Fuels data for developing models for predicting consumption in sagebrush-dominated ecosystems

Fuel consumption predictions are necessary to accurately estimate or model fire effects, including pollutant emissions, during wildland fires. We collected fuel and environmental measurements on a series of operational prescribed fires in big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentate Nutt.) ecosystems throughout the intermountain west: California, Oregon, Nevada, Wyoming, and Montana. Field measurements took place on operational prescribed fires at 26 sites in 11 operational burn units from September 2001 through April 2004 and included pre-fire fuel loading composition and arrangement, day-of-burn fuel and weather conditions, and fuel consumption.
This study addresses a recognized knowledge gap in the ability of the fire science and management communities to predict fuel consumption during fires in shrub-dominated ecosystems in general and big sagebrush ecosystems in particular. The objective of this data collection and research was to build on the work of Wright and Prichard (2006) and develop empirical models to predict fuel consumption for big sagebrush rangelands based on field measurements of prefire fuel loading, composition and arrangement; day-of-burn fuel and weather conditions; and fuel consumption. The models developed from these data will be incorporated into the CONSUME software application and its successors, which will allow for more informed and effective fire planning and fire use in sagebrush-dominated types. The primary objective of our research was to develop models to predict biomass consumption in big sagebrush ecosystems using variables that are relatively easily measured or readily obtained. These fuel consumption models have been incorporated into the software CONSUME 3.0. Development of consumption models for sagebrush ecosystems and their application in CONSUME 3.0 promotes more effective and informed use of emission production, fire effects, and wildfire/prescribed fire tradeoff models allowing for better wildland fire emissions and fire effects accounting and planning at a variety of scales.
Original metadata date was 05/29/2015. Minor metadata updates on 12/19/2016.