Map Units for LANDFIRE:Map Units for LANDFIRE:Integrating Vegetation Classification and Map Integrating Vegetation Classification and Map

LegendsLegends

Map Units for LANDFIRE:Map Units for LANDFIRE:Integrating Vegetation Classification and Map Integrating Vegetation Classification and Map

LegendsLegends

LANDFIRE DELIVERABLESLANDFIRE DELIVERABLES

FIRE BEHAVIOR/FIRE EFFECTS LayersFire behavior fuel modelsCanopy bulk densityCanopy base heightCanopy coverCanopy heightFCC FuelbedsFuel Loading Models

VEGETATIONExisting vegetation compositionExisting vegetation structureBiophysical Settings

FIRE ECOLOGY LayersHistorical fire return intervalHistorical fire severityHistorical fire regimeCurrent Succession Class Vegetation departureFire Regime Condition Classes

LANDFIRE DELIVERABLESLANDFIRE DELIVERABLES

FIRE BEHAVIOR/FIRE EFFECTSFire behavior fuel modelsCanopy bulk densityCanopy base heightCanopy coverCanopy heightFCC FuelbedsFuel Loading Models

VEGETATIONExisting vegetation compositionExisting vegetation structureBiophysical Settings

FIRE ECOLOGYHistorical fire return intervalHistorical fire severityHistorical fire regimeCurrent Succession Class Vegetation departureFire Regime Condition Classes

LANDFIRE Map Unit Development

• All Lands & Vegetative Communities– Same level of detail

• Forestlands, Shrublands, and Grasslands

• Repeatable– Quick and affordable

• Target Map Accuracies: – 60 to 80 percent map accuracy

• Consistent for the Map Extent (National)– Map units mean the same thing in Florida as they do in Colorado

Map Unit Requirements

Identifiable• from field or plot data

Map-able• 30 meter resolution• 60-80% accurate

Scalable• link with existing classifications

Model-able• provide required model inputs

LANDFIRE Vegetation LayersLANDFIRE Vegetation LayersPotentialPotential

VegetationVegetationType Type

(PVT) or (PVT) or Biophysical Biophysical

Setting Setting (BpS)(BpS)

ExistingExistingVegetation Vegetation

Type Type (Species (Species

CompositionComposition))

ExistingExistingStructural Structural

StageStage

Existing Vegetation Type:Other Efforts

Alliances and Associations of the USNVC (Grossman and others 1998)

Sagebrush cover type map (SAGEMAP 2002) and classification (Reid and others 2002) developed by USGS

Forest Cover Types of the United States and Canada, Society of American Foresters (Eyre 1980)

Rangeland Cover Types of the United States, Society for Range Management (Shiflet 1994)

GAP Cover Types for the eleven western states complied by the BLM

Map Unit Requirements

Identifiable• from field or plot data • through dominance of species or groups of

species on the plots• through individual or groups of indicator species

on plots• dichotomous Field Keyield Key with “field and floristic

criteria” • Sequence TableSequence Table for plot data with “ floristic

criteria”

Sequence Tables

Criteria• Absolute cover for lifeforms• Relative cover for floristic criteria

Sequence Tables

Criteria• Absolute cover for lifeforms• Relative cover for floristic criteria

Automation• BpS_EVT_Key_Classifier• Summaries by BpS, EVT, BpS/EVT• Constancy/Cover by BpS, EVT, BpS/EVT

Map Unit RequirementsMap-ableFinal Cleanup Sequence Tables:

• Mappers incorporate QA/QC for plots during mapping process and update MAT (contains training plots)

• NatureServe runs through unclassified plot data and applies a qualitative classification

• LFRDB determines what plot data is releasable and not releasable

• Final MAT posted and available

Map Unit Requirements

Scalable• Meet different scaling needs, fine to broad,

by linking to existing classification; crosswalks

• Maintain continuity between maps of different scales.

