Fire Behaviour Modelling in Tasmanian Buttongrass Moorlands .I. Fuel Characteristics

Abstract

As part of a program to develop fire management strategies for Tasmanian buttongrass moorlands fuel characteristics were sampled from a wide range of sites in western and southwestern Tasmania. Equations were developed to predict the total fuel loading and the dead fuel loading. These variables are shown in a subsequent paper to be correlated with fire behaviour. The best predictors of fuel loading were found to be geology, vegetation age (i.e. time since the last fire) and vegetation cover. Vegetation cover is difficult to assess consistently. It is shown that reasonable predictions can be made using age and geology alone. The dead fuel loading of a given age was found to be strongly related to the total fuel loading, independent of geology. Statistical techniques used to develop fuel models are discussed. Other fuel characteristics that could be used as inputs for the Rothermel fire behaviour model are also presented.