How terpene content affects fuel flammability of wildland–urban interface vegetation

Abstract

Among plant characteristics promoting flammability, terpenes have received little attention, especially regarding the vegetation surrounding housing. Here, mono-, sesqui- and diterpenes were screened in live and dead leaves of ornamental species found in wildland–urban interfaces (WUIs) of south-eastern France. Terpene content and composition were compared among species and between fuel types. Their influence on flammability was assessed through several variables and compared with that of leaf thickness and moisture content. Six of the 17 species examined contained terpenes. Terpene diversity and content differed among species but not between fuel types. Mono-, sesqui- and diterpenes (especially the highly concentrated compounds) were involved to varying degrees in both leaf and litter flammability. Their effects could be opposite according to the flammability variable and the fuel type considered. Leaf sesquiterpene content and litter total terpene content had the strongest influence on maximum combustion temperature; the former also mainly drove leaf flaming duration. The other flammability variables were more strongly associated with either moisture content or leaf thickness. Our findings highlight the idea that fire management in the WUI must also acknowledge the potential for ornamental species containing terpenes, such as Pinus halepensis, to affect fire behaviour.