Comparison of different methods for the in situ measurement of forest litter  moisture content

Schunk, C.; Ruth, B.; Leuchner, M.; Wastl, C.; Menzel, A.

doi:10.5194/nhess-16-403-2016

Articles | Volume 16, issue 2

https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-16-403-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-16-403-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 16, issue 2

Research article

|

09 Feb 2016

Research article |

| 09 Feb 2016

Comparison of different methods for the in situ measurement of forest litter moisture content

C. Schunk, B. Ruth, M. Leuchner, C. Wastl, and A. Menzel

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Latest update: 27 Nov 2025

Short summary

Dead fine fuel (e.g. litter) moisture is a key parameter for wildfire and ecological applications, as it is related to ignitability, fire behavior and soil respiration. For example, fire ignition is highly likely at moisture contents below 10 %, yet nearly impossible above 25 %. Thus, fine fuel moisture measurements are very desirable; however, there is no easy-to-use automated technique available to date. This study investigates the applicability of different sensor types for this measurement.