High-Resolution Mapping of Litter and Duff Fuel Loads Using Multispectral Data and Random Forest Modeling

Forest fuels are the core element of fire management; each fuel component plays an important role in fire behavior. Therefore, accurate determination of their characteristics and spatial distribution is crucial. This paper introduces a novel method for mapping the spatial distribution of litter and duff fuel loads using data collected by unmanned aerial vehicles. The approach leverages a very high-resolution multispectral data analysis within a machine learning framework to achieve precise and detailed results. A set of vegetation indices and texture metrics derived from the multispectral data, optimized by a “Variable Selection Using Random Forests” (VSURF) algorithm, were used to train random forest (RF) models, enabling the modeling of high-resolution maps of litter and duff fuel loads. A field campaign to measure fuel loads was conducted in the mixed forest of the natural protected area of “Sierra de Quila”, Jalisco, Mexico, to measure fuel loads and obtain field reference data for calibration and validation purposes. The results revealed moderate determination coefficients between observed and predicted fuel loads with R2 = 0.32, RMSE = 0.53 Mg/ha for litter and R2 = 0.38, RMSE = 13.14 Mg/ha for duff fuel loads, both with significant p-values of 0.018 and 0.015 for litter and duff fuel loads, respectively. Moreover, the relative root mean squared errors were 33.75% for litter and 27.71% for duff fuel loads, with a relative bias of less than 5% for litter and less than 20% for duff fuel loads. The spatial distribution of the litter and duff fuel loads was coherent with the structure of the vegetation, despite the high complexity of the study area. Our modeling approach allows us to estimate the continuous high-resolution spatial distribution of litter and duff fuel loads, aligned with their ecological context, which dictates their dynamics and spatial variability. The method achieved acceptable accuracy in monitoring litter and duff fuel loads, providing researchers and forest managers with timely data to expedite decision-making in fire and forest fuel management.