Impact of silkmoth outbreak on taiga wildfires

Abstract

We provide a quantitative analysis of postoutbreak wildfire frequency within the confluence of the Yenisei and Angara rivers affected by the Siberian Silkmoth (Dendrolimus sibiricus Tschetv.). A catastrophic outbreak was observed in 1993–1996. It expanded to about 1 million ha and caused stand mortality on an area of about 460000 ha. For the outbreak area, the fire frequency was about 7 times higher when compared to the reference area; on the burned area, it was 20 times higher. The peak of fire activity within outbreak areas occurs in May–June, while that for undamaged coniferous stands is in July. The number of fires is correlated with the mean monthly air temperature (r = 0.65) of June. The area of fires displays a negative correlation with moisture conditions: precipitation (r =–0.53), drought index (SPEI: r =–0.57), and ground-cover moisture content (r =–0.57). Extensive fires prevail within outbreak areas (S > 1000 ha), while within the control there is a smaller area of fires. Multiple (reoccurring) wildfires are typical for pest outbreak areas. The area of these fires is related to their reoccurrence by logarithmic dependence (17% of the territory twice burned by forests fires, 5% on that burned three times, and 0.5% on that burned four times). Wildfires in the outbreak areas surpress the initial forest recovery by destroying the regeneration of conifers: 20 years after the outbreak, >90% of disturbed areas are occupied by grass–bush and small-leaved cenoses.