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Combining forest structure data and fuel modelling to classify fire hazard in Portugal

Combinaison des données de structure forestière et de modélisation de la disponibilité en combustible pour classer les risques d’incendie de forêt au Portugal

Annals of Forest Science volume 66, page 415 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

  • • Fire management activities can greatly benefit from the description of wildland fuel to assess fire hazard.

  • • A forest typology developed from the Portuguese National Forest Inventory that combines cover type (the dominant overstorey species) and forest structure defined as a combination of generic stand density (closed or open) and height (low or tall) is translated into fuel models. Fire behaviour simulations that accounted for the fire environment modification induced by stand structure resulted in an objective and quantitative assessment of fire hazard for 19 forest types.

  • • The range of fire risk is similar between and within cover types. Stand structure, rather than cover type, is the major determinant of fire vulnerability. This indicates a potentially prominent role of stand and fuel management in wildfire mitigation. Four fire hazard groups are defined: (1) open and tall forest types, and closed and tall Quercus suber and diverse forests; (2) closed, low woodlands of deciduous oaks, Q. suber and diverse forests, closed and tall Pinus pinaster woodland and tall Eucalyptus globulus plantations; (3) open and low forest types; (4) dense low stands of P. pinaster, E. globulus and Acacia. Potential fire risk increases from (1) to (4).

Résumé

  • • Les activités de gestion des risques d’incendie peuvent grandement bénéficier de la description du combustible forestier.

  • • Une typologie forestière développée à partir de l’Inventaire Forestier National Portugais combinant type de couvert (espèces de l’étage dominant) et structure de la forêt définie comme une combinaison de la densité générique du peuplement (fermé ou ouvert) et de la hauteur (haute ou basse) est traduite en modèles de disponibilité en combustible. Les simulations de comportement du feu prenant en compte les modifications induites par la structure des peuplements ont abouti à une évaluation objective et quantitative des risques d’incendie pour 19 types de forêts.

  • • La gamme de risques d’incendie est similaire entre et dans les types de couvert. La structure des peuplements, plutôt que le type de couvert, est le principal déterminant de la vulnérabilité à l’incendie, ce qui indique un rôle potentiellement important de la gestion des peuplements et du combustible dans la lutte contre les feux de forêts. Quatre groupes de risque d’incendie sont distingués : (1) forêts hautes et ouvertes, et couverts fermés et hauts de Quercus suber; (2) peuplements bas et fermés de chênes décidus, de Q. suber et de diverses essences, grands bois fermés de Pinus pinaster et plantations de grands Eucalyptus globulus; (3) forêts ouvertes et basses ; (4) peuplements bas et denses de P. pinaster, E. globulus et Acacia. risque potentiel d’incendie s’accroît de (1) à (4).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigação e de Tecnologias Agro-Ambientais e Biológicas (CITAB) and Departamento Florestal, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801, Apartado 1013, Vila Real, Portugal

    Paulo M. Fernandes

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Correspondence to Paulo M. Fernandes.

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Fernandes, P.M. Combining forest structure data and fuel modelling to classify fire hazard in Portugal. Ann. For. Sci. 66, 415 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2009013

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2009013

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Annals of Forest Science

ISSN: 1297-966X