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Using density management diagrams to assess crown fire potential in Pinus pinaster Ait. stands

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Annals of Forest Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Context

Density management diagrams (DMDs) are useful for designing, displaying and evaluating alternative density management regimes for a given stand-level management objective. The inclusion of variables related to crown fire potential within DMDs has not previously been considered.

Aims

The aim of this study was to include isolines of variables related to crown fire initiation and spread in DMDs to enable identification of stand structures associated with different types of wildfire.

Methods

Biometric and fuel data from maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) stands in NW Spain were used to construct DMDs. Different surface and crown fire behaviour models were used together to estimate crown fire potential.

Results

The crown fire potential varied greatly throughout development of the maritime pine stands. Low stands were more prone to crowning. The type of crown fire was mainly determined by stand density.

Conclusion

The DMDs developed can be used to identify relationships between stand structure and crown fire potential, thus enabling the design of thinning schedules aimed at reducing the likelihood of crowning.

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Funding

Funding for this research was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, project no. AGL2008-02259/FOR.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, R/ Benigno Ledo, Campus Universitario, 27002, Lugo, Spain

    Ibán Gómez-Vázquez & Manuel Arias-Rodil

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

    Paulo M. Fernandes

  3. Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Escuela Politécnica de Mieres, Universidad de Oviedo, C/ Gonzalo Gutiérrez Quirós, 33600, Mieres, Asturias, Spain

    Marcos Barrio-Anta

  4. Departamento de Ingeniería y Ciencias Agrarias, Escuela Superior y Técnica de Ingeniería Agraria, Universidad de León, Avda. de Astorga s/n, 24400, Ponferrada, León, Spain

    Fernando Castedo-Dorado

Authors
  1. Ibán Gómez-Vázquez
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  2. Paulo M. Fernandes
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  3. Manuel Arias-Rodil
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  4. Marcos Barrio-Anta
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  5. Fernando Castedo-Dorado
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fernando Castedo-Dorado.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Eric Rigolot

Contribution of the co-authors

Iban Gómez-Vázquez collected some of the biometrical data, analysed the data and wrote the manuscript.

Paulo M. Fernandes provided technical assistance in fire behaviour simulations and supervised the writing of the manuscript.

Manuel Arias-Rodil developed the R script for constructing the tailor-made DMDs.

Marcos Barrio-Anta provided some of the experimental data and revised the text.

Fernando Castedo-Dorado coordinated the research project and supervised the study.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Online Resource 1

R script for constructing tailored DMDs considering the fuel and weather conditions of interest to the users. Users only need to set the values for the variables U 10, Ms and FMC at the end of the script. (PDF 43 kb)

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Gómez-Vázquez, I., Fernandes, P.M., Arias-Rodil, M. et al. Using density management diagrams to assess crown fire potential in Pinus pinaster Ait. stands. Annals of Forest Science 71, 473–484 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-013-0350-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-013-0350-4

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