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A carbon sink is anything, natural or otherwise, that accumulates and stores some carbon-containing chemical compound for an indefinite period and thereby removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. These sinks form an important part of the natural carbon cycle. An overarching term is carbon pool, which is all the places where carbon can be. A carbon sink is a type of carbon pool that has the capability to take up more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases.
Taiga, generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, and larches.
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a bushfire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, prairie fire, vegetation fire, or veld fire. Some natural forest ecosystems depend on wildfire. Wildfires are distinct from beneficial human usage of wildland fire, called controlled or prescribed burning, although controlled burns can turn into wildfires. Modern forest management often engages in prescribed burns to mitigate risk and promote natural forest cycles.
A controlled or prescribed (Rx) burn, which can include hazard reduction burning, backfire, swailing or a burn-off, is a fire set intentionally for purposes of forest management, fire suppression, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. A controlled burn may also refer to the intentional burning of slash and fuels through burn piles. Fire is a natural part of both forest and grassland ecology and controlled fire can be a tool for foresters.
Fire ecology is a scientific discipline concerned with the effects of fire on natural ecosystems. Many ecosystems, particularly prairie, savanna, chaparral and coniferous forests, have evolved with fire as an essential contributor to habitat vitality and renewal. Many plant species in fire-affected environments use fire to germinate, establish, or to reproduce. Wildfire suppression not only endangers these species, but also the animals that depend upon them.
A fire retardant is a substance that is used to slow down or stop the spread of fire or reduce its intensity. This is commonly accomplished by chemical reactions that reduce the flammability of fuels or delay their combustion. Fire retardants may also cool the fuel through physical action or endothermic chemical reactions. Fire retardants are available as powder, to be mixed with water, as fire-fighting foams and fire-retardant gels. Fire retardants are also available as coatings or sprays to be applied to an object.
Carbon sequestration is the process of storing carbon in a carbon pool. Carbon sequestration is a naturally occurring process but it can also be enhanced or achieved with technology, for example within carbon capture and storage projects. There are two main types of carbon sequestration: geologic and biologic.
Wildfire suppression is a range of firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfires. Firefighting efforts in wild land areas require different techniques, equipment, and training from the more familiar structure fire fighting found in populated areas. Working in conjunction with specially designed aerial firefighting aircraft, these wildfire-trained crews suppress flames, construct fire lines, and extinguish flames and areas of heat to protect resources and natural wilderness. Wildfire suppression also addresses the issues of the wildland–urban interface, where populated areas border with wild land areas.
A boreal ecosystem is an ecosystem with a subarctic climate located in the Northern Hemisphere, approximately between 50° to 70°N latitude. These ecosystems are commonly known as taiga and are located in parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. The ecosystems that lie immediately to the south of boreal zones are often called hemiboreal. There are a variety of processes and species that occur in these areas as well.
The International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF), a non-profit organization, is professional association of the wildland fire community. IAWF is an independent organization, not affiliated with any private or public agencies. It purpose is to offer a common and neutral ground for the discussion of important and often controversial wildland fire issues. The organization has a 15-member board of directors. It aims to include members in the areas of wildland fire management, research, suppression, and policy.
Wildfire modeling is concerned with numerical simulation of wildfires to comprehend and predict fire behavior. Wildfire modeling aims to aid wildfire suppression, increase the safety of firefighters and the public, and minimize damage. Wildfire modeling can also aid in protecting ecosystems, watersheds, and air quality.
The 2004 Alaska fire season was the worst wildfire season on record in the U.S. state of Alaska in terms of area burned. Though the 1989 fire season recorded more fires, nearly 1,000, the 2004 season burned more than 6,600,000 acres in just 701 fires. The largest of these fires was the Taylor Complex Fire. This fire consumed over 1,700,000 acres and was the deemed to be the largest fire in the United States from at least 1997 to 2019. Out of all 701 fires, 426 fires were started by humans and 215 by lightning.
The wildland–urban interface (WUI) is a zone of transition between wilderness and land developed by human activity – an area where a built environment meets or intermingles with a natural environment. Human settlements in the WUI are at a greater risk of catastrophic wildfire.
A peatland is a type of wetland whose soils consist of organic matter from decaying plants, forming layers of peat. Peatlands arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually litter from vegetation, due to water-logging and subsequent anoxia. Like coral reefs, peatlands are unusual landforms that derive mostly from biological rather than physical processes, and can take on characteristic shapes and surface patterning.
Deforestation is a primary contributor to climate change, and climate change affects forests. Land use changes, especially in the form of deforestation, are the second largest anthropogenic source of atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions, after fossil fuel combustion. Greenhouse gases are emitted during combustion of forest biomass and decomposition of remaining plant material and soil carbon. Global models and national greenhouse gas inventories give similar results for deforestation emissions. As of 2019, deforestation is responsible for about 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon emissions from tropical deforestation are accelerating. Growing forests are a carbon sink with additional potential to mitigate the effects of climate change. Some of the effects of climate change, such as more wildfires, insect outbreaks, invasive species, and storms are factors that increase deforestation.
