L. Prior, Kathryn Storey, G. Williamson, David M. J. S. Bowman
{"title":"When soil becomes fuel: identifying a safe window for prescribed burning of Tasmanian vegetation growing on organic soils","authors":"L. Prior, Kathryn Storey, G. Williamson, David M. J. S. Bowman","doi":"10.1071/wf24061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/wf24061","url":null,"abstract":"Background Flammable vegetation in Tasmania, Australia often grows on organic soils that can burn if sufficiently dry. Aims To develop an approach to identify a safe window for prescribed burning of vegetation on Tasmanian organic soils, when vegetation is dry enough to be combustible, yet organic soils are unlikely to burn. Methods We compiled a dataset of when organic soils did and did not burn when exposed to vegetation fires. Focussing on moorland, we used binomial modelling to estimate the probability of organic soil burning in relation to soil dryness index (SDI) computed from climate data. Vegetation combustibility was inferred from fuel moisture content estimated from climate data and records of area burnt. Key results Risk of soil fire varied with vegetation. In moorland, modelling predicted a 17% risk when SDI was 10, a conservative estimate because our dataset was biased towards positive records of soil fire. Using an SDI threshold of 10, the average annual number of ‘safe combustible’ days varied across Tasmania from 26 to 53. Conclusions This approach can be used to refine safe burning guidelines on organic soil. Implications This approach, when applied to an improved dataset, will assist fire management on organic soils.","PeriodicalId":14464,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Wildland Fire","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141381402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Judith A. Kirschner, Toddi A. Steelman, Iris Charalambidou, Salih Gücel, Petros Petrou, Kostakis Papageorgiou, Achilleas Karayiannis, George Boustras
{"title":"Uncharted territory: governance opportunities for wildfire management and the case of Cyprus","authors":"Judith A. Kirschner, Toddi A. Steelman, Iris Charalambidou, Salih Gücel, Petros Petrou, Kostakis Papageorgiou, Achilleas Karayiannis, George Boustras","doi":"10.1071/wf23177","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/wf23177","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Global environmental and social change are pushing wildfire activity and impact beyond known trajectories. Here, we conducted a targeted review to distill five wildfire challenges that we argue form opportunities for their governance (research aim 1). We exemplified our arguments by drawing from the case of Cyprus (research aim 2), a small island country in the south-east European Mediterranean Basin at risk of extreme wildfire impact. Findings indicate that burning for social and ecological resource benefits, innovative management paradigms and anticipatory governance systems offer actionable solutions to the wildfire paradox and the limits of suppression. Local adaptive institutions and a reconceptualisation of wildfire as a risk and process beyond technocratic interpretations are necessary to account for broader social conditions shaping wildfire regimes and community impact. Governance systems that accommodate collective action have proven suitable to address multiple wildfire complexities linked with different socio-economic systems and values. A systematic literature review, policy review, and qualitative data collection on wildfire management in Cyprus track back to the initial framing. Our case study offers insights for tackling wildfires with actionable steps through overarching governance systems, and illustrates the potential for change in thinking of and acting on wildfire in flammable landscapes globally.</p>","PeriodicalId":14464,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Wildland Fire","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141254633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Long-term post-fire succession of reptiles in an urban remnant in south-western Australia","authors":"Robert A. Davis, Michael D. Craig","doi":"10.1071/wf24033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/wf24033","url":null,"abstract":"<strong> Background</strong><p>Reptile responses to fire may differ between remnants and contiguous vegetation but this is poorly understood.</p><strong> Aims</strong><p>We aimed to explore long-term (≤15 years) post-fire responses of reptiles in an urban <i>Banksia</i> woodland remnant.</p><strong> Methods</strong><p>We trapped reptiles for 10 nights in November and December each year between 2009 and 2023 inclusive (except 2014 and 2019) to estimate relative abundance. We used mixed models to explore differences between unburnt and burnt sites and changes in both over time.</p><strong> Key results and conclusions</strong><p>The reptile community showed short-term negative responses to fire, but communities had returned to their pre-fire state within 3 years. Two species showed short-term (3 and 5 years respectively) negative responses to fire while two species showed positive responses; one in the first year post-fire only, and the other in sites >8 years post-fire. There did not appear to be consistent differences in fire responses between this study and studies conducted in contiguous <i>Banksia</i> woodlands, although differences in study designs renders this conclusion equivocal.</p><strong> Implications</strong><p>Reptile communities in <i>Banksia</i> woodland remnants, and the species they contain appear to be relatively robust to a wide range of fire regimes.</p>","PeriodicalId":14464,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Wildland Fire","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141193405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anna LoPresti, Meghan T. Hayden, Katherine J. Siegel, B. Poulter, E. N. Stavros, L. Dee
