Abstract
The goal of this paper is to characterize the spatial variability in burn severity of a wildfire in an oak savannah within the wildland-urban interface in Worcester, Massachusetts using the Composite Burn Index (CBI). This work compares two interpolated surfaces of burn severity values collected in a March 2012 burn area and examines the statistical relationship between burn severity (CBI), fuel type and topography. The wildfire burned at low-to-medium severity (0.1 – 2.0 CBI). Burn severity was highest in mixed grass and shrub fuels beneath oak canopy cover (mean 1.11 CBI), followed by open-canopy shrub fuels (mean 1.09 CBI) and then open-canopy grass fuels (mean 1.06 CBI). Burn severity was negatively correlated with elevation (r2 = -0.22) and slope (r2 = -0.04). These results, coupled with recently acquired historical fire records, presents the first comprehensive fire analysis of the site and indicates the need for a burn and fuel reduction program
Recommended Citation
Danko III, Joseph; Rogan, John; Kulakowski, Dominik; and McConnell, Maureen
(2014)
"Mapping Burn Severity using the Composite Burn Index in an Oak Savannah in Central Massachusetts,"
The Geographical Bulletin: Vol. 55:
Iss.
1, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/thegeographicalbulletin/vol55/iss1/3