Assessing the potential of the differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) for estimating burn severity in eastern Canadian boreal forests
Jonathan Boucher A B C , André Beaudoin B D , Christian Hébert B , Luc Guindon B and Éric Bauce A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Université Laval, 2325 de l’Université, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
B Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, 1055 du P.E.P.S., PO Box 10380, Sainte-Foy, Québec, QC, G1V 4C7, Canada.
C Present address: Société de Protection des Forêts contre le Feu, 715, 7e Rue de l’Aéroport, Québec, QC, G2G 2S7, Canada.
D Corresponding author. Email: andre.beaudoin@canada.ca
International Journal of Wildland Fire 26(1) 32-45 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF15122
Submitted: 1 July 2015 Accepted: 20 September 2016 Published: 8 November 2016
Abstract
There is considerable variation in the degree of burn severity in boreal fires. One approach that has been used to capture this variation from field and remote sensing perspectives for western Canadian boreal forests is the Composite Burn Index (CBI) and differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR). Of interest was how well these methods may perform for fires in eastern Canada. This study investigated the CBI-dNBR relationship for selected fires in the eastern boreal forests of Canada, with a view towards contributing to the generalisation of a Canada-wide model. Results for the sampled region showed no difference in the CBI-dNBR relationship between black spruce- and jack pine-dominated stands, whereas this relationship was best described by a Generalised Additive Model (GAM). The dNBR-derived maps would also be useful in support of research and post-fire management in burns outside the studied territory and time frame covered by the existing burn severity mapping system already used in this region. The Saturated growth model proposed for the western boreal region also performed well for our eastern boreal region, thus further supporting the development of a national model.
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