Dead and down woody debris fuel loads in Canadian forests
Chelene C. Hanes A C , Xianli Wang A B and William J. de Groot A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, P6A 2E5, Canada.
B Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre, 5320 122 Street Northwest, Edmonton, AB T6H 3S5, Canada.
C Corresponding author. Email: chelene.hanes@canada.ca
International Journal of Wildland Fire 30(11) 871-885 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF21023
Submitted: 17 February 2021 Accepted: 24 August 2021 Published: 28 September 2021
Journal Compilation © IAWF 2021 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND
Abstract
In Canada, fire behaviour is modelled based on a fuel classification system of 16 fuel types. Average fuel loads are used to represent a wide range of variability within each fuel type, which can lead to inaccurate predictions of fire behaviour. Dead and down woody debris (DWD) is a major component of surface fuels affecting surface fuel consumption, potential crown fire initiation, and resulting crown fuel consumption and overall head fire intensity. This study compiled a national database of DWD fuel loads and analysed it for predictive driving variables. The database included DWD fuel loads for all dominant Canadian forest types at three size classes: fine (<1 cm), medium (1–7 cm) and coarse (>7 cm). Predictive models for DWD fuel load by size classes individually and collectively for various forest types and ecozones were analysed. Bioclimatic regime, age, spatial position, drainage, and structural components including diameter at breast height and stem density were significant variables. This study provides tools to improve our understanding of the spatial distribution of DWD across Canada, which will enhance our ability to represent its contribution within fire behaviour and fire effects models.
Keywords: dead and down woody debris, fire behaviour, fuel load, forest fire, Canada, boreal, surface fuel.
References
Albini FA (1976) Computer-based models of wildland fire behavior: a user’s manual. Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture. (Ogden, UT, USA)Alexander ME (1982) Calculating and interpreting forest fire intensities. Canadian Journal of Botany 60, 349–357.
| Calculating and interpreting forest fire intensities.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Alexander ME, Stocks BJ, Lawson BD (1991) Fire behavior in black-spruce lichen woodland: the Porter Lake project. Information Report NOR-X-310. Forestry Canada, Northwest Region. (Edmonton, AB)
Alexander ME, Cruz MG (2019) Fireline intensity. In ‘Encyclopedia of Wildfires and Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires’. (Ed. SL Manzello) pp. 1–8. (Springer: Cham)
Alexander ME, de Groot WJ (1988) Fire behavior in jack pine stands as related to the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System. Canadian Forest Service/Northern Forestry Centre (Edmonton, AB). Poster w/text.
Alexander ME, Lanoville RA (1989) Predicting fire behavior in the black spruce-lichen woodland fuel type of western and northern Canada. Forestry Canada, Northern Forestry Centre/Government of Northwest Territories, Department of Renewable Resources, Territorial Forest Fire Centre (Edmonton, AB/Fort Smith, NWT). Poster w/text.
Allard J, Park A (2013) Woody debris volumes and carbon accumulation differ across a chronosequence of boreal red pine and jack pine stands. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 43, 768–775.
| Woody debris volumes and carbon accumulation differ across a chronosequence of boreal red pine and jack pine stands.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Amiro BD, Cantin A, Flannigan MD, de Groot WJ (2009) Future emissions from Canadian boreal forest fires. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 39, 383–395.
| Future emissions from Canadian boreal forest fires.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bernier PY, Lavigne MB, Hogg EH, Trofymow JA (2007) Estimating branch production in trembling aspen, Douglas-fir, jack pine, black spruce, and balsam fir. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 37, 1024–1033.
| Estimating branch production in trembling aspen, Douglas-fir, jack pine, black spruce, and balsam fir.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Blouin KD, Flannigan MD, Wang X, Kochtubajda B (2016) Ensemble lightning prediction models for the province of Alberta, Canada. International Journal of Wildland Fire 25, 421–432.
| Ensemble lightning prediction models for the province of Alberta, Canada.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brown JK, See TE (1981) Downed dead woody fuel and biomass in the northern Rocky Mountains. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experimental Station, GTR-INT-117. (Ogden, UT, USA)
Byram GM (1959) Combustion of forest fuels. In ‘Forest fire: Control and use’. (Ed. KP Davis) pp. 61–89. (McGraw-Hill: New York, NY)
Canadian Forest Service Fire Danger Group (2021) The vision for the Next-Generation of the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System. Information Report GLFC-X-26. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre. (Sault Ste. Marie, ON)
Cofer WR, Levine JS, Winstead EL, Stocks BJ (1990) Gaseous emissions from Canadian boreal forest fires. Atmospheric Environment 24, 1653–1659.
