Influence of Fuel Load Dynamics on Carbon Emission by Wildfires in the Clay Belt Boreal Landscape
| Autor: | Sylvain Pelletier-Bergeron, Yves Bergeron, Mathieu Paquette, Martin P. Girardin, Sylvie Gauthier, Aurélie Terrier |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
sustainable management
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences Biodiversity chemistry.chemical_element 01 natural sciences boreal forest fuel load dynamics fire behavior carbon emission modelling mitigation management Environmental protection 0105 earth and related environmental sciences 040101 forestry Biomass (ecology) Agroforestry Taiga Forestry lcsh:QK900-989 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences 15. Life on land Debris chemistry Boreal 13. Climate action Sustainable management Greenhouse gas lcsh:Plant ecology 0401 agriculture forestry and fisheries Environmental science Carbon |
| Zdroj: | Forests; Volume 8; Issue 1; Pages: 9 Forests, Vol 8, Iss 1, p 9 (2016) |
| ISSN: | 1999-4907 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/f8010009 |
| Popis: | Old-growth forests play a decisive role in preserving biodiversity and ecological functions. In an environment frequently disturbed by fire, the importance of old-growth forests as both a carbon stock as well as a source of emissions when burnt is not fully understood. Here, we report on carbon accumulation with time since the last fire (TSF) in the dominant forest types of the Clay Belt region in eastern North America. To do so, we performed a fuel inventory (tree biomass, herbs and shrubs, dead woody debris, and duff loads) along four chronosequences. Carbon emissions by fire through successional stages were simulated using the Canadian Fire Effects Model. Our results show that fuel accumulates with TSF, especially in coniferous forests. Potential carbon emissions were on average 11.9 t·ha−1 and 29.5 t·ha−1 for old-growth and young forests, respectively. In conclusion, maintaining old-growth forests in the Clay Belt landscape not only ensures a sustainable management of the boreal forest, but it also optimizes the carbon storage. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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