Comparing biomass consumption estimated from point cloud data versus long-wave infrared imagery during prescribed growing season burns in pine woodlands of the southeastern United States

Background Researchers have developed technologies for fine-scale characterization of fuels via laser scanning and fine-scale measurement of surface fire behavior via terrestrial long-wave infrared (LWIR) imaging. Few studies have compared these technologies for their ability to estimate fuel consumption. Aims Here we compare fuel consumption estimated from point cloud data with fuel consumption estimated from LWIR imagery collected during prescribed burns of pine woodlands in the southeastern United States. Methods We adapted existing methods to estimate and map pre- and post-fire fuels and fuel consumption across several prescribed burn units. We related mapped estimates of fuel consumption to coincident estimates of fuel consumption based on energy release calculations derived from LWIR imaging. Key results Fuel consumption estimated from point cloud data was positively and significantly related to LWIR-derived consumption estimates at LWIR plots (R2 = 0.72, n = 14). Conclusions We demonstrate a methodology for mapping fuel consumption from laser scanning data that provides consumption estimates comparable to those of LWIR imagery. Implications Our findings highlight the relative importance of both surface and understory fuels to fire effects in fire-dependent pine woodlands of the southeastern United States, and the need for more research examining relationships between LWIR imagery and combusted fuels.