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Numerical Investigation of Aggregated Fuel Spatial Pattern Impacts on Fire Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Russell A. Parsons

    (US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, 5775 W. Highway 10, Missoula, MT 59801, USA)

  • Rodman R. Linn

    (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Mail Stop: T003, Los Alamos, NM 87554, USA)

  • Francois Pimont

    (INRA, UR 629 Ecologie des Forêts Méditerranéennes, Domaine Saint Paul, Site Agroparc, F-84914 Avignon CEDEX 9, France)

  • Chad Hoffman

    (Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, 1472 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA)

  • Jeremy Sauer

    (National Center for Atmospheric Research, Research Applications Laboratory, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA)

  • Judith Winterkamp

    (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Mail Stop: T003, Los Alamos, NM 87554, USA)

  • Carolyn H. Sieg

    (US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Forestry Sciences Lab, 2500 South Pine Knoll Drive Flagstaff, AZ 86004, USA)

  • W. Matt Jolly

    (US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, 5775 W. Highway 10, Missoula, MT 59801, USA)

Abstract

Landscape heterogeneity shapes species distributions, interactions, and fluctuations. Historically, in dry forest ecosystems, low canopy cover and heterogeneous fuel patterns often moderated disturbances like fire. Over the last century, however, increases in canopy cover and more homogeneous patterns have contributed to altered fire regimes with higher fire severity. Fire management strategies emphasize increasing within-stand heterogeneity with aggregated fuel patterns to alter potential fire behavior. Yet, little is known about how such patterns may affect fire behavior, or how sensitive fire behavior changes from fuel patterns are to winds and canopy cover. Here, we used a physics-based fire behavior model, FIRETEC, to explore the impacts of spatially aggregated fuel patterns on the mean and variability of stand-level fire behavior, and to test sensitivity of these effects to wind and canopy cover. Qualitative and quantitative approaches suggest that spatial fuel patterns can significantly affect fire behavior. Based on our results we propose three hypotheses: (1) aggregated spatial fuel patterns primarily affect fire behavior by increasing variability; (2) this variability should increase with spatial scale of aggregation; and (3) fire behavior sensitivity to spatial pattern effects should be more pronounced under moderate wind and fuel conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Russell A. Parsons & Rodman R. Linn & Francois Pimont & Chad Hoffman & Jeremy Sauer & Judith Winterkamp & Carolyn H. Sieg & W. Matt Jolly, 2017. "Numerical Investigation of Aggregated Fuel Spatial Pattern Impacts on Fire Behavior," Land, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-22, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:6:y:2017:i:2:p:43-:d:101876
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Parsons, Russell A. & Mell, William E. & McCauley, Peter, 2011. "Linking 3D spatial models of fuels and fire: Effects of spatial heterogeneity on fire behavior," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 222(3), pages 679-691.
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    Cited by:

    1. McDanold, Jenna S. & Linn, Rodman R. & Jonko, Alex K. & Atchley, Adam L. & Goodrick, Scott L. & Hiers, J. Kevin & Hoffman, Chad M. & Loudermilk, E. Louise & O'Brien, Joseph J. & Parsons, Russell A. & , 2023. "DUET - Distribution of Understory using Elliptical Transport: A mechanistic model of leaf litter and herbaceous spatial distribution based on tree canopy structure," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 483(C).
    2. Justin P. Ziegler & Chad M. Hoffman & Mike A. Battaglia & William Mell, 2019. "Stem-Maps of Forest Restoration Cuttings in Pinus ponderosa -Dominated Forests in the Interior West, USA," Data, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-7, May.
    3. Alistair M. S. Smith & James A. Lutz & Chad M. Hoffman & Grant J. Williamson & Andrew T. Hudak, 2018. "Preface: Special Issue on Wildland Fires," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-4, April.

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