Carbon loss from boreal forest wildfires offset by increased dominance of deciduous trees

Michelle C. Mack, Xanthe J. Walker, Jill F. Johnstone, Heather D. Alexander, April M. Melvin, Mélanie Jean, Samantha N. Miller

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

158 Scopus citations

Abstract

In boreal forests, climate warming is shifting the wildfire disturbance regime to more frequent fires that burn more deeply into organic soils, releasing sequestered carbon to the atmosphere. To understand the destabilization of carbon storage, it is necessary to consider these effects in the context of long-term ecological change. In Alaskan boreal forests, we found that shifts in dominant plant species catalyzed by severe fire compensated for greater combustion of soil carbon over decadal time scales. Severe burning of organic soils shifted tree dominance from slow-growing black spruce to fast-growing deciduous broadleaf trees, resulting in a net increase in carbon storage by a factor of 5 over the disturbance cycle. Reduced fire activity in future deciduous-dominated boreal forests could increase the tenure of this carbon on the landscape, thereby mitigating the feedback to climate warming.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)280-283
Number of pages4
JournalScience
Volume372
Issue number6539
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 16 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Carbon loss from boreal forest wildfires offset by increased dominance of deciduous trees'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this