Fuel Sampling - Wildland Fuel Fundamentals and Applications - page 128

Table 8.1 (con tinued)

Technique Description Advantages Disadvantages Fuel

components

Sampling
time

Level of
uncertainty

Cost Training

needed

Perpendicu-
lar distance
sample
(PDS)

Use PDS methods to
estimate fuel loading by
measuring distances or
using a prism or other
similar device

Relatively quick and
easy

Training required; only
used for one component

Coarse woody
debris (CWD)

3 7 5 8

Measured
cover-volume

Measure cover using stan-
dard ecological sampling
protocols, then measure
component heights to get
volume and multiply by
bulk density to get loading

Useful for novel fuel-
beds, best method for
litter and duff

Not useful for woody
fuels, cover poorly cor-
related to fuels

Litter, duff,
shrub, herb

7 4 6 5

Destructive Collect fuel within a

defined area, bring it back
to lab and dry it, then
weigh it to get loading

Highest accuracy in
measuring loadings

Too costly and time-con-
suming for operational
applications

All 9 2 9 4