Sustainable Forest Management Support Based on the Spatial Distribution of Fuels for Fire Management

Abstract

Fire behavior simulation is based mainly on the fuel model-concept. However, there are great difficulties to develop the corresponding maps, therefore it is suggested the generation of four fuel maps (1-hour, 10-hours, 100-hours and alive). These maps will allow a better definition of the spatial variation of forest fuels, even within a zone classified as a given fuel model. The used data was acquired under a forest inventory of 554 sample plots, within an are of 1,400 ha approximately, in the ejido El Largo y Anexos (Chihuahua, México). Twelve different interpolation techniques (five deterministic and seven stochastic) were used to generate continuous surface of each fuel class. These surfaces were evaluated and compared. In general, stochastic techniques produce the best results, although individually the technique called inverse distance weighted showed a more constant performance. It is suggested that there is not a single interpolation technique to be used for any variable. The generated information (fuel maps) would help to the decision making process for a sustainable management of a given area, because it would help implement fire management strategies.

Parent Publication

• Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium: Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere

Citation

Garnica, José Germán Flores; Solorio, Juan de Dios Benavides; Gonzalez, David Arturo Moreno. 2006. Sustainable Forest Management Support Based on the Spatial Distribution of Fuels for Fire Management. In: Aguirre-Bravo, C.; Pellicane, Patrick J.; Burns, Denver P.; and Draggan, Sidney, Eds. 2006. Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium: Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere Proceedings RMRS-P-42CD. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 623-626