Kenai | AK Fire Science Highlights

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game plans to capture 100 moose in the vicinity of the 200,000 acre Funny River Fire to monitor their response to the changes in vegetation and use of areas with different burn severities. Past large fires in 1947 and 1969 have generally been thought to benefit moose by providing prime forage conditions during a couple decades after they burn. Fifty moose will be fitted with GPS tracking collars to monitor movements and sensors to monitor body temperature will be used to see if recently burned areas result in “hotter” moose. Read more about the planned research and the fire in ADF&G’s November newsletter.

Photo by Thomas McDonnough

If you weren’t able to hear this talk in person, watch the video posted on Alaska Fire Science Consortium website: Linked Disturbance Interactions in South-Central Alaska: Implications for Ecosystems and People.
For his MS Thesis, Winslow explored the social and ecological implications of changing boreal forest natural disturbance regimes. He analyzed how the occurrence of spruce bark beetle outbreak has altered the probability of subsequent wildfire activity between 2001 and 2009 on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska as well as the economic impact of fire and insect disturbances to private property values. (By permission– Thanks Winslow!)