This information is taken from the landfire rapid assessment vegetation models, which were developed by local experts using available literature, local data, andor expert opinion. Assessing ecological departure from reference conditions with. Fire regime condition class frcc is an interagency, standardized tool for determining the degree of departure from reference condition vegetation, fuels. Broadscale alterations of historical fire regimes and vegetation dynamics have occurred in many. For instance, the fire regime of dry western coniferous forests has a short return interval, high intensity, and high severity resulting in communities dominated by fire adapted species. The fire regime condition class mapping tool uses the. Utilizing general land office glo survey notes to reconstruct. The frcc mapping tool was developed as an arcmap extension utilizing the protocol identified by the interagency fire regime condition class handbook to derive spatial depictions of vegetation departure. When combined with other data, landfire frcc provides useful information about ecological integrity and potential threats, including wildfire.
The frcc software application mapping tool gis software is not being supported for updates at this time. This chapter will also direct the user on the mapping tools installation and use. Homepage of the interagency and the nature conservancy fire regime condition class website, usda forest service, u. Frcc is also known as vegetation condition class, or vcc. Frcc assessments helped guide management objectives and prioritize treatments.
Since widespread deviations from the historic fire regime have taken place since the early 20th century, fire regime condition class values were found to fall into the frcc 2 and 3 categories without any stands representing frcc 1. Chapter 4 multiscale fire regime condition class mapping tool guide. Fire regime condition class frcc is an interagency, standardized tool for determining the degree of departure from reference condition vegetation, fuels and disturbance regimes at a landscape scale. Fire regime condition class frcc is an interagency, standardized tool for determining the degree of ecological departure from historical, or reference condition, vegetation, fuels, and disturbance regimes. The frcc software application mapping tool gis software is not being supported for. Examples of this effort include coordinating product implementation and associated technology transfer of both landfire data and applications and those of the fire regime condition class guidebook as well as coordinating research results from usda forest service, department of interior, and joint fire science program, among others. Department of the interior, the nature conservancy, and systems for environmental management. A document is in development to guide frcc users in an arcgis environment. Full descriptions of the methods used can be found in the vdep product description. These data included potential natural vegetation groups, vegetation cover types, historical natural fire regimes, current fire regime condition classes.
The current condition class data were assigned to the generalized successional pathway diagrams created with the historical natural fire regimes data. The fire regime condition class frcc standard landscape worksheet method and mapping method provide tools for fire regime and vegetation assessment at the landscape and stand levels. Apr 18, 20 landfire frcc is not a direct measure of fire risk by itself. The model combines three modeled fire behavior parameters rate of spread, flame length, crown fire potential and one modeled ecological health measure fire regime condition class with wildland urban interface areas and ignition probability. The current condition class data were assigned to the generalized successional pathway diagrams created with. Wildland fire science ii condition class vdep and vcc are based upon methods originally described in interagency fire regime condition class guidebook, but are not identical to those methods. Fire regime condition class frcc for the conterminous united states as.
Fire regimes are intrinsically and fundamentally connected to fuel accumulation, vegetation composition, and subsequent fire behavior when wildfires inevitably occur. Fire regime condition class frcc is an interagency, standardized tool for determining the degree of departure from reference condition. The landfire vdep approach differs from that outlined in the interagency fire regime condition class guidebook hann and others 2004 as follows. Changes to the forested vegetation diversity and fire regime condition class section were made between release of the deis and preparation of the feis. Our approach builds on the conceptual framework of the landfire and fire regime condition class programs. June 25, 2014 the model combines three modeled fire behavior parameters rate of spread, flame length, crown fire potential and one modeled ecological health measure fire regime condition class with wildland urban interface areas and ignition probability. Fire regime current condition, v2000 fire, fuel, and. Vegetation condition class a discrete metric that quantifies the amount that.
A new approach to evaluate forest structure restoration. Washingtonoregon specific datasets are used to assess the need for changes to current forest structure resulting from disturbance andor succession at watershed and regional scales. Classifying the fire regime condition class for upland. Fire regime condition class frcc is an interagency, standardized tool that categorizes a landscapes potential degree. Nationallydeveloped maps that display coarsescale fire regime condition classes show over onethird 39 percent of oregons 27. Citeseerx document details isaac councill, lee giles, pradeep teregowda. Part of the joint fire science program, we share wildland fire science information among. Download the most recent version of ivmp interagency vegetation mapping. Academic and agency research entities interested in fire severity data over significant geographic and temporal extents. Abstract a century of change in forest structure and fire regime condition class in a western montana ponderosa pinedouglasfir forest restoring historical forest conditions is often a driving force behind forest management activities today. Links to landfire fire regime products, alerts, and learning more about. Vegetation condition class vcc is a classification using three condition. Site provides easy access and download of seamless raster data.
These methods are used to describe general fire regime and vegetation traits for the historical reference versus current periods to produce. However, determining historical, presettlement conditions can be challenging. Landfire national fire regime condition class map download. Assessing ecological departure from reference conditions. While biophysical settings between the two sources matched approximately half of the time, only 2. This geospatial product should display a reasonable approximation of fire regime group, as documented in the refresh model tracker.
