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An Overview of FOFEM 5 Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory Systems for Environmental Management Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5 is… • A computer system to calculate first-order fire effects from simple inputs. • A Windows program with a graphical userinterface; also has a batch mode • A fire effects calculator that can be linked to GIS First order fire effects are the immediate consequences of fire, whether direct or indirect. Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5 contains… • scientific information from many research studies • heuristic information to bridge gaps and to select best data and equations • an extensive set of default inputs Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5 applies in… • Most U.S. forest types • Some rangeland vegetation types • Areas managed by different agencies Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5 is used for… • Conducting environmental assessments • Developing fire and silvicultural prescriptions • Assessing fire severity Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5 predicts… • • • • Fuel consumption Smoke production Tree mortality Soil heating Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Fuel consumption • FOFEM 5 predicts consumption of… – Duff and litter – Surface woody fuels by size class, sound and rotten – Live fuels and canopy fuels • FOFEM 5 uses Burnup, a theoretical model for predicting woody fuel consumption Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Fuel consumption • Duff and live fuel consumption are predicted using rules and regression equations based on – – – – cover type region moisture season. • BURNUP predicts woody fuel consumption by simulating – heat transfer between fuel particles – combustion rate – resulting fire intensity Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Fuel consumption • Inputs needed: – Fuel load by size class – Fuel moisture • Outputs generated: – Fuel consumption by size class – Post-burn fuel load Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Smoke production • Predicts fuel consumption rate, emission production rate, and fire intensity over time for both surface and crown fires • Simulates the proportion of flaming and smoldering combustion – Combustion efficiency and emission factors vary with fuels and moisture. • Estimates production of PM10, PM2.5, CO, CO2, CH4, NOx, SOx Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Smoke production • Smoke production is estimated by multiplying fuel consumption by emissions factors – FOFEM uses separate emissions factors for flaming and smoldering combustion – Flaming and smoldering combustion can occur simultaneously, in relative amounts depending on fuel moisture, fuel particle size class, and fire intensity. – Emission production is estimated in time intervals from ignition until combustion ceases. Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Smoke production • Inputs needed: – Fuel load by size class – Fuel moisture • Outputs generated: – Smoke production over time for each emission species – Combustion efficiency and emission factors Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Tree mortality • by species and size • 207 tree species • fire behavior must be input by user Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Tree mortality • Mortality predicted from bark thickness and crown scorch • Species influences mortality only through bark thickness – FOFEM estimates bark thickness from species and diameter. • FOFEM’s mortality algorithm has been found to be robust in independent tests – Does not account for season of burn, post-burn insect attack, drought, or differences in burn duration. Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Tree mortality • Inputs needed: – Tree species, dbh, height, crown ratio – Fire intensity (flame length or scorch height) • Outputs generated: – Probability of mortality – Post-fire stand table Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Soil heating • Soil heating model – predicts time, temperature, depth profiles Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Soil heating • If a duff layer is present – Unconsumed duff is an insulator – Consumed duff is a heat source • If a duff layer is not present – Heat from the surface fire drives soil heating Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Soil heating • Inputs needed: – Surface fuel load by size class – fuel moisture content – Soil texture and moisture content • Outputs generated: – Soil temperatures at a range of depths over time – Depth to 60 C and 275 C Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Strengths • • • • • Simple, easy to learn and use Can be used for a variety of purposes Accommodates variable level of input detail Expandable structure Uses heuristic information to bridge research gaps Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Collaboration • Fuel consumption: Mark Finney and Frank Albini helped implement Burnup calculations and post-frontal emissions. • Smoke production: Ann Acheson and Mark Schaaf helped design smoke module • Soil heating: Roger Hungerford and Dan Jimenez helped implement the soil heating model Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: Acknowledgements • James K. Brown (retired) conceived the FOFEM concept. • FOFEM 5 was developed by Elizabeth D. Reinhardt and Robert E. Keane, Missoula Fire Sciences Lab. • Computer programming by Larry Gangi, Systems for Environmental Management, Missoula, Montana. • Roger Ottmar, PNW research station, helped allow the use of FCC’s as a fuel input alternative. • Duncan Lutes, Systems for Environmental Management, assisted • with assignment of fuel and tree parameters. Ecosystem classification and default fuel loadings were developed by Scott Mincemoyer, Missoula Fire Sciences Lab. Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview FOFEM 5: more information • See the FOFEM 5 website at www.fire.org for more information and to download the software Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview Oct-03 FOFEM 5 Overview