Non-additive effects of leaf and twig mixtures from different tree species on experimental litter-bed flammability

Weiwei Zhao; Richard S.P. van Logtestijn; Jurgen R. van Hal; Ming Dong; Johannes H.C. Cornelissen

doi:10.1007/s11104-019-03931-3

Non-additive effects of leaf and twig mixtures from different tree species on experimental litter-bed flammability

Weiwei Zhao^*, Richard S.P. van Logtestijn, Jurgen R. van Hal, Ming Dong, Johannes H.C. Cornelissen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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Abstract

Aims: Tree species can affect litter flammability through leaf size and shape. Larger, simpler-shaped leaf litters form better-ventilated, more flammable litter-beds. However, leaves are generally mixed with twigs in the forest litter layer and together they likely contribute most to surface fire behavior. Here we ask: “Do leaf-twig mixtures have non-additive effects on litter-bed flammability?”

Methods: Using laboratory fires, we tested the direction and magnitude of non-additivity of inter- and intra-specific leaf-twig mixtures on litter-bed flammability for four tree species contrasted in leaf size and shape and widespread in fire-prone temperate-boreal forests.

Results: Across species, small needles reduced mixture fuel-bed ignitibility through filling the space between twigs and inhibiting ventilation. Within the small broad-leaved species, the thin, frequently branched and open spaced twigs were too loosely packed to be flammable, while in mixtures the small broad leaves connected these twigs to produce flammable fuel-beds. Once ignited, across species flame spread rate in mixtures was driven by leaves, while fire sustainability was predicted by fuel mass. Fuel-bed flammability was driven more by leaves at larger leaf-to-twig ratio.

Conclusions: For the first time, we demonstrated the existence and mechanisms of non-additive effects of leaf-twig mixtures on experimental litter-bed flammability.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	311–324
Number of pages	14
Journal	Plant and Soil
Volume	436
Issue number	1-2
Early online date	10 Jan 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-019-03931-3
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2019

Funding

We are grateful to the Chinese Scholarship Council for funding WWZ through a 4-year fellowship to study at VU University Amsterdam. The setup of the FLARE laboratory greatly benefitted from grant 047.018.003 by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) to JHCC. This work was supported by National Key R&D Program of China (grant: 2016YFC0503100) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants: 31670429). JHCC and WWZ benefitted from Grant CEP-12CDP007 by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). Acknowledgements We are grateful to the Chinese Scholarship Council for funding WWZ through a 4-year fellowship to study at VU University Amsterdam. The setup of the FLARE laboratory greatly benefitted from grant 047.018.003 by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) to JHCC. This work was supported by National Key R&D Program of China (grant: 2016YFC0503100) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants: 31670429). JHCC and WWZ benefitted from Grant CEP-12CDP007 by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).

Funders	Funder number
Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
National Key R&D Program of China
WWZ
Chinese Scholarship Council
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
China Scholarship Council
Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen
Not added	047.018.003
National Key Research and Development Program of China	2016YFC0503100
National Natural Science Foundation of China	31670429, CEP-12CDP007

Keywords

Flammability
Leaf
Litter mixing
Non-additivity
Plant traits
Surface fire behavior
Twig

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10.1007/s11104-019-03931-3

Non-additive effects of leaf and twig mixtures from different tree species on experimental litter-bed flammabilityFinal published version, 958 KBLicence: Article 25fa Dutch Copyright Act

