CENTRE ON THE PROBLEMS OF ECOLOGY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF FORESTS
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CENTRE ON THE PROBLEMS OF ECOLOGY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF FORESTS |
RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES |
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Shvidenko A.Z., Schepaschenko D.G. Climate Changes and Wildfires in Russia // Forest Science (Lesovedenie). 2013. No 5. С.50-61. The climate change effect on patterns, intensity, and transforming role of wildfires is considered. The general overview of the recent wildfire regimes (WR) and impacts on forest ecosystems and environment is provided. A distinctive feature of WR is the increasing frequency of disastrous wildfires. Application of various remote sensing instruments evidences the average natural wildfire area in Russia in 1998-2010 is 8.2±0.8 · 106 ha. About two thirds of this total area occur on the forest lands, and the half is on the forested lands. The average annual fire carbon balance during the above period was 121±28 Tg C year -1, including 92±18 Tg C year -1 emitted from the forested land. The forecasts that based on Global Circulation Models suppose the dramatic acceleration of the fire regimes by end of the 21st century. Taking into account the predicted increase of dryness of future climates and thawing of permafrost, this will likely lead to the dramatic loss of forested area and impoverishment of the forest cover over major part of the forest zone. Transition to adaptive forestry and adaptive forest management would allow a substantial decrease of the expected losses. Adaptation of the current system of forest fire protection to climate change is considered as an important component of transition to sustainable forest management in Russia. Climate change, forest fires, current and expected fire regimes, adaptation of Russia's forests to climate change.. |
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