Relationships of Fire and Precipitation Regimes in Temperate Forests of the Eastern United States

Earth Interactions

Charles W.Lafon¹ 

关键词: Wildfire;    Fire climatology;    Precipitation variability;    Climatic variability;   

DOI  :  10.1175/2012EI000442.1

学科分类：地球科学(综合)

来源: American Geophysical Union

【 摘 要 】

AbstractFire affects virtually all terrestrial ecosystems but occurs more commonly in some than in others. This paper investigates how climate, specifically the moisture regime, influences the flammability of different landscapes in the eastern United States. A previous study of spatial differences in fire regimes across the central Appalachian Mountains suggested that intra-annual precipitation variability influences fire occurrence more strongly than does total annual precipitation. The results presented here support that conclusion. The relationship of fire occurrence to moisture regime is also considered for the entire eastern United States. To do so, mean annual wildfire density and mean annual area burned were calculated for 34 national forests and parks representing the major vegetation and climatic conditions throughout the eastern forests. The relationship between fire activity and two climate variables was analyzed: mean annual moisture balance [precipitation P − potential evapotranspiration (PE...

【 授权许可】

Unknown