The Areal Pattern of Burned Tree Vegetation in the Subarctic Region of Northwestern Canada
Vegetation and terrain analyses of 1312 air photos spanning the subarctic, low arctic, and portions of the adjacent high boreal region of northwestern Canada permitted geographic characterization of the areal pattern of burned forest and forest-tundra vegetation. In terms of its lower areal extent o...
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The Arctic Institute of North America
1991
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Online Access: | https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64596 |
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ftunivcalgaryojs:oai:journalhosting.ucalgary.ca:article/64596 2023-05-15T14:19:12+02:00 The Areal Pattern of Burned Tree Vegetation in the Subarctic Region of Northwestern Canada Timoney, K.P. Wein, Ross W. 1991-01-01 application/pdf https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64596 eng eng The Arctic Institute of North America https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64596/48510 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64596 ARCTIC; Vol. 44 No. 3 (1991): September: 177–265; 223-230 1923-1245 0004-0843 Climate change Effects of climate on plants Fire ecology Forest fires History Plant growth Plant succession Taiga ecology Treeline Tundra ecology Tundra fires Mackenzie Delta N.W.T Manitoba Northern Nouveau-Québec Nunavut info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion research-article 1991 ftunivcalgaryojs 2022-03-22T21:21:48Z Vegetation and terrain analyses of 1312 air photos spanning the subarctic, low arctic, and portions of the adjacent high boreal region of northwestern Canada permitted geographic characterization of the areal pattern of burned forest and forest-tundra vegetation. In terms of its lower areal extent of burns, and lower frequency of air photos showing burns, the forest-tundra is distinct from both open crown and closed crown forest regions. Burns show a general decrease in areal coverage from the northwest (Mackenzie River to Great Bear Lake: 0-50% of the terrain) to the southeast (Great Slave Lake to Hudson Bay: 0-10%). In the northwest, the flat till plains, high cover of continuous mature forest, and scarcity of lakes, coupled with dominance of slowly regenerating white spruce (in the forest-tundra) may help to account for the extensive burned vegetation. In the eastern half of the study region, the northern limit of burns normally does not extend beyond the line where tree cover equals upland tundra cover. In this eastern sub-region, tree cover decreases rapidly northward within the southern half of forest-tundra, constraining the areal extent of individual burns. Burns extend about 25-75 km into the forest-tundra, decreasing in areal coverage with distance east of Great Slave Lake. Burn cover in the forest-tundra north of Great Slave Lake generally exceeds that east of Great Slave Lake. Weather patterns and an abundance of lakes may help to account for the lower cover of burns east of Great Slave Lake. Burns north of Great Slave Lake peak in cover in the low Subarctic along a NW-SE axis that lies NE of high fire risk and occurrence zones. Strong correlations were observed between burn cover and upland tundra cover (-r) and between burn cover and the tree:upland tundra cover ratio (+r).Key words: boreal, climate, fire ecology, Northwest Territories, spruce, Subarctic, vegetation, weather Mots clés: boréale, climat, écologie du feu, Territoires du Nord-aa-Ouest, épinette, Subarctique, végétation, climat Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Climate change Great Bear Lake Great Slave Lake Hudson Bay Mackenzie Delta Mackenzie river Northwest Territories Nunavut Subarctic subarctique* taiga Tundra University of Calgary Journal Hosting Arctic Canada Great Bear Lake ENVELOPE(-120.753,-120.753,65.834,65.834) Great Slave Lake ENVELOPE(-114.001,-114.001,61.500,61.500) Hudson Hudson Bay Mackenzie Delta ENVELOPE(-136.672,-136.672,68.833,68.833) Mackenzie River Northwest Territories Nunavut ARCTIC 44 3 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Calgary Journal Hosting |
op_collection_id |
ftunivcalgaryojs |
language |
English |
topic |
Climate change Effects of climate on plants Fire ecology Forest fires History Plant growth Plant succession Taiga ecology Treeline Tundra ecology Tundra fires Mackenzie Delta N.W.T Manitoba Northern Nouveau-Québec Nunavut |
spellingShingle |
Climate change Effects of climate on plants Fire ecology Forest fires History Plant growth Plant succession Taiga ecology Treeline Tundra ecology Tundra fires Mackenzie Delta N.W.T Manitoba Northern Nouveau-Québec Nunavut Timoney, K.P. Wein, Ross W. The Areal Pattern of Burned Tree Vegetation in the Subarctic Region of Northwestern Canada |
