BrasilFire 2002
Summary of Proposed Activity
November 26, 2001
Cerrado Fire Ecology:
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Organize and conduct in Brasilia a short course for technology transfer of Cerrado Photo
Series Vol. I for Bomberios, IBAMA, IBGE, Parks, and other natural resource and fire
managers. This activity will include preparation of a short course agenda and lesson plans
for teaching that will be used in the first course and other outreach activities.
To distribute the photo series to Brazilian users. The distribution includes outreaching
most of the potential users of the photo series. Extensive outreach will be achieved by
mass mailing of a pamphlet hat has been prepared for that purpose. To build a database of
name, address, e-mail, phone number and number of photo series requested from each
individuals. This data base will be used for mailing for future series and for follow up and
to document the usefulness of the series.
Complete data reduction for the Cerrado units photographed in 2001. This will include
reduction and analysis of biomass, and summarization for entry into the photo series
layout.
Compile Cerrado biomass consumption data including weather, fuels, consumption
information and complete simple regression analysis to compare consumption with
independent variables. To model fuel consumption or describe models already developed
or proposed. Assess where the gaps may exist in producing a robust model and determine
how to fill in those gaps in future Cerrado prescribed fires.
Continue collaboration with the University of Brasilia to locating sites for phase II of the
photo series. The second photo series volume will include sites representing Cerradao,
Campo Rupestre, and Mata physiognomic forms of Cerrado. An assessment will be
prepared to find the gaps that will be covered in this new phase of the photo series.
Initiate a fire ecology and flammability project near Brasilia. The sites will also be used
to develop a set of ground truth data for use by Phil Riggan and Jim Brass, from the FS
PSW and NASA Ames respectively, in their aerial imagery research. Work will include
locating sites that can be burned under different weather and moisture regimes in order to
determine flammability thresholds, and will use inventory techniques and photo series
methodologies to document the response of vegetation to the fires.
Collaborate with the University of Brasilia and The Nature Conservancy to develop a
project that to study fire exclusion and flammability at the Grande Sertao Veredas
National Park.
Flammability and Combustion in Mata Amazonica/Cerrado Transition Zone:
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Complete data analysis and integrate results for the field burning trials from 1997 to 2001
at the Fazenda Caiabi and publish results in scientific journals and meetings (6 scientific
journal publications and conference proceedings in the United States and Brazil). Two
papers are in preparation and will be submitted to refereed international journals.
To distribute widely in Brazil the paper on biomass fire consumption and carbon release
in the Amazon. The paper will be mailed to scientists, land managers, decision makers,
and other interested people whose work relates to fire and carbon issues in the Amazon.
To complete and publish the smoldering combustion work that Dr. Fernando de Costa
from INPE started during his postdoctoral stay at the FS Corvallis Laboratory. Dr. Costa
will finish in INPE the modeling and field studies of smoldering combustion that he
started at the Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory under the direction of Dr. Sandberg.
His work includes theoretical work with support from laboratory work that is conducted
at the Oregon State University, INPE's facilities, and field sites in Alta Floresta. The
model will be tested at INPE's Combustion and Propulsion Laboratory in Cachoeira
Paulista and in field burning in Alta Floresta during the summer of 2002. The work is
being reviewed and will be published in an international journal.
Complete and publish in the Spring quarter of 2002 Gustavo Negreiros' Ph.D. dissertation
on primary forest flammability. Mr. Negreiros submitted a second draft of the dissertation
that was reviewed by faculty members of the University of Washington.
Prepare new field experimental sites for smoldering consumption, smoke emissions, and
escaped fire analysis on Fazenda Caiabi. To conduct a combustion experiment and smoke
emissions in the summer of 2002 at the Fazenda Caiabi to test methodologies for flaming
and smoldering combustion, charcoal formation, and escape of fires into the primary
forest.
To monitor the natural drying of large fuels from the time trees are felled to when
burning occurs. The study will monitor the process of natural drying of logs as a function
of sun radiation, wind, air and soil temperature, air relative humidity, and rainfall. The
results will be related to combustion efficiency of logs burned in land clearing fires.
Results from this study are expected to guide burning policies regarding burning
windows for the Amazon region. Partial results from 1999 and 2001 have been presented
in Brazilian congresses. A manuscript is being prepared for publication.
Continue the development of a flammability model for fires that occur in undisturbed
primary forest and near the edges of pastures in fragmented forest outside of Alta
Floresta. The understory fire will be monitored with a network of thermocouples to assess
spread and intensity of the flaming front.
