Composition, configuration and vertical structure of Portuguese forests: Implications in wildfire probability

Godinho-Ferreira, Paulo; Azevedo, Anamaria; Vaz, Pedro G.; Rego, Francisco

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2006.08.252

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…According to the proposed model, wildfire risk (i.e., annual burn probability) strongly increases with the shrubs' biomass load. This is in concordance with findings from previous investigations (e.g., Gould et al 2011, Godinho-Ferreira et al 2005. Castro et al (2003) showed that the amount of forest fuels, namely shrubs biomass, may further increase fire severity.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

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Developing wildfire risk probability models for Eucalyptus globulus stands in Portugal

Botequim¹,

García-Gonzalo²,

Marques³

et al. 2013

iForest

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© iForest -Biogeosciences and Forestry IntroductionFire is a major disturbance impacting the Mediterranean landscape (Rundel 1998). In recent decades its incidence has increased dramatically in southern Europe (Rego 1992, Moreno 1999, Pausas et al. 2008. The Portuguese territory is characterized by a Mediterranean climate and a rugged topography. Moreover, the Portuguese vegetation cover is mostly evergreen and drought resistant. The country is thus prone to vegetation fires. Recent demographic, socio-economic and climatic trends (e.g., Mather & Pereira 2006, Pereira et al. 2002 have further contributed to the country's vulnerability to wildfires. In Portugal, wildfire is the most important agent of land cover change (Pereira & Santos 2003). In fact, in the period extending from 1975 to 2007 the total burned area approximated 3.8 · 10 6 hectares, representing 40% of the country's area (Marques et al. 2011a).In Portugal, around 90% of the total forest land is managed by private landowners (DGRF 2006) and most stands are monospecific or dominated by one species. Eucalypt is the most important forest species in terms of area as it extends over 8.12 · 10 3 ha, corresponding to 26% of the country's forestland (ICNF 2013). Further, it provides key raw material to the export driven pulp and paper industry (about 5.75 million m 3 of pulpwood per year -DGRF 2007). Wildfires constrain the economic viability of eucalypt in commercial forestry and the competitiveness of this industry (Nogueira 1990, Moreira et al. 2001. The development of forest plans that may mitigate wildfire impacts on the profitability of eucalypt management scheduling is thus a key factor to the sustainability of this forestry sub-sector. This prompted the research of models to assess wildfire occurrence probability in eucalypt plantations as a function of variables that may be controlled by forest managers. The forestry literature has associated the term risk with the probability of occurrence of a natural hazard (González et al. 2006, Jactel et al. 2009. In this research, we will refer to risk as the probability of a stand to be affected by a wildfire (i.e., probability of burning) if an ignition exists ). Thus, rather than modeling fire ignition probability, the focus of this research is on modeling at stand level the probability of wildfire occurrence at stand level. This is understood as a spatial process related to forest structure as potential fire spread is impacted by fuel presence/composition (Fernandes 2009).In Portugal, former studies have focused on the characterization of wildfire ignition or of wildfire risk as a function of environmental or socioeconomic variables (Vasconcelos et al. 2001, Pereira & Santos 2003, Nunes et al. 2005, Catry et al. 2008, Marques et al. 2011a. It was demonstrated that in general wildfire impacts depend on the forest cover types where they occur (Moreira et al. 2001, Godinho-Ferreira et al. 2005, Nunes et al. 2005. The characterization of these impacts on eucalypt plantations was addressed recently by Fernande...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…It was demonstrated that in general wildfire impacts depend on the forest cover types where they occur (Moreira et al 2001, Godinho-Ferreira et al 2005, Nunes et al 2005. The characterization of these impacts on eucalypt plantations was addressed recently by Fernandes et al (2011) andMarques et al (2011b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing wildfire risk probability models for Eucalyptus globulus stands in Portugal

Botequim¹,

García-Gonzalo²,

Marques³

et al. 2013

iForest

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Deciduous forests -classified here in fire hazard groups 1 and 2 -burn less than expected in relation to their availability in the landscape, in NW Portugal (Moreira et al, 2001) and elsewhere (Cumming, 2001), and experience lower fire severity than the conifer stands in their vicinity (Choung et al, 2004;Hély et al, 2003;Wang, 2002). The burn probability of closed and low deciduous stands (included in group 2) in Portugal decreases with their patch size (Godinho-Ferreira et al, 2006), which is suggestive of an unfavourable environment for fire spread. A model developed by González et al (2006) for Catalonia, Spain, indicates a decreased probability of wildfire in stands with higher mean tree diameter, lower basal area and less variable tree diameter (i.e.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 76%

Combining forest structure data and fuel modelling to classify fire hazard in Portugal

2009

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Abstract• Fire management activities can greatly benefit from the description of wildland fuel to assess fire hazard.• A forest typology developed from the Portuguese National Forest Inventory that combines cover type (the dominant overstorey species) and forest structure defined as a combination of generic stand density (closed or open) and height (low or tall) is translated into fuel models. Fire behaviour simulations that accounted for the fire environment modification induced by stand structure resulted in an objective and quantitative assessment of fire hazard for 19 forest types.• The range of fire risk is similar between and within cover types. Stand structure, rather than cover type, is the major determinant of fire vulnerability. This indicates a potentially prominent role of stand and fuel management in wildfire mitigation. Four fire hazard groups are defined: (1) open and tall forest types, and closed and tall Quercus suber and diverse forests; (2) closed, low woodlands of deciduous oaks, Q. suber and diverse forests, closed and tall Pinus pinaster woodland and tall Eucalyptus globulus plantations; (3) open and low forest types; (4) dense low stands of P. pinaster, E. globulus and Acacia. Potential fire risk increases from (1) to (4). • Les activités de gestion des risques d'incendie peuvent grandement bénéficier de la description du combustible forestier. Mots-clés• Une typologie forestière développée à partir de l'Inventaire Forestier National Portugais combinant type de couvert (espèces de l'étage dominant) et structure de la forêt définie comme une combinaison de la densité générique du peuplement (fermé ou ouvert) et de la hauteur (haute ou basse) est traduite en modèles de disponibilité en combustible. Les simulations de comportement du feu prenant en compte les modifications induites par la structure des peuplements ont abouti à une évaluation objective et quantitative des risques d'incendie pour 19 types de forêts.• La gamme de risques d'incendie est similaire entre et dans les types de couvert. La structure des peuplements, plutôt que le type de couvert, est le principal déterminant de la vulnérabilité à l'incendie, ce qui indique un rôle potentiellement important de la gestion des peuplements et du combustible dans la lutte contre les feux de forêts. Quatre groupes de risque d'incendie sont distingués : (1) forêts hautes et ouvertes, et couverts fermés et hauts de Quercus suber ; (2) peuplements bas et fermés de chênes décidus, de Q. suber et de diverses essences, grands bois fermés de Pinus pinaster et plantations de grands Eucalyptus globulus ; (3) forêts ouvertes et basses ; (4) peuplements bas et denses de P. pinaster, E. globulus et Acacia. risque potentiel d'incendie s'accroît de (1) à (4).

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Composition, configuration and vertical structure of Portuguese forests: Implications in wildfire probability

Cited by 2 publications

References 10 publications

Developing wildfire risk probability models for Eucalyptus globulus stands in Portugal

Developing wildfire risk probability models for Eucalyptus globulus stands in Portugal

Combining forest structure data and fuel modelling to classify fire hazard in Portugal

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