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Some scientists argue that it’s time to rethink the blanket policy of letting blazes burn themselves out in northern wildernesses. Some scientists argue that it’s time to rethink the blanket policy of letting blazes burn themselves out in northern wildernesses.
<p>Using satellite images, a team of researchers led by Northern Arizona University found that fires in North America's boreal forest may be changing the environment in ways that researchers didn't previously anticipate.</p>
The study began in the wake of the dramatic 2004 fire season in Alaska when 6.7 million acres of forest burned—an area about five times the size of Prince Edward Island and seven times the long-term average. Historically, more than half of this forested terrain has been dominated by black spruce, but after fire, faster-growing aspen and birch are replacing some of these stands. “In a region with only five common tree species, this study shows how changes in tree composition can dramatically alter patterns of carbon storage in boreal forests,” said Jill Johnstone, adjunct profe...
Skip to main content Currently Reading As extreme fires transform Alaska's boreal forest, more aspen and birch are coming in - that can slow fires and their climate impact Jill Johnstone, University of Saskatchewan April 15, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Jill Johnstone, University of Saskatchewan; Heather Dawn Alexander, Auburn University; Michelle C. Mack, Northern Arizona University, and Xanthe Walker, Northern Arizona University (THE CONVERSATION) Fire is a hot topic these days, p...