Continue a dissertation research in smoldering combustion at the INPE's Combustion and
Propulsion Laboratory at Cachoeira Paulista. A combustion furnace has been built and
half of the tests have been conducted up to the Fall of 2001. Combustion tests will be
completed during the Spring of 2002. The tests are conducted with logs from Amazonian
species. Biomass combustion gases from the laboratory tests are being analyzed too.
Continue the support of a scientific initiation research project by UNESP students to
determine the relation of wood properties with branch and log diameters with rates of
smoldering and smoke emissions from tropical biomass. This research is being conducted
at INPE's LCP in Cachoeira Paulista.
To monitor an operational burning in a fazenda near the city of Alta Floresta. The
Fazenda Caiabi and the new fazenda site will be used to develop a set of ground truth
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data for the aerial campaign conducted in the Amazon by Phil Riggan from the USFS
Riverside Fire Laboratory, and James Brass from NASA. The work will include on-site
monitoring of flammability thresholds, burning environment, and fuel conditions. This
part of the work is contingent upon coordination with the aerial campaign and burning
permits issued by IBAMA in Alta Floresta.
Prepare a plan to develop and test a fine fuel flammability model that will validate the
PROARCO model predictions will represent local ecological and weather variations. A
planning meeting with Dr. Alberto Setzer to define some details to coordinate the work.
A follow-up meeting is schedule for February to the PROARCO operations center in
Cachoeira Paulista and Sao Jose dos Campos.
Work Planned but Not Funded in FY02:
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Develop a fine fuel moisture model, incorporating mesoscale meteorology and canopy
interactions to support the PROARCO fire risk assessment.
Continue the development of a fire risk model through the incorporation of data collected
from previous year's field campaigns, satellite imagery, soils, and climate and vegetation
data.
Monitor escaped fires occurring on the vicinity of Alta Floresta during the peak of the
fire season. Follow the daily progression of those fires and monitor weather, fuel, and
vegetation conditions and use the information to model when fires will potentially go out
or restart.
Flammability and Low-Impact Harvesting on Floresta Nacional do Tapajos:
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Complete data analysis from the 1998 and 1999 field campaigns at the FLONA Tapajos
and publish results in scientific journals and meetings (One journal publications and one
conference proceedings)
Continue the fire risk and ecological assessment of fire in harvested and undisturbed
forest blocks at the Floresta Nacional do Tapajos. Monitor fire weather and fine fuel
moisture content in paired experiment. The 2002 campaign will include the blocks
harvested in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2000, and 2001.
Assessment of fuel loadings, understory vegetation, and canopy disturbance and recovery
after 5, 3, 2, and 1 years after logging. If needed, we will monitor the current ongoing
logging project at the FLONA.
Publish report preliminary results from USAID low-impact harvesting fire risk
assessment, while continuing to collect data for two more years.
Resume flammability tests in low-impact harvested forest late in the dry season, if one
develops.
Initiate the integration of results in a fire hazard model for selectively logged forests. To
develop a set of recommendations for reducing fire risk in harvested tropical forests.
PRINCIPAL CONTACTS:
David V. Sandberg. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 3200 SW
Jefferson Way, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-4401. Tel: 541-750-7265, Fax: 541-750-7329. Email:
dsandberg@fs.fed.us.
Roger Ottmar. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. Fire and Environment
Research Applications. 4043 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA. 98105-6947. Tel: (206) 7327826. Fax: (206) 732-7801. Internet email: ottmar@fs.fed.us.
Ernesto Alvarado. College of Forest Resources. University of Washington. 4043 Roosevelt Way
NE. Seattle, WA. 98105-6497. USA. Tel: (206) 732-7842. Fax: (206) 732-7801. Email:
alvarado@u.washington.edu
Dr. João Andrade de Carvalho Jr. Universidade Estadual do Sao Paulo and Laboratório de
Combustão e Propulsão, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais. Rodovia Presidente Dutra km
40. Cachoera Paulista-Sao Paulo, Brasil 12630-000 Tel: +55(12)561-1377 ramais 9217/9272,
Fax: +55 (12)561-1992. Email: joao@cptec.inpe.br
Dr. Heloisa Miranda. Departamento de Ecologia. Universidade de Brasilia. 70.910 Brasilia, D. F.
Brazil. Tel. +55(61)273-4571 Email: hmiranda@guarani.unb.br
Fernando de Souza Costa. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 3200 SW
Jefferson Way, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-4401. Tel: 541-750-7361, Fax: 541-750-7329. Email:
fcosta@fs.fed.us (no longer valid email address)
Dr. Niro Higuchi. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia. INPA/CPST- Caixa Postal 478.
Campus V-8. 68.083-000. Manaus, Amazonas. Brasil. Tel: +55(92) 642-3432, Fax: +55(92) 6421706. Email: niro@inpa.gov.br.