Introduction to the themed issue: Wildfire and Geomorphic Systems

Wohl, Ellen

doi:10.1002/esp.4325

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 52 publications

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“…Numerous studies document the role of wildfire in changing water, sediment, and nutrient yields to river corridors (e.g. Shakesby and Doerr, 2006;Sankey et al, 2017;Wohl, 2018). There is a lack of understanding, however, of how wildfire influences organic carbon (OC) stocks in river corridors either directly via combustion or indirectly via hydrologic and geomorphic processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How geomorphic context governs the influence of wildfire on floodplain organic carbon in fire‐prone environments of the western United States

Wohl

Lininger

Rathburn

et al. 2019

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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We draw on published studies of floodplain organic carbon storage, wildfire-related effects on floodplains in temperate and high latitudes, and case studies to propose a conceptual model of the effects of wildfire on floodplain organic carbon storage in relation to climate and valley geometry. Soil organic carbon typically constitutes the largest carbon stock in floodplains in fireprone regions, although downed wood can contain significant organic carbon. We focus on the influence of wildfire on soil organic carbon and downed wood as opposed to standing vegetation to emphasize the geomorphic influences resulting from wildfire on floodplain organic carbon stocks. The net effect of wildfire varies depending on site-specific characteristics including climate and valley geometry. Wildfire is likely to reduce carbon stock in steep, confined valley segments because increased water and sediment yields following fire create net floodplain erosion. The net effect of fire in partly confined valleys depends on site-specific interactions among floodplain aggradation and erosion, and, in high-latitude regions, permafrost degradation. In unconfined valleys in temperate latitudes, wildfire is likely to slightly increase floodplain organic carbon stock as a result of floodplain aggradation and wood deposition. In unconfined valleys in high latitudes underlain by permafrost, wildfire is likely in the short-term to significantly decrease floodplain organic carbon via permafrost degradation and reduce organic-layer thickness. Permafrost degradation reduces floodplain erosional resistance, leading to enhanced stream bank erosion and greater carbon fluxes into channels. The implications of warming climate and increased wildfires for floodplain organic carbon stock thus vary. Increasing wildfire extent, frequency, and severity may result in significant redistribution of organic carbon from floodplains to the atmosphere via combustion in all environments examined here, as well as redistribution from upper to lower portions of watersheds in the temperate zone and from floodplains to the oceans via riverine transport in the high-latitudes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How geomorphic context governs the influence of wildfire on floodplain organic carbon in fire‐prone environments of the western United States

Wohl

Lininger

Rathburn

et al. 2019

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Anthropogenic Geomorphic Change in Mountains

Harden

Byers

2022

Treatise on Geomorphology

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Biogeomorphic processes, spatial heterogeneity, and river corridor resilience to stand-killing wildfire

Wohl,

Marshall,

Scamardo*

et al. 2024

Biogeomorphic Responses to Wildfire in Fluvial Ecosystems

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We used field-based case studies to examine how spatial heterogeneity influences the response of river corridors to changes in water and sediment fluxes after wildfire. Spatial heterogeneity describes the degree to which a river corridor differs from a spatially uniform feature. Biogeomorphic processes, especially those that involve beaver (Castor canadensis) dams and large wood in the channel and floodplain, both influence and respond to spatial heterogeneity. These feedbacks can in turn strongly influence the degree to which a river corridor is resistant, resilient, or sensitive (RRS) to wildfires. A resistant system experiences little change in process or form following a disturbance. A resilient system absorbs disturbances without diminishing or changing process or form. A sensitive system undergoes persistent change following disturbance. Just as spatial heterogeneity can be characterized with respect to different spatial scales in a river network or river corridor, so different components of a river corridor can vary in their response to disturbance. Consequently, spatial scale and the specific process or landform under consideration will strongly influence designation of RRS. We drew two inferences from the case studies: (1) Reach-scale details of spatial heterogeneity and biogeomorphic feedbacks can be important in determining both reach-scale and network-scale responses to major disturbances such as wildfire, and (2) because of the potential for biogeomorphic feedbacks that either attenuate or exacerbate postfire inputs to river corridors, protecting and fostering reach-scale spatial heterogeneity and the biota involved in biogeomorphic feedbacks can increase river network resilience to wildfire.

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Introduction to the themed issue: Wildfire and Geomorphic Systems

Cited by 3 publications

References 52 publications

How geomorphic context governs the influence of wildfire on floodplain organic carbon in fire‐prone environments of the western United States

How geomorphic context governs the influence of wildfire on floodplain organic carbon in fire‐prone environments of the western United States

Anthropogenic Geomorphic Change in Mountains

Biogeomorphic processes, spatial heterogeneity, and river corridor resilience to stand-killing wildfire

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