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Estimation of the surface area-to-volume ratios of litter components of the Brazilian rainforest and their impact on litter fire rate of spread and flammability

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Abstract

The surface-area-to-volume ratio (SAV) is a significant parameter in vegetation description, although different researchers have presented diverging estimates for forest litter. However, considering litter as a unique entity and disregarding the SAV of its components provides a misleading fire rate of spread. Undoubtedly, the leaves are more relevant than the twigs for the rate of spread of surface fires, as the former has a higher SAV. Therefore, based on the proven hyperdominance of tree species in the Brazilian rainforest, this work presents an accurate method to estimate the SAV. Furthermore, it demonstrates the critical role played by the SAV in the litter flammability and fire rate of spread assessments and shows that the leaf moisture content does not influence its SAV. Besides, comparing SAV data using the methodology presented herein with other authors’ assessments, the results differ by up to 49%. Finally, using the Brazilian rainforest litter in the methodologies of two distinct authors showed a difference of at least 36% in the results. The primary outcome of this study is the estimation of the SAV of leaves and thin, medium, and thick twigs, representative of the Brazilian rainforest, at 12,680 m−1, 1360 m−1, 620 m−1, and 310 m−1, respectively. The estimated SAV values are essential input data to numerical simulation models, and for comparison purposes with other authors’ work, the litter SAV is 8460 m−1.

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Acknowledgements

Partial funding for this work was received from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) Programs under Projects 2008/04490-4 and 2011/20679-2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Thermal and Environmental Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering of the University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello de Morais 2231, São Paulo, SP, 05508-030, Brazil

    Paulo Bufacchi & Guenther Carlos Krieger Filho

  2. Combustion and Propulsion Associated Laboratory, National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Cachoeira Paulista, SP, 12630-000, Brazil

    José Carlos Santos

  3. Department of Energy, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Guaratinguetá, SP, 12516-410, Brazil

    João Andrade de Carvalho Jr.

Authors
  1. Paulo Bufacchi
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  2. José Carlos Santos
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  3. João Andrade de Carvalho Jr.
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  4. Guenther Carlos Krieger Filho
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Correspondence to Paulo Bufacchi.

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Technical Editor: Mario Eduardo Santos Martins, Ph.D.

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Appendix

Appendix

This appendix presents detailed information about the procedures used to assess SAV. See Figs. 7 and 8.

Fig. 7
figure 7

Flowchart describing the procedure used to determine leaves SAV considering the midvein, veins and lamina individual SAV

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Fig. 8
figure 8

Flowchart describing the procedure used to determine twigs SAV

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Bufacchi, P., Santos, J.C., de Carvalho, J.A. et al. Estimation of the surface area-to-volume ratios of litter components of the Brazilian rainforest and their impact on litter fire rate of spread and flammability. J Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. Eng. 42, 266 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-020-02303-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-020-02303-8

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