Visitors will experience a dimly lit space dressed with large tree trunks and thick vegetation, and a vibrant audioscape of gentle rainfall alongside the buzz of insects, birds and other rainforest residents will help set the tropical scene. Live fuels can also be expected to burn actively at these levels.The Rainforest gallery will be highly immersive. Intense, deep burning fires with significant downwind spotting can be expected. KBDI = 600 - 800: Often associated with more severe drought with increased wildfire occurrence. Lower litter and duff layers actively contribute to fire intensity and will burn actively.

KBDI = 400 - 600: Typical of late summer, early fall. Lower litter and duff layers are drying and beginning to contribute to fire intensity. KBDI = 200 - 400: Typical of late spring, early growing season. Typical of spring dormant season following winter precipitation. KBDI = 0 - 200: Soil moisture and large class fuel moistures are high and do not contribute much to fire intensity. The computational steps involve reducing the drought index by the net rain amount and increasing the drought index by a drought factor. Reduction in drought occurs only when rainfall exceeds 0.20 inch (called net rainfall).

The inputs for KBDI are weather station latitude, mean annual precipitation, maximum dry bulb temperature, and the last 24 hours of rainfall. At any point along the scale, the index number indicates the amount of net rainfall that is required to reduce the index to zero, or saturation. Zero is the point of no moisture deficiency and 800 is the maximum drought that is possible.

At 8 inches of water, the KBDI assumes saturation. It is a closed system ranging from 0 to 800 units and represents a moisture regime from 0 to 8 inches of water through the soil layer.

The KBDI attempts to measure the amount of precipitation necessary to return the soil to full field capacity. It is a continuous index, relating to the flammability of organic material in the ground. It is a number representing the net effect of evapotranspiration and precipitation in producing cumulative moisture deficiency in deep duff and upper soil layers. Keetch and Byram (1968) designed a drought index specifically for fire potential assessment.

Download free rain world lush mire