Hoy, Elizabeth (Liz): NASA GSFC / Global Science and Technology, Inc. (Project Lead)
Project Funding:
2009 - 2012
NRA: 2009 NASA: NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship Program
Funded by NASA
Abstract:
In interior Alaska, black spruce (Picea mariana) forests represent 45% of the landscape, and are the prevailing forest type (66% of all forests); the deep organic soils in these black spruce forests represent the dominant terrestrial carbon reservoir in this region (1140.4 ± 117.3 Tg C). While recent research has focused on understanding the carbon cycle responses to variations in area burned and depth of burning in mature spruce forests, little research has been conducted on the impact of more frequent burning in this forest type. The goal of this project is to assess the impacts of changes in fire frequency on carbon reservoirs present in surface organic soils in black spruce forests. To achieve this goal, three integrated studies will be conducted. First, the factors associated with the vulnerability of landscapes to more frequent reburning will be explored using remote sensing data and geospatial analysis techniques. Then, field-based research will be carried out to document how fire frequency impacts the amount of residual soil organic matter remaining following fire. Finally, the newly acquired information from the remote sensing analysis and field based research will be incorporated into a biogeochemical cycling model (the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model) to 1) analyze how recent changes in fire frequency have altered carbon storage in boreal regions and 2) forecast carbon storage within Alaskan boreal forests over the 21st century.
Publications:
Hoy, E. E., Turetsky, M. R., Kasischke, E. S. 2016. More frequent burning increases vulnerability of Alaskan boreal black spruce forests. Environmental Research Letters. 11(9), 095001. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/11/9/095001
Barrett, K., Loboda, T., McGuire, A. D., Genet, H., Hoy, E., Kasischke, E. 2016. Static and dynamic controls on fire activity at moderate spatial and temporal scales in the Alaskan boreal forest. Ecosphere. 7(11). DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1572
2015 NASA Carbon Cycle & Ecosystems Joint Science Workshop Poster(s)
- Influence of Fire Frequency on Carbon Consumption in Alaskan Black Spruce Forests
-- (Elizabeth E Hoy, Tatiana Loboda, Merritt R. Turetsky, Kirsten Barrett, Eric S. Kasischke)
[abstract]
More details may be found in the following project profile(s):
