FOREST PROTECTION

1- Forest Protection from pest and disease

 Managing pest and disease
1- The decision process
The decision process is often the most time consuming and complex aspect.
It requires careful consideration of the pest, its host, resource management objectives
and the ecological, economic and social consequences of the various available tactics.
Population levels of pests are estimated and anticipated resource losses are projected,
as are the costs of treatment and its anticipated benefits.
Questions to address include: will natural controls take over within a short enough
time so that artificial controls will be unnecessary; or will the effects of proposed
treatments be so adverse that they would outweigh the benefits of treatment?
Monitoring of forest pests and diseases and their resultant damage is a critical input to
the decision process.
 Pest monitoring is becoming a sophisticated process that makes use of many
technologies. Pheromones and other chemical regulators are often used to monitor
insect population levels. Remote sensing technologies such as aerial sketch-mapping,
aerial photography and airborne video are used to map and assess forest damage.
Geographic information systems (GIS) can be used to relate the location of affected
areas to key resource values, terrain features, land ownerships and environmentally sensitive
areas.
The action process
The action programme consist of two overall strategies:
1- prevention or
2- direct control(suppression)
Specific pest management tactics exist under each of these strategies.

PREVENTION
Prevention consists of tactics designed to either reduce the probability of the
occurrence of a pest or disease or to create environmental conditions inhospitable
for its buildup into damaging numbers.
 prevention strategies.
1- Regulatory tactics
 Are designed to prevent introductions of exotic pests and diseases and to prevent their
spread once established. Examples include inspection of wood products and wooden
containers at ports of entry to intercept pest species, conduct of pest risk analyses when
new trade agreements are made and establishment of quarantine zones when a pest species
is first discovered in a new location.
2- Cultural tactics
 Are designed to create conditions inhospitable for the development of damaging
numbers of pests and diseases. These include matching tree species selected for planting to
suitable growing sites, controlling stocking through intermediate harvests to maintain tree
vigor and timely harvesting of plantations when they reach maturity. A drastic but
sometimes necessary cultural approach is to simply eliminate a tree species from a
plantation programme because of its high susceptibility to certain pests and diseases.
3- Genetic tactics
 Make use of varieties of host plants that are either more tolerant to damage or less
palatable to the pest
 Suppression strategies
Tactics directed against the pest or disease are referred to as direct control or suppression
tactics.
Examples include various types of - biological,
- mechanical or
- chemical methods.
1- Biological control
Involves the use of natural enemies of a pest or disease to help keep its numbers in check
A key concern about biological control is the possibility that the introduced natural
enemy might also attack harmless or beneficial insects in the ecosystem.
Therefore it is necessary to thoroughly evaluate candidate species prior to release to
ensure their relative host specificity.
Another concern is the hazard of accidentally introducing hyper parasites, natural
enemies of the biological control agents, which might eventually affect the agent’s efficacy.
Another biological control tactic is the use of biological insecticides such as the bacterial
agent, Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt), nuclear polyhedrosis viruses or fungal preparations to
control insects. Bt is widely used for control of lepidopterous defoliators in both natural
and plantation forests. In China and Vietnam, a fungus, Beauvaria bassiana, is used for
control of the pine caterpillar,
2- Mechanical tactics
Include removal and destruction or rapid removal of infested or infected trees
with the objective of destroying the pest.
Examples include cutting and burning of trees infested by bark beetles or rapid
salvage of infested trees and destruction of infested bark at the sawmill. When the
pine woolly aphid, Pineus borneri, was first discovered in Kenya, the
Initial response was to destroy the infested pines. This insect is easily carried
on air currents,
However, and it was soon realized that the infestation had spread far beyond
the designated

3- chemical pesticides
Applied either from the ground or by low flying aircraft .
 However these materials are used more carefully, are applied at reduced
intervals and with greater precision.
Common pest and diseases,occrance and
treatment methods
Types of Vulnerabl Management techniques symptoms
pests e spp
Termite All exotic -Dig the mold and out the termite -Mold
queen then add chemicals like -Cut seedlings
spp. -dimatoed
Lace bug, Olia -Remove diseased trees -Leaf change to yellow
-Pruning -Stunted and deformed leaf
plerochila -Biological control -Die back
spp -Malatayn,karbaril,suprateon
-Use chemical at planting time

Aphids cupressus -Pressure watering -Leaf and Branch dried

- Natural enemies -lady bird, Hover fly
lucitanica larvae, parasitic wasps, Aphid midge larvae,
Crab spider

