Abstract
Globally peatlands store large amounts of carbon belowground with 80% distributed in boreal regions of the northern hemisphere. Climate warming and drying of the boreal region has been documented as affecting fire regimes, with increased fire frequency, severity and extent. While much research is dedicated to assessing changes in boreal uplands, few research efforts are focused on the vulnerability of boreal peatlands to wildfire. In this case study, an integration of field data collection, land cover mapping of peatland types and Landsat-based fire severity mapping was conducted for four spring wildfires where peatlands are abundant in northeastern Alberta Canada. The goal was to better understand if peatlands burn more or less preferentially than uplands in spring fires and how severely the organic soil layers (peat) of different peatland ecotypes burn. Spatial comparisons and statistical analysis showed that proportionally bogs are more likely to burn in spring Alberta wildfires than other ecosystem types, even upland conifer. When fire weather conditions for the duff layers are high, we found that fens become more vulnerable to burning. In addition, bogs experienced greater severity of burn to the peat layers than fens. Due to the small sample size of peat severity in uplands and limited geographic area of this case study, we were unable to assess if bogs are burning more severely than uplands. Further analysis and Landsat algorithm development for organic soil fire severity in peatlands and uplands is needed to more fully understand trends in belowground consumption for wildfires of all seasons and boreal ecotypes.
Highlights
Peatlands are a class of wetland that are defined as often having saturated soils, anaerobic conditions and large deposits of partially decomposed organic plant material belowground
Based on this case study of four early season wildfires occurring in a region of Alberta Canada where peatlands are abundant, we found bogs to be more susceptible to early season wildfire than open fens and treed fens
Upland conifer stands of this region are dominated by black spruce or jack pine, which is another highly flammable, fire-adapted species
Summary
Peatlands are a class of wetland that are defined as often having saturated soils, anaerobic conditions and large deposits of partially decomposed organic plant material (peat) belowground. Wildfire is common to the boreal forest regions of western Canada and Alaska, and during large fire seasons, vast areas of forests and peatlands are burned. Since peat-rich ecosystems, such as bogs and fens, sequester and store large amounts of carbon belowground, the effects of changing fire regimes could result in an alteration of the role of peatlands in the carbon cycle. It is, important to understand the vulnerability of peatlands, and in particular, the peat-rich soils to wildfire.
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