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.
Projected Change
This map shows that the areas with extreme fire danger levels,
as shown on forest fire severity map for the period 1980 to 1989,
will expand and the fire season will lengthen by the mid of the
current century, due to a warming climate. Historically, the regions
having the most significant forest fire activity in Canada have
been in west-central Canada. Under the warming climate, the areas
with high severity levels are projected to expand into the central
Prairies, northeastern British Columbia and south-western Yukon
for the period 2050 to 2059.
Moreover, the warming impacts may include more frequent and severe fires, shorter growth periods between fires, proportionally younger stands, and a decrease
in the carbon storage of northern Canadian forests.
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.
|
