increasing frequency and size of wildfires over the past few decades have prompted concerns that populations of obligate seeding species may be vulnerable to repeat, short-interval fires that occur prior to these species reaching maturity. The susceptibility of populations to this risk is partially dependent on the amount and characteristics of fuel loading over time and their influence on fire behavior and effects. This study characterized fuel dynamics and modeled fire behavior across a time-since-fire chronosequence in stands of the rare, serotinous conifer, Baker cypress (Hesperocyparis bakeri [Jeps.] Bartel), ranging in age between 3 and 147 years post fire. Results Litter and fine woody fuel loading (1- to 100-hour) were highest in the 10-year-old and 147-year-old stands, while coarse fuel loading (1000-hour) peaked in the 10-year-old stand and subsequently decreased with time since fire. Duff loading consistently increased with time since fire. Cone production had not occurred in the first 10 yr of stand development. Foliar moisture content in Baker cypress was inversely correlated with stand age, and older foliage had lower moisture content than younger foliage. Modeled surface fire behavior was highest in the 10-year-old and 107-year-old stands in accordance with higher litter, fine woody fuel, or shrub fuel accumulation. While foliar moisture content was higher in younger stands and influenced the critical fireline intensity, we did not observe changes in fire type. Conclusions Fine-fuel loading in Baker cypress stands followed a U-shaped pattern over time (first decreasing, then stable, then increasing), consistent with findings in other forests with stand-replacing fire regimes. Our results indicated that early-successional stages of Baker cypress forests have sufficient fuels to allow for the spread of wildfire and 10-year-old stands could burn with substantive fire behavior prior to cone production. Whenever possible, we recommend suppressing wildfire in stands less than 20 yr old to avoid substantial decreases or local extirpation of these rare Baker cypress populations. Our results highlight the importance of knowing the cone production patterns, fuel dynamics, and corresponding fire behavior over the development of obligate-seeder species to assess the risk of population loss due to short-interval fires.

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