Forest Fire Regimes and Forest Fuels: Characterization and Modelling in a Climate Change Scenario
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Hazards and Risk Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2024) | Viewed by 759
Special Issue Editor
Interests: fire ecology; forest fuels dynamics; forest operations in fire prone areas; wildfire models; post fire recovery operations
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Forest fire regimes and forest fuels are critical aspects of understanding and managing wildfire risk, particularly in the context of climate change. The Special Issue aims to explore the key points related to the characterization and modeling of forest fire regimes and forest fuels in a climate change scenario.
Forest fire regimes refer to the patterns and characteristics of wildfires within a specific region or ecosystem. They encompass various factors such as fire frequency, intensity, size, severity, and behavior. Fire regimes are influenced by a combination of climate, vegetation, topography, and human activities. In a climate change scenario, forest fire regimes may experience significant shifts due to changing environmental conditions, including altered precipitation patterns, temperature increases, and changes in vegetation composition. These changes can impact the frequency, severity, and behavior of wildfires with important side effects on habitat conservation and species diversity maintenance.
The main component we can interact with, in order to control fire regimes and reduce risk, is related to forest fuel characteristics.
Forest fuels are the materials present in a forest ecosystem that can support and propagate wildfires. They include live and dead vegetation, such as trees, shrubs, grasses, leaves, branches, and accumulated organic matter like fallen logs and woody debris. The spatial distribution, moisture content, and quantity of forest fuels influence fire behavior and its ability to spread.
In a climate change scenario, shifts in precipitation patterns and increased drought conditions can alter fuel moisture content, leading to drier vegetation and increased fire susceptibility. Additionally, changes in vegetation composition due to factors like insect infestations or invasive species can affect fuel characteristics and modify fire behavior.
Various modeling approaches were developed to understand and predict forest fire regimes and fuel dynamics in a climate change scenario. Additionally, fuel management strategies can be explored using modeling tools to assess the effectiveness of fuel reduction treatments in mitigating fire risks. It is important to note that the accuracy and reliability of fire regime and fuel models depend on the quality and availability of data, as well as the complexity of the ecological systems being studied. Continuous research, monitoring, and improvement of models are necessary to enhance our understanding of forest fire regimes and effectively adapt to changing environmental conditions.
Any novel approach or comparison between different models will provide increased value to the scientific community, thus improving knowledge about this topic.
Dr. Cristiano Foderi
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- wildfire
- fire regime
- forest fuel dynamics
- forest fuel characterization
- forest fuel models
- wildfire risk
- wildfire and climate change
