Aridity on the Canadian Plains

Sauchyn, David J.; Barrow, Elaine; Hopkinson, R. F.; Leavitt, Peter R.

doi:10.7202/009109ar

Cited by 48 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Within the centennial/ decadal climate variability, climate remains under a very dry regime for long periods (e.g. Sauchyn et al 2002Sauchyn et al , 2003Laird et al 2003;Schindler & Donahue 2006). Under such conditions, it is logical to think that persistent blocking highs are the usual climate pattern over the area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Likewise, in several studies using tree rings and lake sediments, Sauchyn et al (2002) found that the climate of the twentieth century in the Canadian Plains was anomalous in terms of drought, as proxy data recorded an abrupt amelioration of climatic conditions near the start of the instrumental record period. While drought was frequent in the twentieth century, it tended to be of shorter duration than during past centuries.…”

Section: Climate and Wildfires In North America M Macias Fauria And Ementioning

confidence: 99%

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Climate and wildfires in the North American boreal forest

Fauria

Johnson

2007

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

125

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The area burned in the North American boreal forest is controlled by the frequency of midtropospheric blocking highs that cause rapid fuel drying. Climate controls the area burned through changing the dynamics of large-scale teleconnection patterns (Pacific Decadal Oscillation/El Niñ o Southern Oscillation and Arctic Oscillation, PDO/ENSO and AO) that control the frequency of blocking highs over the continent at different time scales. Changes in these teleconnections may be caused by the current global warming. Thus, an increase in temperature alone need not be associated with an increase in area burned in the North American boreal forest. Since the end of the Little Ice Age, the climate has been unusually moist and variable: large fire years have occurred in unusual years, fire frequency has decreased and fire-climate relationships have occurred at interannual to decadal time scales. Prolonged and severe droughts were common in the past and were partly associated with changes in the PDO/ENSO system. Under these conditions, large fire years become common, fire frequency increases and fire-climate relationships occur at decadal to centennial time scales. A suggested return to the drier climate regimes of the past would imply major changes in the temporal dynamics of fire-climate relationships and in area burned, a reduction in the mean age of the forest, and changes in species composition of the North American boreal forest.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Climate and Wildfires In North America M Macias Fauria And Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Climate and wildfires in the North American boreal forest

Fauria

Johnson

2007

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

125

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“…These variations are attested by the instrumental records beginning in the late nineteenth century (Bonsal and Regier, 2007), by proxy data such as paleolimnological studies and tree ring analyses (Sauchyn et al, 2002;Laird et al, 2003;St. George and Sauchyn, 2006) and by historical sources (Rannie, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-Term Water Level Changes in Closed-Basin Lakes of the Canadian Prairies

Kamp¹,

Keir²,

Evans³

2008

Canadian Water Resources Journal

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Abstract:The semi-arid prairie region of Canada has many closed-basin lakes that are sensitive to climatic variability and change. Long-term water level changes in these lakes provide a measure of the dynamic balance between runoff and precipitation supplying water to the lakes and water loss from the lakes by evaporation. Historic lake water level data can help to improve understanding and prediction of the hydrologic effects of climate change and land-use changes. Water level data for sixteen closed-basin lakes in the Canadian prairies were compiled from a variety of sources and additional measurements were made at some locations. In the Canadian prairie region there is an overall pattern throughout most of the twentieth century of declining lake levels, although with notable exceptions. Possible causes of lake level changes are assessed briefly, but the main objective is to present a regional and long-term perspective on lake level records.Résumé : La région semi-aride des prairies du Canada a beaucoup des lacs à bassin fermé qui sont sensibles à la variabilité et au changement climatique. Les changements à long terme de niveau d'eau de ces lacs fournissent une mesure de l'équilibre dynamique entre l'écoulement vers les lacs, la précipitation sur les lacs et l'évaporation. Les données historiques de niveau d'eau des lacs peuvent aider à améliorer la compréhension et la prévision des effets hydrologiques des changements d'utilisation du territoire et du changement du climat. Des données de niveau d'eau pour seize lacs fermés dans les prairies canadiennes ont été compilées d'une variété de sources et des mesures additionnelles ont été faites à quelques endroits. Dans la région des prairies canadienne il y a une tendance globale dans la majeure partie du vingtième siècle vers les niveaux en baisse des lacs, bien qu'à des exceptions notables. Des causes possibles des changements de niveau d'eau sont évaluées brièvement, mais l'objectif principal est de présenter les données d'une perspective régionale et à long terme. 24Canadian Water Resources Journal/Revue canadienne des ressources hydriques

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“…We applied this factor to the CRCM data and generated a separate set of climate inputs with this reduced precipitation applied to all of the years in the 2080-2089 period. While this is clearly an extreme drought event, recent paleoclimate research has shown that such decade-scale droughts have occurred in Saskatchewan in the past (Sauchyn et al 2004).…”

Section: Forest Productivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change implications for stand yields and soil expectation values: A northern Saskatchewan case study

Johnston¹,

Williamson²

2005

The Forestry Chronicle

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We explore the effects of climate change on future stand yields and future area burned, and integrate these to determine future Soil Expectation Values (SEV) for white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) in central Saskatchewan. The results suggest that under most future scenarios, stand productivity increases, but decreases under extreme drought. However, projected increases in area burned offset these productivity increases. Under high levels of future area burned, SEV is lower than current values, resulting in a negative economic impact. We also find that the optimal economic rotation age under future climate is lower than that under present climatic conditions. Key words: climate change impacts, forest management, stand yield effects, forest ecosystem models, CO 2 fertilization, stomatal control, PnET, fire cycles, soil expectation values, optimal economic rotation, adaptation RÉSUMÉ Nous explorons les effets des changements climatiques sur les rendements futurs des peuplements et sur les superficies qui seront brûlées, pour intégrer le tout afin de déterminer les valeurs futures de l'indice pédologique pour l'épinette blanche (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) dans le centre de la saskatchewan. Les résultats laissent entendre que dans la plupart des scénarios envisagés, la productivité des peuplements s'accroît, mais décroît dans les cas d'extrême sécheresse. Toutefois, l'accroissement envisagé des superficies brûlées réduit ces accroissements de productivité. Dans le cas des hauts niveaux envisagés de superficies brûlées, les indices sont plus faibles qu'actuellement, ce qui entraîne un impact économique négatif. Nous avons également trouvé que le meilleur âge de rotation économique sous les climats à venir est inférieur à celui actuellement utilisé sous les conditions climatiques actuelles.

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Aridity on the Canadian Plains

Cited by 48 publications

References 30 publications

Climate and wildfires in the North American boreal forest

Climate and wildfires in the North American boreal forest

Long-Term Water Level Changes in Closed-Basin Lakes of the Canadian Prairies

Climate change implications for stand yields and soil expectation values: A northern Saskatchewan case study

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