Measurements, datasets and preliminary results from the RxCADRE project – 2008, 2011 and 2012

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger D. Ottmar ◽  
J. Kevin Hiers ◽  
Bret W. Butler ◽  
Craig B. Clements ◽  
Matthew B. Dickinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Prescribed Fires ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Fire Modelling ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Forest Service ◽  
Research Experiment ◽  
Science Disciplines

The lack of independent, quality-assured field data prevents scientists from effectively evaluating and advancing wildland fire models. To rectify this, scientists and technicians convened in the south-eastern United States in 2008, 2011 and 2012 to collect wildland fire data in six integrated core science disciplines defined by the fire modelling community. These were fuels, meteorology, fire behaviour, energy, smoke emissions and fire effects. The campaign is known as the Prescribed Fire Combustion and Atmospheric Dynamics Research Experiment (RxCADRE) and sampled 14 forest and 14 non-forest sample units associated within 6 small replicate (<10 ha) and 10 large operational (between 10 and 1000 ha) prescribed fires. Precampaign planning included identifying hosting agencies receptive to research and the development of study, logistics and safety plans. Data were quality-assured, reduced, analysed and formatted and placed into a globally accessible repository maintained by the US Forest Service Research Data Archive. The success of the RxCADRE project led to the commencement of a follow-on larger multiagency project called the Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment (FASMEE). This overview summarises the RxCADRE project and nine companion papers that describe the data collection, analysis and important conclusions from the six science disciplines.

High-resolution infrared thermography for capturing wildland fire behaviour: RxCADRE 2012

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph J. O'Brien ◽  
E. Louise Loudermilk ◽  
Benjamin Hornsby ◽  
Andrew T. Hudak ◽  
Benjamin C. Bright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Radiant Energy ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Fire Behaviour ◽  
Oblique View ◽  
Fire Modelling ◽  
Radiative Power ◽  
Fire Front ◽  
Research Experiment

Wildland fire radiant energy emission is one of the only measurements of combustion that can be made at wide spatial extents and high temporal and spatial resolutions. Furthermore, spatially and temporally explicit measurements are critical for making inferences about fire effects and useful for examining patterns of fire spread. In this study we describe our methods for capturing and analysing spatially and temporally explicit long-wave infrared (LWIR) imagery from the RxCADRE (Prescribed Fire Combustion and Atmospheric Dynamics Research Experiment) project and examine the usefulness of these data in investigating fire behaviour and effects. We compare LWIR imagery captured at fine and moderate spatial and temporal resolutions (from 1 cm2 to 1 m2; and from 0.12 to 1 Hz) using both nadir and oblique measurements. We analyse fine-scale spatial heterogeneity of fire radiant power and energy released in several experimental burns. There was concurrence between the measurements, although the oblique view estimates of fire radiative power were consistently higher than the nadir view estimates. The nadir measurements illustrate the significance of fuel characteristics, particularly type and connectivity, in driving spatial variability at fine scales. The nadir and oblique measurements illustrate the usefulness of the data for describing the location and movement of the fire front at discrete moments in time at these fine and moderate resolutions. Spatially and temporally resolved data from these techniques show promise to effectively link the combustion environment with post-fire processes, remote sensing at larger scales and wildland fire modelling efforts.

scholarly journals Wildland Fire Science for Management: Federal Fire Manager Information Needs, Sources, and Uses

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 126-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare M. Ryan ◽  
Lee K. Cerveny
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Fire Science ◽  
Information Accessibility ◽  
Us Forest Service ◽  
Types Of Information ◽  
University Scientists

Abstract A Web-based survey of wildland fire managers in federal agencies in the western United States explored fire science information needs and sources, why particular sources are used, and barriers to obtaining and using information. The fire managers we surveyed rely heavily on internal agency information sources (colleagues, technical experts, and resource advisors) and are more likely to face barriers in their ability to access and use relevant information (lack of time, funding, and personnel) than problems with the quality or availability of data. Information accessibility and applicability are important to managers when deciding which information sources to use. Managers frequently access research provided by US Forest Service Research and Development specialists and university scientists through various publications, the Internet, and direct communication with scientists. Understanding the types of information fire managers need, the sources they access for information, and the barriers they face in obtaining and using information may lead to improved fire science and its dissemination, as well as more effective and efficient fire management.

scholarly journals TreeMap, a tree-level model of conterminous US forests circa 2014 produced by imputation of FIA plot data

