Using Satellite Data to Monitor Fire-Related Processes in Boreal Forests

Kasischke, Eric S.; French, Nancy H. F.; Bourgeau‐Chavez, Laura; Michalek, Jeffery L.

doi:10.1007/978-0-387-21629-4_23

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The average fraction of carbon consumed values we used for the two layers (aboveground and ground layer), when combined with the average biomass/carbon levels for the ecozone, result in a carbon release of 18.8 tC ha‐burned −1 , which is consistent with the estimate of Kasischke et al [2000b] for a midseason fire (21.4 tC ha‐burned −1 ). Using the high fraction of carbon consumed levels in Table 1 with the average carbon level results in a carbon release of 30.1 tC ha‐burned −1 , which is consistent with the estimate of Kasischke et al [2000a] for a severe, late‐season fire (30.0 tC ha‐burned −1 ). The low levels of carbon consumption were set at 50% of the average level and result in a carbon release of 9.4 tC ha‐burned −1 , which is consistent with the levels of burning observed in Canadian boreal forests with lesser levels of organic soil burning (12.2 t C ha‐burned −1 as observed by Stocks and Kauffman [1997]).…”

Section: Approach and Model Inputssupporting

confidence: 74%

“…Studies by Kasischke et al [2000a, 2000b] in a variety of different physiographic settings in Alaska showed that the density of the ground‐layer carbon (which is held as litter, lichen, moss, and organic soil) in moderately to poorly drained black spruce forests ranged between 20 and >150 tC ha −1 , and the fraction of carbon consumed during fires ranged between 0.10 to 0.90. On average, 44.4 tC ha‐burned −1 were released from the ground layers of the black spruce sites studied by Kasischke et al [2000b].…”

Section: Approach and Model Inputsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variability in the emission of carbon‐based trace gases from wildfire in the Alaskan boreal forest

2002

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[1] A study was carried out to assess the variability in trace gas emission from several factors and to estimate the immediate impact of fire on carbon exchange. Using geospatial data, a model of emission was developed for three carbon-based gases, CO 2 , CO, and CH 4 , released during fires from 1950 through 1999 in the boreal region of Alaska. The effect of two factors in the model were investigated: the fractions of carbon consumed and the ratio of flaming to smoldering combustion. We chose 4 years with which to investigate the range of outcomes. An average of 4.5 teragrams of carbon (TgC) has been released annually over the past 50 years. Severe fire years can produce emissions as high as 38 TgC. Wide variations in emissions of total carbon and carbonbased gas were seen between years. Variations in the estimates of the fractions of biomass consumed during the burn influenced the amount of total carbon emitted; however, the annual area burned strongly determines total carbon released each year, regardless of fraction consumed. Assumptions regarding flaming versus smoldering fire influenced levels of emissions of CO and CH 4 . These estimates show that wildfire in Alaska's boreal region has contributed a substantial amount of carbon-based gas to the atmosphere over the five decades of fire records.

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Section: Approach and Model Inputssupporting

confidence: 74%

Section: Approach and Model Inputsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability in the emission of carbon‐based trace gases from wildfire in the Alaskan boreal forest

2002

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“…In general, higher values for fraction of carbon consumed occur in the floors of forests found on warm, dry sites and lower values for fraction of carbon consumed occur in forests found on cold, wet sites. Therefore, if the distribution of forest types in a region is known, then a composite fraction of carbon consumed can be estimated [see Kasischke et al , 2000a, 2000b].…”

Section: Sources Of Uncertaintymentioning

confidence: 99%

Emissions of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane from boreal forest fires in 1998