| Gaseous emissions from Canadian boreal forest fires.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cruz MG, Alexander ME, Wakimoto RH (2004) Modeling the likelihood of crown fire occurrence in conifer forest stands. Forest Science 50, 640–658.
de Groot WJ (2010) Modeling fire effects: Integrating fire behaviour and fire ecology. In ‘Proceedings of 6th International Conference: Forest Fire Research’, 15–18 November 2010, Coimbra, Portugal. (Ed. DX Viegas). ADAI University of Coimbra. (Coimbra, Portugal). CD-ROM.
de Groot WJ, Landry R, Kurz WA, Anderson KR, Englefield P, Fraser RH, Hall RJ, Banfield E, Raymond DA, Decker V, Lynham TJ, Pritchard JM (2007) Estimating direct carbon emissions from Canadian wildland fires. International Journal of Wildland Fire 16, 593–606.
| Estimating direct carbon emissions from Canadian wildland fires.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
de Groot WJ, Pritchard JM, Lynham TJ (2009) Forest floor fuel consumption and carbon emissions in Canadian boreal forest fires. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 39, 367–382.
| Forest floor fuel consumption and carbon emissions in Canadian boreal forest fires.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
de Groot WJ, Cantin AS, Flannigan MD, Soja AJ, Gowman LM, Newbery A (2013) A comparison of Canadian and Russian boreal forest fire regimes. Forest Ecology and Management 294, 23–34.
| A comparison of Canadian and Russian boreal forest fire regimes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dormann CF, Elith J, Bacher S, Buchmann C, Carl G, Carre G, García Marquéz JR, Gruber B, Lafourcade B, Leitão PJ, Münkemüller T, McClean C, Osborne PE, Reineking B, Schröder B, Skidmore AK, Zurell D, Lautenbach S (2013) Collinearity: a review of methods to deal with it and a simulation study evaluating their performance. Ecography 36, 27–46.
| Collinearity: a review of methods to deal with it and a simulation study evaluating their performance.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ecological Stratification Working Group (1995) A National Ecological Framework for Canada. Agriculture and Agric.-Food Canada, Research Branch, Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research and Environment Canada, State of the Environment Directorate, Ecozone Analysis Branch, (Ottawa, Ontario). Report and national map at 1:7 500 000 scale.
Forestry Canada Fire Danger Group (1992) Development and structure of the Canadian Forest Fire Behavior Prediction System. Forestry Canada Information Report ST-X-3.
Gillis MD, Omule AY, Brierley T (2005) Monitoring Canada’s forests: the National Forest Inventory. Forestry Chronicle 81, 214–221.
| Monitoring Canada’s forests: the National Forest Inventory.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Gould WA, Gonzálex G, Hudak AT, Nettleton Hollingsworth T, Hollingsworth J (2008) Forest structure and downed woody debris in boreal, temperate, and tropical forest fragments. Ambio 37, 577–587.
| Forest structure and downed woody debris in boreal, temperate, and tropical forest fragments.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19205181PubMed |
Harmon ME, Franklin JF, Swanson FJ, Sollins P, Gregory SV, Lattin JD, Anderson NH, Cline SP, Aumen NG, Sedell JR, Lienkaemper GW, Cromack K, Cummins KW (1986) Ecology of course woody debris in temperate ecosystems. Advances in Ecological Research 15, 133–302.
| Ecology of course woody debris in temperate ecosystems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Harmon ME, Krankina ON, Sexton J (2000) Decomposition vectors: a new approach to estimating woody detritus decomposition dynamics. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 30, 76–84.
| Decomposition vectors: a new approach to estimating woody detritus decomposition dynamics.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hély C, Bergeron Y, Flannigan MD (2000) Coarse woody debris in the southeastern Canadian boreal forest: composition and load variations in relation to stand replacement. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 30, 674–687.
| Coarse woody debris in the southeastern Canadian boreal forest: composition and load variations in relation to stand replacement.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hirsch KG, Martell DL (1996) A Review of Initial Attack Fire Crew Productivity and Effectiveness. International Journal of Wildland Fire 6, 199–215.
| A Review of Initial Attack Fire Crew Productivity and Effectiveness.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hollis JJ, Matthews S, Ottmar RD, Prichard SJ, Slijepcevic A, Burrows ND, Ward B, Tolhurst KG, Anderson WR, Gould JS (2010) Testing woody fuel consumption models for application in Australian southern eucalypt forest fires. Forest Ecology and Management 260, 948–964.
