The Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks is pleased to offer a research assistantship to study interactions of permafrost, fire, and plant successional processes in altering boreal landscapes in Alaska.
News: “Wetlands: Drying Intensifying Wildfires, Carbon Release Ninefold, Study Finds”
This new article from Science Daily summarizes findings from the first project “to investigate the effect of drainage on carbon accumulation in northern peatlands and the vulnerability of that carbon to burning.”
Read the FULL ARTICLE from Science Daily.
Read the published journal article: M.R. Turetsky, W.F. Donahue, B.W. Benscoter. Experimental drying intensifies burning and carbon losses in a northern peatland. Nature Communications, 2011; 2: 514 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1523
2012 Fellowship available for Masters and PhD students interested in climate change research in National Parks
Applications for the 2012 NPS George Melendez Wright Climate Change Fellowship are now open.
New JFSP Brief – Rising Temps Trigger Ecological Changes in the Boreal Forest of Alaska
Key Findings:
1. Understory or overstory Composite Burn Index (CBI) ratings for 10 fires were not substantially affected by slope aspect, and elevation, but for two of the fires, results related to timing, or burn season, were significant.
2. Within the next 50 years, simulation results indicate that boreal forest vegetation will likely shift from primarily spruce-dominated to deciduous-dominated.
3. Despite the shift to less flammable species, simulation results predict an increase in fire frequency and number of acres burned annually.
4. ALFRESCO model simulations and changes in the projected cumulative area burned suggest a general rise in fire activity through the end of this century, with the most rapid change in fire activity occurring in the next 20-30 years.
2011 Alaska Fire Science Workshop Podcasts Now Available!
Watch these podcasts from the 2011 Alaska Fire Science Workshop!
“Projected Vegetation and Fire Regime Response to Future Climate Change in National Parks in Interior Alaska”
Excerpt from: Loya, W., Springsteen, A., Barnes, J., and S. Rupp. Projected Vegetation and Fire Regime Response to Future Climate Change in National Parks in Interior Alaska. Alaska Park Science 10:1 (22-25).
Climate change presents a significant challenge to managing our natural and cultural resources. Ecological models that project effects of climate change on plants, animals, and other system components can be used by managers to understand how these effects will impact park resources.
6,000 Years of Tundra Fires in Noatak National Preserve
One of the 37 tundra fires that burned in Noatak National Preserve in the summer of 2010. The Kaluktavik River fire (Fire #561) burned more than 23,000 acres (9,300 ha) in July. Photo from Alaska Park Science.
Excerpt from: Higuera, P., Barnes, J., Chipman, M., Urban, M., and F.S. Hu. The Burning Tundra: A Look Back at the Last 6,000 Years of Fire in the Noatak National Preserve, Northwestern Alaska. Alaska Park Science 10 (1): 36-41.
Alaska LANDFIRE Calibration Workshop
The Alaska LANDFIRE Calibration Workshop will be held in Fairbanks, Alaska on November7-10, 2011.
View the full Calibration Workshop Announcement.
This workshop is dedicated to evaluating the 2008 LANDFIRE Refresh data related to fire behavior fuel models across all of Alaska. Fuel layer maps and rule sets specific to the 13/40 and Canadian Fuel Models will be reviewed by map zone. This is your opportunity to provide feedback and make this a better product for Alaska!
Joint Fire Science Program – 2012 Funding Announcements Now Open!
The JFSP has just released their 2012 Request for Applications (RFAs).
The following information had been provided by Joint Fire Science Program:
There are 5 different funding announcements for 2012.
Open: September 27, 2011
Close: November 18, 2011 5:00 PM Mountain Standard Time
“Recovery After World’s Largest Tundra Fire Raises Questions”
From the Alaska Science Forum by Ned Rozell:
Four summers ago, Syndonia Bret-Harte stood outside at Toolik Lake, watching a wall of smoke creep toward the research station on Alaska’s North Slope. Soon after, smoke oozed over the cluster of buildings.
The great Anaktuvuk River tundra fire of 2007. Photo by Michelle Mack. (From Alaska Science Forum)
To read more of this article click here or visit the Alaska Science Forum website to view all of Ned’s recent articles.
What to know more? Check out our previous post on the Anaktuvuk River Fire with links to Michelle Mack’s research findings and other news articles.
AK Fire Science Highlights 
