Forest Fire Risk Estimation in a Typical Temperate Forest in Northeastern China using the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index, Case of Autumn 2019 and 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-481816/v1

Abstract

China's forest cover has increased by about 10% as a result of sustainable forest management since the late 1970s. The forest ecosystems area affected by fire is increasing at the alarming rate of roughly 600.000 ha per year. The northeastern part of China, with a forest cover of 41.6%, has the greatest percentage of acres affected by forest fires. This study combines field and satellite weather data to determine factors that influence dead fuel moisture content (FMC). It assesses the use of the Canadian forest fire weather index (FWI) to determine the daily forest fire danger in a typical temperate forest in northeastern China in the fall season. Based on the Wilcoxon test for paired samples, the observed and predicted values of FMC showed similar variation in 63.6% of sampling sites, with p-value > 0.05; and 36.4 % of sampling sites presented lower predicted values of FMC than observed values, with p-value < 0.05. The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System estimated the fire danger level as very low, low, moderate, high, or very high in our Maoer mountain forest ecosystems.

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