S-244 Field Observer & Fire Effects Monitor Fire Effects Monitoring Lesson 2: Methods for Measuring Fire Effects Photo: Marshel Moy

Lesson 2: Methods for Measuring Fire Effects Fuel Loading Consumption Depth of Burn Burn Pattern Burn Severity Plant Mortality Scorch Height Water Quality Property Damage

Fuel Loading The amount of fuel present on a site expressed quantitatively in terms of weight of fuel per unit area.

Fuel Loading Brown’s Transects: An inventory of dead woody fuels and duff. Photo: Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada

Fuel Loading Estimate fuel loading using a photo series Photo: Heather Heward

Fuel Loading

Consumption The amount of a specified fuel type or strata that is removed through the fire process. Photo: Heather Heward

Consumption Fuel Consumption is measured by comparing the pre-treatment fuel loading to that of the post- treatment. Photos: Kings Peak Fire Module

Consumption Depth of Burn: The reduction in forest floor thickness due to consumption by fire. Duff Consumption Photo: Melanie Miller

Consumption Measuring Depth of Burn

Consumption Duff consumption creates planting sites. Photo: Bandelier Fire Module

Burn Pattern The mosaic of burned and unburned vegetation and fuels. Photo: Melanie Miller Photo: Yellowstone Fire Module Photo: Heather Heward

Burn Pattern The mosaic of fire severity

Burn Pattern Document burn pattern with maps, diagrams, or photographs. Photo: Heather Heward

Burn Severity A qualitative assessment of the heat pulse directed toward the ground during a fire. Photo: Interagency BAER Team

Burn Severity Burn Severity varies within a burned area. Photo: Heather Heward

Plant Mortality Can be either a first order (immediate) fire effect or a second order (delayed) fire effect.

Plant Mortality Crown Scorch: Browning of needles or leaves in the crown of a tree caused by heat from fire. 40% 60%

Plant Mortality Char Height: The maximum height of charred bark on each overstory tree. Photo: Heather Heward

Plant Mortality Top-kill : Plant mortality in sprouting plants where all above-ground plant is destroyed by the fire, but the roots of the plant survive and are able to produce new stems and leaves. Photo: Ed Brunson

Water Quality Post-fire Water Quality concerns Sedimentation & turbidity Increased water temperature Introduction of fire retardant chemicals Photo: USGS

Water Quality Increased sedimentation due to erosion and runoff can increase turbidity. Photo: Ed Brunson

Water Quality Water-repellant soil can further increase erosion and sedimentation. Photo: USFS

Water Quality Decreased shading due to loss of vegetation can increase water temperatures. Photo: Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

Water Quality Fire retardant in waterways can be harmful to aquatic life. Photo: Brian Austin Photo: ©Stuart Wilson

Property Damage Positive identification of damaged property. Photos: CBS News

 Documenting fire effects should be tied to the fire’s management objectives.  Terminology and procedures for documenting fire effects can vary—clarify your instructions for collecting data and observations. Summary

Comprehension Check ____________________are common methods for quantitatively estimating fuel loading. a) Brown’s transects and use of a photo series b) Burn severity coding and depth of burn c) Fire intensity and fire severity d) Point intercept and quadrat frame

Comprehension Check Which of the following is NOT true of burn severity? a) It is an important measurement for determining post-fire rehabilitation needs. b) It is related to soil heating, large fuel and duff consumption, consumption of the litter and organic layer, and mortality of buried plant parts. c) It’s another term for fire intensity. d) Burn severity can vary within a burned area.

Comprehension Check Which of the following is NOT a good indicator in predicting individual plant mortality? a) Crown scorch percentage b) Crown scorch height c) Char height d) Burn severity e) Fuel loading

Comprehension Check Plant mortality… a) is always a first order fire effect. b) is always a second order fire effect. c) can be either a first order fire effect or a second order fire effect. d) is not usually considered a fire effect.

Comprehension Check The important point in measuring burn severity is to understand… a) which components of the surface and sub-surface layers you will be evaluating, and which criteria will be used to classify the impact of fire on these components. b) what time it was when the flaming front passed. c) the fire regime of the overstory species. d) which photo series to use in the evaluation.

Comprehension Check Hydrophobic soils… a) absorb water more quickly than most soils. b) reduce the risk of erosion and sedimentation. c) are easily classified by their color. d) all of the above e) none of the above