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin L. Riley ◽  
Isaac C. Grenfell ◽  
Mark A. Finney ◽  
Jason M. Wiener
Keyword(s):  
Forest Type ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Tree Level ◽  
Forest Plot ◽  
National Scale ◽  
Forest Inventory And Analysis ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Forest Service ◽  
Level Model ◽  
Imputation Approach

AbstractA 30 × 30m-resolution gridded dataset of forest plot identifiers was developed for the conterminous United States (CONUS) using a random forests machine-learning imputation approach. Forest plots from the US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis program (FIA) were imputed to gridded c2014 landscape data provided by the LANDFIRE project using topographic, biophysical, and disturbance variables. The output consisted of a raster map of plot identifiers. From the plot identifiers, users of the dataset can link to a number of tree- and plot-level attributes stored in the accompanying tables and in the publicly available FIA DataMart, and then produce maps of any of these attributes, including number of trees per acre, tree species, and forest type. Of 67,141 FIA plots available, 62,758 of these (93.5%) were utilized at least once in imputation to 2,841,601,981 forested pixels in CONUS. Continuous high-resolution forest structure data at a national scale will be invaluable for analyzing carbon dynamics, habitat distributions, and fire effects.

scholarly journals Prescribed fire science: the case for a refined research agenda

Fire Ecology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kevin Hiers ◽  
Joseph J. O’Brien ◽  
J. Morgan Varner ◽  
Bret W. Butler ◽  
Matthew Dickinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Prescribed Fires ◽  
Wildfire Management ◽  
Fire Science ◽  
Useful Knowledge ◽  
Global Challenge

Abstract The realm of wildland fire science encompasses both wild and prescribed fires. Most of the research in the broader field has focused on wildfires, however, despite the prevalence of prescribed fires and demonstrated need for science to guide its application. We argue that prescribed fire science requires a fundamentally different approach to connecting related disciplines of physical, natural, and social sciences. We also posit that research aimed at questions relevant to prescribed fire will improve overall wildland fire science and stimulate the development of useful knowledge about managed wildfires. Because prescribed fires are increasingly promoted and applied for wildfire management and are intentionally ignited to meet policy and land manager objectives, a broader research agenda incorporating the unique features of prescribed fire is needed. We highlight the primary differences between prescribed fire science and wildfire science in the study of fuels, fire behavior, fire weather, fire effects, and fire social science. Wildfires managed for resource benefits (“managed wildfires”) offer a bridge for linking these science frameworks. A recognition of the unique science needs related to prescribed fire will be key to addressing the global challenge of managing wildland fire for long-term sustainability of natural resources.

Evaluation of the CONSUME and FOFEM fuel consumption models in pine and mixed hardwood forests of the eastern United States

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
pp. 784-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J. Prichard ◽  
Eva C. Karau ◽  
Roger D. Ottmar ◽  
Maureen C. Kennedy ◽  
James B. Cronan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Fuel Consumption ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Validation Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Predicted Values ◽  
Fine Fuels

Reliable predictions of fuel consumption are critical in the eastern United States (US), where prescribed burning is frequently applied to forests and air quality is of increasing concern. CONSUME and the First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM), predictive models developed to estimate fuel consumption and emissions from wildland fires, have not been systematically evaluated for application in the eastern US using the same validation data set. In this study, we compiled a fuel consumption data set from 54 operational prescribed fires (43 pine and 11 mixed hardwood sites) to assess each model’s uncertainties and application limits. Regions of indifference between measured and predicted values by fuel category and forest type represent the potential error that modelers could incur in estimating fuel consumption by category. Overall, FOFEM predictions have narrower regions of indifference than CONSUME and suggest better correspondence between measured and predicted consumption. However, both models offer reliable predictions of live fuel (shrubs and herbaceous vegetation) and 1 h fine fuels. Results suggest that CONSUME and FOFEM can be improved in their predictive capability for woody fuel, litter, and duff consumption for eastern US forests. Because of their high biomass and potential smoke management problems, refining estimates of litter and duff consumption is of particular importance.

Timber Losses from West Fork Complex Fire in Southwest Colorado

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 272-277
Author(s):  
Laren Cyphers ◽  
Kurt Mackes ◽  
Kevin Duda
Keyword(s):  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Inventory Analysis ◽  
The West ◽  
San Juan Mountains ◽  
West Fork ◽  
Spruce Beetle ◽  
Value Loss ◽  
Actual Damage

Abstract This article provides an assessment of fire effects on timber burned in the West Fork Complex fire area, located in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The West Fork Complex fire burned 109,615 acres in 2013, and suppression costs alone totaled $33.2 million. Much of the fire occurred in spruce–fir forests that were previously affected by spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis). Several timber sales were actively occurring within the fire footprint, and more were anticipated to begin in subsequent years. To provide a more accurate valuation estimate, base log stumpage data from 2003 through 2017 were included in this study to show high degrees of variation over time. With base log stumpage values determined, estimates of total hundred cubic feet of each significant species were calculated using geospatial and forest inventory analysis data. This study determined the timber value loss resulting from the coupled disturbance events of the spruce beetle epidemic and a wildland fire to be $19,083,102. This estimate will allow for a more accurate valuation of the actual damage resulting from the West Fork Complex fire. This study may also be useful in supporting the literary basis for salvage and fuels management after a beetle outbreak to prevent such timber value losses from occurring.

