Three dimensional forest dynamic evolution based on hydraulic erosion and forest fire disturbance

Abstract

Forest ecosystems can change due to both human activities and climatic factors, particularly shifts in temperature, rain, and wind patterns. Topographic changes caused by rains and structural shifts induced by forest fires represent two primary disturbance events in forest environments. These disturbances are influenced by weather factors and exhibit complex effects on forest dynamics, characterized by regional, seasonal, and stochastic variations. Consequently, examining the interactions between weather patterns and forest evolution through computer graphics holds significant research value. Vegetation and terrain modeling are fundamental to generating realistic forest landscapes. We employ physically-based procedural erosion to simulate geomorphological erosion processes, while further exploring vegetation-terrain interactions to create high-resolution landscapes. Using data from real forest landscapes, we incorporate fire ignition points to simulate forest fire occurrence and spread by modeling wildfire combustion and heat transfer processes, which accurately capture fire dynamics. This enables the simulation of forest fire scenarios under various environmental conditions, allowing us to assess the combined impacts of rainfall and forest fires on forest landscapes. Additionally, the model ensures real-time interaction, supporting the creation of immersive and responsive landscape simulations.