topic_facet |
Climate change Effects of climate on plants Fire ecology Forest fires History Plant growth Plant succession Taiga ecology Treeline Tundra ecology Tundra fires Mackenzie Delta N.W.T Manitoba Northern Nouveau-Québec Nunavut |
description |
Vegetation and terrain analyses of 1312 air photos spanning the subarctic, low arctic, and portions of the adjacent high boreal region of northwestern Canada permitted geographic characterization of the areal pattern of burned forest and forest-tundra vegetation. In terms of its lower areal extent of burns, and lower frequency of air photos showing burns, the forest-tundra is distinct from both open crown and closed crown forest regions. Burns show a general decrease in areal coverage from the northwest (Mackenzie River to Great Bear Lake: 0-50% of the terrain) to the southeast (Great Slave Lake to Hudson Bay: 0-10%). In the northwest, the flat till plains, high cover of continuous mature forest, and scarcity of lakes, coupled with dominance of slowly regenerating white spruce (in the forest-tundra) may help to account for the extensive burned vegetation. In the eastern half of the study region, the northern limit of burns normally does not extend beyond the line where tree cover equals upland tundra cover. In this eastern sub-region, tree cover decreases rapidly northward within the southern half of forest-tundra, constraining the areal extent of individual burns. Burns extend about 25-75 km into the forest-tundra, decreasing in areal coverage with distance east of Great Slave Lake. Burn cover in the forest-tundra north of Great Slave Lake generally exceeds that east of Great Slave Lake. Weather patterns and an abundance of lakes may help to account for the lower cover of burns east of Great Slave Lake. Burns north of Great Slave Lake peak in cover in the low Subarctic along a NW-SE axis that lies NE of high fire risk and occurrence zones. Strong correlations were observed between burn cover and upland tundra cover (-r) and between burn cover and the tree:upland tundra cover ratio (+r).Key words: boreal, climate, fire ecology, Northwest Territories, spruce, Subarctic, vegetation, weather Mots clés: boréale, climat, écologie du feu, Territoires du Nord-aa-Ouest, épinette, Subarctique, végétation, climat |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Timoney, K.P. Wein, Ross W. |
author_facet |
Timoney, K.P. Wein, Ross W. |
author_sort |
Timoney, K.P. |
title |
The Areal Pattern of Burned Tree Vegetation in the Subarctic Region of Northwestern Canada |
title_short |
The Areal Pattern of Burned Tree Vegetation in the Subarctic Region of Northwestern Canada |
title_full |
The Areal Pattern of Burned Tree Vegetation in the Subarctic Region of Northwestern Canada |
title_fullStr |
The Areal Pattern of Burned Tree Vegetation in the Subarctic Region of Northwestern Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Areal Pattern of Burned Tree Vegetation in the Subarctic Region of Northwestern Canada |
title_sort |
areal pattern of burned tree vegetation in the subarctic region of northwestern canada |
publisher |
The Arctic Institute of North America |
publishDate |
1991 |
url |
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64596 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-120.753,-120.753,65.834,65.834) ENVELOPE(-114.001,-114.001,61.500,61.500) ENVELOPE(-136.672,-136.672,68.833,68.833) |
geographic |
Arctic Canada Great Bear Lake Great Slave Lake Hudson Hudson Bay Mackenzie Delta Mackenzie River Northwest Territories Nunavut |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada Great Bear Lake Great Slave Lake Hudson Hudson Bay Mackenzie Delta Mackenzie River Northwest Territories Nunavut |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Climate change Great Bear Lake Great Slave Lake Hudson Bay Mackenzie Delta Mackenzie river Northwest Territories Nunavut Subarctic subarctique* taiga Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Climate change Great Bear Lake Great Slave Lake Hudson Bay Mackenzie Delta Mackenzie river Northwest Territories Nunavut Subarctic subarctique* taiga Tundra |
op_source |
ARCTIC; Vol. 44 No. 3 (1991): September: 177–265; 223-230 1923-1245 0004-0843 |
op_relation |
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64596/48510 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64596 |
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ARCTIC |
container_volume |
44 |
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3 |
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1766290804737835008 |