| Testing woody fuel consumption models for application in Australian southern eucalypt forest fires.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Keane RE (2013) Describing wildland surface fuel loading for fire management: a review of approaches, methods and systems. International Journal of Wildland Fire 22, 51–62.
| Describing wildland surface fuel loading for fire management: a review of approaches, methods and systems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Keane RE (2016) Spatiotemporal variability of wildland fuels in US Northern Rocky Mountain Forests. Forests 7, 129
| Spatiotemporal variability of wildland fuels in US Northern Rocky Mountain Forests.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Keane RE, Gray K, Bacciu V, Leirfallom S (2012) Spatial scaling of wildland fuels for six forest and rangeland ecosystems of the northern Rocky Mountains, USA. Landscape Ecology 27, 1213–1234.
| Spatial scaling of wildland fuels for six forest and rangeland ecosystems of the northern Rocky Mountains, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kennedy MC, Prichard SJ, McKenzie D, French NH (2020) Quantifying how sources of uncertainty in combustible biomass propagate to prediction of wildland fire emissions. International Journal of Wildland Fire 29, 793–806.
| Quantifying how sources of uncertainty in combustible biomass propagate to prediction of wildland fire emissions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kurz WA, Dymond CC, White TM, Stinson G, Shaw CH, Rampley GJ, Smyth C, Simpson BN, Neilson ET, Trofymow JA, Metsaranta J, Apps MJ (2009) CBM-CFS3: A model of carbon-dynamics in forestry and land-use change implementing IPCC standards. Ecological Modelling 220, 480–504.
| CBM-CFS3: A model of carbon-dynamics in forestry and land-use change implementing IPCC standards.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lambert RL, Lang GE, Reiners WA (1980) Loss of mass and chemical change in decaying boles of a subapline balsam fir forest. Ecology 61, 1460–1473.
| Loss of mass and chemical change in decaying boles of a subapline balsam fir forest.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lee PC, Crites S, Nietfeld M, Van Nguyen H, Stelfox JB (1997) Characteristics and origins of deadwood material in aspen-dominated boreal forests. Ecological Applications 7, 691–701.
| Characteristics and origins of deadwood material in aspen-dominated boreal forests.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Letang DL, de Groot WJ (2012) Forest floor depths and fuel loads in upland Canadian forests. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 42, 1551–1565.
| Forest floor depths and fuel loads in upland Canadian forests.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McKenney D, Pedlar J, Hutchinson M, Papadopol P, Lawrence K, Campbell K, Milewska E, Hopkinson RF, Price D (2013) Spatial climate models for Canada’s forestry community. Forestry Chronicle 89, 659–663.
| Spatial climate models for Canada’s forestry community.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Moroni MT (2006) Disturbance history affects dead wood abundance in Newfoundland boreal forests. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36, 3194–3208.
| Disturbance history affects dead wood abundance in Newfoundland boreal forests.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Nalder IS, Wein RW, Alexander ME, de Groot WJ (1997) Physical properties of dead and downed round-wood fuels in the boreal forests of Alberta and Northwest Territories. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 27, 1513–1517.
| Physical properties of dead and downed round-wood fuels in the boreal forests of Alberta and Northwest Territories.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Nalder IA, Wein RW, Alexander ME, de Groot WJ (1999) Physical properties of dead and downed round-wood fuels in the Boreal forests of western and Northern Canada. International Journal of Wildland Fire 9, 85–99.
| Physical properties of dead and downed round-wood fuels in the Boreal forests of western and Northern Canada.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ontario Institute of Pedology (1985) ‘Field Manual for Describing Soils, 3rd edition’. (Guelph Agriculture Centre and University of Guelph: Guelph, ON, Canada)
Ottmar RD (2014) Wildland fire emissions, carbon, and climate: Modeling fuel consumption. Forest Ecology and Management 317, 41–50.
| Wildland fire emissions, carbon, and climate: Modeling fuel consumption.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pedlar JH, Pearce JL, Venier LA, McKenney DW (2002) Course woody debris in relation to disturbance and forest type in boreal Canada. Forest Ecology and Management 158, 189–194.
| Course woody debris in relation to disturbance and forest type in boreal Canada.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Penner M, Power K, Muhairwe C, Tellier R, Wang Y (1997) Canada’s Forest Biomass Resources: Deriving Estimates from Canada’s Forest Inventory. Canadian Forest Service Information Report BC-X-370. (Victoria, British Columbia)
Prichard SJ, Ottmar RD, Anderson GK (2007) Consume User’s Guide. Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory, USDA Forest Service. 239 pp. (Seattle, WA)
Prichard SJ, Karau EC, Ottmar RD, Kennedy MC, Cronan JB, Wright CS, Keane RE (2014) Evaluation of the CONSUME and FOFEM fuel consumption models in pine and mixed hardwood forests of the eastern United States. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 44, 784–795.
