CHARACTERIZATION AND DYNAMICS OF SURFACE FUEL OF CERRADO GRASSLAND IN JALAPÃO REGION – TOCANTINS, BRAZIL

Micael Moreira Santos,Antonio Carlos Batista,Allan Deyvid Pereira Da Silva,Eduardo Ganassoli Neto,Marcos Giongo,Ana Carolina Sena Barradas

doi:10.5380/rf.v51i1.67440

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the characteristics of surface fuel during the dry season in areas with different periods without the occurrence of burn, in the grasslands phytophysiognomy of the Cerrado in the Jalapao region of Brazil. Fuel sampling was conducted in areas with different periods without burning over four months during the dry season (May, June, August, and September). A total of 128 samples, named as data samples, were established, from which eight subsamples designated as parcels of fuel sampling were collected. In each parcel of fuel sample, we evaluated variables related to non-destructive methods such as the height of grass vegetation (Htg), litter height (Htl), number of species (Nsp), and number of individuals (Nin), as well as variables related to the destructive method for obtaining the fuel load. The fuel was separated according to its physiological state and diameter (time-lag). The Htg variable was highest and was stabilized by the second year post-burning. Nsp showed a reduced number of areas after four years without burning and in the last month of the dry season. The behavior of the dead grass fuel (Dg) load in the samplings collected in the first two months of the dry season was the only variable that increased in the different years without burning. These results are important for management initiatives of Cerrado grassland fuels in the Jalapao region.

Highlights

Fuel is very important for the occurrence and propagation of forest fires, fuel characteristics are seasonal and complex (RICCARDI et al, 2007, KEANE, 2013)
Riccardi et al (2007) reported the importance of understanding fuel characteristics to access carbon stock information, while Stephens et al (2012) highlighted that determining characteristics such as the fuel accumulation rate are very important for understanding the effectiveness of reduction measures for the fuel load
The periods without burning (PWB) is not the variable that best responds to variations in fuel moisture content

Summary

Introduction

Fuel is very important for the occurrence and propagation of forest fires, fuel characteristics are seasonal and complex (RICCARDI et al, 2007, KEANE, 2013). The characteristics of fuel determine the intensity, propagation, duration, and size of forest fires and are directly related to the quantity and changes of emission patterns of gas produced by fires (GOULD et al, 2011). Riccardi et al (2007) reported the importance of understanding fuel characteristics to access carbon stock information, while Stephens et al (2012) highlighted that determining characteristics such as the fuel accumulation rate are very important for understanding the effectiveness of reduction measures for the fuel load. Because of the long time required and high costs involved, studies aimed at evaluating the physical characteristics of surface fuel and its seasonal variability in the Cerrado of Brazil are extremely scarce.

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Conclusion