ARCUS | Arctic Research Consortium of the United States

6th Annual ARCUS Award for Arctic Research Excellence


Submitted by   Monika Calef
Authors   Monica P. Calef, H.E. Epstein, and H. H. Shugart
Category   Interdisciplinary Research
Title   Fire and Vegetation Patterns in Interior Alaska
Affiliation   Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

Abstract

According to a variety of field observations, most forest types of the boreal forest in Interior Alaska can be found at unique elevation ranges, and topographic slopes and aspects. The boreal forest is also characterized by recurring disturbances such as wildfires and insect infestations which interrupt succession. The goal of this project was to investigate three fundamental relationships in Interior Alaska: the distribution and location of vegetation types by topography, the relationship between fire and topography, and the relationship between fire and vegetation types. Topographic information (elevation, aspect, slope) was extracted from a 1km2 resolution digital elevation model (DEM). This was overlaid with the U.S.G.S. global land cover characteristics database and the Alaska Fire Scar database (AFSD). Interior Alaska is dominated by 4 out of the 37 vegetation types listed in the land cover classification. Fire frequency within the 50-year record varied from 1 to 4 fires per km2. Most fires occurred at 100m to 300m elevations, northeast to northern aspect, and zero to 5% slope angle. Eighty percent of all the area burnt since 1993 was classified as spruce forest or spruce woodland, compared to only 9% classified as deciduous forest. The data suggest that there are interesting links between spatial patterns of vegetation type, topography, and fire cycle.