Burning California Chaparral - an Exploratory Study of Some Common Shrubs and Their Combustion Characteristics.

Abstract

Prescribed fire is a tool used to manage vegetation in southern California. The nature and quan tity of gaseous and particulate emissions have not been described for California chaparral. A study examining carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and par ticulate matter emissions from fuel beds constructed from common chaparral shrubs was initiated. Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), ceanothus (Ceanothus crassifolius), manzanita (Arctostaphylos glandulosa), and scrub oak (Quercus dumosa) fuel beds were burned in December 1989, and March, May, and August, 1990. Gas and particulate matter samples were collected from 45 fires. Emission factors for CO₂ and particulate matter were affected by species and month individually; month and species interacted and affected CO emission factors. Pearson's correlation coefficient and Kendall's tau indi cated that emission factors for CO and particulate matter were inversely related to combustion efficiency.