PiroPinus: a spreadsheet application to guide prescribed burning operations in ...

• Author(s): Fernandes, Paulo ; Loureiro, Carlos ; Botelho, Hermínio
• Date: 2011
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10348/1498
• Origin: Repositório da UTAD
• Subject(s): Decision support; Fire management; Prescribed burning; Microsoft Excel
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

The efficient, sustainable and safe use of prescribed burning is based on quantitative application guidelines. PiroPinus was conceived for operational support to line-ignited, hazard-reduction burning in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) forest, but can be used as a modelling tool for surface fire behaviour in general. PiroPinus rests on a sound empirical foundation and links the fire environment (fuel, weather, terrain), fire behaviour characteristics, and fire effects on fuels and trees. PiroPinus produces burn prescriptions and predictions that match site-specific treatment objectives and environmental conditions, and enables post burn assessments of treatment effectiveness and impact. Implementation in Microsoft Excel facilitates improvement, expansion and custom modification.