scholarly journals A δ 18 O and δ 2 H stable water isotope analysis of subalpine forest water sources under seasonal and hydrological stress in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (26) ◽  
pp. 5642-5658
Author(s):  
Lindsey E. Langs ◽  
Richard M. Petrone ◽  
John W. Pomeroy
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Canadian Rocky Mountains ◽  
Hydrological Stress ◽  
Water Isotope

Net precipitation in burned and unburned subalpine forest stands after wildfire in the northern Rocky Mountains

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris H. S. Williams ◽  
Uldis Silins ◽  
Sheena A. Spencer ◽  
Michael J. Wagner ◽  
Micheal Stone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Snow Water Equivalent ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Canadian Rocky Mountains ◽  
Forest Stands ◽  
Canopy Interception ◽  
Northern Rocky Mountains ◽  
Annual Peak ◽  
Snow Water

Wildfire can exert considerable influence on many watershed processes, including the partitioning of precipitation by forest canopies. Despite general acknowledgement that canopy interception is reduced following wildfire, effects on net rainfall and snow accumulation have not been quantified. The objectives of this study were to document net rainfall and snow water equivalent (SWE) in burned and unburned (reference) forest stands over a 10-year period to characterise the effects of severe wildfire on net precipitation in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Differences in summer (June–September) rainfall between burned and reference stands suggest that wildfire reduced rainfall interception by 65%, resulting in a 48% increase in net rainfall from 2006 to 2008. This represented an average annual increase in net rainfall of 122mm (36%) for 10 years after the fire. Similarly, a burned stand had 152mm (78%) higher mean annual peak SWE than a paired reference stand. Collectively, burned stands had 274mm (191–344mm; 51%) more mean annual net precipitation for the first decade after fire. These results suggest that increases in net precipitation are likely following wildfire in subalpine forests and that, owing to the slow growth of these forests, post-fire changes may alter precipitation–runoff relationships for many years.

Wildfires in the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains and their relationship to mid-tropospheric anomalies

1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1213-1222 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.A. Johnson ◽  
D.R. Wowchuk
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Fuel Moisture ◽  
Large Fire ◽  
Canadian Rocky Mountains ◽  
Area Burned ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Moisture Conditions

In this paper we present evidence for a large-scale (synoptic-scale) meteorological mechanism controlling the fire frequency in the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains. This large-scale control may explain the similarity in average fire frequencies and timing of change in average fire frequencies for the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains. Over the last 86 years the size distribution of fires (annual area burned) in the southern Canadian Rockies was distinctly bimodal, with a separation between small- and large-fire years at approximately 10–25 ha annual area burned. During the last 35 years, large-fire years had significantly lower fuel moisture conditions and many mid-tropospheric surface-blocking events (high-pressure upper level ridges) during July and August (the period of greatest fire activity). Small-fire years in this period exhibited significantly higher fuel moisture conditions and fewer persistent mid-tropospheric surface-blocking events during July and August. Mid-tropospheric surface-blocking events during large-fire years were teleconnected (spatially and temporally correlated in 50 kPa heights) to upper level troughs in the North Pacific and eastern North America. This relationship takes the form of the positive mode of the Pacific North America pattern.

Canadian Rocky Mountains

1903 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 685
Author(s):  
J. Norman Collie
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Canadian Rocky Mountains

Spatial and temporal variations of fire regimes in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and Foothills of southern Alberta

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 1117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Pierre Rogeau ◽  
Mike D. Flannigan ◽  
Brad C. Hawkes ◽  
Marc-André Parisien ◽  
Rick Arthur
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Ecological Integrity ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
Canadian Rocky Mountains ◽  
Southern Alberta ◽  
Fire Exclusion

Like many fire-adapted ecosystems, decades of fire exclusion policy in the Rocky Mountains and Foothills natural regions of southern Alberta, Canada are raising concern over the loss of ecological integrity. Departure from historical conditions is evaluated using median fire return intervals (MdFRI) based on fire history data from the Subalpine (SUB), Montane (MT) and Upper Foothills (UF) natural subregions. Fire severity, seasonality and cause are also documented. Pre-1948 MdFRI ranged between 65 and 85 years in SUB, between 26 and 35 years in MT and was 39 years in UF. The fire exclusion era resulted in a critical departure of 197–223% in MT (MdFRI = 84–104 years). The departure in UF was 170% (MdFRI = 104 years), while regions of continuous fuels in SUB were departed by 129% (MdFRI = 149 years). The most rugged region of SUB is within its historical range of variation with a departure of 42% (MdFRI = 121 years). More mixed-severity burning took place in MT and UF. SUB and MT are in a lightning shadow pointing to a predominance of anthropogenic burning. A summer fire season prevails in SUB, but occurs from spring to fall elsewhere. These findings will assist in developing fire and forest management policies and adaptive strategies in the future.

New Lower Jurassic ammonite faunas from the Fernie Formation, southern Canadian Rocky Mountains

1987 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1688-1704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell L. Hall
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
North American ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
First Record ◽  
Lower Jurassic ◽  
Canadian Rocky Mountains ◽  
Poker Chip

New ammonite faunas are described from sections along Bighorn and Scalp creeks in central-western Alberta where Lower Jurassic parts of the Fernie Formation are exposed. The first record of the upper Sinemurian Obtusum Zone from the Fernie is based on the occurrence of Asteroceras cf. stellare and Epophioceras cf. breoni in the basal pebbly coquina on Bighorn Creek. The overlying Red Deer Member has yielded Amaltheus cf. stokesi, representing the upper Pliensbachian Margaritatus Zone; in immediately superjacent strata the first North American examples of ?Amauroceras occur together with Protogrammoceras and ?Aveyroniceras. In the basal parts of the overlying Poker Chip Shale a fauna including Harpoceras cf. falciferum, Harpoceratoides, Polyplectus cf. subplanatus, Hildaites cf. serpentiniformis, and Dactylioceras cf. athleticum is correlated with the lower Toarcian Falciferum Zone.The upper parts of the Poker Chip Shale on Fording River in southeastern British Columbia contain a fauna representing some part of the upper Toarcian, but owing to poor preservation, generic identifications are only tentatively made.

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