Consistent spatial scaling of high‐severity wildfire can inform expected future patterns of burn severity

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 26(10), P. 1687 - 1699

Published: June 21, 2023

Increasing wildfire activity in forests worldwide has driven urgency understanding current and future fire regimes. Spatial patterns of area burned at high severity strongly shape forest resilience constitute a key dimension regimes, yet remain difficult to predict. To characterize the range burn expected within contemporary we quantified scaling relationships relating size severity. Using 1615 fires occurring across Northwest United States between 1985 2020, evaluated regimes tested whether vary space time. Patterns high-severity demonstrate consistent behaviour; as increases, patches consistently increase homogeneity. Scaling did not differ substantially or time scales considered here, suggesting that fire-size distributions potentially shift, stationarity patch-size can be used infer

Language: Английский

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Caution is needed across Mediterranean ecosystems when interpreting wall-to-wall fire severity estimates based on spectral indices

Forest Ecology and Management, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 546, P. 121383 - 121383

Published: Aug. 30, 2023

Language: Английский

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Reburning pyrogenic organic matter: a laboratory method for dosing dynamic heat fluxes from above

International Journal of Wildland Fire, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 34(3)

Published: March 18, 2025

Background Pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM) represents a relatively persistent component of soil carbon stocks. Although subsequent fires have the potential to combust or alter preexisting PyOM stocks, simulating heating faces important methodological constraints. In particular, methods for estimating effects fire on in limitations. Aims We aimed design laboratory method effectively simulate from above, investigate impacts at different depths while addressing key limitations previous methods. Methods Jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) log burns were used parameterise realistic heat flux profiles. Using cone calorimeter, these profiles applied buried jack variable reburn intensities. Key results general, higher fluxes and shallower led more mass loss PyOM. Conclusions offer specific Conditions that result temperatures (higher depths) are likely lead fires. Implications The could scenarios represent spatial variability within given event, study types biomass, organisms such as microbes.

Language: Английский

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Widespread and systematic effects of fire on plant–soil water relations

Nature Geoscience, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 17(11), P. 1115 - 1120

Published: Nov. 1, 2024

Abstract Wildfire activity and the hydrological cycle are strongly interlinked. While it is well known that wildfire occurrence intensity controlled by water availability, less about effects of on plant soil cycling, especially at large scales. Here we investigate this analysing fire impacts coupling between content, global scale, using remote sensing moisture, vegetation content burned area. We find a strong effect plant–soil relations, accelerating moisture loss 17% leading to faster gains in 62%, both which positively related severity largest forests. This spatially extensive, with accelerated found 67%, increased gain 67% all analysed areas. After fire, plants also tended have control their (that is, were more anisohydric). In summary, changes ecosystem functioning increasing losses shifting relationship budgets. With climate change, likely play an increasingly important role cycling subsequent recovery.

Language: Английский

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Does large area burned mean a bad fire year? Comparing contemporary wildfire years to historical fire regimes informs the restoration task in fire-dependent forests

Forest Ecology and Management, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 546, P. 121372 - 121372

Published: Sept. 4, 2023

Language: Английский

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Fuel build-up promotes an increase in fire severity of reburned areas in fire-prone ecosystems of the western Mediterranean Basin

Fire Ecology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 19(1)

Published: Dec. 12, 2023

Abstract Background Fire-vegetation feedbacks can modulate the global change effects conducive to extreme fire behavior and high severity of subsequent wildfires in reburn areas by altering composition, flammability traits, spatial arrangement fuels. Repeated, high-severity at short return intervals may trigger long-term vegetation state transitions. However, empirical evidence about these is absent fire-prone ecosystems western Mediterranean Basin, where response activity has been enhanced contemporary socioeconomic land-use changes. Here, we evaluated whether differs between initial burns (fire-free periods = 10–15 years) maritime pine Aleppo forests, holm oak woodlands, shrublands there a relationship such interactive wildfire disturbances. We also tested how type ecosystem changes structure after influence relationships. leveraged Landsat-based estimates for last using Relativized Burn Ratio (RBR) Light Detection Ranging (LiDAR) data acquired before wildfire. Results Fire was significantly higher than that each dominant areas. These differences were very pronounced forests shrublands. For consistency, same patterns evidenced first-entry type. woodlands (particularly pine-dominated) raised with increasing previous greater extent Pre-fire fuel density lower strata (up 4 m as well shrublands, up 2 forests) Conclusions Our results suggest land managers should promote more fire-resistant landscapes minimizing build-up thus hazard through pre-fire reduction treatments prescribed burning.

