Larch Forests of Middle Siberia: Long-Term Trends in Fire Return Intervals

• Main Authors: Kharuk, Viacheslav I., Ranson, Kenneth J., Petrov, Ilya A., Dvinskaya, Mariya L., Im, Sergei T.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Meteorology and Climatology; Earth Resources and Remote Sensing; Arctic; Siberia
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20170002651

Fire history within the northern larch forests of Central Siberia was studied (65 + deg N). Fires within this area are predominantly caused by lightning strikes rather than human activity. Mean fire return intervals (FRIs) were found to be 112 49 years (based on fire scars) and 106 36 years (based on fire scars and tree natality dates). FRI were increased with latitude increase and observed to be about 80 years at 64 deg N, about 200 years near the Arctic Circle and about 300 years nearby the northern range limit of larch stands (approximately 71 deg + N). Northward FRI increase correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = 0.95). Post Little Ice Age (LIA) warming (after 1850) caused approximately a doubling of fire events (in comparison with a similar period during LIA). The data obtained support a hypothesis of climate-induced fire frequency increase.