Isolating the lightning ignition regime from a contemporary background fire regime in east-central Florida, USA

    Authors

    B. W. Duncan; F. W. Adrian;E. D. Stolen

    Comments

    Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Can. J. For. Res.-Rev. Can. Rech. For.

    Keywords

    CONTIGUOUS UNITED-STATES; FOREST-FIRES; AVAILABILITY DATA; LANDSCAPE; CHANGE; VEGETATION TYPE; SCRUB; POPULATION; EVERGLADES; MANAGEMENT; WILDFIRE; Forestry

    Abstract

    Anthropogenic influences have altered most lire regimes Fire management programs often try to mimic natural fire regimes to maintain fuels and sustain native fire-dependent species Lightning is the natural ignition source in Florida. substantiating the need for understanding lightning fire incidence Sixteen years of lightning data (1986-2003, excluding 1987 and 2002 due to missing data) from the NASA Cloud to Ground Lightning Surveillance System and fire ignition records were used to quantify the relationship between lightning incidence and ignitions on Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station There were 230 lightning fires with an average of 14 ignitions per year, primarily in July. and only one winter ignition Precipitation Influenced the efficiency of lightning ignitions, particularly July precipitation We found that negative polarity strikes caused the majority of ignitions. Pine flat-woods was Ignited more frequently than expected given equal chance of ignition among landcover types About half (51%) of detected tires were instantaneous ignitions and the other 49% were delayed an average of 2 days This information is useful for paramaterizing fire regime models and for mimicking the natural fire regime through fire prescriptions on these properties and throughout the southeastern United States These methods may be useful in fire-maintained systems globally.

    Journal Title

    Canadian Journal of Forest Research-Revue Canadienne De Recherche Forestiere

    Volume

    40

    Issue/Number

    2

    Publication Date

    1-1-2010

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    286

    Last Page

    297

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000275819500010

    ISSN

    0045-5067

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