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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 14(2)

Fuel load, humus consumption and humus moisture dynamics in Central European Scots pine stands

Marco Hille* A and Jan den Ouden A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Centre for Ecosystem Studies, Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University and Research Centre, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.

B Corresponding author. Fax: +31 317 478078; email: jan.denouden@wur.nl

International Journal of Wildland Fire 14(2) 153-159 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF04026
Submitted: 18 June 2004  Accepted: 3 December 2004   Published: 17 May 2005

Abstract

Samples of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) humus were burned under different moisture and fuel load scenarios to model humus consumption. For moisture levels below 120% on a dry mass basis, a parabolic increase of humus remaining with increasing moisture content was observed while, for higher moisture levels up to 300%, humus was reduced by a constant 10–15% on a dry mass basis. Both fuel load and humus moisture had a highly significant influence on humus consumption. Humus gross calorific value of Scots pine (19 509 KJ kg–1) is lower than that of other pine species. We found a desorption time-lag for humus moisture of 85 h in this study. Field data show a steady accumulation of humus in Central European Scots pine stands (up to 45 t ha–1 in 120-year-old stands). Amounts of litter remain constant over the different stand ages (~15 t ha–1). This study provides important information to predict humus consumption in Scots pine stands. The results can be used to build a fire severity and post-fire succession model for Scots pine stands in Central Europe.

Additional keywords: duff consumption; fire severity; Pinus sylvestris.


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* Due to a tragic accident, Marco Hille died prior to the publication of this paper.