Blue gum Eucalyptus -remove diseased trees by saking the

-dymatote and other systematic mibribs,peteole,new shoot and
chaliced spp. insecticide gall formation on plant tissue
(leptocy) cause to under growth and
death
Forest Protection from fire
 What do we mean by
“Fire Behavior”
FIRE BEHAVIOR is the manner in which a fire reacts to the influences
of fuel, weather, and topography (The combined effect of the
environment on how a fire acts or behaves)
 A basic understanding of fire behavior is necessary for every
firefighter to aid in safe and effective control of wildland fires
 A firefighter must know what the fire is doing at all times. A
firefighter must base his actions on what the fire is doing now and
what he expects it to do.
 This lesson was designed to help you identify the influences that fuel,
weather, and topography have on fire behavior
PARTS OF THE FIRE
Origin – the location where the fire started.
Head – shows the direction in which the fire is burning. This is the hottest and
most active part of the fire.
Flank (right and left) – Sides of the fire, parallel to the main direction of
spread. May have active fire, but not as hot as the head of the fire.
Rear/Heel – Opposite the head of the fire and burning less vigorously, if at all
Often near the fire origin.
Perimeter – Boundary line of the fire or fire edge. May not have active fire on
some portions.
Finger – An area, usually a narrow strip, that burns away from the main part of
the fire. Could be dangerous if personnel working the fire are flanked by a
finger.
Pocket – Unburned area between the main fire and any fingers.
Island – Area of unburned fuel inside the fire perimeter.
Spot Fire – Burning area outside the main fire perimeter, often caused by wind
blown embers or rolling debris.
 OTHER USEFUL FIREFIGHTING TERMS
Control Line – A comprehensive term used for all the
constructed or natural fire barriers and treated fire edges
used to contain the fire.
Fire line – Any cleared strip or portion of a control line from
which flammable material has been removed by scraping or
digging down to mineral soil.
Anchor Point – An advantageous location, generally a fire
barrier, from which to start constructing a fire line. Used to
minimize the chance of being outflanked by the fire while the
line is being constructed.
Mop-up – Final extinguishment of a fire after it is lined.
Class of Fire – This classifies the size of the fire with class
“A” being the smallest and class “G” being the largest.
 The Fire Triangle
Three elements must be present in the correct
proportions for an ignition to occur.

Oxygen Heat

Fuel
 The Fire Triangle
Remove any one of these elements,

Oxygen
Heat

Fuel and the fire goes out.

 The Fire Environment
Factors that influence ignition and fire spread

Fuels Topography

Weather
 Heat Transfer
For combustion to be sustained and for fires to
spread, heat must be transferred from one fuel
particle to the next. This happens 3 different ways:

Convection

Radiation
Conduction
 Heat Transfer Methods

CONVECTION:
Transfer of heat by movement of air.

RADIATION:
Transmission of heat by electromagnetic waves.

01-11-S290

CONDUCTION:
Transfer of heat from one molecule to another.
SUPPRESSION GUIDLELINES BASED ON FIRE
BEHAVIOR OBSERVATONS
Height of the flames (meters)
Less than 1 meter.
Direct attack on the head and sides of the fire can be effective with the use
of hand tools.
From 1 to 3 meters.
The heat intensity of the fire is high enough to delay direct attack with
hand tools.
From 3 to 4 meters.
Heat intensity of the fire is high and starting the phenomena of crown and
spot fires.
The heat intensity is so high that it presents serious dangers to personnel
who work within a 10 meter distance to the fire.
More than 4 meters.
Fires of this intensity will spread rapidly and be of great danger to both fire
suppression personnel and the public. Spotting will be frequent and may
occur several kilometers away from the fire
 STANDARD FIREFIGHTING
ORDERS
1. Keep informed on fire weather conditions and forecasts.
2. Know what your fire is doing at all times.
3. Base all actions on current and expected behavior of the fire.
4. Identify escape routes and safety zones, and make them
known.
5. Post lookouts when there is possible danger.
6. Be alert. Keep calm. Think clearly. Act decisively.
7. Maintain prompt communications with your forces, your
supervisor and adjoining forces.
8. Give clear instructions and ensure they are understood.
9. Maintain control of your forces at all times.
10. Fight fire aggressively, having provided for safety first.
LCES
•Lookouts
•Communication
•Escape Routes
•Safety Zones
 Personal Protective Equipment
Mandatory Items: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
1. Hard hat
2. Eye protection
3. Hearing protection
4. Gloves
5. Flame-resistant clothing - Nomex™
a. Trousers (Flame resistant)
b. Shirts (Flame resistant)
6. Boots- Leather work boots, lace-up, 8" high, heavy soles with
deeptread, leather laces
7. Fire shelter with vinyl cover
8. Canteens (for drinking fluids only)
9. Chain saw chaps (if assigned as a chainsaw operator or swamper)
10. Incident Response Pocket Guide
04B-23-S130-
EP
 Wildfire Suppression Methods and
Tactics
There are three basic ways to achieve this:
 Digging a line or trench to separate the fire
from the surrounding fuel
 Spraying water or using dirt to “smother” the
fire in order to remove the oxygen.
• Note: Its very important not to bury the fire or
burning material since it can continue to smolder
under the ground.
 Cooling with water or dirt to remove the heat
 FIRE LINE CONSTRUCTION
 
