Accounting for among-sampler variability improves confidence in fuel moisture content field measurements

Kerryn Little; Laura J. Graham; Nicholas Kettridge

doi:10.1071/WF23078

Accounting for among-sampler variability improves confidence in fuel moisture content field measurements

Kerryn Little^*, Laura J. Graham, Nicholas Kettridge

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Background: Direct fuel moisture content measurements are critical for characterising spatio-temporal variations in fuel flammability and for informing fire danger assessments. However, among-sampler variability (systematic differences in measurements between samplers) likely contributes to fuel moisture measurement variability in most field campaigns. Aims: We assessed the magnitude of among-sampler variability in plot-scale Calluna vulgaris fuel moisture measurements.

Methods: Seventeen individuals collected samples from six fuel layers hourly from 10:00 hours to 18:00 hours. We developed mixed effects models to estimate the among-sampler variability.

Key results: Fuel moisture measurements were highly variable between individuals sampling within the same plot, fuel layer, and time of day. The importance of among-sampler variability in explaining total measured fuel moisture variance was fuel layer dependent. Among-sampler variability explained the greatest amount of measurement variation in litter (58%) and moss (45%) and was more important for live (19%) than dead (4%) Calluna.

Conclusions: Both consideration of samplers within the experimental design and incorporation of sampler metadata during statistical analysis will improve understanding of spatio-temporal fuel moisture dynamics obtained from field-based studies.

Implications: Accounting for among-sampler variability in fuel moisture campaigns opens opportunities to utilise sampling teams and citizen science research to examine fuel moisture dynamics over large spatio-temporal scales.

Original language	English
Article number	WF23078
Number of pages	7
Journal	International Journal of Wildland Fire
Volume	33
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1071/WF23078
Publication status	Published - 21 Dec 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank the two anonymous reviewers who provided valuable feedback that greatly improved the quality of this manuscript. We also thank the 2022 University of Birmingham Geography sub-cohort from module 36261: LC Fieldwork Project Design and GIS for their involvement in this field campaign and Luke Everett for field work support. This project has received funding from the European Union s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 860787 (PyroLife Innovative Training Network) and the NERC Highlight project NE/T003553/1. LJG was supported by NERC grant NE/T009373/1.

Keywords

Calluna vulgaris
citizen science
diurnal
ecological field studies
fuel moisture dynamics
heathland
measurement error
mixed effects models
spatiotemporal variation
wildfire

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Forestry
Ecology

Access to Document

10.1071/WF23078Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

LittleK2023AccountingFinal published version, 2.11 MBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

A complex systems approach to improve understanding of the biodiversity-landscape configuration relationship
Graham, L.
Natural Environment Research Council
1/06/20 → 31/05/24
Project: Research Councils
Toward a UK fire danger rating system: Understanding fuels, fire behaviour and impacts
Kettridge, N.
Natural Environment Research Council
1/01/20 → 31/12/24
Project: Research Councils
PyroLife - training the next generation of integrated fire management experts
Kettridge, N.
European Commission
1/10/19 → 31/12/24
Project: EU

Cite this

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title = "Accounting for among-sampler variability improves confidence in fuel moisture content field measurements",

abstract = "Background: Direct fuel moisture content measurements are critical for characterising spatio-temporal variations in fuel flammability and for informing fire danger assessments. However, among-sampler variability (systematic differences in measurements between samplers) likely contributes to fuel moisture measurement variability in most field campaigns. Aims: We assessed the magnitude of among-sampler variability in plot-scale Calluna vulgaris fuel moisture measurements. Methods: Seventeen individuals collected samples from six fuel layers hourly from 10:00 hours to 18:00 hours. We developed mixed effects models to estimate the among-sampler variability. Key results: Fuel moisture measurements were highly variable between individuals sampling within the same plot, fuel layer, and time of day. The importance of among-sampler variability in explaining total measured fuel moisture variance was fuel layer dependent. Among-sampler variability explained the greatest amount of measurement variation in litter (58%) and moss (45%) and was more important for live (19%) than dead (4%) Calluna. Conclusions: Both consideration of samplers within the experimental design and incorporation of sampler metadata during statistical analysis will improve understanding of spatio-temporal fuel moisture dynamics obtained from field-based studies. Implications: Accounting for among-sampler variability in fuel moisture campaigns opens opportunities to utilise sampling teams and citizen science research to examine fuel moisture dynamics over large spatio-temporal scales.",

