eCite Digital Repository
Less than 50 millimetres of rainfall in the previous month predicts fire in Tasmanian rainforest
Citation
Styger, J and Kirkpatrick, JB, Less than 50 millimetres of rainfall in the previous month predicts fire in Tasmanian rainforest, Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, 149 pp. 1-5. ISSN 0080-4703 (2015) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2015 Royal Society of Tasmania
Official URL: http://rst.org.au/publications/papers-and-proceedi...
Abstract
Rainforests can be eliminated by repeated fire, so we need to know when they require protection. We use data from 11 extensive fires in
western Tasmania to determine the meteorological conditions in which rainforest will burn. The variables that discriminated between fires
that burned rainforest and those confined to other vegetation types were the amount of rainfall in the previous 30 days, the amount of
rainfall in the previous 60 days and the soil dryness index (SDI). Our analyses confirmed a previously-suggested critical figure of 50 mm of
rain in a month, showed that this figure pertains to the month previous to the fire, and showed that the forest fire danger index (FFDI) was
not a good predictor, with fires burning rainforest on days with an FFDI at the lower end of the scale (Lake Macintosh) and not burning
rainforest on days when the FFDI was at the higher end of the scale (Reynolds Creek and Giblin River). We conclude that it is important
to respond to dry conditions in fire response planning for areas with rainforest, rather than relying on the FFDI.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
---|---|
Keywords: | fire regime, rainforest, Tasmania, soil dryness index, fire hazard, forest fire danger index |
Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecology |
Research Field: | Terrestrial ecology |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Other environmental management |
Objective Field: | Other environmental management not elsewhere classified |
UTAS Author: | Styger, J (Ms Jennifer Styger) |
UTAS Author: | Kirkpatrick, JB (Professor James Kirkpatrick) |
ID Code: | 105885 |
Year Published: | 2015 |
Deposited By: | Geography and Environmental Studies |
Deposited On: | 2016-01-19 |
Last Modified: | 2017-11-03 |
Downloads: | 0 |
Repository Staff Only: item control page