Fuel load, structure and flammability of weeds as key factors in Australian classification

frameworks

Felipe S. Aires

Fire RegimeFrequencyIntensity

ExtentType

Seasonality

Topography

Fuel

Climate

Native PlantsInvasive species

Fuel load and Vertical Structure

Frac

tion

heig

ht (c

m)

Olive

Intermediate

Woodland

Leaf flammability

Ignitability- Time to ignition (s)

Sustainability- Flame duration (s)

Combustibility- burning rate (g s-1)

Consumability- proportion of mass or volume consumed by fire (%)

Natives ~ 30 s

Invasive ~ 19 s

Natives ~ 102 s

Invasive ~ 108 s

Natives ~ 0.20 g s-1

Invasive ~ 0.16 g s-1

Natives ~ 13%

Invasive ~ 8%

Fire behaviour prediction

• Fuel data – Systematically added to a common database

• Flammability data– Standardised methodology

• Provide enough information to create fire behaviour predictions

• Improve decision and policy making when dealing with management of novel fuel types such as weed invasion

Recommendations