Fire monitoring protocol for the Arctic Network: Fire extent, severity, and effects
Barnes J, Hrobak J, Sorbel B. 2018. Fire monitoring protocol for the Arctic Network: Fire extent, severity, and effects. Natural Resource Report. NPS/ARCN/NRR—2018/1716. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Fire was selected as a “vital sign” for long-term monitoring in the Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network (ARCN) of the National Park Service. Fire affects all of the parks in the Arctic Network. Fire exerts strong landscape and micro-scale effects on vegetation composition and distribution, and can also influence wildlife habitat, soil parameters (e.g., permafrost and nutrient cycling), hydrology, water quality and air quality. In addition, the natural fire regime (fire frequency, fire extent and severity) and fire succession are likely to respond to global climate changes. Wildfires are dynamic in nature, and are a reflection of the environmental conditions at a specific time and space on a landscape. Wildfires are influenced by weather, vegetation (fuels), ignitions and human interactions (fire suppression). All of these have the potential to change over time. This protocol presents methods for acquiring data to monitor the extent, severity and effects of fires in the ARCN parks. Baseline monitoring of fire parameters such as the number of fires, fire extent (area burned) and burn severity will provide explanatory variables for ecological changes detected through the I&M program, while long term monitoring of fire effects on vegetation will provide a foundation to elucidate the complex relationship between fire and the landscape. This I&M protocol narrative describes the plan for monitoring and reporting wildfire activity and effects within the ARCN parks. Fire and lightning data collected by the NPS Fire Management and other fire agencies will be used to summarize statistics on fire extent, number of fires, and lightning within the parks. Burn severity data from remote sensing and ground-based plots will be used to assess changes in burn severity over time. Fire effects will be monitored using legacy plot data sets and establishing a framework for future monitoring sites in the parks if additional funding becomes available.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Barnes, Jennifer; Hrobak, Jennifer; Sorbel, Brian
- Date of Issue
- 2018-09
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- ARCN , BELA , CAKR , GAAR , KOVA , NOAT , NRSS
- Keywords
- alaska, burn severity, Fire, Fire effects, fire extent, fire frequency, fire severity, fire succession, lightning, monitoring, National Park Service, vegetation
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Landscapes | Fire and Fuel Dynamics | Fire and Fuel Dynamics