@article {BF-4273,
	title = {Leaf growth and senescence rates of three pasture grasses and wheat},
	journal = {Crop \& Pasture Science},
	volume = {64},
	year = {2013},
	month = {10/2013},
	pages = {660-672},
	chapter = {660},
	abstract = {A glasshouse study was conducted under ideal conditions to determine leaf appearance, elongation, and senescence rates along with life span and leaf length characteristics of four grass species: wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), brown back wallaby grass (Rytidosperma duttonianum (Cashmore) Connor and Edgar), phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.), and annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaud.). This study provided a comprehensive characterisation of leaf turnover rates for the entire life cycle of these grasses, some of which are poorly characterised. Importantly, leaf senescence rate has been captured in the same conditions as the other leaf rates of the life cycle. Leaf position proved to be a significant explanatory variable in each of the leaf turnover rates. The relationships between leaf position and the components of leaf turnover were most commonly represented by non-linear models.

Further studies may be necessary to validate these statistical models to field situations. However, this information will be useful to calibrate the senescence algorithms of plant growth models in agricultural decision support tools, which may then be applied to simulation studies including the assessment of grass curing for planning activities such as resource allocation, wildfire suppression, and execution of prescribed burning programs by fire management agencies.},
	doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/CP13178},
	url = {http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/CP13178.htm},
	author = {Helen G Daily and Peter A Lane and Shaun N Lisson and Kerry L Bridle and Stuart AJ Anderson and Corkrey, Ross}
}
@article {BF-2586,
	title = {Relative Greenness Index for assessing curing of grassland fuel},
	journal = {Remote Sensing of Environment},
	volume = {115},
	year = {2011},
	month = {6/2011},
	pages = {1456 - 1463},
	abstract = {Knowledge of the proportion of live and dead herbaceous fuel in grasslands is important in determining fire danger. This paper examines the Relative Greenness approach for quantifying these live and dead proportions. Relative Greenness places the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in the context of a time series of measurements. The parameters used to describe the temporal distribution of NDVI and the time interval over which this distribution is assessed impact Relative Greenness and the inferred characteristics of the vegetation. In this paper, the Relative Greenness approach was investigated using different NDVI distribution parameters derived from eight-day composites of surface reflectance from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). We assessed the accuracy of Relative Greenness for predicting the degree of curing (equivalent to the dead proportion of herbaceous fuel) measured at 25 grassland sites in Australia from 2005 to 2009. Results showed that Relative Greenness explained a greater proportion of the variance and provided a more accurate estimate of the degree of curing than linear regression against NDVI. Relative Greenness was further improved using alternative parameters of the NDVI distribution and by selecting an appropriate time interval over which this distribution was assessed.},
	doi = {10.1016/j.rse.2011.02.005 },
	author = {Glenn J Newnham and Verbesselt, Jan and Ian F Grant and Stuart AJ Anderson}
}
@article {BF-3090,
	title = {A simple method for field-based grassland curing assessment},
	journal = {International Journal of Wildland Fire},
	volume = {20},
	year = {2011},
	month = {2011},
	pages = {804},
	abstract = {The degree of grassland curing represents the proportion of dead material in a grassland fuel complex, expressed as a percentage. It is an important input for models to predict rate of fire spread and determine fire danger levels in grasslands. The degree of curing is currently determined in Australia and New Zealand using a combination of satellite imagery and ground-based visual observations by operational personnel. Both methods present problems. The satellite imagery technique requires updating to accommodate newer satellite technology, as well as extension and validation across all of the major grasslands in both countries. Visual assessments are often both inaccurate and spatially inadequate across the landscape. This paper describes the development of a field-based method to accurately and easily determine curing levels in the field, based on modification of an existing point quadrat method of pasture assessment. This alternative technique minimises subjective assessment by field observers, and involves tallying the number of live and dead touches on a thin steel rod driven into the ground. The average error across sites was lower for exotic improved pastures than native grasslands. Results suggest that this method can be applied across Australasia more accurately than current methods.},
	doi = {10.1071/WF10069},
	author = {Stuart AJ Anderson and Wendy R. Anderson and Jennifer J Hollis and Botha, Elizabeth J.}
}
@article {BF-2555,
	title = {Improved Methods for Assessment and Prediction of Grassland Curing Satellite Based Curing Methods and Mapping - final report},
	year = {2010},
	abstract = {The degree of grassland curing (the proportion of cured and/or dead material in a grassland fuel complex) has a significant effect on the ease of ignition, rate of spread and difficulty of suppression of grassfires. There is a critical need for accurate curing information as an input to Australian and New Zealand fire behaviour models and fire danger rating systems. Curing is currently assessed by networks of agency personnel using visual estimates which are spatially sparse, subjective and of limited accuracy. Satellite based curing maps have been produced for south-eastern Australia and Western Australia for several years, but these are based on research restricted to Victorian grasslands, in which curing was estimated visually or indirectly. The component of Project A1.4 reported here has developed satellite-based approaches to the mapping of curing that can provide timely, spatially explicit, objective curing maps covering all of Australia and New Zealand.

