Drivers of Vulnerability of Carbon Stocks to Variations in the Fire Regime In Alaskan Boreal Forests

The boreal forests of North America are a large reservoir for terrestrial carbon, especially those forests on sites with permafrost that leads the development of deep layers of carbon rich organic soils. Fire is a dominant disturbance mechanism in the North American boreal region, and the frequency of fires has doubled across this region over the past three decades. We present the results of ongoing studies on the impacts of changes in the fire regime on carbon stocks in black spruce forests, the most common forest type in the North American boreal region. Our results are based on research conducted in interior Alaska, and includes results from field based studies as well as analyses of geospatial data, including information products derived from the analyses of satellite remote sensing data.