Skip to main content

FRAMES logo
Resource Catalog

Document

Type: Journal Article
Author(s): J. R. Molina; F. Rodriguez y Silva; E. Merida; M. A. Herrera
Publication Date: November 2014

One of the main limiting aspects in the application of crown fire models at landscape scale has been the uncertainty derived to describe canopy fuel stratum. Available crown fuel and canopy bulk density are essential in order to simulate crown fire behaviour and are of potential use in the evaluation of silvicultural treatments. Currently, the more accurate approach to estimate these parameters is to develop allometric models from common stand inventory data. In this sense, maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton) trees were destructively sampled in the South of the Iberian Peninsula, covering natural and artificial stands. Crown fine fuel was separated into size classes and allometric equations that estimate crown fuel load by biomass fractions were developed. Available crown fuel was determined according to the fuel load differences between un-burned and burned trees with similar characteristics. Taking our destructive post-fire inventory into account, available crown fuel was estimated as the sum of needles biomass, 87.63% of the twigs biomass and 62.79% of the fine branches biomass. In spite of the differences between natural and artificial stands, generic models explained 82% (needles biomass), 89% (crown fuel), 92% (available crown fuel) and 94% (canopy bulk density) of the observed variation. Inclusion of the fitted models in fire management decision-making can provide a decision support system for assessing the potential crown fire of different silvicultural alternatives. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citation: Molina, J. R., F. Rodriguez y Silva, E. Merida, and M. A. Herrera. 2014. Modelling available crown fuel for Pinus pinaster Ait. stands in the "Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas Natural Park" (Spain). Journal of Environmental Management, v. 144, p. 26-33. 10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.05.003.

Cataloging Information

Topics:
Regions:
Keywords:
  • allometric equations
  • canopy fuel consumption
  • canopy fuel load
  • CBD - canopy bulk density
  • crown fires
  • Europe
  • fine fuels
  • fire management
  • forest management
  • fuel loading
  • fuel management
  • maritime pine
  • overstory
  • Pinus pinaster
  • population density
  • potential crown fire
  • Spain
  • wildfires
Tall Timbers Record Number: 30366Location Status: Not in fileCall Number: AvailableAbstract Status: Fair use, Okay, Reproduced by permission
Record Last Modified:
Record Maintained By: FRAMES Staff (https://www.frames.gov/contact)
FRAMES Record Number: 53069

This bibliographic record was either created or modified by Tall Timbers and is provided without charge to promote research and education in Fire Ecology. The E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database is the intellectual property of Tall Timbers.