{"title":"Remote sensing applications for prescribed burn research","authors":"Anna LoPresti, Meghan T. Hayden, Katherine J. Siegel, B. Poulter, E. N. Stavros, L. Dee","doi":"10.1071/wf23130","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/wf23130","url":null,"abstract":"Prescribed burning is a key management strategy within fire-adapted systems, and improved monitoring approaches are needed to evaluate its effectiveness in achieving social-ecological outcomes. Remote sensing provides opportunities to analyse the impacts of prescribed burning, yet a comprehensive understanding of the applications of remote sensing for prescribed burn research is lacking. We conduct a literature review of 120 peer-reviewed publications to synthesise the research aims, methodologies, limitations and future directions of remote sensing for the analysis of prescribed fire. Studies evaluating management outcomes found prescribed burning effective for wildfire risk reduction, yet few analysed co-benefits or trade-offs with other management goals. Most studies use passive, spaceborne, low spatial resolution sensors, characterised in the literature as consistent and accessible data sources but limited in detecting small, low-severity and short-duration fires characteristic of prescribed burns. In contrast, active remote sensing approaches including LiDAR are less frequently employed, but show promise for highly accurate, spatially explicit 3D vegetation and fuel load mapping. Remote sensing advances toward higher spatial resolution, more frequent revisit, denser spectral sampling and more data across the electromagnetic spectrum are critical to advancing prescribed fire research, addressing current methodological gaps, and improving fuels and fire management capacity.","PeriodicalId":14464,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Wildland Fire","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141100483","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
James S. Gould, Miguel G. Cruz, Andrew L. Sullivan
{"title":"The 1986 Annaburroo experimental grassland fires: data","authors":"James S. Gould, Miguel G. Cruz, Andrew L. Sullivan","doi":"10.1071/wf23100","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/wf23100","url":null,"abstract":"Background In 1986, CSIRO conducted a large program of experimental fires in grassland at Annaburroo Station, Northern Territory, Australia, with the objective of quantifying the effect of fuel condition (load and height) on fire behaviour. Aims This paper provides the data collected during this program, representing a unique set of observations and measurements of large, free-burning experimental fires conducted in a multi-factor experimental design. Methods Data are collated by experimental burn plot, providing detailed measurements of weather (wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity), fuel state (load, height, moisture content, curing) and fire behaviour (rate of spread, flame depth, flame height, head fire width), as well as processed information (e.g. steady-state rate of spread). Data availability The data are made available for free download on the CSIRO Data Access Portal (https://data.csiro.au/collection/csiro:58746) and include detailed metadata descriptions of the data and their structure, also provided in this article. Conclusions We have made the data available for fire behaviour researchers around the world to use in their research under the Creative Commons Attributions licence. It is hoped they will analyse these data and extract new and innovative insights to help improve our understanding of wildland fires burning in grass fuels.","PeriodicalId":14464,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Wildland Fire","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140984941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jeremy Russell-Smith, Cameron Yates, Roland Vernooij, Tom Eames, Diane Lucas, Keddy Mbindo, Sarah Banda, Kanembwa Mukoma, Adrian Kaluka, Alex Liseli, Jomo Mafoko, Othusitse Lekoko, Robin Beatty, Mirjam Kaestli, Guido van der Werf, Natasha Ribeiro
