Background > FBP System > Data Sources and Methods

Background Information

Canadian Forest Fire Behavior Prediction (FBP) System

Data Sources and Methods for Daily Maps

Fuel Types  (view FBP fuel types map)
The FBP fuel types map was developed by Nadeau et al. (2005) from three sources:

1. Land Cover 2000, a satellite image-based land cover classification of Canada (Latifovic et al. 2004). The satellite imagery was acquired in 2000 by the Vegetation (VGT) sensor on the Système Probatoire pour l'Observation de la Terre (SPOT) satellite and was processed to produce a composite image representative of the summer months.

2. Ecozones and ecoregions of Canada (Ecological Stratification Working Group 1996) were used to restrict the reclassification of the land cover map in some areas. Fuel types that were known to be absent from certain ecozones or ecoregions were excluded, for example C5 (Red and white pine) in western Canada, or C7 (Ponderosa Pine - Douglas-fir) in the boreal forest.

3. National Forest Inventory data was used to distinguish between conifer species.

Because of the coarse resolution and limited scope of the input data, this fuels map gives only a general idea of the fuel types present and is not suitable for operational fire management.

Daily Grid Production
The FBP System outputs include the Foliar Moisture Content and measures for potential Surface Fuel Consumption, Rate of Spread, Total Fuel Consumption, Head Fire Intensity, and Crown Fraction Burned. Each of these outputs is calculated on a cell-by-cell basis, using the weather, Fire Weather Index (FWI), and fuel type grids as inputs. Production of the weather and FWI grids is described under Data Sources and Methods for Daily Maps in the FWI System.

References

Nadeau, L.B.; McRae, D.J.; Jin, J-Z. 2005. Development of a national fuel-type map for Canada using fuzzy logic. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre, Edmonton, Alberta. Information Report NOR-X-406.

Latifovic R., Zhi-Liang Z., Cihlar J., Giri C. and Olthof I. 2004. Land cover mapping North and Central America: Global Land Cover 2000. Remote Sensing of Environment 89: 116-127.

Ecological Stratification Working Group. 1996. A National Ecological Framework for Canada. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Research Branch, Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research and Environment Canada, State of Environment Directorate, Ottawa/Hull.

FBP Summary

FBP Fuel Type Descriptions

Last updated: 2006-07-08

Important Notices