Language: Английский

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Few large or many small fires: Using spatial scaling of severe fire to quantify effects of fire‐size distribution shifts

Ecosphere, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 15(6)

Published: June 1, 2024

Abstract As wildfire activity increases and fire‐size distributions potentially shift in many forested regions worldwide, anticipating the spatial patterns of burn severity expected with future fire is critical for ecological understanding informing management policy. Because are influenced by a complex mixture drivers, they remain difficult to predict any given burned landscape. At broader extents, however, scaling relationships relating high‐severity patch size shape overall size, when combined scenarios regarding regional area distributions, offer means anticipate configuration fires. Here, leveraging satellite burn‐severity dataset 1615 events occurring across northwest United States between 1985 2020, we present an approach simulating patch‐level at scale region or regime interest. We demonstrate this historically climate‐limited within Pacific Northwest, USA, where relatively infrequent but large severe fires biomass‐rich forests, potential projected increase as summer seasons become warmer drier. quantify how, total area, range cumulative vary events. Our results illustrate how shifts toward larger will lead increasingly patches interior areas that far from unburned seed sources following fire. In contrast, same more numerous smaller result qualitatively different severity, characterized closer proximity postfire landscapes. These have important implications regions, actions ranging prefire planning (e.g., response preparedness) real‐time decision‐making suppression vs. managed use) responses replanting restore tree cover and/or promoting early‐seral habitat). The generalizable can be applied regimes effects.

Language: Английский

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Digital soil mapping of soil burn severity

Soil Science Society of America Journal, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 88(4), P. 1045 - 1067

Published: June 14, 2024

Abstract Fire alters soil hydrologic properties leading to increased risk of catastrophic debris flows and post‐fire flooding. As a result, US federal agencies map burn severity (SBS) via direct observation adjustment rasters burned area reflectance. We developed unique application digital mapping (DSM) SBS in the Creek which 154,000 ha Sierra Nevada. utilized 169 ground‐based observations combination with raster proxies forming factors, pre‐fire fuel conditions, fire effects vegetation build model (DSMSBS) using random forest algorithm compared DSMSBS established map. The had cross‐validation accuracy 48%. technique 46% agreement between field pixels. However, since is manual, it could not be cross‐validation. produced class uncertainty maps, showed high prediction probabilities around observations, low away from observations. aid assessment teams sample prioritization. report 107 km 2 more classified as moderate technique. conclude that blending factors based can improve mapping. This represents shift validating remotely sensed reflectance imagery toward quantitative landscape model, incorporates both soils information directly predict SBS.

Language: Английский

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A laboratory method for simulating the effects of subsequent fires on pyrogenic organic matter at different exposure depths in a sand matrix

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: July 31, 2024

Abstract Background Across a variety of anthropogenic and natural contexts, fire can reoccur in previously burned location. However, effects subsequent on preexisting pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM) stocks are difficult to discern. Laboratory experiments offer powerful approach investigating how impacts the PyOM. Aims We aimed design highly repeatable laboratory method effectively measure fires PyOM at different soil depths while addressing key limitations previous methods. Methods Jack pine ( Pinus banksiana Lamb.) log burns were used parameterize realistic heat flux profiles. Using cone calorimeter, these profiles applied buried jack simulate variable reburn intensities. Key results In general, higher shallower led more mass loss from combustion exposure. Conclusions Our offers replicable way specific scenarios. Conditions that result exposure (higher fluxes, depths) likely lead fires. Implications The customizable could scenarios investigate spatial variability within given event, or study types biomass organisms, such as microbes. Summary text paper illustrates better quantify after fire.

Language: Английский

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Moderating effects of past wildfire on reburn severity depend on climate and initial severity in Western US forests

Ecological Applications, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 34(7)

Published: Aug. 15, 2024

Abstract Rising global fire activity is increasing the prevalence of repeated short‐interval burning (reburning) in forests worldwide. In that historically experienced frequent‐fire regimes, high‐severity exacerbates severity subsequent fires by shrubs and/or creating drier understory conditions. Low‐ to moderate‐severity fire, contrast, can moderate future behavior reducing fuel loads. The extent which previous will powerfully affect fire‐prone forest ecosystem trajectories over next century. Further, knowing where and when a wildfire may act as landscape‐scale treatment help direct pre‐ post‐fire management efforts. We leverage satellite imagery progression mapping model reburn dynamics within initially burned at low/moderate 726 unique pair events 36‐year period across four large Western US ecoregions. ask (1) how strong are moderating effects low‐ on severity, (2) long do last, (3) does time between (a proxy for accumulation) interact with initial day‐of‐burning weather conditions, climate influence severity. Short‐interval reburns primarily occurred dry‐ moist‐mixed conifer regimes. Previous moderated all ecoregions strongest occurring California Coast Mountains average duration ranging from 13 years >36 Coast. strength depended some regions, reflecting differences accumulation. Coast, lasted longer cooler wetter forests. Mountains, were stronger lasting higher Moderating largely robust weather, suggesting mediate even under extreme Our findings demonstrate buffers forests, underlining importance restoration tool adapting change.

Language: Английский

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