Spatial and temporal variations of fire regimes in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and Foothills of southern Alberta
Marie-Pierre Rogeau A B F , Mike D. Flannigan B , Brad C. Hawkes C , Marc-André Parisien D and Rick Arthur E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Wildland Disturbance Consulting, PO Box 2421, Banff, AB, T1L 1C2, Canada.
B Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada.
C Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, BC, V8Z 1M5, Canada.
D Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre, 5320 – 122 Street, Edmonton, AB, T6H 3S5, Canada.
E Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Southern Rockies Area, 8660 Bearspaw Dam Road NW, Calgary, AB, T3L 1S4, Canada.
F Corresponding author. Email: mprogeau@telusplanet.net
International Journal of Wildland Fire 25(11) 1117-1130 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF15120
Submitted: 30 June 2015 Accepted: 1 August 2016 Published: 28 September 2016
Abstract
Like many fire-adapted ecosystems, decades of fire exclusion policy in the Rocky Mountains and Foothills natural regions of southern Alberta, Canada are raising concern over the loss of ecological integrity. Departure from historical conditions is evaluated using median fire return intervals (MdFRI) based on fire history data from the Subalpine (SUB), Montane (MT) and Upper Foothills (UF) natural subregions. Fire severity, seasonality and cause are also documented. Pre-1948 MdFRI ranged between 65 and 85 years in SUB, between 26 and 35 years in MT and was 39 years in UF. The fire exclusion era resulted in a critical departure of 197–223% in MT (MdFRI = 84–104 years). The departure in UF was 170% (MdFRI = 104 years), while regions of continuous fuels in SUB were departed by 129% (MdFRI = 149 years). The most rugged region of SUB is within its historical range of variation with a departure of 42% (MdFRI = 121 years). More mixed-severity burning took place in MT and UF. SUB and MT are in a lightning shadow pointing to a predominance of anthropogenic burning. A summer fire season prevails in SUB, but occurs from spring to fall elsewhere. These findings will assist in developing fire and forest management policies and adaptive strategies in the future.
Additional keywords: fire history, Kaplan–Meier, montane, subalpine, survival analysis.
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