Spatial Analysis of Climate-Viticulture Indices for the Eastern United States

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 23-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalyn Francine MacCracken ◽  
Paul R. Houser
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Climate Indices ◽  
Growing Degree Days ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Degree Days ◽  
The Us ◽  
Resolution Dataset ◽  
Effective Degree

This study characterizes the climate structure in the Eastern United States for suitability of winegrape growth. For this study, the Eastern US is defined as the 44 contiguous Eastern most states. This excludes the premium wine growing states of California, Washington, Oregon and Idaho. For this characterization, a comparative study is performed on the four commonly used climate-viticulture indices (i.e., Average Growing Season Temperature, Growing Degree Days, Heliothermal Index and Biologically Effective Degree Days), and a new climate-viticulture index, the Modified-GSTavg (Mod-GSTavg). This is accomplished using the 1971 – 2000 PRISM 800-meter resolution dataset of climate temperature normal for the study area of 44 states and 62 American Viticultural Areas across the Eastern United States. The results revealed that all the climate indices have similar spatial patterns throughout the US with varying magnitudes and degrees of suitability.

scholarly journals Prescribed Fire Effects on Advanced Regeneration in Mixed Hardwood Stands

1998 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 138-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.A. Barnes ◽  
D.H. Van Lear
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Subsequent Development ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Hardwood Forests ◽  
Prescribed Fires ◽  
Oak Regeneration ◽  
Advanced Regeneration ◽  
Composition And Structure

Abstract Fire treatments were initiated in 1990 to evaluate effects of low-intensity prescribed fires on composition and structure of the advanced regeneration pool under mature mixed-hardwood stands on upland sites in the Piedmont of South Carolina. One spring burn was as effective as three winter burns in reducing midstory density, considered a prerequisite for subsequent development of oak (Quercus spp.) advanced regeneration. Burning increased the number of oak rootstocks, reduced the relative position of competing species, and increased root-to-shoot ratios of oak stems in the regeneration layer. These favorable effects of fire on oak regeneration outweigh the removal of small, poorly formed oak stems from the midstory/understory strata during burning. Prescribed burning in hardwood forests may solve some of the current oak regeneration problems, especially on better upland sites in the South. South. J. Appl. For. 22(3):138-142.

scholarly journals Financial and Wildlife Benefits from Crop Tree Release in Pole-Sized Central Hardwood Oak Stands

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert C. Morrissey ◽  
Michael R. Saunders ◽  
William L. Hoover
Keyword(s):  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Age Classes ◽  
Importance Value ◽  
The Us ◽  
Multiobjective Approach ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Us Forest Service ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
Forest Values ◽  
Returns On Investment

Abstract We simulated growth and development from 481 plots within 21 even-aged, mixed hardwood stands (21‐35 years old) under no treatment and crop tree release (CTR) treatments using the new Central States Variant of the US Forest Service Forest Vegetation Simulator. We assumed a multiobjective approach focused on financial returns (timber production) and wildlife benefits (provision of species that produce hard mast) in crop tree selection. We compared simulation results by age class, site variables, and species groups. All age classes showed returns on investment (ROI) of 7.8% or greater, but stands 26‐35 years old exhibited greater net present values (NPVs). CTR treatments across site, as delineated by aspect and slope positions, also exhibited higher NPVs, with ROI of 8.4% or greater. North and east aspects yielded higher NPVs than south and west aspects within both no-thinning and CTR treatments, and no strong patterns of NPV or ROI emerged among slope positions. CTR treatment delayed financial maturity by 5‐10 years because of increased growth rates and assumed higher quality stems. Desirable overstory mast trees for wildlife habitat, primarily oaks (Quercus spp.) and hickory (Carya spp.), increased in importance value, and mortality of crop trees declined with CTR in all age classes. Simulated CTR treatments indicated potential benefits to enhance financial and wildlife forest values in even-aged, mixed hardwood stands.

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