Base Knowledge
Not applicable.
Teaching Methodologies
Teaching methodologies will be based on theoretic-practical lectures. Students will make a recurrent use of
computers to perform exercises with specific software.
Evaluation includes theoretical and practical assessments including the use of computers to simulate fire behavior using system Behave+; the computation of FWI index and the simulation of a prescription of fuel treatment using system Piropinus.
Learning Results
To know the problem of forest fires in Portugal both regarding the ignition problem as the propagation and respective effects;
To know and to apply fire prevention techniques, in a way to decrease the number of fire starts, to decrease the propagation potential, to increase resilience and to mitigate fire effects; To know the different aspects associated with fire fighting including those related with pre-supression, initial attack, general fire fighting, supression fire and mop up operations.
Program
General aspects about wildfires: combustion and fuel characteristics; propagation and fire behavior; models of fire behavior; fire ecology; fire effects; mitigation of fire effects and reclamation of burned areas; common causes of fire starts in Portugal; evolution and present situation of forest fires in Portugal and in Europe.
Prevention of forest fires: public awareness, fuel management, including prescribed fire; preventive silviculture; network of fuel breaks; spatial fire risk.
Fire fighting: pre-supression, fire danger rating systems, initial attack, general fire fighting, use of chemical products, direct and indirect attack techniques, mop-up operations, investigation of fire causes.
Curricular Unit Teachers
Joaquim Manuel Sande da SilvaGrading Methods
- - Test - 50.0%
- - Field work and report - 50.0%
Internship(s)
NAO
Bibliography
1. Fernandes, P., Botelho, H., & Loureiro, C. (2002). Manual de formação para a técnica do fogo controlado. Vila Real: UTAD.
2. Keeley, J. E., Bond, W. J., Bradstock, R. A., Pausas, J. G., & Rundel, P. W. (2012). Fire in Mediterranean ecosystems: ecology, evolution and management. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
3. Moreira, F., Catry, F., Silva, J. S., & Rego, F. (Eds.). (2010). Ecologia do fogo e gestão de áreas ardidas. Lisboa: ISAPress.
4. Pereira, J. S., Pereira, J. M. C., Rego, F. C., Silva, J. M. N., & Silva, T. P. d. (Eds.). (2006). Incêndios Florestais em Portugal – Caracterização, impactes e prevenção. Lisboa: ISA Press.
5. Pyne, S. J., Andrews, P. L., & Daven, R. D. (1996). Introduction to Wildland Fire (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
6. Silva, J. S. (Ed.) (2007). Proteger a Floresta – Incêndios, pragas e doenças (Vol. 8 – Árvores e Florestas de Portugal). Lisboa: Público/Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento/Liga para a Protecção da Natureza.
7. Silva, J. S., & Páscoa, F. (Eds.). (2002). Manual de Silvicultura para a Prevenção de Incêndios. Lisboa: Direcção-Geral das Florestas.
8. Silva, J. S., Rego, F., Fernandes, P., & Rigolot, E. (Eds.). (2010). Towards Integrated Fire Management (Vol. 23 – Research Report). Joensuu: European Forest Institute.
9. Tedim, F., Leone, V., & Mcgee, T. K. (Eds.). (2019). Extreme Wildfire Events and Disasters: Root Causes and New Management Strategies. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
10. Whelan, R. J. (1995). The ecology of fire. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.