The FCCS reference fuelbeds were named according to preset rules designed to convey dominant species and vegetation form. To help users find fuelbeds of interest, each fuelbed was assigned to various ecological classifications.
Use the drop-down boxes in the ‘Filter fuelbeds by’ section to narrow the Fuelbed library listbox to fuelbeds meeting selected criteria.
Fuelbed set
Select from:
Species
An exception to the explicitly-assigned ecological classification types, the species filter searches the reference fuelbeds for those in which the given species occurs, across all strata. The list contains over a thousand species and is searchable by scientific and common names.
Ecoregion
All FCCS reference fuelbeds are organized geographically according to Bailey’s 14 ecoregion divisions (Bailey 1989). Fuelbeds may span multiple ecoregions and have more than one ecoregion assigned to them. Select from the drop-down box or click the linked text to open a clickable map.
Vegetation Form
Each fuelbed is assigned to one of the following vegetation forms: broadleaf forest, conifer forest, mixed forest, savanna, shrubland, grassland, or slash. Mixed forests are defined as forests in which evergreen and deciduous species each contribute 25 to 75 percent of total tree cover in both overstory and midstory layers. Select from the drop-down box or click the linked text to open a clickable graphic.
Cover Type
Cover types represent the existing vegetation of an area based on the Society of American Foresters forest cover types (Eyre 1980) and the Society for Range Management rangeland cover types (Shiflet 1994). More than one cover type may apply to each fuelbed.
Structural Class
Fuelbeds with canopy layers are assigned one of seven stand structural classes (O'Hara et al. 1996). Select from the drop-down box or click the linked text to open a clickable graphic.
Change Agents
Change agents are natural or anthropogenic disturbances or management actions that affect fuelbed structure and composition, such as a clear cut or insects and disease. Multiple change agents may apply to a single fuelbed.