Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
International Journal of Wildland Fire International Journal of Wildland Fire Society
Journal of the International Association of Wildland Fire
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > WF > WF07075
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 18(2)

The influence of leaf water content and isoprenoids on flammability of some Mediterranean woody species

Manuela De Lillis A C , Pietro Massimiliano Bianco A and Francesco Loreto B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l’Ambiente ed il Territorio (DSTAT), Università del Molise, I-86170 Isernia, Italy.

B Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) – Istituto di Biologia Agroambientale e Forestale (IBAF), I-00015 Monterotondo Scalo, Roma, Italy.

C Corresponding author. Email:delillis@unimol.it

International Journal of Wildland Fire 18(2) 203-212 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF07075
Submitted: 30 May 2007  Accepted: 11 June 2008   Published: 2 April 2009

Abstract

The impact of water content and isoprenoids on leaf flammability was studied. Field and laboratory experiments were carried out on monoterpene-emitting evergreen broad-leaved species (Quercus ilex, Quercus suber); a needle-leaved species (Pinus halepensis) that emits and stores monoterpenes; an evergreen species (Myrtus communis) that emits isoprene but stores monoterpenes; and a deciduous species (Quercus pubescens) that emits isoprene. Photosynthesis, leaf water content (LWC) and isoprenoid emission were measured. Isoprenoid content was calculated. Temperatures of visible smoke, incandescence and flame appearance were recorded. The LWC significantly correlated with both photosynthesis and isoprenoid emissions. Linear correlation and factorial analysis revealed a positive correlation between temperature of flame appearance and LWC and a negative relationship between temperature of flame appearance and isoprenoid emission. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the temperature of flame appearance was reduced in broadleaved monoterpene-emitting species. In monoterpene emitters, the temperature of flame appearance depended for ~65% on LWC, whereas monoterpene emissions explained ~35% of the dependency. P. halepensis and M. communis, storing high levels of isoprenoids, ignited at high humidity. The results may be explained if isoprenoids indeed facilitate leaf ignition but, being dissolved in water, isoprenoids are also an indicator of a high water content that decreases flammability.

Additional keywords: fire, flammability phases, monoterpenes, photosynthesis, temperature of flame appearance.


Acknowledgements

The work was supported by the Marie Curie Research and Training Network ‘Ecological and Physiological Functions of Biogenic Isoprenoids and their Impact on the Environment’ (ISONET, MRTNCT–2003–504720). Giorgio Arturo Alessio is acknowledged for helping with field measurements. Silvano Fares is also acknowledged for helping with the preparation of the manuscript.


References


Albini FA (1993) Dynamics and modelling of vegetation fires: observations. In ‘The Ecological, Atmospheric and Climatic Importance of Vegetation Fires’. (Eds PJ Krutzen, JG Goldammer) pp. 39–52. (Wiley: Chichester, UK)

Alessio GA, De Lillis M, Fanelli M, Pinelli P , Loreto F (2004) Direct and indirect impacts of fire on isoprenoid emissions from Mediterranean vegetation. Functional Ecology  18(3), 357–364.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Borrego C, Miranda AI, Carvalho AC, Carvalho A (1999) Forest fires and air pollution: a local and a global perspective. In ‘Air Pollution’, Vol. VII. (Eds C Brebbia, M Jacobson, H Powax) pp. 741–750. (WIT Press: Boston, MA)

Brown AL, Hames BR, Daily JW , Dayton DC (2003) Chemical analysis of solids and pyrolytic vapors from wildland trees. Energy & Fuels  17(4), 1022–1027.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | Button D (1987) The smell of Christmas. In ‘Alaska Science Forum’, 21 December, Article 852. (Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska: Fairbanks, AK) Available at http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF8/852.html [Verified 23 January 2009]

Chameides WL, Lindsay RW, Richardson JL , Kiang CS (1988) The role of biogenic hydrocarbons in urban photochemical smog: Atlanta as a case study. Science  241, 1473–1475.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | Chandler C, Cegheney P, Thomas P, Trabaud L, Williams D (Eds) (1983) ‘Fire in Forestry.’ (Wiley: New York)

Countryman CM (1974) Moisture in living fuels affects fire behavior. Fire Management  35(2), 10–14.
Countryman CM, Philpot CW (1970) Physical characteristics of chamise as a wildland fuel. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest, Forest and Range Experimental Station, Research Paper PSW-66. (Berkeley, CA)

