NEWS FLASHES
Fuel
Characteristic Classification System (FCCS) v. 2.0 Released
The Fuel Characteristic Classification System (FCCS), version 2.0,
has been released Enhancements include (1) user-specified environmental
variables to predict surface fire behavior, including reaction intensity,
flame length, and rate of spread, (2) crosswalks to one of the original
13 Fire Behavior Prediction System fuel models and one of the 40
standard fuel models (3) carbon storage report by fuelbed category
and subcategory and predicts the amount of combustible carbon in
each category and subcategory based on selected fuel moisture scenarios,
(4) reporting in English and metric units, (5) ability for users
to upload photos to represent each fuelbed, and (6) a batch mode
to provide output on a set of multiple fuelbeds.
LANDFIRE
FCCS Layer Available
LANDFIRE, which provides national-level, high-resolution geospatial
products to support fire and fuels management planning, now includes
a GIS layer that maps 229 FCCS fuelbeds across the western United
States. Users will find it listed under the “Fire Effects”
layers on the Landfire interactive website, or on the CD which can
be requested. Expected users include regional modelers who need
fine-resolution data, and managers responsible for consistent analysis
and policy over large regions.
Field
Crew Heads South for the Winter
FERA’s field crew is back on the road again, headed to Florida
for January and February. They will collect pre-fire fuel loading
and fuel consumption data to help validate fuel consumption models
for the Eastern regions of the U.S. Later in the year, field work
will move to more northern states. This work is funded by the Joint
Fire Science Program and undertaken in collaboration with the Northern
Research Station.
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NEW PUBLICATIONS
Have
It Your Way: Open Source Software Brings Common Ground to Smoke
Management and Emissions Inventories
The October 2008 issue of the Joint Fire Science Program's Fire
Science Briefs highlights the Fire
Emission Production Model (FEPS). The emphasis is on the open
source nature of FEPS, offering a fast and easy way for a variety
of users with different levels of knowledge and experience to generate
valid emissions and smoke transport prediction.
Full
text [.pdf]
Global
Warming and Stress Complexes in Forests of Western North America
This book chapter proposes that stress complexes (combinations
of biotic and abiotic stresses) compromise the vigor and ultimate
sustainability of forest ecosystems. Written by Don McKenzie, David
L. Peterson, and Jeremy Littell, it has been published by Elsevier
as part of the book "Wildland Fires and Air Pollution,"
part of the series "Developments in Environmental Science."
It is now available in Europe, and will be published in the United
States early in 2009.
Abstract
[.html]
Evaluation
of the Composite Burn Index for Assessing Fire Severity in Alaskan
Black Spruce Forests
An evaluation of the composite burn index in Alaskan black spruce
forests indicates it may be of limited potential for quantifying
fire severity in these ecosystems, in particular organic layer consumption,
which is an important factor to understand how ecosystems will respond
to changing climate and fire regimes in northern regions. Roger
Ottmar was one of 6 authors of this article in the International
Journal of Wildland Fire.
Abstract
[.html] Full text limited access [.pdf
1.1 MB][.html]
All
Publications
PRESENTATIONS AND POSTERS
WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING
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