Quantifying fine fuel dynamics and structure in dry eucalypt forest ( Eucalyptus marginata) in Western Australia for fire management

• Published in: Forest ecology and management Vol. 262; no. 3; pp. 531 - 546
• Main Authors: Gould, James S., Lachlan McCaw, W., Phillip Cheney, N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 01.08.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Eucalypt forest; Eucalyptus; Eucalyptus marginata; Fires; Forestry; Forests; Fuel; Fuel accumulation models; Fuels; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hazard rating; Hazards; Mathematical models; Project Vesta; Ratings; Synecology; Terrestrial ecosystems; Visual; Visual assessment; Australia; Western Australia; Oceania; Australia, Western Australia; Eucalypt forest; Visual assessment; Fuel accumulation models; Hazard rating; Fuel; Project Vesta; Forests; Modeling; Accumulation; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Myrtaceae; Hardwood forest tree; Structure; Hazard; Quantitative analysis; Eucalyptus marginata; Dynamic characteristic; Visual observation; Forest ecology; Project; Forestry; Spermatophyta; Models; Fire management
• ISSN: 0378-1127; 1872-7042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2011.04.022

► Fuel dynamics in two dry eucalypt forests with differing understorey structures. ► Hazard assessment of distinct fuel layers for wildland fire management. ► Different fuel models to describe fuel dynamics over time. ► Visual scores can describe fuel hazard changes similar to fuel load accumulation. Techniques for rapid visual assessment of fuel characteristics have a broad range of applications in wildland fire management and research. We developed and tested a technique for assessing forest fuels which provides hazard ratings for distinct layers within the overall fuel complex, including bark, elevated shrubs, near-surface and surface (forest litter) fuels. These layers are comprised predominantly of fine fuel particles <6 mm diameter. The technique was used to model fuel accumulation in dry eucalypt forest of Eucalyptus marginata at two locations with contrasting understorey structures. We found that visual fuel hazard ratings described patterns of fuel dynamics over time in a similar fashion to models for fuel load accumulation. Visual hazard ratings can be related qualitatively to factors that reflect the difficulty of fire suppression by experienced fire fighters including visibility through the forest, access, difficulty of working machinery, flame height and spotting potential. The ability to relate hazard ratings to fire spread prediction needs to be tested.