The forest litter plays a key role in the occurrence and development of forest fires. Forest litter is one of the main components of forest fuels. The study of the structure, stock volume, and features of forest litter is extremely important for understanding the fire risks in the pine forests of Polissya zone, Ukraine, where a considerable amount of litter is accumulated (from 117 to 862 metric centners per hectare). In the pine stands of the northern and southern parts of the Rivne Polissya, along with the determined reserves, moisture and density (volumetric weight) of the litter were studied. It was found that when the age of pine plantations increases, the volume and the density of the litter also increase. Increasing stock of litter also increases the duration and maximum temperature of combustion. Increasing the density, on the contrary, slows down the burning rate or makes it impossible. It is established that the density of the litter grows deep into the profile with an increase in the proportion of non-structural mortmass. Thus, when the structure of the litter becomes less porous, air access decreases and the time of combustion also increases.
Development of a stand density management diagram for radiata pine stands including assessment of stand stability
