Abstract: To understand the live branches combustion characteristics of 15 common native woody plant species in Kunming, a thermal radiation ignition experiment with small and medium sizes branches and an oxygen index experiment with small size branches were conducted during peak forest-fire season. Based on the analysis of the sample’s diameter, moisture content, time to ignition, quenching time of flaming combustion, smoking temperature, and weight loss, an integrated combustion parameter (S) reflecting the combustion characteristics was proposed. According to the calculated S, the combustion order of the test tree species was Pinus yunnanensis < Illicium simonsii < Pinus armandii < Cyclobalanopsis glaucoides < Pinus yunnanensis var. pygmaea < Cinnamomum glanduliferum < Ternstroemia gymnanthera < Rhododendron decorum < Rhododendron spinuliferum < Michelia yunnanensis < Rhododendron siderophyllum < Lyonia ovalifolia < Lithoca mairei < Castanopsis orthacantha < Camellia pitardii. The oxygen index experiment indicated that the small size live branches of the 15 tree species all had obvious flame-retardant characteristics, of which, 4 (R. decorum, I. simonsii, T. gymnanthera, and L. ovalifolia) were difficultly inflammable, 7 (M. yunnanensis, P. yunnanensis, P. yunnanensis var. pygmaea, P. armandii, C. glaucoides, C. glanduliferum, and C. pitardii) were combustible, and 4 (R. siderophyllum, R. spinuliferum, L. mairei, and C. orthacantha) were inflammable. The reasons for the difference between the classifications derived by the two experiments were analyzed.

Key words: Da’an City, enhanced vegetation index (EVI), landscape pattern, saline-alkali land.