Being able to predict the resilience of trees after a fire is essential for decision-making. A team of scientists has developed a device that makes it possible to determine the survival of living tissue under the bark of trees by measuring the electrical resistance.

a correct estimation of whether trees still have enough living tissue to recover have a high-impact economic implication

Scientists from the Centre for Forestry Research (CIFOR), a centre integrated in the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA) of the CSIC, and the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) have developed a device to determine the survival of living tissues under the bark of trees after a fire.

After a wildfire, the burnt exterior appearance of trees does not always allow us to see whether living tissues are preserved inside the trunk and branches. However, a correct estimation of whether trees still have enough living tissue to recover have a high-impact economic implication. It makes possible to predict the evolution of trees, to plan and prioritise emergency actions, as well as deciding the removal of burnt wood and the subsequent restoration of the forest mass.

The scientific team has developed a device based on two electrodes which are introduced inside the bark of the tree to measure the electrical resistance. The device detects a very high electrical resistance in the outer layer of the bark, as it is dead tissue with very low humidity. But as the electrodes reach the living tissues inside the bark, the electrical resistance decreases rapidly because the higher moisture content, which offers better electrical conductivity.

If the device shows no change in resistance throughout the measurement or such changes involve high resistances, it is considered that no living tissue has been detected and therefore the tissue under the cortex is dead.

To ensure the efficiency of the measurement, the system has an ohmmeter with a wide measuring range, which ensures signal detection for very low moisture levels.

Currently, there is no device specifically designed to assess the survival of living tree tissue under bark by a non-destructive and highly efficient method. This device provides immediate and visual information (which can be saved electronically for ulterior analysis) and can be used in forestry engineering decision-making after wildfires.

Contact:

Rosa Rodríguez Díaz
OTRI del INIA-CSIC
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Tel.: 34 91 347 3965
Correo-e: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.