Fuel consumption and particulate emissions during fires in the New Jersey Pinelands

Abstract

We quantified loading and consumption losses of 1-hour and 10-hour fuels on the forest floor and understory vegetation during 24 operational prescribed burns conducted in the Pinelands National Reserve of New Jersey. PM 2.5 emissions were calculated using published emission factors, and atmospheric PM 2.5 was measured under ambient conditions and during prescribed fires. Pre-burn 1-h and 10-h fuel loading was greater in Pitch pine-dominated stands than in stands with a substantial biomass of overstory oak. Forest floor and understory fuel consumption were a strong linear function of preburn loading, and forest floor consumption was often the predominate site of PM 2.5 production, even during crowning fires. These relationships allow a more accurate estimate of PM 2.5 production during fuel reduction treatments, based on knowledge of pre-burn fuel loading. Additional keywords: Prescribed burning, , PM 2.5, Pinelands National Reserve, prescribed fire emissions, wildfire emissions, air quality, available fuel, fuel loading