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International Journal of Wildland Fire International Journal of Wildland Fire Society
Journal of the International Association of Wildland Fire
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Modelling canopy fuel dynamics of maritime pine stands in north-west Spain

Ana Daría Ruiz-González A D , Fernando Castedo-Dorado B , José Antonio Vega C , Enrique Jiménez C , José María Fernández-Alonso C and Juan Gabriel Álvarez-González A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Departamento de Ingeniería Agroforestal. Escuela Politécnica Superior. Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. Campus Universitario s/n. 27002, Lugo. España.

B Departamento de Ingeniería y Ciencias Agrarias. Escuela Superior y Técnica de Ingeniería Agraria. Universidad de León, Campus de Ponferrada. Avda. de Astorga s/n. 24400 Ponferrada, León. España.

C Centro de Investigación Forestal de Lourizán. PO Box 127. 36080 Pontevedra. España.

D Corresponding author. Email: anadaria.ruiz@usc.es

International Journal of Wildland Fire 24(1) 92-102 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF14020
Submitted: 19 February 2014  Accepted: 4 September 2014   Published: 2 February 2015

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.

Additional keywords: canopy base height, canopy bulk density, canopy fuel load, ecoregion effect, thinning effect.


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