 Factors that influence the location and size of the fire line include:
• Fuel type (grass, brush, forest, slash): What will be the characteristic fire behavior given the
predominant fuels? Will the fire burn fast or slow? Will it burn for a long time or go out quickly?
• Fuel moisture: How dry are the fuels? How hot will the fire burn? Can direct line be used? Are the
fuels likely to generate embers and spot fires? How receptive are the fuels outside the fire perimeter to
spots?
• Vertical and horizontal continuity and arrangement of fuel: Are the fuels uniform or broken? How
tall is the fuel? Are there ladder fuels? Will the fire torch or crown? How wide will the fire line need
to be to stop the fire? How wide of a cleared area will be needed?
• Temperatures: Are the fuels burning in the sun or shade? Is it early in the day and getting warmer or
late in the day and starting to cool off?
• Wind: Are the fuels sheltered from the wind or exposed? Are the winds expected to increase or
change direction? Will the wind push the flames over the fireline?
• Slope: How steep is it? Will there be rolling material? Is it safe to build control line above or below
the fire? Is direct line appropriate or will indirect line be needed ?
 Control Line Location: Utilize opportunities present when locating fire control line. Consider;Cold fire edge as an
anchor point, Natural breaks in the fuel, Previously constructed barriers, Control Line Basics
 Make sure line is dug to mineral soil so the fire cannot burn through duff or ground fuels
 Fell snags or trees adjacent to the control line that may catch on fire to prevent embers from crossing the line
 Use dirt to cover exposed stumps
 THREE METHODS OF ATTACK
1. Direct Attack – Working close or at the flaming edge of the fire
to wet, smother, or separate the fire from the unburned fuels. Use
when: Fire is small or low intensity (surface or ground) and
firefighters can safely work the fire edge directly.

2. Flanking/Parallel Attack - Method of fire suppression in which

fireline is constructed approximately parallel to, and just far
enough from the fire edge to enable workers and equipment to
work effectively, though the fireline may be shortened by cutting
across unburned fingers.

3. Indirect Attack - A method of suppression in which the control

line is located a considerable distance away from the fire’s active
edge along natural fire breaks.
 OTHER SUPPRESSION METHODS
 Scratch lining - Scratch line is an unfinished, preliminary control line hastily
established to check or slow the spread of a fire
 Wet Lines - A temporary fire control line prepared by treating the fuels with
water to slow or stop the spread of fire. Works best in light, flashy fuels
 Hot Spotting – Some fires practically burn themselves out and only need to be
suppressed in the areas still actively burning or hot. Hot Spotting is a term used
when firefighters go after the remaining hotspots to stop the fire spread and cool
the fire down. A fireline is still needed to ensure the fire won’t rekindle and start
spreading at a later time.
 Burning Out - Burning the vegetation between the control line and the fire
edge. Burning out is done to increase the area of fuels burned without the
additional work of the crew or machinery. The line is not secure until the
burning out is done. It starts from the fire side of the control line, utilizes
elements and techniques of firing similar to those utilized in prescribed burnings
 MOP UP AND PATROL
 Mop‑up and patrol is the process of making a controlled fire safe by checking,
removing or extinguishing all burning material along or near the perimeter
edge of the burned area.
 The thoroughness of mop‑up operations may be the factor that determines
whether the fire will re-kindle or break out again, requiring additional control
work.
 There is hardly a more serious, costly, or tragic mistake to be made in any fire
situation than to spend considerable time and effort to gain control of a fire
and then lose it by neglecting the tedious but vitally important task of mop ‑up.
 Mop‑up is the last step in fire suppression.
 The need for mop‑up occurs when you are more than likely hot, dirty, and
tired.
 Hard work at this point will pay off.
 Preplanning for Fire Suppression

Fire Management Plan

 Knowledge of Fuel Types
 Knowledge of Special Protection Areas
 Firefighting Resources (Human, Material,
Financial)
 Memorandums of Understanding (MOU’s)
 Mutual Aid Agreements (MAA’s)
 Local considerations (political issues, training,
public safety, etc.)
THANK YOU
 1. Fuel Type
 Fuels are broken into 4 main categories.
 1. Grass 2. Shrubs
 3. Timber 4. Slash
 They are also broken down by what “stratum” of the
vegetative profile they occur in:
• Ground fuels; Combustible materials beneath the surface: (duff,
roots, rotten material, etc)
• Surface fuels: Combustible materials on or immediately above the
ground (leaves, needles, branches and limbs, logs, etc).
• Aerial fuels: Combustible materials above the ground ( ladder fuels,
canopy fuels, snags, etc