Vegetation combustible material maps as a basis for forecasting the occurrence, development, and consequences of vegetation fires
A.V. VOLOKITINA1, M.A. KORETS1, T.M. SOFRONOVA2
1Sukachev Institute of Forest, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
2Astafyev Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Keywords: mapping, vegetation fire behavior prediction, pyrological classification, pyrological characteristics, software programs, retrospective performance test
Abstract
Prediction of vegetation fire occurrence, development and effects is impossible without maps containing pyrological characteristics of vegetation fuels (VF). The forest fire maps created in Russia during forest inventory management reflect the fire hazard of forest areas only in a rough integrated form and are intended for fire prevention arrangement of territories, and not for the purpose of fire behavior prediction. Analysis of the international VF mapping experience has shown that it is difficult to borrow it due to historically established approaches to the pyrological classification of vegetation in different countries. In Russia, the VF classification, which made it possible to create multi-scale VF maps, was developed at the V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the basis of many years of fundamental pyrological research. Examples of information databases have been created for making large-scale VF maps for the Chunsky Forest Office in the Krasnoyarsk Angara region and nature reserves: “Stolby” (now a national park), Sayano-Shushensky, Kuznetsky Alatau, Ubsunur basin. Software programs have been developed and registered for predicting fire occurrence, development and immediate effects based on VF maps, which makes it possible to prevent fires, and when they occur, to make optimal plans for their control and suppression, taking into account their possible development from surface to crown or ground fires, as well as to assess the possible tree mortality in stands of different tree species. The article provides an example of a VF map for the Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve, made in a GIS system using forest inventory data.
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