EURASIAN FIRE IN NATURE CONSERVATION NETWORK (EFNCN)

GFMC Prescribed Burning Operations for Restoration and Maintenance of Calluna vulgaris heathland ecosystem in Zschornoer Wald Nature Reserve (Germany), associated with the FireSense Experiment

23 March 2019

---

Introduction
The prescribed burn in Zschornoer Wald Nature Reserve was conducted on a conservation site belonging to the Deutschen Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) Naturerbe (German Federal Environment Foundation – Natural Heritage) – a former military shooting range (aerial bombing range), which was cleared of unexploded ordnance (UXO). The aim of the prescribed burn was to regenerate overaged Calluna vulgaris heather, implemented by the Federal Forest Service Enterprise Lausitz in cooperation with GFMC and partners. The prescribed burn operation was associated with the FireSense Experiment. This experiment aimed at developing improved algorithms and products for the quantitative assessments of landscape fires and their emissions of trace gases and aerosols or validation and calibration of satellite by testing polar-orbiting satellites accompanied with fixed-wing aircraft and UAV.

• Introduction to the Fire Sense Experiment Plan (Status: December 2018) (PDF, 0.7 MB)
• Fire Sense web page of ZEBRIS Geoinformation Systems and Consulting: https://www.zebris.com/projekt/methoden-fuer-das-feuermonitoring/
• Press release to inform the public about the prescribed burn (Lausitzer Rundschau, 23 March 2019) (PDF, 0.2 MB)

Photo and Video Gallery of the FireSense Experiment

Source of photos: Dominic Jack, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry

Zschorno heath – threatened by overaging and tree invasion

The first step for the preparation of the burn: Egbert Brunn, Federal Forest Service District Lausitz, filling the drip torch

 

Doebern Voluntary Fire Service on standby

Doebern Voluntary Fire Service filling the slip-on unit water flexible water tanks

Ignition (1)

Ignition (2)

Ignition (3)

Initial spread of the fire

Setting the headfire

 

Build-up of fire intensity

Torching of individual large trees (1)

Torching of individual large trees (2)

 

Clean and successful burn – tree encroachment controlled

Monitoring of fires by UAVs

Monitoring of fires by UAVs: The UAV pilots

View from the UAV: Spread of the headfire at time of satellite overpass (1)

Fire depicted by MODIS Terra (1)

Fire depicted by MODIS Terra (2)

Video coverage by UAV

Source: Alexandro Caseiro and Johannes Kaiser, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry

• FireSense UAV Visual and Infrared Bands Coverage I: Headfire stopped by backfire (mp4, 7.6 MB)

• FireSense UAV Visual and Infrared Bands Coverage II: Building headfire line (mp4, 7.6 MB)

• FireSense UAV Visual and Infrared Bands Coverage III: Headfire developing high-intensity run (mp4, 7.7 MB)

For more information on prescribed burning in heathland conservation and specifically on heathlands contaminated by UXO see:

• Goldammer, J.G., E. Brunn, S. Hartig, J. Schulz, and F. Meyer. 2016. Development of technologies and methods for the application of prescribed fire for the management of Calluna vulgaris heathlands contaminated by unexploded ordnance (UXO): Problems and first experiences gained in a research and development project in Germany. Naturschutz und Biologische Vielfalt 152, 87-122. DOI 10.19213/973152; ISBN 978-3-7843-4052-4.
• Goldammer, J.G. (ed.) 2013. Prescribed Burning in Russia and Neighbouring Temperate-Boreal Eurasia. A publication of the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC). Kessel Publishing House, Remagen-Oberwinter, 326 p. (ISBN 978-3-941300-71-2) (http://www.forestrybooks.com/)
• Goldammer, Goldammer, J.G., E. Brunn, A. Held, A. Johst, S. Kathke, F. Meyer, K. Pahl, A. Restas, and J. Schulz. 2012. Kontrolliertes Brennen zur Pflege von Zwergstrauchheiden (Calluna Vulgaris) auf munitionsbelasteten Flächen: Problemstellung, bisherige Erfahrungen und geplantes Vorgehen im Pilotvorhaben im Naturschutzgebiet Heidehof-Golmberg (Landkreis Teltow-Fläming). Naturschutz und Biologische Vielfalt 127, 65-95. ISBN 978-3-7843-4027-2
• Freiburg White Paper on the Use of Prescribed Fire in Land Management, Nature Conservation and Forestry in Temperate-Boreal Eurasia (2010) (PDF, 2.9 MB)
• Special Issue of UNECE/FAO International Forest Fire News (No. 38) “Fire Management in Cultural and Natural Landscapes, Nature Conservation and Forestry in Temperate-Boreal Eurasia” (2010)
• Special Issue of UNECE/FAO International Forest Fire News (No. 30) on “Prescribed Burning in Northwest Europe and the Baltic Region” (2004)
• The Use of Prescribed Fire in the Land Management of Western and Baltic Europe: An Overview (2004) (PDF, 610 KB)
• History of Fire in Land-Use Systems of the Baltic Region (1998)