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title = "Non-additive effects of leaf and twig mixtures from different tree species on experimental litter-bed flammability",

abstract = "Aims: Tree species can affect litter flammability through leaf size and shape. Larger, simpler-shaped leaf litters form better-ventilated, more flammable litter-beds. However, leaves are generally mixed with twigs in the forest litter layer and together they likely contribute most to surface fire behavior. Here we ask: “Do leaf-twig mixtures have non-additive effects on litter-bed flammability?” Methods: Using laboratory fires, we tested the direction and magnitude of non-additivity of inter- and intra-specific leaf-twig mixtures on litter-bed flammability for four tree species contrasted in leaf size and shape and widespread in fire-prone temperate-boreal forests. Results: Across species, small needles reduced mixture fuel-bed ignitibility through filling the space between twigs and inhibiting ventilation. Within the small broad-leaved species, the thin, frequently branched and open spaced twigs were too loosely packed to be flammable, while in mixtures the small broad leaves connected these twigs to produce flammable fuel-beds. Once ignited, across species flame spread rate in mixtures was driven by leaves, while fire sustainability was predicted by fuel mass. Fuel-bed flammability was driven more by leaves at larger leaf-to-twig ratio. Conclusions: For the first time, we demonstrated the existence and mechanisms of non-additive effects of leaf-twig mixtures on experimental litter-bed flammability.",

keywords = "Flammability, Leaf, Litter mixing, Non-additivity, Plant traits, Surface fire behavior, Twig",

author = "Weiwei Zhao and {van Logtestijn}, {Richard S.P.} and {van Hal}, {Jurgen R.} and Ming Dong and Cornelissen, {Johannes H.C.}",

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AU - Zhao, Weiwei

AU - van Logtestijn, Richard S.P.

AU - van Hal, Jurgen R.

AU - Dong, Ming

AU - Cornelissen, Johannes H.C.

PY - 2019/3/1

Y1 - 2019/3/1

N2 - Aims: Tree species can affect litter flammability through leaf size and shape. Larger, simpler-shaped leaf litters form better-ventilated, more flammable litter-beds. However, leaves are generally mixed with twigs in the forest litter layer and together they likely contribute most to surface fire behavior. Here we ask: “Do leaf-twig mixtures have non-additive effects on litter-bed flammability?” Methods: Using laboratory fires, we tested the direction and magnitude of non-additivity of inter- and intra-specific leaf-twig mixtures on litter-bed flammability for four tree species contrasted in leaf size and shape and widespread in fire-prone temperate-boreal forests. Results: Across species, small needles reduced mixture fuel-bed ignitibility through filling the space between twigs and inhibiting ventilation. Within the small broad-leaved species, the thin, frequently branched and open spaced twigs were too loosely packed to be flammable, while in mixtures the small broad leaves connected these twigs to produce flammable fuel-beds. Once ignited, across species flame spread rate in mixtures was driven by leaves, while fire sustainability was predicted by fuel mass. Fuel-bed flammability was driven more by leaves at larger leaf-to-twig ratio. Conclusions: For the first time, we demonstrated the existence and mechanisms of non-additive effects of leaf-twig mixtures on experimental litter-bed flammability.

AB - Aims: Tree species can affect litter flammability through leaf size and shape. Larger, simpler-shaped leaf litters form better-ventilated, more flammable litter-beds. However, leaves are generally mixed with twigs in the forest litter layer and together they likely contribute most to surface fire behavior. Here we ask: “Do leaf-twig mixtures have non-additive effects on litter-bed flammability?” Methods: Using laboratory fires, we tested the direction and magnitude of non-additivity of inter- and intra-specific leaf-twig mixtures on litter-bed flammability for four tree species contrasted in leaf size and shape and widespread in fire-prone temperate-boreal forests. Results: Across species, small needles reduced mixture fuel-bed ignitibility through filling the space between twigs and inhibiting ventilation. Within the small broad-leaved species, the thin, frequently branched and open spaced twigs were too loosely packed to be flammable, while in mixtures the small broad leaves connected these twigs to produce flammable fuel-beds. Once ignited, across species flame spread rate in mixtures was driven by leaves, while fire sustainability was predicted by fuel mass. Fuel-bed flammability was driven more by leaves at larger leaf-to-twig ratio. Conclusions: For the first time, we demonstrated the existence and mechanisms of non-additive effects of leaf-twig mixtures on experimental litter-bed flammability.

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Non-additive effects of leaf and twig mixtures from different tree species on experimental litter-bed flammability

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