Effects of fine fuel moisture and loading on small scale fire behavior in mixed-oak forests of Southeastern Ohio

Abstract

Multiple factors interact to influence fire behavior. While the interactions of fuel moisture and fuel loading in western coniferous communities are well understood, few studies have examined fire behavior in eastern deciduous forests. In order to accurately predict fire behavior in mixed-oak forests, studies need to examine fire behavior in eastern deciduous forests. We conducted a fine-scale manipulative experiment to determine the specific effects that fine fuel moisture and load have on fire behavior in Ohio mixed-oak forests. Three fuel moisture levels (0, 4 and 15% moisture), and five field-simulated fuel loads were burned in a 3X5 factorial experiment. Thermocolor pyrometers were used to measure maximum termperature at 5 and 30 cm as an indicator of fire behavior. Additionally, amount and percent of fuel burned were determined for each set of conditions. As expected, fires burned hotter with decreasing fuel moisture, and with increasing fuel load. Percent of fuel burned an dmean temperature at 5 and 30 cm were found in prior field studies in Appalachian Ohio. Controlled experiments such as this will likely prove useful in future efforts to link fuel conditions and fire behavior as landscape-scale effects are modeled. In particular, our results can be used to verify and calibrate fire behavior models in eastern mixed-oak forests.