In Missoula, Montana, I met up with Jim Reardon, Forester, (soil scientist and inventor) with the Fire, Fuel and Smoke Science Program of the Rocky Mountain Research Station at the Fire Sciences Laboratory.
We spent much of the first day chatting about Jim’s myriad projects including one on the smoldering potentials of peat soils (or ‘muck’ as he calls it) in the wetlands of the Great Dismal Swamp of North Carolina. Jim worked as part of a team looking at the efficacy of using the Keetch-Byram Drought Index as well as other traditionally used indicators to predict wildfire behaviour and for timing prescribed burning. He found that deep organic soils, as well as live and dead fuels, although damp, can sustain combustion at higher fuel moistures than expected in this environment. Through the research they were able to open up the potential for burning days by applying locally collected fuels data to inform when Rx fire was possible.
I learnt so much about soils and fire from Jim – for one, soils that contain significant amounts of recalcitrant carbon compounds are resistant to decomposition by soil organisms.We talked about those below ground processes that we forget about, but are so sensitive to change. Work was done by scientists in eastern Oregon which showed that the changes in cover type from forest to grassland after logging was accompanied by changes in the below ground food web. As a result, trees had difficulty re-establishing in the area cause the mycorrhizal association that favoured tree species was replaced by mycorrhiza that favoured grass species. Without the critical help of these below ground organisms the trees found it tough to come back.
Jim also worked on measuring soil heating during crown fires and prescribed burning. Measurements taken during the crown fire modelling experiment conducted in the North West Territory, Canada consistently showed little soil heating resulting from these intense events.It is fascinating research that questions the efficacy of the concept of using fire to sterilize weed seeds in the soil.
I especially enjoyed talking with Jim about his inventions and how he applies existing and emerging technology to find new and innovative ways to measure and collect data including remotely. He was part of a team of scientists and engineers that developed a duff moisture meter that was produced commercially by Campbell Scientific and he made a prototype backpack that carries a laser that spirals around and measures fuels as you walk along. He showed me how he simply screwed a fish eye lens on to a compact digital camera to take two panoramic photos that can be stitched together to make an interactive 360 degree photo that could be used instead of a traditional photo or stereo photo pairs for assessing fuel beds.
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| the fuel laser measuring backback prototype |
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| this one measures grass curing very accurately by measuring the 'green' in the grass |
Jim also showed me his Estimated Smoldering Potential Array (ESPA), a device he invented – similar to the Remote Area Weather Station that remotely measures soil moisture, water table depth, precipitation and lightning with the data being sent by SIM card to an internet site where the user can decide how often and by what means the data is delivered.
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| Estimated Smoldering Potential Array - the box that collects the data and send it |
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| Jim out in the field with another different type of remote data collection array |
Oh, and what about curiosity, pride, honesty and respect? Well those words were up on the wall in the fire lab’s conference room. I thought they were admirable qualities for a fire science institution to aspire to, so I thought I’d share them with you.
Thanks Jim!
Thanks Jim!
