Spatial distribution of mean fire size and occurrence in eastern Canada: influence of climate, physical environment and lightning strike density
Jeanne Portier
A D E , Sylvie Gauthier B and Yves Bergeron C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Département des sciences biologiques and Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Montréal, PO Box 8888, Station Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada.
B Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, 1055 du PEPS, PO Box 10380, Station Sainte-Foy, Québec, QC, G1V 4C7, Canada.
C Forest Research Institute, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Université du Québec à Montréal, 445 boulevard de l’Université, Rouyn-Noranda, QC, J9X 5E4, Canada.
D Present address: Forest Resources and Management, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Switzerland.
E Corresponding author. Email: jeanne.portier@wsl.ch
International Journal of Wildland Fire 28(12) 927-940 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF18220
Submitted: 30 May 2018 Accepted: 29 August 2019 Published: 8 October 2019
Abstract
In Canada, recent catastrophic wildfire events raised concern from governments and communities. As climate change is expected to increase fire activity in boreal forests, the need for a better understanding of fire regimes is becoming urgent. This study addresses the 1972–2015 spatial distributions of fire cycles, mean fire size (FireSz) and mean fire occurrence (mean annual number of fires per 100 000 ha, FireOcc) in eastern Canada. The objectives were to determine (1) the spatial variability of fire-regime attributes, (2) the capacity of FireSz and FireOcc to distinguish homogeneous fire zones and (3) the environmental factors driving FireSz and FireOcc, with some emphasis on lightning strikes. Fire cycles, FireSz and FireOcc greatly varied throughout the study area. Even within homogeneous fire zones, FireSz and FireOcc were highly variable. FireSz was controlled by moisture content in deep layers of the soil and by surficial deposits, whereas FireOcc was controlled by moisture content in top layers of the soil and by relief. The lack of a relationship between FireOcc and lightning-strike density suggested that the limiting effect of lightning-strike density on FireOcc could be operating only under certain circumstances, when interacting with other environmental factors.
Additional keywords: boreal forest, fire cycle, fire regime, Quebec.
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