Increasing Wildfire in Alaska's Boreal Forest: Pathways to Potential Solutions of a Wicked Problem

Chapin, F. Stuart; Trainor, Sarah F.; Huntington, Orville; Lovecraft, Amy Lauren; Zavaleta, Erika S.; Natcher, David; McGuire, A. David; Nelson, Joanna L.; Ray, Lily; Calef, Monika CalefM.; Fresco, Nancy; Huntington, Henry P.; Rupp, T. Scott; DeWilde, La’ona; Naylor, Rosamond L.

doi:10.1641/b580609

Cited by 180 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Chapin et al 1993;Grime et al 1997;Reich et al 1997;Aerts and Chapin 1999;Westoby et al 2002;Díaz et al 2004;Wright et al 2004;Cornwell et al 2008;Baraloto et al 2010a;Freschet et al 2010;Ordoñez et al 2010;Kattge et al 2011). Ample evidence indicates that plant traits and trait syndromes significantly affect ecosystem processes and services (for overviews, see Lavorel and Garnier 2002;Díaz et al 2007;Chapin et al 2008;De Bello et al 2010;Cardinale et al 2012). As a consequence, trait-based approaches are currently also gaining momentum in the fields of agronomy and forestry (e.g.…”

Section: Introduction and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Corrigendum to: New handbook for standardised measurement of plant functional traits worldwide

Pérez‐Harguindeguy¹,

Díaz²,

Garnier³

et al. 2016

Aust. J. Bot.

492

302

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The authors regret that elements of Appendix 1 were incorrect in the original publication. The correct version of Appendix 1 is given below. Appendix 1. Summary of plant traits Summary of plant traits included in the handbookThe range of values corresponds to those generally reported for field-grown plants. Ranges of values are based on the literature and the authors' datasets and do not always necessarily correspond to the widest ranges that exist in nature or are theoretically possible. Recommended sample size indicates the minimum and preferred number of individuals to be sampled, so as to obtain an appropriate indication of the values for the trait of interest; when only one value is given, it corresponds to the number of individuals ( = replicates); when two values are given, the first one corresponds to the number of individuals and the second one to the number of organs to be measured per individual. Note that one replicate can be compounded from several individuals (for smaller species), whereas one individual cannot be used for different replicates. The expected coefficient of variation (CV) range gives the 20th and the 80th percentile of the CV ( = s.d. scaled to the mean) as observed in several datasets obtained for a range of field plants for different biomes. Numbering of plant traits corresponds with the numbering of the chapters in the handbook Abstract. Plant functional traits are the features (morphological, physiological, phenological) that represent ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels and influence ecosystem properties. Variation in plant functional traits, and trait syndromes, has proven useful for tackling many important ecological questions at a range of scales, giving rise to a demand for standardised ways to measure ecologically meaningful plant traits. This line of research has been among the most fruitful avenues for understanding ecological and evolutionary patterns and processes. It also has the potential both to build a predictive set of local, regional and global relationships between plants and environment and to quantify a wide range of natural and human-driven processes, including changes in biodiversity, the impacts of species invasions, alterations in biogeochemical processes and vegetation-atmosphere interactions. The importance of these topics dictates the urgent need for more and better data, and increases the value of standardised protocols for quantifying trait variation of different species, in particular for traits with power to predict plant-and ecosystemlevel processes, and for traits that can be measured relatively easily. Updated and expanded from the widely used previous version, this handbook retains the focus on clearly presented, widely applicable, step-by-step recipes, with a minimum of text on theory, and not only includes updated methods for the traits previously covered, but also introduces many new protocols for further traits. This new handbook has a better balance between whole-plant ...

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Section: Introduction and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Corrigendum to: New handbook for standardised measurement of plant functional traits worldwide

Pérez‐Harguindeguy¹,

Díaz²,

Garnier³

et al. 2016

Aust. J. Bot.

