Spatial patterns of forest fires in Canada, 1980 - 1999

2006 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc-André Parisien ◽  
Vernon S. Peters ◽  
Yonghe Wang ◽  
John M. Little ◽  
Erin M. Bosch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Fire Size ◽  
Spatial Metrics ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Heterogeneous Landscapes

The present study characterized the spatial patterns of forest fires in 10 fire-dominated ecozones of Canada by using a database of mapped fires ≥200 ha from 1980 to 1999 (n = 5533 fires). Spatial metrics were used individually to compare measures of fire size, shape (eccentricity and complexity), clustering, and geographic orientation among ecozones and were used concurrently in a multivariate analysis. In addition, a set of factors that influence the fire regime at the ecozone level – topography, climate, fuels, and anthropogenic factors – was compared with the metric outputs. We found significant differences in all spatial metrics among ecozones. The multivariate analysis showed that the Montane Cordillera ecozone, which covers most of British Columbia, had the most distinctive fires: its fires were smaller, less complex, and had a more regular distribution. The fire regime descriptors of ecozones were useful to interpret the spatial variation of some spatial metrics, such as fire size, eccentricity, and clustering, but provided little insight into the mechanisms of patterns of fire complexity, which were shown to be sensitive to data quality. Our results provide additional information about the creation of spatially heterogeneous landscapes. Furthermore, they illustrate the potential use of spatial metrics for a more detailed characterization of fire regimes and provide novel information for ecosystems-based land management.

scholarly journals Forest Fire Regime in a Mediterranean Ecosystem: Unraveling the Mutual Interrelations between Rainfall Seasonality, Soil Moisture, Drought Persistence, and Biomass Dynamics

Fire ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Nunzio Romano ◽  
Nadia Ursino
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Mediterranean Ecosystem ◽  
Water Retention Capacity ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Rainfall Frequency

Frequent and severe droughts typically intensify wildfires provided that there is enough fuel in situ. The extent to which climate change may influence the fire regime and long time-scale hydrological processes may soften the effect of inter-annual climate change and, more specifically, whether soil-water retention capacity can alleviate the harsh conditions resulting from droughts and affect fire regimes, are still largely unexplored matters. The research presented in this paper is a development of a previous investigation and shows in what way, and to what extent, rainfall frequency, dry season length, and hydraulic response of different soil types drive forest fires toward different regimes while taking into consideration the typical seasonality of the Mediterranean climate. The soil-water holding capacity, which facilitates biomass growth in between fire events and hence favors fuel production, may worsen the fire regime as long dry summers become more frequent, such that the ecosystem’s resilience to climate shifts may eventually be undermined.

scholarly journals Small mammals decline with increasing fire extent in northern Australia: evidence from long-term monitoring in Kakadu National Park

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Lawes ◽  
Brett P. Murphy ◽  
Alaric Fisher ◽  
John C. Z. Woinarski ◽  
Andrew C. Edwards ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Fire Size ◽  
Burnt Area ◽  
Fire Extent

Small mammal (<2 kg) numbers have declined dramatically in northern Australia in recent decades. Fire regimes, characterised by frequent, extensive, late-season wildfires, are implicated in this decline. Here, we compare the effect of fire extent, in conjunction with fire frequency, season and spatial heterogeneity (patchiness) of the burnt area, on mammal declines in Kakadu National Park over a recent decadal period. Fire extent – an index incorporating fire size and fire frequency – was the best predictor of mammal declines, and was superior to the proportion of the surrounding area burnt and fire patchiness. Point-based fire frequency, a commonly used index for characterising fire effects, was a weak predictor of declines. Small-scale burns affected small mammals least of all. Crucially, the most important aspects of fire regimes that are associated with declines are spatial ones; extensive fires (at scales larger than the home ranges of small mammals) are the most detrimental, indicating that small mammals may not easily escape the effects of large and less patchy fires. Notwithstanding considerable management effort, the current fire regime in this large conservation reserve is detrimental to the native mammal fauna, and more targeted management is required to reduce fire size.

