Mastication Research Fire Behavior Data

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Project Home Study Design Methods Results Publications

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To examine the differences in fire behavior and effects between treatments, we established four monitoring plots within each burn unit to collect the following:

 

Collection of surface fuels data.

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Pre and post burn measurements of woody fuels (1-hr, 10-hr, 100-hr, and 1000-hr TLFM) cover, and litter, duff, and slash depths.

 

Monitoring fire behavior in a masticated unit.

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Estimates of flame length, flame zone depth, and rate of spread.

 

Pyrometers

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Maximum temperature in three strata 1) 0.5 meters above the ground, 2) on top of the litter, and 3) at the interface between the duff and soil layers. These temperatures were measured by pyrometers that were created by applying temperature-sensitive paint (OMEGALAQ TM) to brass tags.

 

HOBO Thermocouple

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Heat residence time and temperature profiles in selected fall burn treatments. HOBO Thermocouples were buried on-site during the burn period to record this data.

 

Data was also collected on the percent scorch of dominant trees and shrubs (within one month of burning) and the percent mortality of overstory and pole-sized trees and shrubs (seven months after burning).