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Increasing forest fire emissions despite the decline in global burned area
Bo Zheng1,2, Philippe Ciais2,3, Frederic Chevallier2
1Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
Science Advances
|September 24, 2021
Summary
Global satellite data reveal declining grassland fires but increasing forest fires. Despite reduced burned areas, global fire emissions remain stable due to larger carbon dioxide release from forest fires, impacting climate change.
Area of Science:
- Earth Science
- Atmospheric Science
- Climate Science
Background:
- Global satellite observations show a decrease in grassland burned area and a slight increase in forest burned area over recent decades.
- Previous research has noted these contrasting trends but lacked comprehensive data on their impact on global fire emissions.
- Direct observations of fire emissions are scarce, limiting our understanding of the net effect on atmospheric composition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the impact of changing fire regimes (grassland vs. forest) on global fire emission trends.
- To assess the net effect of these trends on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and land sink capacity.
- To understand the implications of these changes for climate change feedback mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an atmospheric inversion system to analyze satellite-derived burned area data and estimate global fire emissions.
- Compared emission trends from grassland fires with those from forest fires over the past two decades.
- Evaluated the post-fire recovery rates and carbon dioxide uptake capacity of burned forest lands.
Main Results:
- Global fire emissions have remained stable or slightly decreased over the past two decades, despite a significant decline in total global burned area.
- Increased carbon dioxide emissions from forest fires have offset decreasing emissions from grassland and shrubland fires.
- Forest fires release more carbon dioxide per unit area than grassland fires and exhibit slower or incomplete recovery, weakening the land's carbon sink capacity.
Conclusions:
- The shift towards more forest fires, even with a decrease in overall burned area, contributes to a positive feedback loop on climate change.
- Weakened land sink capacity due to slow recovery of burned forests has significant implications for future climate trajectories.
- Continued monitoring of fire regimes and their emission impacts is crucial for accurate climate modeling and mitigation strategies.
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