Using spatially explicit simulations to explore size distribution and spacing of regenerating areas produced by wildfires: recommendations for designing harvest agglomerations for the Canadian boreal forest

2007 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Belleau ◽  
Yves Bergeron ◽  
Alain Leduc ◽  
Sylvie Gauthier ◽  
Andrew Fall
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Fire Size ◽  
Canadian Boreal Forest

It is now recognized that in the Canadian boreal forest, timber harvesting activities have replaced wildfires as the main stand-replacing disturbance. Differences in landscape patterns derived from these two sources of disturbance have, however, raised concerns that the way forest harvesting has been dispersed is potentially shifting patterns away from the natural range. In the context of natural disturbance-based management, we used a spatially explicit model designed to capture general fire regimes in order to quantify temporal variability associated with regenerating areas (burnt areas of 25 years or younger), and to develop strategic objectives for harvest agglomeration sizes and dispersion. We first evaluated temporal variability in the proportion of stands younger than 100 years (assumed to be even-aged stands) for various fire regimes (seven fire cycles: 50 to 400 years, and three mean fires sizes: 3000, 15 000 and 60 000 ha). Secondly, we quantified the size distribution and dispersion of regenerating areas for each fire regime. As expected by theoretical fire frequencies and size distributions, the importance of even-aged stands at the forest management unit level was found to decrease with longer fire cycles. However, the temporal variability associated with these proportions is shown to increase with mean fire size. It was also observed that the size distribution and dispersion of regenerating areas was primarily influenced by mean fire size. Based on these observations, natural disturbance-based management objectives were formulated, providing guidelines on harvest agglomeration size and dispersion. Key words: temporal variability, boreal forest, fire regime, forest management, age distribution, fire size distribution, clearcut agglomeration size distribution

scholarly journals Socioeconomic Development, Demographic Dynamics and Forest Fires in Italy, 1961–2017: A Time-Series Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margherita Carlucci ◽  
Ilaria Zambon ◽  
Andrea Colantoni ◽  
Luca Salvati
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Multivariate Techniques ◽  
Fire Size ◽  
Burnt Area ◽  
Over Time

Empirical studies investigating long-term trends in wildfires’ frequency and severity have been relatively scarce in Europe. Number of fire events, total burnt area and average fire size were studied between 1961 and 2017 in Italy with the aim to identify homogeneous time periods with similar wildfire frequency and severity and correlate them with the background socioeconomic context. Fire attributes had a diverging behavior over time: the number of fires was the highest in the 1970s and the early 1980s; total burnt area was relatively more constant over time with a peak in the 1980s; and, finally, average fire size decreased quite homogeneously from the peak observed in the 1960s and early 1970s. The number of fires and average fire size were significantly influenced by the value of the same variable one year before. Investigating long-term historical outlines of forest fires, a mixed approach based on time-series statistical analysis, multivariate techniques and regressive models intended to define changes in fire regimes and socioeconomic development. In fact, the comparative valuation of the socioeconomic aspects and wildfire trends can reveal a key step to recognizing mitigation and preventive possibilities. Through a multivariate analysis, a substantial difference in the socioeconomic profile can emerge by decade, evidencing a (more or less) rapid socioeconomic development in relation to the evolution of forest fires in Italy.

Strong anthropogenic signals in historic forest fire regime: a detailed spatiotemporal case study from south-central Norway

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (9) ◽  
pp. 836-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Olaf Storaunet ◽  
Jørund Rolstad ◽  
Målfrid Toeneiet ◽  
Ylva-li Blanck
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Fire Scars ◽  
Time Intervals ◽  
Slash And Burn ◽  
South Central

To better understand the historic range of variability in the fire regime of Fennoscandian boreal forests we cross-dated 736 fire scars of remnant Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood samples in a 3.6 km2 section of the Trillemarka-Rollagsfjell Reserve of south-central Norway. Using a kernel range application in GIS we spatially delineated 57 individual forest fires between 1350 and the present. We found a strong anthropogenic signal in the fire regime from 1600 and onwards: (i) infrequent variably sized fires prior to 1600 shifted to frequent fires gradually decreasing in size during the 1600s and 1700s, with only a few small fires after 1800; (ii) time intervals between fires and the hazard of burning showed substantial differences pre- and post-1600; (iii) fire seasonality changed from late- to early-season fires from the 1626 fire and onwards; and (iv) fire severity decreased gradually over time. Written sources corroborated our results, narrating a history where anthropogenic forest fires and slash-and-burn cultivation expanded with the increasing population from the late 1500s. Concurrently, timber resources increased in value, gradually forcing slash-and-burn cultivators to abandon fires on forest land. Our results strengthen and expand previous Fennoscandian findings on the anthropogenic influence of historic fire regimes.

