Direct carbon emissions from Canadian forest fires, 1959-1999

Amiro, B.D.; Todd, J. B.; Wotton, B. M.; Logan, K. A.; Flannigan, Mike D.; Stocks, B. J.; Mason, Joseph A.; Martell, David L.; Hirsch, Kelvin

doi:10.1139/x00-197

Cited by 290 publications

(223 citation statements)

References 29 publications

(33 reference statements)

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“…In northern forests and peatlands, the upper few cm of live moss and vascular litter, as well as the underlying peat (that is, ground fuels, collectively), are vulnerable to burning and represent more than 85% of the total fuels consumed during Canadian forest fires 25 . In our pristine plots, the depth of combustion losses of ground fuel averaged 7 ± 1 cm, but increased to 19 ± 3 cm in drained plots (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental drying intensifies burning and carbon losses in a northern peatland

2011

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For millennia, peatlands have served as an important sink for atmospheric Co 2 and today represent a large soil carbon reservoir. While recent land use and wildfires have reduced carbon sequestration in tropical peatlands, the influence of disturbance on boreal peatlands is uncertain, yet it is important for predicting the fate of northern high-latitude carbon reserves. Here we quantify rates of organic matter storage and combustion losses in a boreal peatland subjected to long-term experimental drainage, a portion of which subsequently burned during a wildfire. We show that drainage doubled rates of organic matter accumulation in the soils of unburned plots. However, drainage also increased carbon losses during wildfire ninefold to 16.8 ± 0.2 kg C m − 2 , equivalent to a loss of more than 450 years of peat accumulation. Interactions between peatland drainage and fire are likely to cause long-term carbon emissions to far exceed rates of carbon uptake, diminishing the northern peatland carbon sink.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental drying intensifies burning and carbon losses in a northern peatland

2011

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“…The FWI and FBP Systems have been used to estimate the probability of human-caused fire (Martell et al 1987), potential fire activity (Forestry Canada Fire Danger Group 1992), and fire effects (de Groot et al 2003) and are often applied in a predictive fashion to prepare in advance of serious fire problems (de Groot 1989a). They have been used to estimate fire emissions (Taylor and Armitage 1993;Amiro et al 2001) and therefore can be readily adapted to predict smoke and haze. The FWI System has been used in various applications in numerous other countries including the United States (e.g., Brenner et al 1997), New Zealand (National Rural Fire Authority 1993), Russia (Stocks et al 1998), Fiji (Alexander 1989), Mexico (Lee et al 2002), and European countries (San-Miguel-Ayanz et al 2003).…”

Section: Fire Danger Ratingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of the Indonesian and Malaysian Fire Danger Rating Systems

Groot

Field

Brady

et al. 2006

Mitig Adapt Strat Glob Change

131

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Forest and land fires in Southeast Asia have many social, economic, and environmental impacts. Tropical peatland fires affect global carbon dynamics, and haze from peat fires has serious negative impacts on the regional economy and human health. To mitigate these fire-related problems, forest and land management agencies require an early warning system to assist them in implementing fire prevention and management plans before fire problems begin. Fire Danger Rating Systems (FDRS) were developed for Indonesia and Malaysia to provide early warning of the potential for serious fire and haze events. In particular, they identify time periods when fires can readily start and spread to become uncontrolled fires and time periods when smoke from smouldering fires will cause an unacceptably high level of haze. The FDRS were developed by adapting components of the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System, including the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System and the Canadian Forest Fire Behavior Prediction (FBP) System, to local vegetation, climate, and fire regime conditions. A smoke potential indicator was developed using the Drought Code (DC) of the FWI System. Historical air quality analysis showed that the occurrence of severe haze events increased substantially when DC was above 400. An ignition potential indicator was developed using the Fine Fuel Moisture Code (FFMC) of the FWI System. Historical hot spot analysis, grass moisture, and grass ignition studies showed that fire occurrence and the ability for grass fires to start and spread dramatically increased when FFMC > 82. The Initial Spread Index (ISI) of the FWI System was used to develop a difficulty of control indicator for grassland fires, a fuel type that can exhibit high rates of spread and fire intensity. This ISI-based indicator was developed using the grass fuel model of the FBP System, along with a standard grass fuel load and curing level estimated from previous Indonesian studies. Very high fire intensity is expected in grasslands when ISI ≥ 6. To provide early warning, the FDRS identifies classes of increasing fire danger as the FFMC, DC, and ISI approach these key threshold values. The Indonesian FDRS is now operated nationally at the Indonesian Meteorological and Geophysical Agency. The Malaysian Meteorological Service operates the Malaysian FDRS and displays regional outputs for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The FDRS are being used by forestry, agriculture, environment, and fire and rescue agencies to develop and implement fire prevention, detection, and suppression plans.

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“…Our approach differs from other studies [20,27,28,87,88], as fuel loads were approximated by fuel type and did not consider that the temporal changes [20,27] or amount of carbon emitted were a function of the burned area [28,88] or of the landscape's total tree loads [87]. We estimated that mean carbon emission by fire ranged from 2 to 53 t·ha −1 , depending on the forest type and age category.…”

Section: Simulation Of Carbon Emission By Firementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Simulated carbon emissions using the CanFIRE model in forests of Alberta, Canada, ranged from 11.3 to 42.6 t·ha −1 , depending on the month during which fire occurred [19]. Amiro et al [28] estimated a mean of 20.1 t·ha −1 of fuel consumed by individual fire (carbon emissions of around 100 (t·ha −1 )) in the boreal east shield from 1959 to 1999.…”

Section: Simulation Of Carbon Emission By Firementioning

confidence: 99%

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Influence of Fuel Load Dynamics on Carbon Emission by Wildfires in the Clay Belt Boreal Landscape

Terrier

Paquette

Gauthier

et al. 2016

Forests

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Old-growth forests play a decisive role in preserving biodiversity and ecological functions. In an environment frequently disturbed by fire, the importance of old-growth forests as both a carbon stock as well as a source of emissions when burnt is not fully understood. Here, we report on carbon accumulation with time since the last fire (TSF) in the dominant forest types of the Clay Belt region in eastern North America. To do so, we performed a fuel inventory (tree biomass, herbs and shrubs, dead woody debris, and duff loads) along four chronosequences. Carbon emissions by fire through successional stages were simulated using the Canadian Fire Effects Model. Our results show that fuel accumulates with TSF, especially in coniferous forests. Potential carbon emissions were on average 11.9 t·ha −1 and 29.5 t·ha −1 for old-growth and young forests, respectively. In conclusion, maintaining old-growth forests in the Clay Belt landscape not only ensures a sustainable management of the boreal forest, but it also optimizes the carbon storage.

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Direct carbon emissions from Canadian forest fires, 1959-1999

Abstract: Direct emissions of carbon from Canadian forest fires were estimated for all Canada and for each ecozone for the period 1959-1999. The estimates were based on a data base of large fires for the country and calculations of fuel consumption for each fire using

Cited by 290 publications

References 29 publications

Experimental drying intensifies burning and carbon losses in a northern peatland

Experimental drying intensifies burning and carbon losses in a northern peatland

Development of the Indonesian and Malaysian Fire Danger Rating Systems

Influence of Fuel Load Dynamics on Carbon Emission by Wildfires in the Clay Belt Boreal Landscape

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