Fuels Planning: Science Synthesis and Integration

Forest Structure and Fire Hazard

Dave Peterson & Morris JohnsonPNW Research Station

Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Lab

Objectives

• Synthesize and publish scientific knowledge and principles about how modifications of forest structure affect fire hazard and fire behavior.

• Develop quantitative guidelines for how silvicultural prescriptions affect fire hazard and fire behavior – guide for representative forest types of the western U.S.

Application: Assist the NEPA process, planning, and decision making primarily at the scale of forest stands.

Linkage: Provide input for economic and ecological analyses.

Representative Stands

• Selected Forest Types– Ponderosa Pine– Mixed Conifer– Pinyon-Juniper– Lodgepole Pine

• Stand Exams

• FIA FVS Ready

Silvicultural Treatments

• No action• Thin from below < 9 inches DBH• Thin from below to target stand density• Thin to target stand density proportional• Thin from below to fire resilient conditions

– 75th percentile fire weather– 98th percentile fire weather

Surface Fuel Treatments

• No Surface Fuel Treatment

• Whole Tree Harvest

• Target Residual Surface Fuels (mechanical and/or fire)

Example Stand

Treatment 1

Treatment 2

Treatment 3

Treatment 4a

Treatment 4b

No Surface Treatment

Whole Tree Harvest

Target Residual Surface Fuels (mechanical and/or fire)

Stand 060101019710380

Analysis Tools• Forest Vegetation

Simulator-Fire and Fuels Extension (FVS-FFE)

• Fuel Characteristic Classification System (FCCS)

• EnVision Software

Fuel Treatment GuidebookModifying Forest Structure to Reduce Fire Hazard: A Guidebook for NEPA Analysis

• Qualitative– Pre & Post Treatment EnVision Images

• Quantitative– Stand Attributes– Fuel Loadings– Flame Length– Torching Index– Type of Fire

Initial Stand Condition

Thin from below <9 inches DBH

Thin from below to fire resilient conditionsThin to target stand density proportionally

Thin from below to target stand density

Guidebook outputsForest stand data• Trees per acre• QMD• Basal area• Stand density index• Volume (incl. merchantable)• Crown closure• Crown competition factor• Canopy base height• Canopy bulk density

Projected 50 years forward in time at 5-year increments

Guidebook outputsFuelbed and fire behavior data

• Surface fuel loadings (0-3 in., 3-6 in., litter, duff)• Flame length• Torching index• Crowning index• Fire type (surface, passive & active crown fire)• Potential tree (basal area) mortality• FCCS fire potential

Projected 50 years forward in time at 5-year increments

Cooperative work: PNW – R6 – SOROOverarching objective• Provide the scientific basis and technical support to strategic plans for

fuel/vegetation treatments on national forests.

• Assist planning for spatial and temporal pattern of treatments.

Scientific approach and productsScientific and technical support will focus on:

• Developing a decision process for planning fuel/vegetation treatments.

• Improving the quality of fuel/vegetation data bases of national forest landscapes fuels mapping.

• Developing a long-term monitoring approach for documenting and evaluating fuel/vegetation treatments.

THANK YOU!

Dave Petersonpeterson@fs.fed.us

206.732.7812http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera