Variation in fuel moisture content across pine stands is driven by climate and weather in Catalonia.

Prakash  Thapa. 2020. Variation in fuel moisture content across pine stands is driven by climate and weather in Catalonia. Master Thesis. The University of Lleida - School of Agrifood, Forestry Science and Engineering.

Supervisor:

Dr. Víctor Resco de Dios 

Abstract

Fuel moisture is a key fuel trait that often acts as the on/off switch of forest
flammability. In this study, I analyzed data of live and dead fuel moisture content
across six pine forests in NE Spain collected in the years 2016 and 2017. The
objective was to assess fuel moisture variation across a marked climatic gradient in
NE Spain. I observed significant variation across sites in live (67-247%) and also
in dead (9-18%) fuel moisture. Variation across sites in live fuel moisture was
associated with mean annual temperature and precipitation. Seasonal variation in
live fuel moisture was apparent for grasses and shrubs, but not for trees. Soil
moisture was a significant driver of seasonal variation in grass moisture content.
However, no clear trend between dead fuel moisture and mean annual temperature
or precipitation was observed, which was driven by diurnal variations in vapor
pressure deficit. These results imply that live and dead fuel moisture both can be
altered with climate change, enhancing forest flammability.