Effects of Burning Crude Oil Spilled Onto Six Habitat Types in Alaska
The effects on vegetational recovery of removing spilled Prudhoe Bay crude oil from terrestrial sites by burning were observed at three Alaskan locations; Palmer, Fairbanks, and Prudhoe Bay. Five habitat types were studied: 1) abandoned agricultural grass field, 2) the high-brush stage in the second...
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The Arctic Institute of North America
1978
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Online Access: | https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65710 |
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ftunivcalgaryojs:oai:journalhosting.ucalgary.ca:article/65710 2023-05-15T14:19:18+02:00 Effects of Burning Crude Oil Spilled Onto Six Habitat Types in Alaska McKendrick, Jay D. Mitchell, WM. W. 1978-01-01 application/pdf https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65710 eng eng The Arctic Institute of North America https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65710/49624 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65710 ARCTIC; Vol. 31 No. 3 (1978): September: 153–411; 277-295 1923-1245 0004-0843 Environmental impacts Oil spill burning Oil spill cleanup Oil spills on land Alaska Fairbanks Palmer Prudhoe Bay region info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion research-article 1978 ftunivcalgaryojs 2022-03-22T21:22:45Z The effects on vegetational recovery of removing spilled Prudhoe Bay crude oil from terrestrial sites by burning were observed at three Alaskan locations; Palmer, Fairbanks, and Prudhoe Bay. Five habitat types were studied: 1) abandoned agricultural grass field, 2) the high-brush stage in the secondary succession of interior Alaskan spruce forests, 3) sedge meadow, 4) spruce forest, and 5) wet and mesic arctic tundra. Oil burning was carried out on snow during winter, during the summer growing season and in autumn as soils were freezing. Burning in summer during the growing season was much more detrimental to plant survival than winter burning. Significant amounts of dormant or near dormant vegetation survived hot burns in September where the soil was frozen to a depth of at least four centimeters. Burning spilled oils on frozen soil surfaces at all three locations affected subsequent plant survival less than when soil surfaces were thawed. Plant dormancy, reduced soil permeability, high soil moisture levels and low soil temperatures were the most probable factors contributing to plants surviving oil spills and burns. Heating during the burn failed to raise soil temperatures to levels in the upper soil zone lethal to the perennating buds of grasses and forbs. Spilled oil, permitted to stand (aged), ignited with difficulty or not at all, suggesting the effects of volatilization on combustion potential. Oil that soaked into surface mats of organic matter was also impossible to burn. Attempts to ignite oil spilled on snow during winter at Prudhoe Bay were unsuccessful, possibly because strong winds were rapidly removing volatile fractions. Certain herbaceous plants were relatively unharmed, either by the oil or burning when dormant. Limited damage occurred in winter if the oil was burned immediately after spilling. Delaying burning of oil either 48 hrs or one month after spilling significantly decreased plant survival. In woody vegetation types, plant survival improved slightly where oil was removed by burning. Woody species apparently survived burning and oiling and regrew from stump sprouts. There were two extremes and no intermediate burning situations. Fires either burned rapidly and hot or were impossible to ignite. Heavy black smoke produced during the rapid burns was soon dissipated by light breezes. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Prudhoe Bay Tundra Alaska University of Calgary Journal Hosting Arctic Fairbanks Stump ENVELOPE(-153.167,-153.167,-86.183,-86.183) ARCTIC 31 3 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Calgary Journal Hosting |
op_collection_id |
ftunivcalgaryojs |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental impacts Oil spill burning Oil spill cleanup Oil spills on land Alaska Fairbanks Palmer Prudhoe Bay region |
spellingShingle |
Environmental impacts Oil spill burning Oil spill cleanup Oil spills on land Alaska Fairbanks Palmer Prudhoe Bay region McKendrick, Jay D. Mitchell, WM. W. Effects of Burning Crude Oil Spilled Onto Six Habitat Types in Alaska |
topic_facet |
Environmental impacts Oil spill burning Oil spill cleanup Oil spills on land Alaska Fairbanks Palmer Prudhoe Bay region |
description |
The effects on vegetational recovery of removing spilled Prudhoe Bay crude oil from terrestrial sites by burning were observed at three Alaskan locations; Palmer, Fairbanks, and Prudhoe Bay. Five habitat types were studied: 1) abandoned agricultural grass field, 2) the high-brush stage in the secondary succession of interior Alaskan spruce forests, 3) sedge meadow, 4) spruce forest, and 5) wet and mesic arctic tundra. Oil burning was carried out on snow during winter, during the summer growing season and in autumn as soils were freezing. Burning in summer during the growing season was much more detrimental to plant survival than winter burning. Significant amounts of dormant or near dormant vegetation survived hot burns in September where the soil was frozen to a depth of at least four centimeters. Burning spilled oils on frozen soil surfaces at all three locations affected subsequent plant survival less than when soil surfaces were thawed. Plant dormancy, reduced soil permeability, high soil moisture levels and low soil temperatures were the most probable factors contributing to plants surviving oil spills and burns. Heating during the burn failed to raise soil temperatures to levels in the upper soil zone lethal to the perennating buds of grasses and forbs. Spilled oil, permitted to stand (aged), ignited with difficulty or not at all, suggesting the effects of volatilization on combustion potential. Oil that soaked into surface mats of organic matter was also impossible to burn. Attempts to ignite oil spilled on snow during winter at Prudhoe Bay were unsuccessful, possibly because strong winds were rapidly removing volatile fractions. Certain herbaceous plants were relatively unharmed, either by the oil or burning when dormant. Limited damage occurred in winter if the oil was burned immediately after spilling. Delaying burning of oil either 48 hrs or one month after spilling significantly decreased plant survival. In woody vegetation types, plant survival improved slightly where oil was removed by burning. Woody species apparently survived burning and oiling and regrew from stump sprouts. There were two extremes and no intermediate burning situations. Fires either burned rapidly and hot or were impossible to ignite. Heavy black smoke produced during the rapid burns was soon dissipated by light breezes. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
McKendrick, Jay D. Mitchell, WM. W. |
author_facet |
McKendrick, Jay D. Mitchell, WM. W. |
author_sort |
McKendrick, Jay D. |
title |
Effects of Burning Crude Oil Spilled Onto Six Habitat Types in Alaska |
title_short |
Effects of Burning Crude Oil Spilled Onto Six Habitat Types in Alaska |
title_full |
Effects of Burning Crude Oil Spilled Onto Six Habitat Types in Alaska |
title_fullStr |
Effects of Burning Crude Oil Spilled Onto Six Habitat Types in Alaska |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effects of Burning Crude Oil Spilled Onto Six Habitat Types in Alaska |
title_sort |
effects of burning crude oil spilled onto six habitat types in alaska |
publisher |
The Arctic Institute of North America |
publishDate |
1978 |
url |
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65710 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-153.167,-153.167,-86.183,-86.183) |
geographic |
Arctic Fairbanks Stump |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Fairbanks Stump |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Prudhoe Bay Tundra Alaska |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Prudhoe Bay Tundra Alaska |
op_source |
ARCTIC; Vol. 31 No. 3 (1978): September: 153–411; 277-295 1923-1245 0004-0843 |
op_relation |
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65710/49624 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65710 |
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ARCTIC |
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31 |
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3 |
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