Dimitrakopoulos AP, Mateeva V (1998) Effect of moisture content on the ignitability of Mediterranean species. In ‘Proceedings of the III International Conference on Forest Fire Research and 14th Conference on Fire and Forest Meteorology’, 16–20 November 1998, Luso, Portugal. (Ed. DX Viegas) Vol. 1, pp. 455–466. (ADAI, University of Coimbra: Coimbra, Portugal)

Engstrom JD, Butler JK, Smith SG, Baxter LL, Fletcher TH , Weise DR (2004) Ignition behaviour of live chaparral leaves. Combustion Science and Technology  176(9), 1577–1591.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | Lerdau M (1991) Plant function and biogenic emission. In ‘Trace Gas Emission by Plants’. (Eds TD Sharkey, EA Holland, HA Mooney) pp. 121–134. (Academic Press: San Diego)

Lewitt J (1980) ‘Responces of Plants to Environmental Stresses.’ (Academic Press: New York)

Llusià J , Peñuelas J (1999) Pinus halepensis and Quercus ilex terpene emission as affected by temperature and humidity. Biologia Plantarum  42, 317–320.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Miranda AI, Borrego C (2002) Air quality measurements during prescribed fires. In ‘Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Forest Fire Research and Wildland Fire Safety’. (Ed. DX Viegas) pp. 1–14. (Millpress: Rotterdam, the Netherlands)

Mutch RW (1970) Wildland fires and ecosystem: a hypothesis. Ecology  51, 1046–1052.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Philpot CW (1969a) Seasonal changes in heat content and ether extractives content of chamise. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experimental Station, Research Paper INT-61. (Ogden, UT)

Philpot CW (1969b) The effect of reducing ether extractives on the burning rate of aspen leaves. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experimental Station, Research Note INT-92. (Ogden, UT)

Philpot CW (1977) Vegetation features as determinants of fire frequency and intensity. In ‘Proceedings of the Symposium on Environmental Consequences of Fire and Fuel Management in Mediterranean Ecosystems’, 1–5 August 1977, Palo Alto, CA. (Eds HA Mooney, GE Conrad) USDA Forest Service, General Technical Report WO-3, pp. 12–16. (Washington, DC)

Pompe V , Vines RG (1966) The influence of moisture on the combustion of leaves. Australian Forestry  30, 231–241.
Rothermel RC (1976) Forest fires and the chemistry of forest fuels. In ‘Thermal Use and Properties of Carbohydrates and Lignins’. (Eds F Shafizadeh, KV Karkanan, DA Tillman) pp. 245–259. (Academic Press: New York)

Rothermel RC (1983) How to predict spread and intensity of forest and range fires. USDA Forest Service Intermountain Forest and Range Experimental Station, Research Paper INT-143. (Ogden, UT)

Salleo S , Lo Gullo MA (1989) Different aspects of cavitation resistance in Ceratonia siliqua, a drought-avoiding Mediterranean tree. Annals of Botany  164, 325–336.
Seufert G (1997) The BEMA-Project on biogenic emissions in the Mediterranean area. Overview and some aspects of relevance to air chemistry. In ‘The Oxidizing Capacity of the Atmosphere, Proceedings of the 7th European Symposium on the Physico-Chemical Behaviour of Atmospheric Pollutants’. (Eds B Larsen, B Versino, G Angeletti) pp. 260–269. EUR Rep. EUR 17482, Eur. Comm. DGXII. (Brussels, Belgium)

Sharkey TD , Loreto F (1993) Water stress, temperature and light effects on the capacity for isoprene emission and photosynthesis of kudzu leaves. Oecologia  95, 328–333.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | SPSS Inc. (2007) ‘SPSS Version 15.0.’ Manuals on CD. (SPSS Inc.: Chicago, IL)

Trabaud L (1979) Etude du comportement de feu dans la garrigue de chêne kèrmes à partir des températures et des vitesses de propagation. Annales des Sciences Forestieres  36, 13–55.
van Wagner CE (1967) Calculations of forest fire spread by flame radiation. Canadian Department of Forestry, Report 1185, p. 28.

Velikova V, Pinelli P, Pasqualini S, Reale L, Ferranti F , Loreto F (2005) Isoprene decreases the concentration of nitric oxide in leaves exposed to elevated ozone. The New Phytologist  166(2), 419–426.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | Vogel A (1978) ‘Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry.’ 4th edn. (Longman Scientific and Technical: Harlow, UK)