The research was based on an extensive dataset of objective curing measurements collected over up to four seasons at 39 sites across Australia and 16 sites in New Zealand, with considerable support from fire agency personnel. The research focused on estimating curing with data from the recent MODIS satellite instrument, as a prototype of future satellite systems that will replace the AVHRR instrument on which current satellite curing maps are based. The project investigated multispectral and temporal approaches to minimising the influence of variations in the relative proportions of grass, evergreen vegetation and soil. Both approaches showed a modest performance benefit in curing estimation over the field dataset. However, the advantages of these methods are expected to be more apparent in regions with more mixed vegetation cover proportions than the project field sites.

The performance of four candidate methods to map curing over the landscape was evaluated through agency feedback during a pilot trail conducted in southern Australia and New Zealand over the 2009/2010 curing season. On the basis of results at the project field sites and agency feedback, methods to map curing using MODIS satellite data are recommended for Australia and New Zealand. Compared to visual estimates, these satellite methods showed greater accuracy at the project field sites, and provide a basis for efficient, objective and spatially continuous curing maps.

The project has surveyed end users on their requirements of an operational system in terms of map format, spatial resolution, frequency, timeliness and delivery mechanism. Given the urgent need for objective and spatially continuous curing information, it is recommended that a system to produce and distribute MODIS curing maps be set up within an agency experienced in the distribution of national scale satellite products. This will enable a more extensive evaluation by end users of their utility in an operational setting in upcoming fire seasons and allow any shortfalls not exposed by the field dataset to be addressed. The potential of the other methods identified by the project to provide alternative curing estimates should be borne in mind during this wider evaluation, particularly in semi-arid or wooded regions where only limited qualitative validation has been available.
},
	author = {Glenn J Newnham and Ian F Grant and Martin, Danielle and Stuart AJ Anderson}
}
@article {BF-1015,
	title = {Development of satellite vegetation indices to assess grassland curing across Australia and New Zealand},
	year = {2009},
	type = {Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography},
	url = {http://www.springerlink.com/content/h7r2vw8278m1l324/},
	author = {Martin, Danielle and Ian F Grant and David Jones and Stuart AJ Anderson}
}
@conference {BF-1012,
	title = {Evaluation of a dynamic load transfer function using grassland curing data},
	booktitle = {1st Fire Behaviour and Fuel Conference, },
	year = {2006},
	month = {27-30 March 2006},
	publisher = {International Association of Wildland Fire},
	organization = {International Association of Wildland Fire},
	address = {Portland, Oregon },
	url = {http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/25963},
	author = {Andrews, PL and Stuart AJ Anderson and Wendy R. Anderson}
}
@article {BF-1014,
	title = {Determination of field sampling methods for the assessment of curing levels in grasslands},
	year = {2005},
	month = {11/15/2005},
	institution = {Bushfire CRC},
	url = {http://www.nzfoa.org.nz/index.php?/File_libraries_resources/Fire/Other_Fire_Research_Publications/Grassland_Curing/Determination_of_field_sampling_methods_for_the_assessment_of_curing_in_grasslands},
	author = {Stuart AJ Anderson and Wendy R. Anderson and Hines, F and Fountain, A}
}
