Fuel availability not fire weather controls boreal wildfire severity and carbon emissions

X. J. Walker; B. M. Rogers; S. Veraverbeke; J. F. Johnstone; J. L. Baltzer; K. Barrett; L. Bourgeau-Chavez; N. J. Day; W. J. de Groot; C. M. Dieleman; S. Goetz; E. Hoy; L. K. Jenkins; E. S. Kane; M. A. Parisien; S. Potter; E. A.G. Schuur; M. Turetsky; E. Whitman; M. C. Mack

doi:10.1038/s41558-020-00920-8

Fuel availability not fire weather controls boreal wildfire severity and carbon emissions

X. J. Walker, B. M. Rogers, S. Veraverbeke, J. F. Johnstone, J. L. Baltzer, K. Barrett, L. Bourgeau-Chavez, N. J. Day, W. J. de Groot, C. M. Dieleman, S. Goetz, E. Hoy, L. K. Jenkins, E. S. Kane, M. A. Parisien, S. Potter, E. A.G. Schuur, M. Turetsky, E. Whitman, M. C. Mack

Biological Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

101 Scopus citations

Abstract

Carbon (C) emissions from wildfires are a key terrestrial–atmosphere interaction that influences global atmospheric composition and climate. Positive feedbacks between climate warming and boreal wildfires are predicted based on top-down controls of fire weather and climate, but C emissions from boreal fires may also depend on bottom-up controls of fuel availability related to edaphic controls and overstory tree composition. Here we synthesized data from 417 field sites spanning six ecoregions in the northwestern North American boreal forest and assessed the network of interactions among potential bottom-up and top-down drivers of C emissions. Our results indicate that C emissions are more strongly driven by fuel availability than by fire weather, highlighting the importance of fine-scale drainage conditions, overstory tree species composition and fuel accumulation rates for predicting total C emissions. By implication, climate change-induced modification of fuels needs to be considered for accurately predicting future C emissions from boreal wildfires.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1130-1136
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nature Climate Change
Volume	10
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-00920-8
State	Published - Dec 2020

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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10.1038/s41558-020-00920-8

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Walker, X. J., Rogers, B. M., Veraverbeke, S., Johnstone, J. F., Baltzer, J. L., Barrett, K., Bourgeau-Chavez, L., Day, N. J., de Groot, W. J., Dieleman, C. M., Goetz, S., Hoy, E., Jenkins, L. K., Kane, E. S., Parisien, M. A., Potter, S., Schuur, E. A. G., Turetsky, M., Whitman, E., & Mack, M. C. (2020). Fuel availability not fire weather controls boreal wildfire severity and carbon emissions. Nature Climate Change, 10(12), 1130-1136. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-00920-8

Walker, XJ, Rogers, BM, Veraverbeke, S, Johnstone, JF, Baltzer, JL, Barrett, K, Bourgeau-Chavez, L, Day, NJ, de Groot, WJ, Dieleman, CM, Goetz, S, Hoy, E, Jenkins, LK, Kane, ES, Parisien, MA, Potter, S, Schuur, EAG, Turetsky, M, Whitman, E & Mack, MC 2020, 'Fuel availability not fire weather controls boreal wildfire severity and carbon emissions', Nature Climate Change, vol. 10, no. 12, pp. 1130-1136. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-00920-8

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title = "Fuel availability not fire weather controls boreal wildfire severity and carbon emissions",

abstract = "Carbon (C) emissions from wildfires are a key terrestrial–atmosphere interaction that influences global atmospheric composition and climate. Positive feedbacks between climate warming and boreal wildfires are predicted based on top-down controls of fire weather and climate, but C emissions from boreal fires may also depend on bottom-up controls of fuel availability related to edaphic controls and overstory tree composition. Here we synthesized data from 417 field sites spanning six ecoregions in the northwestern North American boreal forest and assessed the network of interactions among potential bottom-up and top-down drivers of C emissions. Our results indicate that C emissions are more strongly driven by fuel availability than by fire weather, highlighting the importance of fine-scale drainage conditions, overstory tree species composition and fuel accumulation rates for predicting total C emissions. By implication, climate change-induced modification of fuels needs to be considered for accurately predicting future C emissions from boreal wildfires.",

author = "Walker, {X. J.} and Rogers, {B. M.} and S. Veraverbeke and Johnstone, {J. F.} and Baltzer, {J. L.} and K. Barrett and L. Bourgeau-Chavez and Day, {N. J.} and {de Groot}, {W. J.} and Dieleman, {C. M.} and S. Goetz and E. Hoy and Jenkins, {L. K.} and Kane, {E. S.} and Parisien, {M. A.} and S. Potter and Schuur, {E. A.G.} and M. Turetsky and E. Whitman and Mack, {M. C.}",

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year = "2020",

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doi = "10.1038/s41558-020-00920-8",

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AU - Walker, X. J.

AU - Rogers, B. M.

AU - Veraverbeke, S.

AU - Johnstone, J. F.

AU - Baltzer, J. L.

AU - Barrett, K.

AU - Bourgeau-Chavez, L.

AU - Day, N. J.

AU - de Groot, W. J.

AU - Dieleman, C. M.

AU - Goetz, S.

AU - Hoy, E.

AU - Jenkins, L. K.

AU - Kane, E. S.

AU - Parisien, M. A.

AU - Potter, S.

AU - Schuur, E. A.G.

AU - Turetsky, M.

AU - Whitman, E.

AU - Mack, M. C.

PY - 2020/12

Y1 - 2020/12

N2 - Carbon (C) emissions from wildfires are a key terrestrial–atmosphere interaction that influences global atmospheric composition and climate. Positive feedbacks between climate warming and boreal wildfires are predicted based on top-down controls of fire weather and climate, but C emissions from boreal fires may also depend on bottom-up controls of fuel availability related to edaphic controls and overstory tree composition. Here we synthesized data from 417 field sites spanning six ecoregions in the northwestern North American boreal forest and assessed the network of interactions among potential bottom-up and top-down drivers of C emissions. Our results indicate that C emissions are more strongly driven by fuel availability than by fire weather, highlighting the importance of fine-scale drainage conditions, overstory tree species composition and fuel accumulation rates for predicting total C emissions. By implication, climate change-induced modification of fuels needs to be considered for accurately predicting future C emissions from boreal wildfires.

AB - Carbon (C) emissions from wildfires are a key terrestrial–atmosphere interaction that influences global atmospheric composition and climate. Positive feedbacks between climate warming and boreal wildfires are predicted based on top-down controls of fire weather and climate, but C emissions from boreal fires may also depend on bottom-up controls of fuel availability related to edaphic controls and overstory tree composition. Here we synthesized data from 417 field sites spanning six ecoregions in the northwestern North American boreal forest and assessed the network of interactions among potential bottom-up and top-down drivers of C emissions. Our results indicate that C emissions are more strongly driven by fuel availability than by fire weather, highlighting the importance of fine-scale drainage conditions, overstory tree species composition and fuel accumulation rates for predicting total C emissions. By implication, climate change-induced modification of fuels needs to be considered for accurately predicting future C emissions from boreal wildfires.

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Fuel availability not fire weather controls boreal wildfire severity and carbon emissions

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