492

302

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Recent study results suggest fires are growing larger, more intense, and more frequent in interior Alaska as a result of climate warming (Kasischke and Turetsky, 2006;Kasischke et al, 2010). Together, these factors have the potential to alter the long-term trajectory of forest regeneration ( Johnstone and Chapin, 2006 (Duffy et al, 2005;Chapin et al, 2008;Balshi et al, 2009).…”

Section: Interior Alaska Fire Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources and sinks of carbon in boreal ecosystems of interior Alaska: A review

Douglas

Jones

Hiemstra

et al. 2014

Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene

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Boreal ecosystems store large quantities of carbon but are increasingly vulnerable to carbon loss due to disturbance and climate warming. The boreal region in Alaska and Canada, largely underlain by discontinuous permafrost, presents a challenging landscape for itemizing carbon sources and sinks in soil and vegetation. The roles of fire, forest succession, and the presence (or absence) of permafrost on carbon cycle, vegetation, and hydrologic processes have been the focus of multidisciplinary research in boreal ecosystems for the past 20 years. However, projections of a warming future climate, an increase in fire severity and extent, and the potential degradation of permafrost could lead to major landscape and carbon cycle changes over the next 20 to 50 years. To assist land managers in interior Alaska in adapting and managing for potential changes in the carbon cycle we developed this review paper by incorporating an overview of the climate, ecosystem processes, vegetation, and soil regimes. Our objective is to provide a synthesis of the most current carbon storage estimates and measurements to guide policy and land management decisions on how to best manage carbon sources and sinks. We surveyed estimates of aboveground and belowground carbon stocks for interior Alaska boreal ecosystems and summarized methane and carbon dioxide f luxes. These data have been converted into similar units to facilitate comparison across ecosystem compartments. We identify potential changes in the carbon cycle with climate change and human disturbance. A novel research question is how compounding disturbances affect carbon sources and sinks associated with boreal ecosystem processes. Finally, we provide recommendations to address the challenges facing land managers in efforts to manage carbon cycle processes. The results of this study can be used for carbon cycle management in other locations within the boreal biome which encompasses a broad distribution from 45° to 83° north.

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“…As a result, wildfires, a key pulse in Alaska, have become more frequent and larger (Weber and Flannigan 1997, Flannigan et al 2009, Kasischke et al 2010. Interactions between these press-and pulse-ecosystem drivers may already be triggering regime shifts in Alaskan SESs, fundamentally altering postwildfire forest regeneration, species assemblages, and local food systems (Johnstone and Chapin 2006, Chapin et al 2008, Johnstone et al 2010, Kofinas et al 2010, Mann et al 2012.…”

Section: Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generalizable principles for ecosystem stewardship-based management of social-ecological systems: lessons learned from Alaska

Hansen¹

2014

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Human pressure could compromise the provision of ecosystem services if we do not implement strategies such as ecosystem stewardship to foster sustainable trajectories. Barriers to managing systems based on ecosystem stewardship principles are pervasive, including institutional constraints and uncertain system dynamics. However, solutions to help managers overcome these barriers are less common. How can we better integrate ecosystem stewardship into natural resource management practices? I draw on examples from the literature and two broadly applicable case studies from Alaska to suggest some generalizable principles that can help managers redirect how people use and view ecosystems. These include (1) accounting for both people and ecosystems in management actions; (2) considering historical and current system dynamics, but managing flexibly for the future; (3) identifying interactions between organizational, temporal, and spatial scales; (4) embracing multiple causes in addition to multiple objectives; and (5) acknowledging that there are no panaceas and that success will be incremental. I also identify next steps to rigorously evaluate the broad utility of these principles and quickly move principles from theory to application. The findings of this study suggest that natural resource managers are poised to overcome the barriers to implementing ecosystem stewardship and to develop innovative adaptations to socialecological problems.

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Increasing Wildfire in Alaska's Boreal Forest: Pathways to Potential Solutions of a Wicked Problem

Cited by 180 publications

References 32 publications

Corrigendum to: New handbook for standardised measurement of plant functional traits worldwide

Corrigendum to: New handbook for standardised measurement of plant functional traits worldwide

Sources and sinks of carbon in boreal ecosystems of interior Alaska: A review

Generalizable principles for ecosystem stewardship-based management of social-ecological systems: lessons learned from Alaska

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