Alaska National v1.0.0

Last updated on 8/17/2011 5:39:53 PM.

Introduction

WFDSS uses the aspect, slope, elevation, fuel model, canopy cover, canopy base height (CBH), canopy bulk density (CBD), and stand height layers to a create landscape file that displays fuels, topography and canopy information simultaneously. Landscape data can be viewed for any point on a map display by clicking the Info sub-tab > selecting the tool > and then clicking on the landscape. The default Landscape Data Source for incidents is the most current source available, but this can be changed for an incident on the Incident Information tab.

Landscape data in WFDSS is sourced from LANDFIRE and a multi-partner wildland fire and wildland fuel mapping project in the state of California. All values are measured with the metric system:

Variable	Unit of Measure
aspect	degrees
slope	degrees
elevation	meters
canopy base height	meters
canopy bulk density	kg/m3
canopy cover	percent
stand height	meters

The California landscape 2010 data set is an annual, multi-partner wildland fire and wildland fuel mapping project within the state of California. The California fuels data are supported by the California Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP), US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Region 5 Fire and Aviation Management, the US Department of Interior (US DOI) Bureau of Land Management and DOI National Park Service. California fuel data tasks are completed by the USDA Region 5 Remote Sensing Lab.

Landscape - Alaska National v1.0.0

Alaska National v1.0.0 has an imagery date and disturbance circa 2000-2001, similar to LANDFIRE National v1.0.0. Surface fuel models for Alaska were assigned by fire behavior and fuels experts based on existing vegetation types (EVT) descriptions and representative photos. Either the standard 13 fuel models (Anderson 1982) or 40 fire behavior fuel models (Scott and Burgan 2005) are available in Alaska National v1.0.0. To understand how LANDFIRE National v1.0.0, including Alaska, compares to other LANDFIRE data sets, go to http://www.landfire.gov/version_comparison.php.

For canopy fuels, generally expect Alaska National v1.0.0 data to have the following:

• higher values for canopy cover greater than 70%, affecting dead fuel moisture conditioning and wind adjustment factors
• higher values for CBH
• lower values for CBD

Fire Behavior Modeling Considerations with Alaska LANDFIRE National v1.0.0:

The Scott and Reinhardt (2001) crown fire method (http://www.fire.org/downloads/nexus/2.0.0/rp29.pdf) should result in more predicted active crown fire behavior. You might also observe greater rates of spread and higher flame lengths for predicted passive crown fire compared to the Finney (1998) crown fire method.

Suggestions for using these data with the Finney (1998) crown fire method include the following:

• Reduce the CBH by half, to facilitate the transfer from surface to some form of crown fire (passive or active)

And / Or

• Double the CBD to facilitate more active crown fire behavior.

And / Or

• Decrease canopy cover.

See the LANDFIRE Data Products Notifications – Data Products (https://www.landfire.gov/notifications.php) for more guidance regarding these rules.

Note: Because these data can be downloaded and used in multiple places or use different fire modeling tools within WFDSS, there are other ramifications for using all the various datasets in FSPro, short-term fire behavior, near-term fire behavior, etc. Consequently, you should calibrate the final selected crown fire method to observed fire behavior and adjust it to the local area.