Document


Title

Boreal forest fire emissions and the chemistry of the atmosphere
Document Type: Book Chapter
Author(s): Joel S. Levine; Wesley R. Cofer III
Editor(s): Eric S. Kasischke; Brian J. Stocks
Publication Year: 2000

Cataloging Information

Keyword(s):
  • air quality
  • biomass
  • boreal forests
  • carbon
  • charcoal
  • chemistry
  • ecosystem dynamics
  • Europe
  • fire management
  • forest management
  • gases
  • human caused fires
  • New York
  • nitrogen
  • organic soils
  • particulates
  • runoff
  • Russia
  • savannas
  • soils
  • statistical analysis
  • tropical forests
  • water
  • woody fuels
Topic(s):
Region(s):
Record Maintained By:
Record Last Modified: May 29, 2020
FRAMES Record Number: 45276
Tall Timbers Record Number: 20752
TTRS Location Status: Not in file
TTRS Abstract Status: Fair use, Okay, Reproduced by permission

This bibliographic record was either created or modified by the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy and is provided without charge to promote research and education in Fire Ecology. The E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database is the intellectual property of the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.

Description

From the Conclusions ... 'In addition to being a significant instantaneous global source of atmospheric gases and particulates, burning enhances the biogenic emissions of NO and N2O from the world's soils. Biomass burning affects the reflectivity and emmissivity of the earth's surface. Burning also affects the hydrological cycle by changing rates of land evaporation and water runoff. For the reasons outlined here, it appears that biomass burning may be a significant driver for global change. It seems appropriate to conclude this summary with a quotation from fire historian Stephen J. Pyne (1991): 'We are uniquely fire creatures on a uniquely fire planet, and through fire the destiny of humans has bound itself to the destiny of the planet.'' © 2000 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.

Citation:
Levine, J. S., and I. I. I. Cofer WR. 2000. Boreal forest fire emissions and the chemistry of the atmosphere, in ES Kasischke and BJ Stocks eds., Fire, climate change, and carbon cycling in the boreal forest. New York, Springer-Verlag, Ecological Studies; 138, p. 31-48.