Plant traits linked to field-scale flammability metrics in prescribed burns in Eucalyptus forest.

ABSTRACT: Vegetation is a key determinant of wildfire behaviour at field scales as it functions as fuel. Past studies in the laboratory show that plant flammability, the ability of plants to ignite and maintain combustion, is a function of their traits. However, the way the traits of individual plants combine in a vegetation community to affect field flammability has received little attention. This study aims to bridge the gap between the laboratory and field by linking plant traits to metrics of field-scale flammability. Across three prescribed burns, in Eucalyptus-dominated damp and dry forest, we measured pre-burn plant species abundance and post-burn field flammability metrics (percentage area burnt, char and scorch height). For understory species with dominant cover-abundance, we measured nine

SUBMITTER: Tumino BJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6709903 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature