Accounting for among-sampler variability improves confidence in fuel moisture content field measurements

IF 2.9 3区农林科学 Q1 FORESTRY

International Journal of Wildland Fire Pub Date : 2023-12-21 DOI:10.1071/wf23078

Kerryn Little, Laura J. Graham, Nicholas Kettridge

{"title":"Accounting for among-sampler variability improves confidence in fuel moisture content field measurements","authors":"Kerryn Little, Laura J. Graham, Nicholas Kettridge","doi":"10.1071/wf23078","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":" BackgroundDirect fuel moisture content measurements are critical for characterising spatio-temporal variations in fuel flammability and for informing fire danger assessments. However, among-sampler variability (systematic differences in measurements between samplers) likely contributes to fuel moisture measurement variability in most field campaigns. AimsWe assessed the magnitude of among-sampler variability in plot-scale Calluna vulgaris fuel moisture measurements. MethodsSeventeen individuals collected samples from six fuel layers hourly from 10:00 hours to 18:00 hours. We developed mixed effects models to estimate the among-sampler variability. Key resultsFuel moisture measurements were highly variable between individuals sampling within the same plot, fuel layer, and time of day. The importance of among-sampler variability in explaining total measured fuel moisture variance was fuel layer dependent. Among-sampler variability explained the greatest amount of measurement variation in litter (58%) and moss (45%) and was more important for live (19%) than dead (4%) Calluna. ConclusionsBoth consideration of samplers within the experimental design and incorporation of sampler metadata during statistical analysis will improve understanding of spatio-temporal fuel moisture dynamics obtained from field-based studies. ImplicationsAccounting for among-sampler variability in fuel moisture campaigns opens opportunities to utilise sampling teams and citizen science research to examine fuel moisture dynamics over large spatio-temporal scales.","PeriodicalId":14464,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Wildland Fire","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Wildland Fire","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1071/wf23078","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"FORESTRY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Direct fuel moisture content measurements are critical for characterising spatio-temporal variations in fuel flammability and for informing fire danger assessments. However, among-sampler variability (systematic differences in measurements between samplers) likely contributes to fuel moisture measurement variability in most field campaigns.

Aims

We assessed the magnitude of among-sampler variability in plot-scale Calluna vulgaris fuel moisture measurements.

Methods

Seventeen individuals collected samples from six fuel layers hourly from 10:00 hours to 18:00 hours. We developed mixed effects models to estimate the among-sampler variability.

Key results

Fuel moisture measurements were highly variable between individuals sampling within the same plot, fuel layer, and time of day. The importance of among-sampler variability in explaining total measured fuel moisture variance was fuel layer dependent. Among-sampler variability explained the greatest amount of measurement variation in litter (58%) and moss (45%) and was more important for live (19%) than dead (4%) Calluna.

Conclusions

Both consideration of samplers within the experimental design and incorporation of sampler metadata during statistical analysis will improve understanding of spatio-temporal fuel moisture dynamics obtained from field-based studies.

Implications

Accounting for among-sampler variability in fuel moisture campaigns opens opportunities to utilise sampling teams and citizen science research to examine fuel moisture dynamics over large spatio-temporal scales.

查看原文本刊更多论文

考虑取样器之间的差异可提高燃料含水率实地测量的可信度

背景直接测量燃料含水量对于描述燃料可燃性的时空变化以及为火灾危险评估提供信息至关重要。然而，取样器之间的变异（取样器之间测量结果的系统性差异）可能是大多数野外活动中燃料水分测量变异的原因。目的我们评估了在地块尺度的Calluna vulgaris燃料水分测量中取样器之间的差异程度。方法17 个人从 10:00 到 18:00 每小时从六个燃料层采集样本。我们建立了混合效应模型来估计取样器之间的变异性。主要结果在同一地块、燃料层和一天中的不同时间段采样的个体之间，燃料水分测量值的差异很大。取样器之间的差异在解释燃料水分测量总差异方面的重要性取决于燃料层。取样员之间的差异对枯落物（58%）和苔藓（45%）测量差异的解释最大，对活（19%）Calluna 比死（4%）Calluna 的解释更重要。结论在实验设计中考虑采样器以及在统计分析过程中纳入采样器元数据都将提高对野外研究获得的时空燃料水分动态的理解。意义在燃料湿度活动中考虑取样器之间的变异性为利用取样团队和公民科学研究来研究大时空尺度的燃料湿度动态提供了机会。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

International Journal of Wildland Fire 农林科学-林学

CiteScore

5.50

自引率

9.70%

发文量

审稿时长

12-24 weeks

期刊介绍： International Journal of Wildland Fire publishes new and significant articles that advance basic and applied research concerning wildland fire. Published papers aim to assist in the understanding of the basic principles of fire as a process, its ecological impact at the stand level and the landscape level, modelling fire and its effects, as well as presenting information on how to effectively and efficiently manage fire. The journal has an international perspective, since wildland fire plays a major social, economic and ecological role around the globe. The International Journal of Wildland Fire is published on behalf of the International Association of Wildland Fire.