Abstract

CHAVEZ DURAN, Álvaro Agustín et al. Characterization of forest fuel load for the management of carbon reservoirs and the contribution to climate change. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2016, vol.7, n.spe13, pp.2589-2600. ISSN 2007-0934.

Climate change is one of the greatest environmental threats facing humanity. Burned biomass during the fires is an important source of greenhouse gases (Beitler, 2006). Various researches indicate that for every ton of biomass present in the forest, half are carbon (Brown et al., 1996). For a wildfire to occur requires three basic factors: combustible material, favorable environmental conditions and initiation factor (Santiago et al., 1999). Forest fuels are one of the most important factors in the management and control of the fire, since this can be manipulated (Flores, 1996). In Mexico has been made important an important work to characterize them (Xelhuantzi et al., 2011); however, researches carried are made in specific areas, limiting to know a general context on forest fuels. This paper describes the estimation of forest fuels in forests from Jalisco, through in situ data collection methods and loading estimates per unit area. Sites with dead fuel load of up to 840.85 t ha-1, different values for the dead fuels complex and differences between fuel load from coniferous forests and oak were found. The result obtained allows setting the bases to implement fuel management strategies that favor their reduction, thus avoiding catastrophic fires that release into the atmosphere large amounts of greenhouse gases.

Keywords : characterization; climate change; fire; fuel; management.