Moisture Diffusivity in Forest Fuels

Abstract

Abstract. Apracticalmeans of quanmingthe diffusivities of forest fuels from fielddata is presented. The mathematics of this method is explored for four fuel shapes: a litter layer, a hardwood leaf, a twig and a square fuel moisture analogue stick, which are represented geometrically by a semi-infinite solid, a slab, a cylinder and a square prism, respectively. Theresults are presented graphically. Analyses of two published sets of field data indicate defusivities of 4.1 x 10^-12m² s^-1 and 1.3 x 10^-10m² s^-1 for Eucalyptus leaves and twigs, respectively, and 2.9 x 10^-9m² s^-1 for a lodgepole pine litter layer.