US-IALE 2018

AUTHORS: Brian D. Young*, Department of Natural Science, Landmark College, Putney, VT; Falk Hüttmann, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK

ABSTRACT: Wildfire is both a naturally and anthropogenically produced disturbance which plays an important role in the development of the boreal forest. The boreal forest currently experiences frequent, stand-replacing fires which typically result in stands dominated by a single cohort of a limited number of tree species which establish simultaneously after fire but, differ in their growth rates. Substantial modeling and empirical evidence suggests that wildfire within the boreal forest of western North America is likely to increase in extent and severity with climate change. Therefore, a clear understanding of the present state of the entire forested area is crucial so that future change may be assessed. The environmental factors controlling the spatial heterogeneity of time since fire are numerous and vary from one ecosystem to another and between spatial scales. Large areas of Alaska are very difficult to access therefore; there is a need for advanced approaches to mapping. Here we investigate a predictive modeling approach that uses publicly available data and environmental variables to predict the time since fire for the interior forest of Alaska.