Table 1 Summary of the key guidelines provided for the whole defensible space within each of the investigated regions
From: Garden design can reduce wildfire risk and drive more sustainable co-existence with wildfire
Category | Recommendation | Africa | Europe | North America | Oceania | South America |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FUEL AMOUNT | ||||||
Vegetation | Keep lawn grass short | 1,4 | 5, 63 | 38, 39, 49, 50, 56 | ||
- Specify max grass length | 28 | 37, 43, 52, 58, 59 | ||||
Thin trees and shrubs | 8, 63 | 10 | 39, 41, 52, 58, 60 | |||
- Specify max canopy cover | 35, 39, 43, 59 | |||||
Dead plant material | Remove dead plant material | 2 | 8, 63 | 16, 24 | 36, 39:41, 43, 44, 49, 50, 52, 55, 56, 59:61 | 68 |
FUEL TYPE | ||||||
Plant selection | Choose plants with low-flammability traits | 3,4 | 5, 6, 63, 64 | 9, 12, 22:24, 27, 29:33 | 35, 36, 38, 39, 42, 43, 47:50, 52:57, 59, 61, 62 | 66 |
List of plants to add and/or avoid | 2, 3 | 6, 7, 63, 64 | 9:11, 19, 21, 22, 24, 27:29, 31:33 | 35, 41, 42, 48, 53 | ||
Remove flammable vegetation | 2 | |||||
Use non-flammable material or low-flammability plants to create barriers and wind breaks | 5 | 16 | 34:36, 39, 42, 48, 49, 55, 56 | |||
Fences | Use non-flammable fencing material | 1 | 63 | 12, 15, 16, 25, 33 | 35, 36, 38, 40, 47, 48, 55, 56, 59, 61 | |
Mulch | Avoid organic (flammable) mulch | 1 | 5 | 9, 11, 15, 16, 19, 20, 22:25, 29, 31, 33 | 35, 36, 38:42, 47, 48, 50:52, 55:57, 59, 61 | |
Water | Keep garden well watered | 1,4 | 9, 22, 28 | 35, 47, 49, 56 | 68 | |
FUEL SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION | ||||||
Fuel connectivity: Horizontal distribution | Limit trees and shrubs to small clusters of a few each | 1 | 19, 20, 24 | 35, 36, 39, 41, 43, 48:50, 52, 56, 59 | ||
- Specify min distances between clusters | 1, 3, 4 | 5, 64 | 19, 26 | 35, 37, 43, 47, 48, 55, 56, 59, 60 | ||
- Specify min tree and shrub distance from the house | 57, 59 | |||||
Use non-flammable material (e.g., gravel) to separate islands of vegetation (break fuel continuity) | 3,4 | 5 | 11:13, 16, 22, 23, 28, 29, 31, 33 | 35, 39, 41, 47, 48, 52, 55, 56, 57, 59 | ||
Fuel connectivity: Vertical distribution | Remove lower tree branches | 28 | 41, 48, 49, 51 | |||
- Specify pruning distances | 4 | 5 | 19, 20, 22, 26 | 35:37, 39, 43, 50, 52, 59, 60 | ||
Remove shrubs and other vegetation from under trees | 4 | 12, 19, 20 | 35, 36, 48, 50, 51, 55:57, 59 | |||
- Specify min vertical distance between shrubs and trees | 1 | 24 |