{"title":"Framework for a savanna burning emissions abatement methodology applicable to fire-prone miombo woodlands in southern Africa","authors":"Jeremy Russell-Smith, Cameron Yates, Roland Vernooij, Tom Eames, Diane Lucas, Keddy Mbindo, Sarah Banda, Kanembwa Mukoma, Adrian Kaluka, Alex Liseli, Jomo Mafoko, Othusitse Lekoko, Robin Beatty, Mirjam Kaestli, Guido van der Werf, Natasha Ribeiro","doi":"10.1071/wf23193","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/wf23193","url":null,"abstract":"<strong> Background and aims</strong><p>To assess development of a robust emissions accounting framework for expansive miombo woodland savannas covering ~2 million km<sup>2</sup> of southern Africa that typically are burnt under relatively severe late dry season (LDS) conditions.</p><strong> Methods</strong><p>A detailed site-based study of fuel accumulation, combustion and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission factor parameters under early dry season (EDS) and LDS conditions along a central rainfall-productivity and associated miombo vegetation structural and floristics gradient, from lower rainfallsites in northern Botswana to higher rainfall sites in northern Zambia.</p><strong> Key results</strong><p>Assembled field data inform core components of the proposed emissions reduction framework: fuel and combustion conditions sampled across the vegetation/productivity gradient can be represented by three defined Vegetation Fuel Types (VFTs); fuel accumulation, combustion and emissions parameters are presented for these. Applying this framework for an illustrative case, GHG emissions (t CO<sub>2</sub>-e) from EDS fires were one-third to half those of LDS fires per unit area in eligible miombo VFTs.</p><strong> Conclusions</strong><p>Our accounting framework supports undertaking EDS fire management to significantly reduce emissions and, realistically, burnt extent at landscape scales. We consider application of presented data to development of formal emissions abatement accounting methods, linkages with potential complementary woody biomass and soil organic carbon sequestration approaches, and necessary caveats concerning implementation issues.</p>","PeriodicalId":14464,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Wildland Fire","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140883794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Reed Humphrey, John Saltenberger, John T. Abatzoglou, Alison Cullen
{"title":"Near-term fire weather forecasting in the Pacific Northwest using 500-hPa map types","authors":"Reed Humphrey, John Saltenberger, John T. Abatzoglou, Alison Cullen","doi":"10.1071/wf23117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/wf23117","url":null,"abstract":"<strong> Background</strong><p>Near-term forecasts of fire danger based on predicted surface weather and fuel dryness are widely used to support the decisions of wildfire managers. The incorporation of synoptic-scale upper-air patterns into predictive models may provide additional value in operational forecasting.</p><strong> Aims</strong><p>In this study, we assess the impact of synoptic-scale upper-air patterns on the occurrence of large wildfires and widespread fire outbreaks in the US Pacific Northwest. Additionally, we examine how discrete upper-air map types can augment subregional models of wildfire risk.</p><strong> Methods</strong><p>We assess the statistical relationship between synoptic map types, surface weather and wildfire occurrence. Additionally, we compare subregional fire danger models to identify the predictive value contributed by upper-air map types.</p><strong> Key results</strong><p>We find that these map types explain variation in wildfire occurrence not captured by fire danger indices based on surface weather alone, with specific map types associated with significantly higher expected daily ignition counts in half of the subregions.</p><strong> Conclusions</strong><p>We observe that incorporating upper-air map types enhances the explanatory power of subregional fire danger models.</p><strong> Implications</strong><p>Our approach provides value to operational wildfire management and provides a template for how these methods may be implemented in other regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":14464,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Wildland Fire","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140838634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Douglas A. G. Radford, Holger R. Maier, Hedwig van Delden, Aaron C. Zecchin, Amelie Jeanneau
{"title":"An efficient, multi-scale neighbourhood index to quantify wildfire likelihood","authors":"Douglas A. G. Radford, Holger R. Maier, Hedwig van Delden, Aaron C. Zecchin, Amelie Jeanneau","doi":"10.1071/wf23055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/wf23055","url":null,"abstract":"<strong> Background</strong><p>To effectively reduce future wildfire risk, several management strategies must be evaluated under plausible future scenarios, requiring models that provide estimates of how likely wildfires are to spread to community assets (wildfire likelihood) in a computationally efficient manner. Approaches to quantifying wildfire likelihood using fire simulation models cannot practically achieve this because they are too computationally expensive.</p><strong> Aim</strong><p>This study aimed to develop an approach for quantifying wildfire likelihood that is both computationally efficient and able to consider contagious and directionally specific fire behaviour properties across multiple spatial ‘neighbourhood’ scales.