Map Unit Requirements

Model-able• Provide “correct” combos for fuel lookup

tables and inputs• Anomalous combinations of vegetation

composition, structure and site potential will not have plot data and thus no associated fuels inputs

Mapping Fuels for LANDFIRE:Mapping Fuels for LANDFIRE:Integrating Remote Sensing, GIS, and Biophysical Integrating Remote Sensing, GIS, and Biophysical

ModelingModeling

Mapping Fuels for LANDFIRE:Mapping Fuels for LANDFIRE:Integrating Remote Sensing, GIS, and Biophysical Integrating Remote Sensing, GIS, and Biophysical

ModelingModeling

Why are Fuels Important?The one factor over which we have the most control

Why are Fuels Important?The one factor over which we have the most control

Fuels MapsThe Most Important Fire Management Layer

Potential Uses

Fuels MapsThe Most Important Fire Management Layer

Potential Uses• Predict future growth of fire Predict future growth of fire • Develop fire danger, hazard, risk Develop fire danger, hazard, risk

layerslayers• Plan future fires and prioritize Plan future fires and prioritize

treatmentstreatments• Simulate fire effects-smoke, tree Simulate fire effects-smoke, tree

mortalitymortality• Evaluate management alternativesEvaluate management alternatives

• Predict future growth of fire Predict future growth of fire • Develop fire danger, hazard, risk Develop fire danger, hazard, risk

layerslayers• Plan future fires and prioritize Plan future fires and prioritize

treatmentstreatments• Simulate fire effects-smoke, tree Simulate fire effects-smoke, tree

mortalitymortality• Evaluate management alternativesEvaluate management alternatives

What Are Fuels? Live and dead biomass

What Are Fuels? Live and dead biomass

Biomass when burned: Contributes to fire

propagation Produces smoke Generates heat to

kill flora & fauna

Challenges in Mapping FuelsChallenges in Mapping Fuels

Canopy obstruction Fuel bed diversity Fire behavior fuel models Fuel complexity Fuel variability Fine resolutions

Canopy obstruction Fuel bed diversity Fire behavior fuel models Fuel complexity Fuel variability Fine resolutions

Fuel Bed DiversityMany categories of fuels

Fuel Bed DiversityMany categories of fuels

Litter and DuffLitter and Duff

Dead and LiveCrown foliageand branchwood

Dead and LiveCrown foliageand branchwood

Downed Dead WoodyTwig and BranchwoodDowned Dead WoodyTwig and Branchwood

Live and DeadShrub and HerbaceousLive and DeadShrub and Herbaceous LogsLogs

Live and DeadTree RegenerationLive and DeadTree Regeneration

Cones, Buds, Mosses, LichensCones, Buds, Mosses, Lichens

Arboreal Mosses and LichensArboreal Mosses and Lichens

Fuel ComplexityFuel Complexity

Each fuel type important to one, but not all, fire applications

Fire behavior needs description of fine fuels

Smoke prediction requires description of all fuel types

Fuel models and fuel classifications must be robust

Each fuel type important to one, but not all, fire applications

Fire behavior needs description of fine fuels

Smoke prediction requires description of all fuel types

Fuel models and fuel classifications must be robust

Fuel VariabilityFuel Variability

Fuels are continuous not discrete

Highly variable in space and time

Related to many factors Stand history Biophysical setting Community composition Stand Structure

Fuels are continuous not discrete

Highly variable in space and time

Related to many factors Stand history Biophysical setting Community composition Stand Structure

Fuel Mapping ApproachesFuel Mapping Approaches

Field Reconnaissance Remote Sensing

Field Reconnaissance Remote Sensing

Correlated with many ecosystem attributes

Governs fuel dynamics Classifications available

Correlated with many ecosystem attributes

Governs fuel dynamics Classifications available

Fuel Mapping Strategy Fuel Mapping Strategy

• Species Composition

• Stand Structure

• Biophysical Setting

• Species Composition

• Stand Structure

• Biophysical Setting

Fuel Variability Example Fuel Variability Example

FBFM 2 -Conifer GrassFBFM 2 -Conifer Grass FBFM 5 -

Live ShrubFBFM 5 -Live Shrub

FBFM 9 -Pine LitterFBFM 9 -Pine Litter

These systems characterize the physical and chemical properties of atmospherically transmitted radiation. The reflected radiation is coupled with atmospheric models and fitted to geographic location, time and date to determine apparent surface reflectance.

Remote sensing

This remotely sensed data can be either directly or indirectly related to identifiable materials such as shade, various soils, non-photosynthetic vegetation, green biomass, live fuel moisture, diverse vegetation species and unique land-cover types.

LANDFIRE FuelsLANDFIRE FuelsTwo major divisions of fuels are recognized by the LANDFIRE project – surface fuels and canopy fuels.

Surface fuels are those biomass components that occur on the ground (less than six feet tall) and are the fuels that carry a surface fire.

• Live or dead, herbaceous or shrub, downed dead woody, litter, and duff

• Fire Behavior Fuel models have been developed to predict fire behavior.

