Recurrent fires occur in Mediterranean region and their incidence may also be linked to flammability of plant biomass and litter. To prevent the forest fires it is very important to elaborate risk indices that can be calculated by integration of some parameters, such as bioclimate of study area, fuel water content and chemical composition, in particular ash content as well as fuel flammability that can be considered as the ease with which a material catches fire. Until now studies available in literature have valued plant biomass flammability, by contrast, for the analysis of litter flammability it has not been established a methodology yet. This research aims to standardize the methods of analysis for litter flammability, considering the leaf litter that constitutes the wider component of the total litter on forest floor. Litter flammability has been determined using the method proposed by Valette (1990) for plant biomass, properly modified. In particular, measures have been executed using an epiradiator, whose temperature (420 °C) has been reduced and stabilized to 250 °C. On leaf litter, collected from coniferous and broad-leaf forests or shrublands of the Campania (Southern Italy) the ignition time, the combustion duration and the flame intensity have been measured. Moreover, the following parameters were elaborated: average of the ignition time, average of the combustion duration and frequency of ignition (positive tests on 50). This study has concurred to standardize the method for the litter flammability with the following conditions: 1) epiradiator temperature: 250 °C; 2) number of tests for each species: 50; 3) sample's weight: 1 g; 4) interval between two measures: 2 minutes. First data suggest the following classification of litter flammability: 1) Quercus pubescens, Fraxinus ornus, Pinus pinaster and Genista aetnensis, the most flammable litters 2) Myrtus communis, Quercus ilex, Pinus halepensis, Cupressus sempervirens and Olea eu. sylvestris litters with intermediate values, 3) Cistus salvifolius litter, with a very low flammability and, finally, 4) Robinia pseudoacacia, Ulmus minor, Pistacia lentiscus and Cistus incanus litters, with null flammability.
Preliminary studies on litter flammability in Mediterranean region
RUTIGLIANO, Flora Angela
2006
Abstract
Recurrent fires occur in Mediterranean region and their incidence may also be linked to flammability of plant biomass and litter. To prevent the forest fires it is very important to elaborate risk indices that can be calculated by integration of some parameters, such as bioclimate of study area, fuel water content and chemical composition, in particular ash content as well as fuel flammability that can be considered as the ease with which a material catches fire. Until now studies available in literature have valued plant biomass flammability, by contrast, for the analysis of litter flammability it has not been established a methodology yet. This research aims to standardize the methods of analysis for litter flammability, considering the leaf litter that constitutes the wider component of the total litter on forest floor. Litter flammability has been determined using the method proposed by Valette (1990) for plant biomass, properly modified. In particular, measures have been executed using an epiradiator, whose temperature (420 °C) has been reduced and stabilized to 250 °C. On leaf litter, collected from coniferous and broad-leaf forests or shrublands of the Campania (Southern Italy) the ignition time, the combustion duration and the flame intensity have been measured. Moreover, the following parameters were elaborated: average of the ignition time, average of the combustion duration and frequency of ignition (positive tests on 50). This study has concurred to standardize the method for the litter flammability with the following conditions: 1) epiradiator temperature: 250 °C; 2) number of tests for each species: 50; 3) sample's weight: 1 g; 4) interval between two measures: 2 minutes. First data suggest the following classification of litter flammability: 1) Quercus pubescens, Fraxinus ornus, Pinus pinaster and Genista aetnensis, the most flammable litters 2) Myrtus communis, Quercus ilex, Pinus halepensis, Cupressus sempervirens and Olea eu. sylvestris litters with intermediate values, 3) Cistus salvifolius litter, with a very low flammability and, finally, 4) Robinia pseudoacacia, Ulmus minor, Pistacia lentiscus and Cistus incanus litters, with null flammability.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
