Consume Validation

Project Description

This project was divided into six major tasks: needs assessment, study design, field data collection and analysis, development of the software, writing a user guide and training package, and scientific documentation.

Our needs assessment highlighted the major fuel types for which increased wildland fire is expected and fuel consumption data are limited. These include sage, west coast and interior chaparral and oak brush; ponderosa pine and fir; black spruce, white spruce, and birch/aspen hardwoods; longleaf pine and sandhill-hardwood pine transition; and marsh grass and tall grass prairie.

A literature review of methods used to measure fuel consumption and the variables likely to control fuel consumption in these fuelbeds. Linear regression models were developed to predict fuel consumption for all fuelbed types. For forested types, woody fuel consumption was predicted by timelag category. Litter and duff consumption was predicted preburn loading and modeled forest floor reduction. In most cases, generalized linear models were created to model the proportion of loading consumed to confine modeled results to a positive value between 0 and 1.

Purpose and Scope

This research was done to improve the estimation of forest and rangeland fuels consumed during wildland and prescribed fires. Consume 3.0 imports fuels data directly from the Fuel Characteristic Classification System, and its results can feed other models and provide usable estimates for burn plan preparation and smoke management requirements. Consume can be used for most forest, shrub and grasslands in North America.

Methods

We measured fuel loading and fuel consumption on 18 prescribed fires in southern pine forest and sand pine scrub fuelbed types in the southeastern United States, and in 11 mixed hardwoods and pitch pine fuelbed types in northeast and north-central states.

Data from the 29 units was compiled and placed in the Smoke and Emissions Model Intercomparison Project repository as a data set that can be used to evaluate fuel consumption and other fire models. Additionally, pre- and postfire fuel consumption data from other studies occurring in the Eastern and Western United States was compiled and added to make it more usable as a validation data set.

Implementation

Linear regressional models were developed to predict fuel consumption for all fuelbed types, and incorporated into the Fuel and Fire Tool software.

Key Findings
For forested types, woody fuel consumption was predicted by timelag category. Litter and duff consumption was predicted preburn loading and modeled forest floor reduction. In most cases, generalized linear models were created to model the proportion of loading consumed to confine modeled results to a positive value between 0 and 1.

Project Deliverables

Consume (v. 4.0) is a module of the Fire and Fuels Tool (FFT). A standalone copy of v. 3.0 is available to download. It is not guaranteed to work with your software.