Canopy fuels are those aerial biomass components higher than six feet that can carry a crown fire and are usually consumed in the crown fire.

•1) Bulk density (kg m-3),

•2) Canopy cover (%),

•3) Canopy height (m),

•4) Canopy base height (m).

Ancillary Layers Base VegetationLayers

FARSITE InputLayers

METHODS METHODS

• Creating the surface fuel maps– Create lookup tables for FBFM13

– Creating the surface fuel model maps from the lookup tables

• Creating the surface fuel maps– Create lookup tables for FBFM13

– Creating the surface fuel model maps from the lookup tables

Fire Behavior Fuel ModelsFire Behavior Fuel Models

Describes expected fire behavior Not a description of actual fuel

conditions Complicated procedure to construct

models Fuel model construction subjective Assessment in field is subjective

Describes expected fire behavior Not a description of actual fuel

conditions Complicated procedure to construct

models Fuel model construction subjective Assessment in field is subjective

METHODS continuedMETHODS continued

• Creating the canopy fuel maps – Calculate all four canopy characteristics

for all plots in the LANDFIRE reference database with comprehensive tree data using the FUELCALC program

– Classification and regression trees were used to link the calculated reference data to Landsat satellite imagery and a series of 30-meter, spatially-explicit gradient layers representing climate, fire ecology, soil, and topography.

• Creating the canopy fuel maps – Calculate all four canopy characteristics

for all plots in the LANDFIRE reference database with comprehensive tree data using the FUELCALC program

– Classification and regression trees were used to link the calculated reference data to Landsat satellite imagery and a series of 30-meter, spatially-explicit gradient layers representing climate, fire ecology, soil, and topography.

METHODS continuedMETHODS continued

• Performing QA/QC procedures

– Create fuels QA/QC ruleset

– Check all layers for data gaps

– Check all layers for logic inconsistencies within LANDFIRE layers

• Performing accuracy assessment

– Calculate accuracy of statistical models

– Calculate classification accuracy of fuel model keys

– Calculate pixel accuracy of fuel maps

– Calculate mapping accuracy of fuel maps

• Performing QA/QC procedures

– Create fuels QA/QC ruleset

– Check all layers for data gaps

– Check all layers for logic inconsistencies within LANDFIRE layers

• Performing accuracy assessment

– Calculate accuracy of statistical models

– Calculate classification accuracy of fuel model keys

– Calculate pixel accuracy of fuel maps

– Calculate mapping accuracy of fuel maps

LANDFIRE Fuel LayersLANDFIRE Fuel Layers

Standard 13 Fire Behavior Fuel Models (FBFM13).

Canopy bulk density (CBD) Canopy cover (CC) Canopy height (CH) Canopy base height (CBH)

Fire Behavior Fuel Model

Canopy Base Height

Canopy Height

Canopy Cover

Crown Bulk Density

LANDFIRE Fuel LayersLANDFIRE Fuel Layers Standard 13 Fire Behavior

Fuel Models (FBFM13). Canopy bulk density (CBD) Canopy cover (CC) Canopy height (CH) Canopy base height (CBH)

LANDFIRE Fuel LayersLANDFIRE Fuel Layers Standard 13 Fire Behavior

Fuel Models (FBFM13). Canopy bulk density (CBD) Canopy cover (CC) Canopy height (CH) Canopy base height (CBH)plus: New 40 Fire Behavior Fuel

Models (FBFM40) Fuel Characteristic

Classification System (FCCS)

Fuel Loading Models (FLM)

Other Analysis ToolsNew Fuel Models and Fuel

Classifications

NewFire behavior,Fire effects

Fuel Models

New set of 40 fire behavior fuel models (FBFM40)

•The new set of 40 fire behavior fuel models (FBFM40) are hierarchically organized by fuel strata and fuel loading.

•The 40 fuel models have already been implemented into the BEHAVE fire modeling system and the FARSITE fire growth model.

•Subtle modifications in fuelbeds as a result of fuel treatment activities should be represented by these 40 fuel models.

Fuel Characteristic Classification

System (FCCS) National Fuelbed

Map

The FCCS Fuelbed concept was developed by the Fire and Environmental Research Applications (FERA) at PNW, Seattle. It includes complete descriptions of typical fuel situations around the nation. The FCCS summarizes fuel by component using canopy, ground, and surface fuel stratifications.

LANDFIRE Prototype Zone 16

Questions???Questions???Questions???Questions???