Predicting the Integrated Fire Resistance of Wildland–Urban Interface Plant Communities by Spatial Structure Analysis Learning for Shanghai, China
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors Abstract Line 10 Catastrophe is a word that is too strong. I suggest replacing with hazard or disaster. Line 14 The plant communities mentioned here should be described in terms of their location. Are these plant communities close to urban areas or rural areas? Line 20 to 21 The nature of the prediction model can be mentioned here. The modelling method can be influential over the predictive accuracy of the results. Line 22 to 24 Quantitative findings should be presented. One or two key findings can help summarise the study. Introduction Line 29 Please cite the reference for the Global Climate Models. Is it a single study? Or is it a collection of models? Line 31 Is Shanghai also included in these 22 percent of the tropical cities? Line 39 Instead of using the term critical focal point, I suggest replacing with focus. Materials and Methods Line 113 to 116 The description of the geographical and climatic conditions of Shanghai can be enriched. More about the natural as well as urban forests can be elaborated. Line 114 to 116 I suggest that the Koppen Geiger Climate Classification of Shanghai can be provided. Line 126 to 127 What measures or indicators were used to testify the health and robustness of tree growth? Line 152 Please provide the model and manufacturer of the scale, so that the study can be replicable. Line 195 and 196 PCA is an unsupervised statistical learning method. There are some hyperparameters. I suggest that the authors can provide the value of the hyperparameters they have used. Results Line 215 The correlation diagram suggested a certain degree of collinearity among the variables that were put into the PCA. Line 240 In Table 2, would the authors also provide the abbreviations "F1", "F2" and "F3"? Line 241 to 260 Instead of using the word "factor" or "matrix", it is suggested that the word "component" is used. After all, a component is what a PCA generates after the reduction of dimensions in a data set. Line 261 to 263 Other than the examination of factor loading in each component, the authors should present the correlations between factor values. Line 449 For Table 5, the caption should contain how the variable "scheduling" was computed. Discussion Line 455 Please cite the correlation coefficient between F1 and F2 from the Results. Line 522 The heterogeneity in the spatial structure should be supported by the quantitative results from Section 3.3. Comments on the Quality of English LanguageMinor editing of the language will benefit the readability of the paper.
Author Response
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Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsBrief summary
The paper explores the potential for enhancing fire resistance in wildland-urban interface (WUI) plant communities, with a particular focus on the impact of surface litter and vegetation arrangement on fire dynamics. The study is centred on a predictive model that has been lauded for its simplicity and which was developed through detailed field research in the vicinity of Shanghai. This model, which integrates tree morphological indices with spatial attributes, offers a clear and effective method for assessing fire resistance. The research's principal strength lies in its straightforward approach, which encapsulates factors related to stem, crown, and density. This provides urban planners and environmental scientists with a practical tool for enhancing WUI fire resilience in the context of climate change and urbanisation.
Although the model is relatively simple to use, this simplicity also introduces certain simplifications and assumptions, which the authors discuss in a transparent manner. They highlight the model's limitations and suggest potential avenues for enhancement. Nevertheless, the model's practicality remains evident, offering a valuable resource for enhancing fire resilience in WUI areas.
Specific comments
1. It would be beneficial to provide in abstarct a brief overview of the sample size or the diversity of plant communities studied, in order to offer readers a comprehensive understanding of the study's scope.
3. The mention of a "comprehensive evaluation system for community fire resistance" (lines 18-19) is intriguing, but a more detailed account of how this system was developed or what it entails would enhance the reader's understanding of the study's innovation.
4. Lines 103-110 It is inadvisable to discuss the results and their implications in the introduction when the reader lacks familiarity with the model and its evolution.
5. Line 131 "Shanghai" should be written in a capital letter
6. The authors present a list of five dendrometric indicators, but do not provide any information regarding the methods used to measure them. It is necessary to provide a brief description of the methods employed or to provide a reference to the source where the methodology used is described.
7. Lines 162-170. It is unclear whether the moisture content of the samples was employed in the study. It would appear that the objective was to ascertain the dry weight of the samples.
8. A principal objective of the study is the development of a predictive model. It would be beneficial to provide in Conclusions a brief overview of the potential limitations of the model and areas for future research that could enhance its predictive accuracy.
9. The reference list should be arranged according to MDPI and ACS Style requirements
Author Response
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Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
I have reviewed the manuscript and found that the subject is interesting and the aim of the contribution is clear. Although the paper has some merits, it is poorly written (need also for improving style), especially in its core parts (modeling process and justifications).
Here are my comments and recommendations:
1. Consider to correct title to: 'Predicting the Fire Resistance of Wildland-Urban Interface Plant Communities Using Spatial Structure Analysis'. Also consider addition of ': Shanghai Case Study' because not everywhere the fire problems are the same!
2. In the abstract, add the study area location (Shanghai, China).
3. Align referencing and references with the journal standard.
4. Caption in Fig. 1 is mixed with text ? Correct it.
5. In Fig. 2 caption 'Shanghai', not 'shanghai'.
6. Delete'(Base map from google Earth, modified by author)' or explain this sentence in paragraph between lines 132-137 on page .
7. Text after Eq. (1) should start with 'where'(not 'Where'). It happens later, too. Use Italic font in text exactly as in each equation.
8. Referencing tables and figures is a mass. Must be strictly corrected in the text.
9. What means Fig4a, or, where are tables S1, S2 ...
10. Needs for significant rewriting modeling process, explanations why linear regressions are used; what is CRITIC; provide more detailed justification of selected approach.
11. In conclusions rewrite: 'The model, represented by the equation Y= 0.467+0.057×F1-0.033×F2-0.010×F3 allows for the rapid assessment of fire resistance using easily measurable tree morphological markers such as DBH, DGL, crown breadth, tree height, and branch height.' Avoid equation and give full name for acronyms DBH, DGL.
12. Extend the conclusion section by one or two paragraphs explaining the motivation for this research and why this experiment is conducted in this and not the other area. Then conclude with future research agenda.
13. There are missing words, grammar errors, mixture of fonts (especially in the mathematical part). Need to correct all typos and check grammar.
Author Response
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Round 2
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsMost of my suggestions are accepted and manuscript is significantly improved. Can be recommended for publication. Add references for PCA and CRITIC!
Author Response
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