Fire regime from 1973 to 2011 in north-western Patagonian grasslands

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Facundo José Oddi ◽  
Luciana Ghermandi
Keyword(s):  
Fire Regime ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
General Knowledge ◽  
Fire Size ◽  
Socioeconomic Impacts ◽  
Mean Size ◽  
Fire Size Distribution ◽  
North Western

Fire is one of the most important disturbances in terrestrial ecosystems and has major ecological and socioeconomic impacts. Fire regime describes the variation of individual fire events in time and space. Few studies have characterised the fire regime in grasslands in spite of the importance of these ecosystems. The aim of this study was to describe the recent fire regime (from 1973 to 2011) of north-western Patagonian grasslands in terms of seasonality, frequency and burned area. Our study area covered 560 000 ha and we used a remote sensing approach combined with statistics obtained from operational databases. Fires occur during the summer in 2 of every 3 years with a frequency of 2.7 fires per year and a mean size of 823 ha. Fire size distribution is characterised by many small fires and few large ones which would respond to a distribution from the power law family. Eighty per cent of the total area affected by fire was burned in the span of a few years, which were also widespread fire years in forests and woodlands of north-western Patagonia. This work contributes to general knowledge about fire regimes in grasslands and we expect that our results will serve as a reference to further fire regime research.

scholarly journals Le régime des incendies de forêt en Valais: influences climatiques et anthropiques | Forest fire regimes in Valais: climatic and human influences

2010 ◽  
Vol 161 (11) ◽  
pp. 442-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Zumbrunnen ◽  
Matthias Bürgi ◽  
Harald Bugmann
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fire ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Combustible Material ◽  
Determining Factors ◽  
Before And After ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Alps ◽  
In Fire

Forest fire regimes are particularly sensitive to variations in the climate and to human influences. In the Alps both the manner in which the land is used and climatic changes, in particular rises in temperature and the frequency of drought periods, are probably going to bring about considerable modifications in fire regimes. The history of these fires in Valais in the 20th century is however still little known, as is the influence of the different determining factors. From a study of documentary archives we have therefore reconstituted the history of forest fires in Valais from 1904 to 2008. We then tried to establish whether or not the fire regime had evolved during this time by comparing descriptive statistics from the first and the second halves of the period under study. By means of correlation analyses we could then find what factors had a significant influence on the occurrence of fires. What emerges is that forest fire activity moved towards the plain in the course of the 20 century, probably on account of the increase in population density at lower altitudes. The seasonality of the fires also evolved: there was an outbreak of fires in the spring during the second half of the period under study, whereas in the first half fires mostly occurred in summer. On the other hand the frequency of the fires and the surface area burned annually did not differ significantly in the periods before and after 1955. As for the balance between factors determining the frequency of fires and the surface burned annually, there has been a modification in the period under study. Although drought was a decisive factor in the first decades of the 20 century, afterwards it seems to have declined in importance, being supplanted by other factors, notably the availability of combustible material. The fact that at present the forest fire regime is apparently regulated by factors other than the climate means it is possible to envisage concrete measures in order to limit fire risks.

scholarly journals Global assessment and mapping of ecological vulnerability to wildfires

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fátima Arrogante-Funes ◽  
Inmaculada Aguado ◽  
Emilio Chuvieco
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Natural Phenomenon ◽  
Ecological Value ◽  
Ecological Vulnerability ◽  
The Face