| Evaluation of the CONSUME and FOFEM fuel consumption models in pine and mixed hardwood forests of the eastern United States.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Queiroz GL, McDermid GJ, Castilla G, Linke J, Rahman MM (2019) Mapping course woody debris with random forest classification of centrimetric aerial imagery. Forests 10, 471
| Mapping course woody debris with random forest classification of centrimetric aerial imagery.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Quintilio D, Fahnestock GR, Dubé DE (1977) Fire behaviour in upland jack pine: the Darwin Lake Project. Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre. Information Report NOR-X-174. (Edmonton, AB)
Quintilio D, Alexander ME, Ponto RL (1991) Spring fires in a semimature trembling aspen stand in central Alberta. Forestry Canada, Northwest Region, Northern Forestry Centre. Information Report NOR-X-323. (Edmonton, AB)
Reinhardt ED, Keane RE, Brown JK (1997) First Order Fire Effects Model: FOFEM 4.0, User’s Guide. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, General Technical Report INT-GTR-344. (Ogden, UT, USA)
Schroeder M, Buck C (1970) Fire weather: a guide for application of meteorological information to forest fire control operations. USDA Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 360. (Washington, DC)
Shaw CH, Bhatti JS, Sabourin KJ (2005) An ecosystem carbon database for Canadian forests. National Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre Information Report NOR-X-403. (Edmonton, Alberta)
Stocks BJ (1987) Fire behaviour in immature jack pine. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 17, 80–86.
| Fire behaviour in immature jack pine.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stocks BJ (1989) Fire behaviour in mature jack pine. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 19, 783–790.
| Fire behaviour in mature jack pine.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stocks BJ, Lawson BD, Alexander ME, Van Wagner CE, McAlpine RS, Lynham TJ, Dubé DE (1989) Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System: an overview. Forestry Chronicle 65, 450–457.
| Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System: an overview.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stocks BJ, McRae DJ, Lynham TJ, Hartley GR (1990) A photo series for assessing fuels in natural forest stands in northern Ontario. Forestry Canada, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canada–Ontario Forest Resource Development Agreement (COFRDA) Report No. 3304. (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario)
Stocks BJ, Mason JA, Todd JB, Bosch EM, Wotton BM, Amiro BD, Flannigan MD, Hirsch KG, Logan KA, Martell DL, Skinner WR (2003) Large forest fires in Canada, 1959–1997. Journal of Geophysical Research 108, 8149
| Large forest fires in Canada, 1959–1997.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stocks BJ, Alexander ME, Lanoville RA (2004) Overview of the International Crown Fire Modelling Experiment (ICFME). Canadian Journal of Forest Research 34, 1543–1547.
| Overview of the International Crown Fire Modelling Experiment (ICFME).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Tabachnick BG, Fidell LS (2019) ‘Using Multivariate Statistics, Seventh Edition’. (Pearson: Boston, MA)
Ter-Mikaelian MR, Colombo SJ, Chen J (2008) Amount of downed woody debris and its prediction using stand characteristics in boreal and mixedwood forests of Ontario, Canada. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38, 2189–2197.
| Amount of downed woody debris and its prediction using stand characteristics in boreal and mixedwood forests of Ontario, Canada.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Van Wagner CE (1968) The line intersect method in forest fuel sampling. Forest Science 14, 20–26.
Van Wagner CE (1977) Conditions for the start and spread of crown fire. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 7, 23–34.
| Conditions for the start and spread of crown fire.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Van Wagner CE (1987) Development and structure of the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System. Canadian Forestry Service, Forestry Technical Report 35. (Canadian Forestry Service: Ottawa, ON)
Woodall CW, Liknes GC (2008) Climatic regions as an indicator of forest course and fine woody debris carbon stocks in the United States. Carbon Balance and Management 3, 5
| Climatic regions as an indicator of forest course and fine woody debris carbon stocks in the United States.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 18541029PubMed |
Woodall CW, Walters BF, Oswalt SN, Domke GM, Toney C, Gray AN (2013) Biomass and carbon attributes of downed woody materials in forests of the United States. Forest Ecology and Management 305, 48–59.
| Biomass and carbon attributes of downed woody materials in forests of the United States.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
