Measurement of topographic controls on the moisture content of surface fuels in south east Australian forests

Abstract

Prediction of fuel moisture content (FMC) is important for estimating the rate of spread of wildfires, the ignition probability of firebrands, and for the efficient scheduling of prescribed fire. The moisture content of fine surface fuels varies dramatically at a range of spatial scales; at large scales (10's to 100's km) due to variation in meteorological variables (eg. temperature, relative humidity, precipitation), and at smaller scales (100's of metres) in steep topography due to factors that include differences in radiation due to aspect and slope, differences in precipitation, temperature and relative humidity due to elevation, and differences in soil moisture due to hillslope drainage..