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Stenzel JE, Bartowitz KJ, Hartman MD, Lutz JA, Kolden CA, Smith AMS, Law BE, Swanson ME, Larson AJ, Parton WJ, Hudiburg TW. Fixing a snag in carbon emissions estimates from wildfires. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:3985-3994. [PMID: 31148284 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Wildfire is an essential earth-system process, impacting ecosystem processes and the carbon cycle. Forest fires are becoming more frequent and severe, yet gaps exist in the modeling of fire on vegetation and carbon dynamics. Strategies for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions from wildfires include increasing tree harvest, largely based on the public assumption that fires burn live forests to the ground, despite observations indicating that less than 5% of mature tree biomass is actually consumed. This misconception is also reflected though excessive combustion of live trees in models. Here, we show that regional emissions estimates using widely implemented combustion coefficients are 59%-83% higher than emissions based on field observations. Using unique field datasets from before and after wildfires and an improved ecosystem model, we provide strong evidence that these large overestimates can be reduced by using realistic biomass combustion factors and by accurately quantifying biomass in standing dead trees that decompose over decades to centuries after fire ("snags"). Most model development focuses on area burned; our results reveal that accurately representing combustion is also essential for quantifying fire impacts on ecosystems. Using our improvements, we find that western US forest fires have emitted 851 ± 228 Tg CO2 (~half of alternative estimates) over the last 17 years, which is minor compared to 16,200 Tg CO2 from fossil fuels across the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey E Stenzel
- Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
| | - Kristina J Bartowitz
- Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
| | - Melannie D Hartman
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - James A Lutz
- S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
| | - Crystal A Kolden
- Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
| | - Alistair M S Smith
- Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
| | - Beverly E Law
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Mark E Swanson
- College of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Andrew J Larson
- W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana
| | - William J Parton
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Tara W Hudiburg
- Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
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Chen M, Parton WJ, Hartman MD, Del Grosso SJ, Smith WK, Knapp AK, Lutz S, Derner JD, Tucker CJ, Ojima DS, Volesky JD, Stephenson MB, Schacht WH, Gao W. Assessing precipitation, evapotranspiration, and
NDVI
as controls of U.S. Great Plains plant production. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maosi Chen
- United States Department of Agriculture UV‐B Monitoring and Research Program Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80521 USA
| | - William J. Parton
- United States Department of Agriculture UV‐B Monitoring and Research Program Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80521 USA
| | - Melannie D. Hartman
- United States Department of Agriculture UV‐B Monitoring and Research Program Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80521 USA
| | - Stephen J. Del Grosso
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
- Agricultural Research Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Fort Collins Colorado 80526 USA
| | - William K. Smith
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson Arizona 85721 USA
| | - Alan K. Knapp
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - Susan Lutz
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - Justin D. Derner
- Agricultural Research Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Cheyenne Wyoming 82009 USA
| | - Compton J. Tucker
- Earth Resources Branch NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt Maryland 20771 USA
| | - Dennis S. Ojima
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - Jerry D. Volesky
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture University of Nebraska‐Lincoln North Platte Nebraska 69101 USA
| | - Mitchell B. Stephenson
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Scottsbluff Nebraska 69361 USA
| | - Walter H. Schacht
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska 68583 USA
| | - Wei Gao
- United States Department of Agriculture UV‐B Monitoring and Research Program Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80521 USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
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7
