The Theme
Forest fires in Canada's boreal forests burn an average of 2.5
million hectares annually. Fire is a natural and necessary force,
shaping the landscape and ensuring the healthy growth of new forests.
The frequency, extent and impact of boreal fires are primarily controlled
by fire management measures, short-term weather conditions, as well
as the age structure of the forest. Climate simulations, which were
generated from four Global
General Circulation Models, were used to project forest fire
danger levels with relation to global warming.
The Seasonal Severity Rating (SSR) is a measure of fire danger conditions over a complete fire season. The SSR is developed by averaging daily values over the
season. The scale shown is relative, with values above 6 being extreme. A real value of zero is only possible in remote cold regions where no fire danger exists in the
summer months.
The following animation
is created to show the projected changes in forest fire severity levels across Canada from 1980 to 1989 base period to the end of the century.
Spatial Variation
Historically, the regions having the most significant forest fire
activity in Canada have been in west-central Canada. As shown in
the map, the areas with the highest forest fire danger levels were
in the southern Prairies, southern British Columbia and the north-western
parts of the Northwest Territories.
Data Source
This map was prepared by Brian Stocks and his colleagues at the Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada.
The digital data for this map can be downloaded
here. |
