COMBUSTION ENHANCER FOR PRESCRIPTION BURNING OF CHAPARRAL

VEGETATION MANAGEMENT BY PRESCRIBED BURNING CAN BE MADE MOREVERSATILE IF THE WINDOW OF CLIMATE CONDITIONS DURING WHICH A BURN IS FEASIBLE CAN BE EXTENDED. TESTING TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF AN OXIDIZER-CONTAINING COMBUSTION ENHANCER TOPROVIDE THE EXTENSION FOR PRESCRIBED BURNING OF CHAPARRAL IS PROPOSED. THE BASIC APPROACH ENTAILS THE APPLICATION OF OXIDIZER-CONTAINING COMBUSTION ENHANCER DIRECTLY TO THE VEGETATION TO INCREASE ITS FLAMMABILITY. THE DOSAGE REQUIRED TO PROMOTE INCREASED FLAMMABILITY IN CHAPARRAL WILLBE DETERMINED. CORRELATIONS BETWEEN VEGETATION PARAMETERS, SUCH AS MOISTURE CONTENT, DOSAGE, AND BURN CHARACTERISTICS WILL BE MADE. THE CAPABILITY OF THE ENHANCER TO COMPETE ECONOMICALLY WITH OTHER METHODS OF BRUSH REMOVAL WILL BE ASSESSED. THE COMBUSTION ENHANCER CAN BE APPLIED TO OTHER TYPES OF FOREST AND WILDLANDS.