Fire frequencies may have departed by multiple fire intervals. The fire regime condition class frcc is a composite departure measure that compares current vegetation structure and fire regime to historic reference conditions. The role of gis in fire regime condition class and landfire. Sensitivity to scale and fire regime inputs in deriving. This table summarizes fire regime characteristics for each plant community listed. Fire regime has become, in recent decades, a key concept in many scientific domains. Fire regime condition class frcc is a qualitative measure characterizing possible departure from historical fire regimes. Succession classes termed vegetationfuel classes in the interagency fire regime condition class guidebook version 1. Fire regime condition class how is fire regime condition. Interagency fire regime condition class frcc guidebook. Disruption of disturbance regimes oregon conservation strategy.
The historical fire regime groups data layer categorizes simulated mean fire return intervals and fire severities into five fire regimes defined in the interagency fire regime condition class guidebook. Frcc describes the degree of current fire regime departure from the natural or historic regime hann and bunnell 2001, hann et al. The landfire vdep approach differs from that outlined in the interagency fire regime condition class guidebook. Fire regime classification the general temporal and spatial patterns of fire behavior and effects within a particular vegetation type or ecosystem multiple fire cyclesover decades to centuries determine the fire regime over a specific period for any given ecosystem. The frcc mapping tool was developed as an arcmap extension utilizing the protocol identi. More extreme fire conditions can be expected in areas where the time between fires has been extended, unless fuels have been reduced by.
Landfire vdep is based on departure of current vegetation conditions from reference vegetation conditions only, whereas the guidebook approach includes departure of current fire regimes from those of. Vegetation attributes have been substantially altered. Fire regime information on 256 vegetation communities. The interagencyfire regime condition class assessment process frcc represents a contemporary and effective means of estimating the relative degree of difference or departure a subject landscape condition is currently in, as compared to the historic or reference ecological conditions. Citeseerx mapping relative fire regime condition class. Contents of data summary continued iii usfs ownership forested lands only by historical fire regime table 5b. Landfire fire regime groups conus image service data. In 1999, a coarsescale map of fire regime condition classes frcc was developed for the conterminous united states us to help address contemporary fire management issues and to quantify changes in fuels from historical conditions. Citeseerx comparing selected fire regime condition class.
Disruption of disturbance regimes oregon conservation. The formation of the fire regime may be regarded as a paradigm for other regimes that were developed at later stages in human history. Assessing frcc can help guide management objectives and set priorities for treatments. The west wide wildfire risk assessment data add to the state information bank about fire regime condition classes. Fire regime condition class frcc is an interagency, standardized tool for determining the degree of departure from reference condition vegetation, fuels and disturbance regimes. In spite of its wide spread use, the concept still lacks a clear and wide established definition. This determination requires future management practices to follow fire regime condition class guidelines. Classifying the fire regime condition class for upland oak. Comparing locally derived and landfire geolayers in the. Fisheries resource conservation council canada frcc. Fire regime current condition, v2000 current condition classes are defined in terms of the relative risk of losing one or more key components that define an ecosystem. Historical fire regimes, intervals, and vegetation conditions are mapped using the. In 1999, a coarsescale map of fire regime condition classes frcc was developed for the conterminous. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the multiscale fire regime condition class frcc mapping tool and to explain its function and outputs.
Locally derived maps of preeuropean settlement vegetation patterns biophysical settingbps and fire regime condition class frcc were compared to concomitant products from landfire for the wassuk range in western nevada, usa. Many believe that it was first discussed in a famous report on national park management in the united states, and that it may be simply defined as a selection of a few measurable parameters that summarize. Existing databases from other comparably scaled programs, such as fire regime and condition class frcc within landfire, that will benefit from mtbs data for validation and updating of geospatial data sets. These definitions were refined to create discrete, mutually exclusive criteria appropriate for use with landfires lf fire frequency and severity data products. Customers are advised to delete any local copies of this succession class layer downloaded prior to january 1, 2007 and download the current version. Download scientific diagram landfire national fire regime condition class map from publication. Fire regime assignments, and fire regime groupings for the boise. The essence of fire regimecondition class assessment. Vegetation condition class vdep and vcc are based upon methods originally described in interagency fire regime condition class guidebook, but are not identical to those methods. Fire regime condition class frcc was an interagency tool used to determine the degree of ecological departure from historical, or reference condition, vegetation, fuels, and disturbance regimes. These differences could result in errors in calculating local measurements of fire regime condition class with the frcc mapping tool. Table 2 desc ribes each condition class, along with potential. Fire regime condition class frcc has been developed as a nationally consistent interagency method in the us to assess degree of departure between historical and current fire regimes and vegetation structural conditions across differing vegetation types.
This map and its associated data have been incorporated into national policies. Frcc is defined as fire regime condition class frequently. Sensitivity to scale and fire regime inputs in deriving fire. This map was completed in 2008 ca 2001 data and provides a categorized measure of the difference between current vegetation and structure and estimated vegetation structure and composition from the time just prior to european settlement. Fire regime current condition, v2000 fire, fuel, and smoke. Fire regime condition class frcc is a qualitative measure characterizing possible departure from historical. This may result in dramatic changes in fire size, fire intensity and severity, and landscape patterns. The interagency fire regime condition class assessment process frcc represents a contemporary and effective means of estimating the relative degree of difference or departure a subject landscape condition is currently in, as compared to the historic or reference ecological conditions. Landfire vdep is based on departure of current vegetation conditions from reference vegetation conditions only, whereas the guidebook. Landfire national fire regime condition class frcc map. Mapping relative fire regime condition class for the western united.
1372 823 821 359 1334 1666 432 382 1235 451 1680 1587 573 1686 1650 590 855 19 790 1290 399 261 36 353 875 598 791 590 112 299 918 1211