UNDERSTANDING ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS DRIVING WILDLAND FIRE IGNITIONS IN ALASKAN TUNDRA ...
Wildland fire is a dominant disturbance agent that drives ecosystem change, climate forcing, and carbon cycle in the boreal forest and tundra ecosystems of the High Northern Latitudes (HNL). Tundra fires can exert a considerable influence on the local ecosystem functioning and contribute to climate...
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
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Digital Repository at the University of Maryland
2020
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| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.13016/a6pt-tpwt https://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/1903/26390 |
| Summary: | Wildland fire is a dominant disturbance agent that drives ecosystem change, climate forcing, and carbon cycle in the boreal forest and tundra ecosystems of the High Northern Latitudes (HNL). Tundra fires can exert a considerable influence on the local ecosystem functioning and contribute to climate change through biogeochemical and biogeophysical effects. However, the drivers and mechanisms of tundra fires are still poorly understood. Research on modeling contemporary fire occurrence in the tundra is also lacking. This dissertation addresses the overarching scientific question of “What environmental factors and mechanisms drive wildfire ignition in Alaskan tundra?” Environmental factors from multiple aspects are considered including fuel type and state, fire weather, topography, and ignition source. First, to understand the spatial distribution of fuel types in the tundra, multi- year satellite observations and field data were used to develop the first fractional coverage product of major fuel type ... |
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