Kasischke

Bruhwiler²

2002

J. Geophys. Res.

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182

202

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[1] The global boreal forest region experienced some 17.9 million ha of fire in 1998, which could be the highest level of the decade. Through the analysis of fire statistics from North America and satellite data from Russia, semimonthly estimates of area burned for five different regions in the boreal forest were generated and used to estimate total carbon release and CO 2 , CO, and CH 4 emissions. Different levels of biomass, as well as different biomass categories, were considered for each of the five different regions (including peatlands in the Russian Far East and steppes in Siberia), as were different levels of fraction of biomass (carbon) consumed during fires. Finally, two levels of flaming versus smoldering combustion were considered in the model. Boreal forest fire emissions for 1998 were estimated to be 290-383 Tg of total carbon, 828-1103 Tg of CO 2 , 88-128 Tg of CO, and 2.9-4.7 Tg of CH 4 . The higher estimate represents 8.9% of total global carbon emissions from biomass burning, 13.8% of global fire CO emissions, and 12.4% of global fire CH 4 emissions. Russian fires accounted for 71% of the total emissions, with the remainder (29%) from fires in North America. Assumptions regarding the level of smoldering versus flaming generally resulted in small (<4%) variations into the emissions estimates, although in two cases, these variations were higher (6% and 12%). We estimated that peatland fires in the Russian Far East contributed up to 40 Tg of carbon to the atmosphere in the fall of 1998. The combined seasonal CO emissions from forest and peatland fires in Russia are consistent with anomalously high atmospheric CO measurements collected at Point Barrow, Alaska.

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“…The principal set of historical disturbance events available to us for algorithm verification are well‐documented wildfires that burned areas reported to cover several Mha in a single year or vegetation growing season. A list of such events was compiled (Table 2) using publications and reports from the global fire literature (Biasutti & Marchetti, 1996; Goldammer & Furyaev, 1996; Swetnam, 1996; Kasischke et al ., 1999). This list in Table 2 is not intended to represent an exhaustive set of major fire events over the 18‐year period of the global FPAR record, but instead is a list of the largest fire events that could be confirmed for their timing of initiation (to within about 6 months) and geographical location (to within approximately 2° latitude and longitude).…”

Section: Verification Using Historical Disturbance Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Major disturbance events in terrestrial ecosystems detected using global satellite data sets

Potter

Tan

Steinbach

et al. 2003

Global Change Biology

122

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Ecosystem scientists have yet to develop a proven methodology to monitor and understand major disturbance events and their historical regimes at a global scale. This study was conducted to evaluate patterns in an 18‐year record of global satellite observations of vegetation phenology from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) as a means to characterize major ecosystem disturbance events and regimes. The fraction absorbed of photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR) by vegetation canopies worldwide has been computed at a monthly time interval from 1982 to 1999 and gridded at a spatial resolution of 0.5° latitude/longitude. Potential disturbance events of large extent (> 0.5 Mha) were identified in the FPAR time series by locating anomalously low values (FPAR‐LO) that lasted longer than 12 consecutive months at any 0.5° pixel. We find that nearly 400 Mha of the global land surface could be identified with at least one FPAR‐LO event over the 18‐year time series. The majority of these potential disturbance events occurred in tropical savanna and shrublands or in boreal forest ecosystem classes. Verification of potential disturbance events from our FPAR‐LO analysis was carried out using documented records of the timing of large‐scale wildfires at locations throughout the world. Disturbance regimes were further characterized by association analysis with historical climate anomalies. Assuming accuracy of the FPAR satellite record to characterize major ecosystem disturbance events, we estimate that nearly 9 Pg of carbon could have been lost from the terrestrial biosphere to the atmosphere as a result of large‐scale ecosystem disturbance over this 18‐year time series.

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Using Satellite Data to Monitor Fire-Related Processes in Boreal Forests

Cited by 10 publications

References 26 publications

Variability in the emission of carbon‐based trace gases from wildfire in the Alaskan boreal forest

Variability in the emission of carbon‐based trace gases from wildfire in the Alaskan boreal forest

Emissions of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane from boreal forest fires in 1998

Major disturbance events in terrestrial ecosystems detected using global satellite data sets

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