keywords = "Calluna vulgaris, citizen science, diurnal, ecological field studies, fuel moisture dynamics, heathland, measurement error, mixed effects models, spatiotemporal variation, wildfire",

author = "Kerryn Little and Graham, {Laura J.} and Nicholas Kettridge",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the two anonymous reviewers who provided valuable feedback that greatly improved the quality of this manuscript. We also thank the 2022 University of Birmingham Geography sub-cohort from module 36261: LC Fieldwork Project Design and GIS for their involvement in this field campaign and Luke Everett for field work support. This project has received funding from the European Union s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 860787 (PyroLife Innovative Training Network) and the NERC Highlight project NE/T003553/1. LJG was supported by NERC grant NE/T009373/1.",

year = "2023",

month = dec,

day = "21",

doi = "10.1071/WF23078",

language = "English",

volume = "33",

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AU - Graham, Laura J.

AU - Kettridge, Nicholas

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N2 - Background: Direct fuel moisture content measurements are critical for characterising spatio-temporal variations in fuel flammability and for informing fire danger assessments. However, among-sampler variability (systematic differences in measurements between samplers) likely contributes to fuel moisture measurement variability in most field campaigns. Aims: We assessed the magnitude of among-sampler variability in plot-scale Calluna vulgaris fuel moisture measurements. Methods: Seventeen individuals collected samples from six fuel layers hourly from 10:00 hours to 18:00 hours. We developed mixed effects models to estimate the among-sampler variability. Key results: Fuel moisture measurements were highly variable between individuals sampling within the same plot, fuel layer, and time of day. The importance of among-sampler variability in explaining total measured fuel moisture variance was fuel layer dependent. Among-sampler variability explained the greatest amount of measurement variation in litter (58%) and moss (45%) and was more important for live (19%) than dead (4%) Calluna. Conclusions: Both consideration of samplers within the experimental design and incorporation of sampler metadata during statistical analysis will improve understanding of spatio-temporal fuel moisture dynamics obtained from field-based studies. Implications: Accounting for among-sampler variability in fuel moisture campaigns opens opportunities to utilise sampling teams and citizen science research to examine fuel moisture dynamics over large spatio-temporal scales.

AB - Background: Direct fuel moisture content measurements are critical for characterising spatio-temporal variations in fuel flammability and for informing fire danger assessments. However, among-sampler variability (systematic differences in measurements between samplers) likely contributes to fuel moisture measurement variability in most field campaigns. Aims: We assessed the magnitude of among-sampler variability in plot-scale Calluna vulgaris fuel moisture measurements. Methods: Seventeen individuals collected samples from six fuel layers hourly from 10:00 hours to 18:00 hours. We developed mixed effects models to estimate the among-sampler variability. Key results: Fuel moisture measurements were highly variable between individuals sampling within the same plot, fuel layer, and time of day. The importance of among-sampler variability in explaining total measured fuel moisture variance was fuel layer dependent. Among-sampler variability explained the greatest amount of measurement variation in litter (58%) and moss (45%) and was more important for live (19%) than dead (4%) Calluna. Conclusions: Both consideration of samplers within the experimental design and incorporation of sampler metadata during statistical analysis will improve understanding of spatio-temporal fuel moisture dynamics obtained from field-based studies. Implications: Accounting for among-sampler variability in fuel moisture campaigns opens opportunities to utilise sampling teams and citizen science research to examine fuel moisture dynamics over large spatio-temporal scales.

KW - Calluna vulgaris

KW - citizen science

KW - diurnal

KW - ecological field studies

KW - fuel moisture dynamics

KW - heathland

KW - measurement error

KW - mixed effects models

KW - spatiotemporal variation

KW - wildfire

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JO - International Journal of Wildland Fire

JF - International Journal of Wildland Fire

IS - 1

M1 - WF23078

ER -

Accounting for among-sampler variability improves confidence in fuel moisture content field measurements

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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Projects

A complex systems approach to improve understanding of the biodiversity-landscape configuration relationship

Toward a UK fire danger rating system: Understanding fuels, fire behaviour and impacts

PyroLife - training the next generation of integrated fire management experts

Cite this