Fuel vertical structure affects fire sustainability and behaviour of prescribed burning in Spartium junceum shrublands

Esposito, Assunta; Bovio, Giovanni; Mazzoleni, Stefano; Seneca, Umberto; Catalanotti, A.E.; Ascoli, Davide

doi:10.1007/s13595-013-0327-3

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 31 publications

(46 reference statements)

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“…Most fuel observations in the dataset (65%) followed the field protocol described by and Bovio et al (2014). This uses a mixed approach with both destructive (i.e., vegetation removed and analyzed in the laboratory) and non-destructive techniques (see next paragraph), such as indirect estimates of fuel loads based on allometry equations (Corona et al 2012, Castagneri et al 2013, Sirca et al 2016, Conti et al 2019. The remaining 35% of survey data adopted protocols that are similar to the ones mentioned, but applied a fully destructive sampling to the shrub component, as they were mostly carried out in shrubland fuelbeds (Bacciu et al 2009, Duce et al 2012, Castagneri et al 2013, Vacchiano et al 2014.…”

Section: Sampling Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harmonized dataset of surface fuels under Alpine, temperate and Mediterranean conditions in Italy. A synthesis supporting fire management

Ascoli¹,

Vacchiano²,

Scarpa³

et al. 2020

iForest

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Section: Sampling Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harmonized dataset of surface fuels under Alpine, temperate and Mediterranean conditions in Italy. A synthesis supporting fire management

Ascoli¹,

Vacchiano²,

Scarpa³

et al. 2020

iForest

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“…Fuel moisture content is an important predictor of fuel flammability (Castro et al, 2003;Pellizzaro et al, 2007), and has been increasingly applied in fire risk assessment (Chuvieco et al, 2004a;Tanase et al, 2015). Since fine fuel, including leaves and thin shoots, is highly combustible, fuel type plays a critical role in wildfire initiation and propagation (Castagneri et al, 2013;Clark et al, 2014). Therefore, to better understand how differences in fuel flammability may affect fire risk in forests with different species composition and structure, we should compare the moisture content of fine fuels among different communities (Johnston et al, 2015).…”

Section: Biotic and Abiotic Controls On Pmcmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to moisture content, oil and aromatic compounds, such as terpenes, in plant tissue are also critical features influencing fuel flammability (Ormeño et al, 2008). Moreover, other studies have found the vertical structure of fuel materials is critical for the potential of fire propagation (Castagneri et al, 2013), and that forest litter has distinct spatial distribution and flammability from living fuel (Varner et al, 2015). Therefore, further studies need to integrate the physical and chemical features of fuel in order to better understand the inherent complexity of the flammability of different forest types and to more accurately predict the behavior of fire in this region.…”

Section: Biotic and Abiotic Controls On Pmcmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moisture content variations in soil and plant of post-fire regenerating forests in central Yunnan Plateau, Southwest China

et al. 2019

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Plant moisture content (PMC) is used as an indicator of forest flammability, which is assumed to be affected by climate drought. However, the fire-induced drought stress on PMC and its spatial and temporal variations are unclear. Based on a parallel monitoring experiment from 2014 to 2015, this study compared the PMCs and soil moisture contents (SMC) at five post-fire sites in central Yunnan Plateau, Southwest China. The number of years since last fire (YSF), season, topographic position, plant species and tissue type (leaf and branch) were selected as causal factors of the variations in PMC and SMC. A whole year parallel monitoring and sampling in the post-fire communities of 1, 2, 5, 11 and 30 YSF indicated that drought stress in surface soils was the strongest in spring within the first 5 years after burning, and the SMC was regulated by topography, with 64.6% variation in soil moisture accounted for by YSF (25.7%), slope position (22.1%) and season (10.8%). The temporal variations of PMC and SMC differed at both interannual and seasonal scales, but the patterns were consistent across topographic positions. PMC differed significantly between leaves and branches, and among three growth-forms. The mean PMC was lower in broad-leaved evergreen species and higher in conifer species. Season and soil temperature were the primary determinants of PMC, accounting for 19.1% and 8.3% of variation in PMC, respectively. This indicated phenology-related growth rather than drought stress in soil as the primary driver of seasonal changes in PMC. The significant variations of PMC among growth forms and species revealed that seasonal soil temperature change and dominant species in forest communities are useful indicators of fire risk assessment in this region.

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“…Likewise, canopy height and canopy bulk density can affect fire intensity and burn severity in different tree species [10][11][12][13]. Information on how fuel density varies from the surface layer, the ladder layer, to the canopy layer is critical for understanding fire intensities and has implications for subsequent fuel management [14,15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revealing Three-Dimensional Variations in Fuel Structures in Subtropical Forests through Backpack Laser Scanning

Kang,

Lin,

Huang

et al. 2024

Forests

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Wildfire hazard is a prominent issue in subtropical forests as climate change and extreme drought events increase in frequency. Stand-level fuel load and forest structure are determinants of forest fire occurrence and spread. However, current fuel management often lacks detailed vertical fuel distribution, limiting accurate fire risk assessment and effective fuel policy implementation. In this study, backpack laser scanning (BLS) is used to estimate several 3D structural parameters, including canopy height, crown base height, canopy volume, stand density, vegetation area index (VAI), and vegetation coverage, to characterize the fuel structure characteristics and vertical density distribution variation in different stands of subtropical forests in China. Through standard measurement using BLS point cloud data, we found that canopy height, crown base height, stand density, and VAI in the lower and middle-height strata differed significantly among stand types. Compared to vegetation coverage, the LiDAR-derived VAI can better show significant stratified changes in fuel density in the vertical direction among stand types. Among stand types, conifer-broadleaf mixed forest and C. lanceolata had a higher VAI in surface strata than other stand types, while P. massoniana and conifer-broadleaf mixed forests were particularly unique in having a higher VAI in the lower and middle-height strata, corresponding to the higher surface fuel and ladder fuel in the stand, respectively. To provide more informative support for forest fuel management, BLS LiDAR data combined with other remote sensing data were advocated to facilitate the visualization of fuel density distribution and the development of fire risk assessment.

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Fuel vertical structure affects fire sustainability and behaviour of prescribed burning in Spartium junceum shrublands

Abstract: International audienc

Cited by 9 publications

References 31 publications

Harmonized dataset of surface fuels under Alpine, temperate and Mediterranean conditions in Italy. A synthesis supporting fire management

Harmonized dataset of surface fuels under Alpine, temperate and Mediterranean conditions in Italy. A synthesis supporting fire management

Moisture content variations in soil and plant of post-fire regenerating forests in central Yunnan Plateau, Southwest China

Revealing Three-Dimensional Variations in Fuel Structures in Subtropical Forests through Backpack Laser Scanning

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