Metadata for Fuel Model Coverages

Fuel models are based on vegetation attributes, such as cover type, vegetation type, size and crown closure, as well as other factors, such as slope, aspect, elevation and topography.

In table 1, each row represents a unique combination of inputs in the GIS database. The first row in table 1 below refers to a general cover type of "Chaparral" (CHP) then a more specific vegetation type of "Sierran foothill mixed chaparral" (CC) with no tree size (0) and no crown cover (0) because it is a non tree vegetation type. These inputs are categorized or "crosswalked" to a fuel model 5 (low shrub).

Table 1
Sample table used in GIS Analysis:


Cover Type Cover Type
Veg
Type
Size
Crown
Cover
Fuel
Model

CHP

CC (mixed chap.)

0

0

5

CHP

CX (Montane chap)

0

0

4

CON

MP (mixed conifer)

1

2

5

CON

MP

3

8

9

CON

PP (ponderosa pine)

3

5

10

CON

PP

3

3

5

CON

PP

4

8

9

HDW

QC (canyon live oak)

0

0

6

HDW

QK (black oak)

0

0

9

HEB

HJ (grass, meadow)

0

0

1

NFO

BA (barren)

0

  0

99

NFO

WA (water)

0

  0

98

 
Crosswalks similar to those used by Sapsis and others (1996) in the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project translate the vegetation coverage to a "Fire Behavior Prediction System" (FBPS) fuel model coverage.

See below for description of Data Fields

Sample Data Fields

COVERTYPE

Covertype Description
CON Conifer Forest / Woodland
HDW Hardwood Forest/Woodland
CHP Chaparral
SCH Soft Chaparral
SSB Sagebrush Shrub
DSB Desert Shrub
ASB Alpine Dwarf Scrub
HEB Herbaceous
NFO Non-Forest




VEGTYPE

Code

Description

Code Description
  Conifer Types   Hardwood Types
RW Redwood QK Black Oak
RD Redwood - Douglas Fir QD Blue Oak - (Gray Pine)
DP Douglas-Fir-Pine QC Canyon Live Oak
DW Pacific Douglas-Fir QA Coast Live Oak
DF Douglas-Fir (Tanoak-Madrone) QN Englemann Oak
DF Bigcone Douglas-Fir QW Interior Live Oak
GF Grand Fir QG Oregon White Oak
RF Red Fir QL Valley Oak
AB Santa Lucia Fir QM Maple-Dogwood
WF White Fir QT Tanoak - Madrone
MF Mixed Conifer Fir QH Black Oak
PB Brewer Spruce QR Red Alder
EA Englemann Spruce QE White Alder
SG Sitka Spruce - Grand Fir QY Willow-Alder
PM Bishop Pine QO Willow
BP Bristle Cone Pine QS Willow-Aspen
PC Coulter Pine QQ Quaking Aspen
FP Foxtail Pine QJ Cottonwood-Alder
JP Jeffery Pine QF Cottonwood
KP Knobcone Pine QX Black Cottonwood
PL Limber Pine QI Buckeye
LP LodgePole Pine QU CA Bay
PR Monterey Pine QB CA Bay Buckeye
PP Ponderosa Pine QZ Eucalyptus
PJ Single Leaf Pinyon QP CA Sycamore
PT Torrey Pine    
WW Western White Pine   CHP CHAPARRAL
WB Whitebark Pine CA Chamise
MP Mixed Conifer - Pine CR Red Shanks
MC Cuyamaca Cypress CC Sierran Foothill Mixed Chaparral
MG Gowen Cypress CD Southern Mixed Chaparral
MN Macnab Cypress CQ Mixed Chaparral
MO Modoc Cypress CQ Northern Mixed Chaparral
MM Monterey Cypress CV Tobacco Brush
MI Piute Cypress CL Wedgeleaf Ceanothus
MY Pygmy Cypress CX Montane Chaparral
MZ Santa Cruz Cypress CH Huckleberry Oak
MS Sargent Cypress CM Montane Mixed Shrub
MT Tecate Cypress CK Coyote Brush
MH Mountain Hemlock CS Scrub Oak
WJ Western Juniper CJ Brewer Oak
BT Big Tree
EP Eastside Ponderosa Pine   SCH SOFT CHAPARRAL
MB Mixed Pine w/ Giant Sequoia SB Buckwheat
SA Sub-Alpine Conifer SS California SageBrush
PO Port-Orford-Cedar SP Sage
PD Gray Pine    
CN Conifer Species not Determined    

SSB SAGEBRUSH SHRUB

BB BitterBrush    
BC Saltbrush    
BR Rabbit Brush    
BS Basin Sagebrush    
BM Mountain Mahogany    
BL Low Sagebrush    

DSB DESERT SHRUB

DS Shadescale    
DL Creosote    
DA Blackbush    
DX Mixed Desert Shrub    

ASB ALPINE DWARF SCRUB

AC Cushion Plant    
AX Mixed Alpine Scrub    

HEB HERBACEOUS

HG Annual Grass/Forbs    
HJ Wet Meadows Grass/Sedge/Rush    
GR Grass Speceis not determined    

NFO NON-FOREST

WA Water    
BA Barren    
UB Urban/Developed    
AG Agricultural    
SN Snow/Ice    

 

SIZE ( Conifer Types )

Code Description
N Non-Stocked
0 Seedlings (Derived From Plantation Age)
1 Saplings (Derived From Plantation Age)
2 Poles Crown Diameter Less then 12 feet
3 Small Crown Diameter From 12 to 24 feet
4 Medium Crown Diameter From 24 to 40 feet
5 Large Crown Diameter Greater Than 40 Feet
6 Two Storied Overstory of sizze class 4 or 5 cannot exceed 20 percent Cover,
Distinct Understory layer of size class 2 or 3, two size classes less than
overstory, Understory cover at least 40 percent
X Not Determined

SIZE ( Hardwood Types )

Code Description
N Non-Stocked
0 Seedlings
1 Saplings Crown Diameter Less then 15 feet
2 Poles Crown Diameter From 15 to 30 feet
3 Small Crown Diameter From 30 to 45 feet
4 Medium Crown Diameter Greater than 45 feet
X Not Determined



Crown Cover ( CC )

Code Percent Crown Cover
0 0 %
1 1 - 20 %
2 20 - 30 %
3 30 - 40 %
...  
9 90 - 100 %


Return to Fuels