Building fuel models and simulating their surface fire behavior in the "serra de itabaiana" National Park, Sergipe, Brazil

Abstract

The objectives of this research were, for scientific and management purposes, to build fuel models and simulate their fire behavior. Three different vegetation types (shrublands, grass fields and tropical forests) of the "Serra de Itabaiana" National Park were analyzed. The fuel models were developed by destructive sampling and the collected data was inserted in the software "BehavePlus 5.0". The results revealed that the fuel model for the shrublands presented the longest flame length, the highest fireline intensity and the greatest heat release per unit area. The fuel model for the grass fields presented the fastest surface rate of spread; and the fuel model for the tropical forests the lower fire intensity.