Citation

Ruiz-González AD, Castedo-Dorado F, Vega JA, Jiménez E, Fernández-Alonso JM, Álvarez-González JG. Int. J. Wildland Fire 2015; 24(1): 92-102.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, International Association of Wildland Fire, Fire Research Institute, Publisher CSIRO Publishing)

DOI

10.1071/WF14020

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Effective silvicultural strategies for reducing the likelihood and severity of crown fires include increasing canopy base height (CBH) and reducing canopy bulk density (CBD). These variables depend to a certain degree on stand structure and are therefore responsive to stand density management through thinning. In this study, data from permanent sample plots and thinning trials were used to model the dynamics of canopy fuel variables in maritime pine stands in north-western Spain. On the basis of the state-space modelling approach, the canopy fuel conditions at any point in time were assumed to be adequately defined by three state variables: number of stems per hectare (N), canopy fuel load (CFL) and CBH. These variables were projected by simultaneous fitting of three transition functions, which explained more than 77, 96 and 97% of the observed variability in N, CFL and CBH. The effect of thinning was modelled by including a thinning response function. Once the state variables were determined for a given point in time, CBD was derived from CFL, CBH and average stand height, thus ensuring compatibility between estimates. The system of equations developed, together with fire management decision support systems, will enable assessment of the crown fire potential associated with different silvicultural alternatives.

Language: en