</p><strong> Methods</strong><p>A novel, computationally efficient index for quantifying wildfire likelihood is proposed. This index is evaluated against historical and simulated data on a case study in South Australia.</p><strong> Key results</strong><p>The neighbourhood index explains historical burnt areas and closely replicates patterns in burn probability calculated using landscape fire simulation (<i>ρ</i> = 0.83), while requiring 99.7% less computational time than the simulation-based model.</p><strong> Conclusions</strong><p>The neighbourhood index represents patterns in wildfire likelihood similar to those represented in burn probability, with a much-reduced computational time.</p><strong> Implications</strong><p>By using the index alongside existing approaches, managers can better explore problems involving many evaluations of wildfire likelihood, thereby improving planning processes and reducing future wildfire risks.</p>","PeriodicalId":14464,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Wildland Fire","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140838549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kiam Padamsey, Ruth Wallace, Adelle Liebenberg, Martyn Cross, Jacques Oosthuizen
{"title":"Fighting fire and fumes: risk awareness and protective practices among Western Australian firefighters","authors":"Kiam Padamsey, Ruth Wallace, Adelle Liebenberg, Martyn Cross, Jacques Oosthuizen","doi":"10.1071/wf23147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/wf23147","url":null,"abstract":"Background In Western Australia, the issue of bushfires (wildfires) poses a persistent health risk to both volunteer and career forestry firefighters, populations that have been historically understudied. Aims This descriptive qualitative study aimed to examine firefighters’ level of understanding concerning hazardous exposures, their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) protocols and their decontamination practices. Methods Guided by the socioecological model, 23 semi-structured interviews were conducted with firefighters representing both volunteer and forestry sectors. Key results Results indicate a gap in knowledge regarding the health risks associated with bushfire-generated smoke and contaminants among volunteer firefighters. Forestry firefighters, conversely, showed a greater awareness of these risks. Social dynamics, such as peer pressure, were identified as historical deterrents to PPE use, although recent trends indicate positive change. Forestry firefighters also highlighted systemic shortcomings, including inadequate provision of respiratory protection and lack of decontamination facilities for cleaning themselves and their PPE. Conclusion This study underscores the critical need for educational initiatives to address these gaps in understanding, along with organisational reforms to promote a culture encouraging PPE use and to provide essential resources for effective decontamination. Implications This research emphasises that a multi-level approach is essential for safeguarding the health of firefighters in bushfire-prone environments.","PeriodicalId":14464,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Wildland Fire","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140659893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Louis Provencher, S. Byer, Kevin J. Badik, Michael J. Clifford
{"title":"Developing spatially explicit and stochastic measures of ecological departure","authors":"Louis Provencher, S. Byer, Kevin J. Badik, Michael J. Clifford","doi":"10.1071/wf23038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/wf23038","url":null,"abstract":"Background Ecological departure is a metric applied to mapped ecological systems measuring dissimilarity between the distributions of observed and expected proportions of non-stochastic reference vegetation classes within an area. Aims We created spatially explicit measures of ecological departure incorporating stochasticity for each ecological system and all ecological systems from a central Nevada, USA, landscape. Methods Spatially explicit ecological departures were estimated from a radius from each pixel governed by a distance-decay function within a moving window. Variability was introduced by simulating replicate climate time series for each spatial reference condition and calculating departure per replicate. Key results Single-system spatial ecological departure was high and extensive, except for one area of low-elevation groundwater-dependent systems. Variance of spatial ecological departure was extensively low, except in areas of lower ecological departure, despite vegetation differences among replicates. The multiple-system ecological departure exhibited lower values. Conclusions Spatial ecological departure is warranted for efficient land management as results were concordant between non-spatial and spatial metrics; however, rapid coding languages will be required. Implications Spatially explicit ecological departure of both single and multiple systems facilitate localised vegetation and wildlife habitat management and land protection decisions.","PeriodicalId":14464,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Wildland Fire","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140667395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}