| Abstract: | With anticipated climate change, tundra fires are expected to occur more frequently in the future, but data on the long-term effects of fire on tundra vegetation composition are scarce. This study addresses changes in vegetation structure that have persisted for 17 years after a tundra fire on the North Slope of Alaska. Fire-related shifts in vegetation composition were assessed from remote-sensing imagery and ground observations of the burn scar and an adjacent control site. Early-season remotely sensed imagery from the burn scar exhibits a low vegetation index compared with the control site, whereas the late-season signal is slightly higher. The range and maximum vegetation index are greater in the burn scar, although the mean annual values do not differ among the sites. Ground observations revealed a greater abundance of moss in the unburned site, which may account for the high early growing season normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) anomaly relative to the burn. The abundance of graminoid species and an absence of Betula nana in the post-fire tundra sites may also be responsible for the spectral differences observed in the remotely sensed imagery. The partial replacement of tundra by graminoid-dominated ecosystems has been predicted by the ALFRESCO model of disturbance, climate and vegetation succession. |
| Genre: | Article |
| ProdID: | 70041036 |
| Citation Author: | Barrett, Kirsten; Rocha, Adrian V.; van de Weg, Martine Janet; Shaver, Gaius |
| Citation Contributing Office: | Alaska Science Center |
| Citation Datum: | |
| Citation Day: | 20 |
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| Citation Editor: | |
| Citation End Page: | 736 |
| Citation Issue: | 8 |
| Citation Keywords: | |
| Citation Language: | English |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | Remote Sensing Letters |
| Citation LatN: | 71.39 |
| Citation LatS: | 68.0 |
| Citation LonE: | -149.9 |
| Citation LonW: | -164.4 |
| Citation Month: | 12 |
| Citation No Pagination: | |
| Citation Number Of Pages: | |
| Citation Online Only Flag: | |
| Citation Phsyical Description: | 8 p. |
| Citation Projection: | |
| Citation Public Comments: | |
| Citation Publisher: | Taylor & Francis Group |
| Citation Series: | |
| Citation Series Code: | |
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| Citation Search Results Text: | Vegetation shifts observed in arctic tundra 17 years after fire; 2012; Article; Journal; Remote Sensing Letters; Barrett, Kirsten; Rocha, Adrian V.; van de Weg, Martine Janet; Shaver, Gaius |
| Citation Start Page: | 729 |
| Citation Volume: | 3 |
| Citation Year: | 2012 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Vegetation shifts observed in arctic tundra 17 years after fire; 2012; Article; Journal; Remote Sensing Letters; Barrett, Kirsten; Rocha, Adrian V.; van de Weg, Martine Janet; Shaver, Gaius |
| URL (DOCUMENT): | http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/2150704X.2012.676741 |
| URL (DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2150704X.2012.676741 |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/outside_thumb.jpg |
| Date Other: | Sat, 1 Dec 2012 00:00 -0600 |
| Publisher: | Taylor & Francis Group |