Abstract. Fire is a natural phenomenon that has played a critical role in transforming the environment and maintaining biodiversity at a global scale. However, the plants in some habitats have not developed strategies for recovery from fire or have not adapted to the changes taking place in their fire regimes. Maps showing ecological vulnerability to fires could contribute to environmental management policies in the face of global change scenarios. The main objective of this study is to assess and map ecological vulnerability to fires on a global scale. To this end, we created ecological value and post-fire regeneration delay indices on the basis of existing global databases. Two ecological value indices were identified: biological distinction and conservation status. For the post-fire regeneration delay index, various factors were taken into account, including the type of fire regime, the increase in the frequency and intensity of forest fires and the potential soil erosion they can cause. These indices were combined by means of a qualitative cross-tabulation to create a new index evaluating ecological vulnerability to fire. The results showed that global ecological value could be reduced by as much as 50 %, due to fire perturbation of ecosystems that are poorly adapted to it. The terrestrial biomes most affected are the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest; tundra; mangroves; tropical and subtropical coniferous forests; and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests.

scholarly journals Relative Contributions of Forest Vegetation, Land Cover, Topography and Climate in Explaining Fire Regime Patterns (1974–2005) in Peninsular Spain

ISRN Forestry ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Antonio Vázquez de la Cueva
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Forest Vegetation ◽  
Relevant Variable ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Disturbance Factor ◽  
Explained Variance ◽  
Fire Incidence

The relevance of forest fires as a major disturbance factor in vegetation composition, dynamics, and structure is increasing in several ecosystem types. In order to develop adaptation procedures and to strengthen the resilience under future altered fire regimes, it is important to gain a greater understanding of the factors involved in regional fire regimes. This paper evaluates the relative contributions of forest vegetation, land cover, topography, and climate in explaining the fire regime patterns. The analyses were performed independently for 15 territory types delimited according to potential vegetation criteria. Redundancy analysis was used to enable the simultaneous ordination of the response (fire regime) and the explanatory variables. The results reveal important differences among the 15 territories. The explained variance ranged from low to medium depending on the territory. However, for the five territories with greatest fire incidence, the variance explained was more than 39%. The proportion of territory covered by forest (derived from land cover information) was found to be the most relevant variable. Unexpectedly, the type of forest vegetation (derived from forest inventory data) appears to have played, at least in this approach and for some territories, a secondary role in explaining the registered fire regime patterns.

The potential and limitations of long-term fire regime reconstructions in Eastern Siberia based on sedimentary charcoal and low-temperature fire markers 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Dietze ◽  
Kai Mangelsdorf ◽  
Jasmin Weise ◽  
Heidrun Matthes ◽  
Simeon Lisovski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
High Latitude ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Eastern Siberia ◽  
Climate Data

&lt;p&gt;Forest fires are an important factor in the global carbon cycle and high latitude ecosystems. Eastern Siberian tundra, summergreen larch-dominated boreal forest on permafrost and evergreen boreal forest have characteristic fire regimes with varying fire intensities. Yet, it is unknown which role fire plays in long-term climate-vegetation-permafrost feedbacks and how high-latitude fire regimes and ecosystems will change in a warmer world. To learn from fire regime shifts during previous interglacials, prior to human presence, we use lake-sedimentary charcoal as proxy for high-intensity forest fires and monosaccharide anhydrides (i.e. levoglucosan, mannosan, galactosan: MA) as molecular proxies for low-temperature biomass burning, typical for surface fires in modern larch forest. However, MA pathways from source to sink and their stability in sediments are very poorly constrained. Recently, Dietze et al. (2020) found MA in up to 420 kyr old sediment of Lake El&amp;#8217;gygytgyn (ICDP Site 5011-1), NE Siberia, suggesting that they are suitable proxies for fires in summergreen boreal forests. Surprisingly, the ratios of the MA isomers were exceptionally low compared to published emission ratios from modern combustions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To understand what MA from Arctic lake sediments tell us, we have analyzed the MA and charcoal composition in modern lake surface sediments of Lake El&amp;#8217;gygytgyn and three East Siberian lakes and we compare them to late glacial-to-interglacial El&amp;#8217;gygytgyn records. The three Siberian lakes were chosen to represent spatial analogues to the El&amp;#8217;gygytgyn conditions during MIS 5e and 11c. We discuss first results of the modern sediments in context of recent MODIS- and Landsat-based fire extents and biome-specific land cover data, a wind field modelling using climate data over eastern Siberia, and lake-catchment configurations from TDX-DEM analysis to assess potential fire proxy source areas and regional-to-local transport processes. Thereby, we provide insights into the meaning of sedimentary fire proxies, crucial for a sound reconstruction of long-term fire regime histories.&lt;/p&gt;

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