title: Possible land management uses of common cypress to reduce wildfire initiation risk: a laboratory study.
abstract: Accurate determination of flammability is required in order to improve knowledge about vegetation fire risk. Study of the flammability of different plant species is essential for the Mediterranean area, where most ecosystems are adapted to natural fire but vulnerable to recurrent human-induced fires, which are the main cause of forest degradation. However, the methods used to evaluate vegetation flammability have not yet been standardized. Cupressus sempervirens is a native or naturalized forest tree species in the Mediterranean area that is able to tolerate prolonged drought and high temperatures. The aim of this study was to characterize the flammability of C. sempervirens var. horizontalis at particle level by using different bench-scale calorimetry techniques (mass loss calorimeter, epiradiator and oxygen bomb) to determine the main flammability descriptors (ignitability, sustainability, combustibility and consumability) in live crown and litter samples. Our findings indicate that this variety of cypress is relatively resistant to ignition because of the high ash content, the high critical heat flux, the high time to ignition displayed by both crown and litter samples and the ability of the leaves to maintain a high water content during the summer. We also discuss the possibility of exploiting some morphological, functional and ecological traits of the species to construct a barrier system (with selected varieties of cypress) as a promising complementary land management tool to reduce the fire spread and intensity in a Mediterranean context.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, IPSP-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, I-50019, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy. Electronic address: gianni.dellarocca@ipsp.cnr.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Della Rocca
authors.affiliation: INIA - CIFOR, Department of Silviculture and Forest Management, Crta. A Coruña Km 7.5, 28040, Madrid, Spain; Sustainable Forest Management Institute, UVa-INIA, Spain. Electronic address: lara@inia.es.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hernando
authors.affiliation: INIA - CIFOR, Department of Silviculture and Forest Management, Crta. A Coruña Km 7.5, 28040, Madrid, Spain; Sustainable Forest Management Institute, UVa-INIA, Spain. Electronic address: incendio@inia.it.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Madrigal
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, IPSP-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, I-50019, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy. Electronic address: roberto.danti@ipsp.cnr.it.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Danti
authors.affiliation: Monumental Trees Department, Imelsa - Valencia Provincial Council, C/ Conde Trenor 9, 46003, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: arboles.monumentales@imelsa.es.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moya
authors.affiliation: INIA - CIFOR, Department of Silviculture and Forest Management, Crta. A Coruña Km 7.5, 28040, Madrid, Spain; Sustainable Forest Management Institute, UVa-INIA, Spain. Electronic address: guijarro@inia.es.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guijarro
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, IPSP-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, I-50019, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy. Electronic address: enny1979@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pecchioli
authors.affiliation: Monumental Trees Department, Imelsa - Valencia Provincial Council, C/ Conde Trenor 9, 46003, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moya
mesh_terms: D002151:Calorimetry; D029781:Cupressus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D055864:Droughts; D017753:Ecosystem; D005390:Fires / Q000517:prevention & control*; D065928:Forests; D006801:Humans; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D018515:Plant Leaves; D012308:Risk Management / Q000379:methods; D012621:Seasons; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water
keywords: Cupressus sempervirens; Epiradiator; Fire hazard; Flammability; Mass loss calorimeter; Oxygen bomb; Wildfire