Natural fire frequency for the eastern Canadian boreal forest: consequences for sustainable forestry
Bergeron Y, Gauthier S, Kafka V, Lefort P, Lesieur D. 2001. Natural fire frequency for the eastern Canadian boreal forest: consequences for sustainable forestry. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 31:384-394
Given that fire is the most important disturbance of the boreal forest, climatically induced changes in fire frequency can have important consequences on the resulting forest mosaic age-class distribution and composition. Using archives and dendroecological data we reconstructed the fire frequency in four large sectors along a transect from eastern Ontario to central Quebec. Results showed a dramatic decrease in fire frequency that began in the mid-19th century and has been accentuated during the 20th century. The global warming that has been occurring since the end of the Little Ice Age (~1850) may have created a climate less prone to large forest fires in the eastern boreal forest of North America. A longer fire cycle has important consequences for sustainable forest management of the boreal forest of eastern Canada.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Bergeron, Y; Gauthier, S; Kafka, V; Lefort, P; Lesieur, D
- Units
- APIS , GRPO , ISRO , PIRO , VOYA
- Keywords
- Boreal Forest, Canada, Climate Change, Fire Frequency, Ontario, Quebec, sustainable forestry