Assessing the vulnerability of Alaskan black spruce forests to changes in climate and the fire regime
Eric
S.
Kasischke, University of Maryland, ekasisch@umd.edu
(Presenting)
Merritt
R.
Turetsky, Michigan State University, mrt@msu.edu
Jill
F.
Johnstone, University of Sasketchewan, jill.johnstone@usask.ca
Laura
Bourgeau-Chavez, Michigan Tech, laura.chavez@mtu.edu
A.
David
McGuire, University of Alaska, ffadm@uaf.edu
Matthew
Borr, University of Maryland, mborr@umd.edu
Recent field studies have documented the impacts of deep burning fires in Alaskan black spruce forests on post-fire ecosystem processes and characteristics. We conducted a study on ecosystem vulnerability based on field observed depth of burning, ecosystem change characteristics, and variations in the fire regime over the past 55+ years. Satellite remote sensing data were used to analyze the frequency of burning of different ecosystem types, as well as the spatial distribution of black spruce forests as a function of topography. These data are integrated to show that over the past 20 years, the vulnerability of black spruce forests has increased.
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