Abstract

CALLEJA PELAEZ, Beatriz et al. Sample size for estimating fuel loads in oak forest in the Mountain Region of Guerrero State. Rev. mex. de cienc. forestales [online]. 2020, vol.11, n.57, pp.174-195.  Epub June 20, 2020. ISSN 2007-1132.  https://doi.org/10.29298/rmcf.v11i57.617.

Fuel is the only component of the triangle of fire behavior that can be manipulated in prescribed burns for the prevention of large forest fires, so estimating fuel loads will allow designing strategies for the management of forest resources. Fifteen sampling sites were determined in a random manner for the measurement of fuels 1, 10, 100 and 1 000 h based on the planar intersection technique. At the end of each line, leaf litter samples were collected in 0.09 m2, which were dried in an oven at 70 °C. The fuel load in the area was 11.11 t ha-1, 65.53 % corresponded to litter and 34.47 % to woody fuels. The comparison of Kruskal-Wallis range means by fuel type showed significant differences in leaf litter with 1, 10, 100 and 1 000 h (p <0.001) and 1 000 h with 1, 10, 100 h (p<0.05); the leaf litter values> 1000> 100> 10> 1 h. There was a significant correlation between the thickness of the litter layer (cm) and litter load (t ha-1) with (r = 0.773, p<0.001). Based on the results the area is susceptible to a superficial fire.

Keywords : Correlation; leaf litter; forest fire; Malinaltepec; prescribed burns; Quercus sp.

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