 |
| Titel |
Estimating carbon emissions from African wildfires |
| VerfasserIn |
V. Lehsten, K. Tansey, H. Balzter, K. Thonicke, A. Spessa, U. Weber, B. Smith, A. Arneth |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
|
| Sprache |
Englisch
|
| ISSN |
1726-4170
|
| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Biogeosciences ; 6, no. 3 ; Nr. 6, no. 3 (2009-03-06), S.349-360 |
| Datensatznummer |
250003529
|
| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/bg-6-349-2009.pdf |
|
|
|
|
|
| Zusammenfassung |
We developed a technique for studying seasonal and interannual variation in
pyrogenic carbon emissions from Africa using a modelling approach that
scales burned area estimates from L3JRC, a map recently generated from
remote sensing of burn scars instead of active fires. Carbon fluxes were
calculated by the novel fire model SPITFIRE embedded within the dynamic
vegetation model framework LPJ-GUESS, using daily climate input.
For the time period from 2001 to 2005 an average area of
195.5±24×104 km2 was burned annually, releasing an average of
723±70 Tg C to the atmosphere; these estimates for the biomass burned are within
the range of previously published estimates. Despite the fact that the
majority of wildfires are ignited by humans, strong relationships between
climatic conditions (particularly precipitation), net primary productivity
and overall biomass burnt emerged. Our investigation of the relationships
between burnt area and carbon emissions and their potential drivers
available litter and precipitation revealed uni-modal responses to annual
precipitation, with a maximum around 1000 mm for burned area and emissions,
or 1200 mm for litter availability. Similar response patterns identified in
savannahs worldwide point to precipitation as a chief determinant for
short-term variation in fire regime. A considerable variability that cannot
be explained by fire-precipitation relationships alone indicates the
existence of additional factors that must be taken into account. |
| |
|
| Teil von |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|