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Forest Fires and Climate Change

Yara Ibrahim

Aditya Parmar

Global Change Issues – WS 2011-12

25/01/2012

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Introduction

Carbon Dynamics

Recent Studies

Impact and Conclusion

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Global Scale

Source: Modis Rapid Response, Web fire Mappers

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Fire Activity

Fire Activity

Source: http://scottthong.wordpress.com

Every year more than 50 million ha of forest is burnt down, from which more than 10 million ha are boreal forest and 40 million tropical rain forest.

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Global Warming

Source: IPCC 4th Assessment ( 2007)

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Effects of GW

Source: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/climate/gccalbany1.jpg

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Interactions

Source: Natural Resources Canada Website

Climate change will interact with Fuel Type, Ignition Source and Topography.

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Feedback in the Earth Systems

Source: Dr. Allan Spessa, Reading University

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Carbon Dynamics Carbon lost due to combustion (CO2)

Decompostion of Fire Killed vegetation

Dynamics of vegetation following the fire

Live vegetation

Dead vegetation

Organic soil horizons

Mineral soils

Source : (Pic 1 ) http://serc.carleton.edu/images/eyesinthesky2/week8/fire_storm_mirror_plateau.jpgSource: (Pic 2) http://www.nps.gov/fire/images/photos/timeline/37_nps_timelineimages_lff-1910a.jpg

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2

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Carbon Dynamics

Conceptual C dynamics of above ground tree (dash-dot line) and root (fine dotted line) after fire and clearcut logging, for trees (solid line) and roots (broken line)

Conceptual under story C dynamics after fire (dotted line) and clearcut logging (solid line)

Source: Meelis Seedre (2011)

Source: Meelis Seedre (2011)

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Carbon Dynamics

Conceptual dead wood C dynamics after fire (solid line) and clearcut logging (dotted line)

Source: Meelis Seedre (2011)

Source: Meelis Seedre (2011)

Conceptual soil C dynamics in organic layer (FF) after fire (solid line) and after clearcut logging (broken line) and in mineral soil (dotted line for both disturbances)

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Recent Studies Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies at eastern equatorial Pacific

Source: Kaplan, A. et al.(1998).

Drought Fires in SW US

Source: Hughes (2000); Cook, E.R. et al.(1999)

El N

ino La N

ina

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ENSO (El Niño – Southern Oscillation)

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Recent Studies

Source: Gillett et. Al. (2004)

Area burned in Canada has increased since the 1960s, correlated with temp. increase.

Percentage increase (above baseline period 2000) in the total number of fires occurring in Ontario.

Source: Climate Change and future fire environment in Ontario: Fire Occurance and Fire management impacts ( 2005)

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Recent Studies

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Source: A L Westerling et al. (2006)

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Recent Studies

.

Too close for comfort.Wildfire is seen approaching Old Faithful Village, Yellowstone National Park, in 1988.Source: NPS PHOTO

Less moisture—more fires. Between 1970 and 2003, spring and summer moisture availability declined in many forests in the western United States (left). During the same time span, most wildfires exceeding 1000 ha in burned area occurred in these regions of reduced moisture availability (right)

Source: Steven W. Running ( 2006)

Cause of Effect framework

Source: Lavorel et al. (2005)

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Impacts Impact of the forest fires :• Degradation• Deforestation• Soil erosion• Appearance of insects• Decrease of biodiversity• Human health• Economy• Carbon’s (CO2,CO) and

other gas emission• Landscape recreational

value

Source:AP Photo/bigbendnow.com, Alberto Tomas Halpern

Source: AP Photo/LM Otero

Soil Water Regime and Floods

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Conclusion

Global Warming

Higher Temperature

More Wild Fires

More Black Areas and

CO2

‘’ In response to global change (interaction of climate change, socio- economic changes, and land-use change) and taking into account that global warming is a reality and will lead to an increasing occurrence and severity of wild land fires globally, and increasing impacts of society’’ .

(Source: 5th International Wild land Fire Conference‘’Statement’’ -2011)

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Thank you

Source: http://paranoidnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/182568_TlUxH7Lu6sbbjyfjmq098D2mc.jpg

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Reference

1. M.D. Flanningan, B.D. Amiro, K.A. Logan, B.J. Stocks and B.M. Wotton. Forest Fires and Climate Change in the 21st Century ( 2005) 2. N. P. Gillett and A. J. Weaver . Detecting the effect of climate change on Canadian forest fires (2004) 3. Westerling, A.L., H.G. Hidalgo, D.R. Cayan, and T.W. Swetnam. Warming and ealier spring increase western US forest wildfire activity (2006)4. Meelis Seedre ,Bharat M. Shrestha,Han Y. H. Chen,Steve Colombo ,Kalev Jo˜giste. Carbon dynamics of North American boreal forest after standreplacing wildfire and clearcut logging. (2011) 5. Steven W. Running .Is Global Warming Causing More, Larger Wildfires?(Science 313, 927 (2006))6. Andy Rowell and Dr. Peter F. Moore. Global Review of Forest Fires. 7. IPCC 4th Assessment report (2007)8. 5th International Wildland Fire Conference - ‘Wildfire 2011’Conference Statement9. National Centre for Atmosphere Science, Department of MeteorologyReading University10. Mike Wotton, Kim Logon and Rob McAlpine. Climate Change and future fire environment in Ontario: Fire Occurance and Fire management impacts ( 2005)