Terrestrial ecosystems found in the boreal regions of North America and Eurasia cover less than 17% of the earth's land surface, yet contain more than 30% of all carbon present in the terrestrial biome. In terms of carbon storage, the boreal region consists of three ecosystems: boreal forest, peatland, and tundra. Vast areas of the globe and are contributing greatly to atmospheric carbon release due to increased temperature and fire hazard. High northern latitudes will experience the most significant increase in warming on the planet as a result of increased atmospheric greenhouse gases thus placing in jeopardy the carbon sink in these areas. In addition to the release of carbon through the melting of permafrost, high intensity wildfires will become more common and thus contribute to the release of stored carbon. This means that the boreal forest and its fire regime is becoming an increasingly more significant factor in determining the global carbon budget.
Yufang Jin is an assistant professor of remote sensing and ecosystem change at UC Davis's Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, and associate environmental scientist at the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Her research uses satellite imaging and other techniques to track and model how landscapes and ecosystems change.
Paige Fischer is an environmental scientist from the Pacific Northwest whose research focuses mainly on the human dimensions of environmental changes. She is especially interested in forest ecology and conservation. She is currently an assistant professor at the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability, teaching upper level classes about analysis methods and social vulnerability to climate change.
Proforestation is the practice of protecting existing natural forests to foster continuous growth, carbon accumulation, and structural complexity. It is recognized as an important forest based strategy for addressing the global crises in climate and biodiversity. Forest restoration can be a strategy for climate change mitigation. Proforestation complements other forest-based solutions like afforestation, reforestation and improved forest management.
References
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- ↑ Weise, David R.; Conard, Susan G. (1998). "Management of fire regime, fuels, and fire effects in southern California chaparral: lessons from the past and thoughts for the future". In Pruden, Teresa L.; Brennan, Leonard A. (eds.). Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference Proceedings. Vol. 20. Tall Timbers Research Station, Tallahassee, FL. pp. 342–350.
- ↑ Conard, Susan G.; Wohlgemuth, Peter M.; Wakeman, Carla D.; Beyers, Jan L. (1998). "Effects of post-fire grass seeding on native vegetation in southern California chaparral". In: Proceedings, Nineteenth Annual Forest Vegetation Management Conference: Wildfire Rehabilitation. Forest Vegetation Management Conference, Redding, CA. Pp. 52-64: 52–64.
- ↑ Davidenko, Eduard P. (1998). "Fire in Siberian boreal forests -- implications for global climate and air quality". In: Bytnerowicz, Andrzej; Arbaugh, Michael J.; Schilling, Susan L., Tech. Coords. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Air Pollution and Climate Change Effects on Forest Ecosystems. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-166. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: 87-94. 166.
- 1 2 "Dr. Susan Conard". International Association of Wildland Fire. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ↑ Quemada, Juan; León, Gonzalo; Maarek, Yoelle; Nejdl, Wolfgang (2009). Proceedings of the 18th international conference on World wide web - WWW '09. New York, New York, USA: ACM Press. doi:10.1145/1526709. ISBN 9781605584874.
- 1 2 Conard, Susan G.; Sukhinin, Anatoly I.; Stocks, Brian J.; Cahoon, Donald R.; Davidenko, Eduard P.; Ivanova, Galina A. (2002). "Determining Effects of Area Burned and Fire Severity on Carbon Cycling and Emissions in Siberia". Climatic Change . 55 (1/2): 197–211. doi:10.1023/a:1020207710195. ISSN 0165-0009. S2CID 154705876.
- ↑ "Environmental Science and Technology Center|About the Center". estc.gmu.edu. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
- ↑ Conard, Susan G; A. Ivanova, Galina (December 1997). "Wildfire in Russian Boreal Forests—Potential Impacts of Fire Regime Characteristics on Emissions and Global Carbon Balance Estimates". Environmental Pollution. 98 (3): 305–313. doi:10.1016/s0269-7491(97)00140-1. ISSN 0269-7491.
- ↑ Conard, Susan (2004). "Estimating fire emissions and disparities in boreal Siberia (1998–2002)". Journal of Geophysical Research. 109 (D14): D14S06. Bibcode:2004JGRD..10914S06S. doi: 10.1029/2004JD004570 .
- ↑ "Mason Professor Honored as Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) at 177th AAAS Annual Meeting held 17-21 February 2011 Washington, DC". George Mason University. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ↑ "VIII International Conference on Forest Fire Research". www.adai.pt. Retrieved 2019-09-13.
- ↑ Balch, Jennifer K.; Hessburg, Paul F.; Gray, Robert W.; Prichard, Susan J.; Kolden, Crystal A.; Smith, Alistair M. S. (September 2018). "Recognizing Women Leaders in Fire Science". Fire. 1 (2): 30. doi: 10.3390/fire1020030 .