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Bais F, Luca RM, Bornman JF, Williamson CE, Sulzberger B, Austin AT, Wilson SR, Andrady AL, Bernhard G, McKenzie RL, Aucamp PJ, Madronich S, Neale RE, Yazar S, Young AR, de Gruijl FR, Norval M, Takizawa Y, Barnes PW, Robson TM, Robinson SA, Ballaré CL, Flint SD, Neale PJ, Hylander S, Rose KC, Wängberg SÅ, Häder DP, Worrest RC, Zepp RG, Paul ND, Cory RM, Solomon KR, Longstreth J, Pandey KK, Redhwi HH, Torikai A, Heikkilä AM. Environmental effects of ozone depletion, UV radiation and interactions with climate change: UNEP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel, update 2017. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2018; 17:127-179. [PMID: 29404558 PMCID: PMC6155474 DOI: 10.1039/c7pp90043k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP) is one of three Panels of experts that inform the Parties to the Montreal Protocol. The EEAP focuses on the effects of UV radiation on human health, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, air quality, and materials, as well as on the interactive effects of UV radiation and global climate change. When considering the effects of climate change, it has become clear that processes resulting in changes in stratospheric ozone are more complex than previously held. Because of the Montreal Protocol, there are now indications of the beginnings of a recovery of stratospheric ozone, although the time required to reach levels like those before the 1960s is still uncertain, particularly as the effects of stratospheric ozone on climate change and vice versa, are not yet fully understood. Some regions will likely receive enhanced levels of UV radiation, while other areas will likely experience a reduction in UV radiation as ozone- and climate-driven changes affect the amounts of UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Like the other Panels, the EEAP produces detailed Quadrennial Reports every four years; the most recent was published as a series of seven papers in 2015 (Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2015, 14, 1-184). In the years in between, the EEAP produces less detailed and shorter Update Reports of recent and relevant scientific findings. The most recent of these was for 2016 (Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2017, 16, 107-145). The present 2017 Update Report assesses some of the highlights and new insights about the interactive nature of the direct and indirect effects of UV radiation, atmospheric processes, and climate change. A full 2018 Quadrennial Assessment, will be made available in 2018/2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Bais
- Aristotle Univ. of Thessaloniki, Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - R. M. Luca
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National Univ., Canberra, Australia
| | - J. F. Bornman
- Curtin Univ., Curtin Business School, Perth, Australia
| | | | - B. Sulzberger
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - A. T. Austin
- Univ. of Buenos Aires, Faculty of Agronomy and IFEVA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - S. R. Wilson
- School of Chemistry, Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry, Univ. of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - A. L. Andrady
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - G. Bernhard
- Biospherical Instruments Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - P. J. Aucamp
- Ptersa Environmental Consultants, Faerie Glen, South Africa
| | - S. Madronich
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - R. E. Neale
- Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
| | - S. Yazar
- Univ. of Western Australia, Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Lions Eye Institute, Perth, Australia
| | | | - F. R. de Gruijl
- Department of Dermatology, Leiden Univ. Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - M. Norval
- Univ. of Edinburgh Medical School, UK
| | - Y. Takizawa
- Akita Univ. School of Medicine, National Institute for Minamata Disease, Nakadai, Itabashiku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - P. W. Barnes
- Department of Biological Sciences and Environment Program, Loyola Univ., New Orleans, USA
| | - T. M. Robson
- Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Viikki Plant Science Centre, Univ. of Helsinki, Finland
| | - S. A. Robinson
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - C. L. Ballaré
- Univ. of Buenos Aires, Faculty of Agronomy and IFEVA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - S. D. Flint
- Dept of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences, Univ. of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - P. J. Neale
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, USA
| | - S. Hylander
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial model Systems, Linnaeus Univ., Kalmar, Sweden
| | - K. C. Rose
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - S.-Å. Wängberg
- Dept Marine Sciences, Univ. of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - D.-P. Häder
- Friedrich-Alexander Univ. Erlangen-Nürnberg, Dept of Biology, Möhrendorf, Germany
| | - R. C. Worrest
- CIESIN, Columbia Univ., New Hartford, Connecticut, USA
| | - R. G. Zepp
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - N. D. Paul
- Lanter Environment Centre, Lanter Univ., LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - R. M. Cory
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - K. R. Solomon
- Centre for Toxicology, School of Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - J. Longstreth
- The Institute for Global Risk Research, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - K. K. Pandey
- Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bengaluru, India
| | - H. H. Redhwi
- Chemical Engineering Dept, King Fahd Univ. of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | - A. Torikai
- Materials Life Society of Japan, Kayabacho Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - A. M. Heikkilä
- Finnish Meteorological Institute R&D/Climate Research, Helsinki, Finland
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