Spatiotemporal variation in forest fire danger from 1996 to 2010 in Jilin Province,China

We evaluated the spatial and temporal patterns of forest fires in two fire seasons (March to June and September to November) from 1996 to 2010 in Jilin Province, China, using the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System. Fire data were obtained from the Provincial Fire Agency, and historical climate records of daily weather observations were collected from 36 weather stations in Jilin and its neighboring provinces. A linear regression model was used to analyze linear trends between climate and fire weather indices with time treated as an independent variable. Correlation analysis was used to detect correlations between fire frequency, areas burned, and fire weather indices. A thin-plate smooth spline model was used to interpolate the point data of 36 weather stations to generate a surface covering the whole province. Our analyses indicated fire frequency and areas burned were significantly correlated with fire weather indices. Overall, the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System appeared to be work well for determining the fire danger rating in Jilin Province. Also, our analyses indicated that in the forthcoming decades, the overall fire danger in March and April should decrease across the province, but the chance of a large fire in these months would increase. The fire danger in the fall fire season would increase in the future, and the chance of large fire would also increase. Historically, because most fires have occurred in the spring in Jilin Province, such a shift in the future fire danger between the two fire seasons would be beneficial for the province's fire management.

Relationship of minimum winter temperature and temperature seasonality to the northern range limit and species richness of trees in North America

Biologists have considered both winter coldness and temperature seasonality as major determinants of the northern limits of plants and animals in the Northern Hemisphere,which in turn drive the well-known latitudinal diversity gradient.However,few studies have tested which of the two climate variables is the primary determinant.In this study,we assess whether winter coldness or temperature seasonality is more strongly associated with the northern latitudinal limits of tree species and with tree species richness in North America.Tree species were recorded in each of 1198 quadrats of 110 km×110 km in North America.We used correlation and regression analyses to assess the relationship of the latitude of the northern boundary of each species,and of species richness per quadrat,with winter coldness and temperature seasonality.Species richness was analyzed within 38 longitudinal,i.e.,north-south,bands(each being>1100 km long and 110 km wide).The latitudes of the northern range limits of tree species were three times better correlated with minimum temperatures at those latitudes than with temperature seasonality.On average,minimum temperature and temperature seasonality together explained 81.5%of the variation in the northern range limits of the tree species examined,and minimum temperature uniquely explained six-fold(33.7%versus 5.8%)more of this variation than did temperature seasonality.Correlations of tree species richness with minimum temperatures were stronger than correlations with temperature seasonality for most of the longitudinal bands analyzed.Compared to temperature seasonality,winter coldness is more strongly associated with species distributions at high latitudes,and is likely a more important driver of the latitudinal diversity gradient.

cffdrs: an R package for the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System

Introduction:The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System(CFFDRS)is a globally known wildland fire risk assessment system,and two major components,the fire weather index system and the fire behavior prediction system,have been extensively used both nationally and internationally to aid operational wildland fire decision making.Methods:In this paper,we present an overview of an R package cffdrs,which is developed to calculate components of the CFFDRS,and highlight some of its functionality.In particular,we demonstrate how these functions could be used for large data analysis.Results and Discussion:With this cffdrs package,we provide a portal for not only a collection of R functions dealing with all available components in CFFDRS but also a platform for various additional developments that are useful for the understanding of fire occurrence and behavior.This is the first time that all relevant CFFDRS methods are incorporated into the same platform,which can be accessed by both the management and research communities.

Novel ecosystems in ecological restoration and rehabilitation:Innovative planning or lowering the bar?

Stemming from a special symposium at the 2012 inaugural meeting of the Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia in Perth,Western Australia,this special issue editorial addresses novel ecosystems in ecological restoration and the inherent challenges of maintaining the highest standards of environmental stewardship and biological conservation in the face of increasing urbanization,agricultural expansion,and industrialization.Echoing others,we(the Guest Editors)view novel ecosystems as offering opportunities for conservation and restoration in the coming years and a pragmatic recognition that it may not always be possible,or desirable,to overcome adverse consequences of environmental degradation to reinstate historical systems.Being mindful of hubris and taking into account difficulties with identification,novel ecosystems may be viewed as a temporary or interim stage on the way towards the evolution of other future ecosystems able to supply a variety of ecosystem services,while attempting to maintain and enhance biodiversity,function and resilience.Here,a concise summary of contributions to the special issue and their significance to the field of restoration ecology is provided noting that authors were tasked to answer whether novel ecosystems are innovative planning or lowering the bar in ecological restoration.Core themes shared by the manuscripts are elucidated leading to guiding principles and,more importantly,an assessment of how and why restoration priorities are changing in the 21^(st)century.

Evacuating a First Nation Due to Wildfire Smoke:The Case of Dene Tha’ First Nation

Almost every year,First Nations are evacuated in Canada because of wildfire proximity and smoke.Dynamics of wildfires,and remote locations,unique sociocultural characteristics,and limited emergency management resources present challenges for evacuation organizers and residents.This study explores how Dene Tha’First Nation evacuated their Tachécommunity in July 2012 due to wildfire smoke and how the evacuation process affected evacuees.Interviews were completed with 31 evacuation organizers and residents to examine the factors that helped and hindered the evacuation process.Lack of information about the nearby wildfire,smoke,and evacuation of the nearby small community of Zama City,combined with a generic evacuation plan,delayed and posed challenges during the evacuation of this Dene Tha’community.Strong leadership and its role in community organizing,keeping families together,providing the social support they needed,and using familiar host communities,demonstrated and contributed to the community’s resilience during the evacuation.Measures to improve evacuations and emergency management in the community and other First Nations in Canada are identified and discussed.

Ecosystem classification and inventory maps as surrogates for ground beetle assemblages in boreal forest

Aims We compare performance of ecosystem classification maps and provincial forest inventory data derived from air photography in reflecting ground beetle(Coleoptera:Carabidae)biodiversity patterns that are related to the forest canopy mosaic.Our biodiversity surrogacy model based on remotely sensed tree canopy cover is validated against field-collected ground data.Methods We used a systematic sampling grid of 198 sites,covering 84 km^(2) of boreal mixedwood forest in northwestern Alberta,Canada.For every site,we determined tree basal area,characterized the ground beetle assemblage and obtained corresponding provincial forest inventory and ecosystem classification information.We used variation partitioning,ordination and misclassification matrices to compare beetle biodiversity patterns explained by alternative databases and to determine model biases originating from air photo-interpretation.Important Findings Ecosystem classification data performed better than canopy cover derived from forest inventory maps in describing ground beetle biodiversity patterns.The biodiversity surrogacy models based on provincial forest inventory maps and field survey generally detected similar patterns but inaccuracies in air photo-interpretation of relative canopy cover led to differences between the two models.Compared to field survey data,air photo-interpretation tended to confuse two Picea species and two Populus species present and homogenize stand mixtures.This generated divergence in models of ecological association used to predict the relationship between ground beetle assemblages and tree canopy cover.Combination of relative canopy cover from provincial inventory with other georeferenced land variables to produce the ecosystem classification maps improved biodiversity predictive power.The association observed between uncommon surrogates and uncommon ground beetle species emphasizes the benefits of detecting these surrogates as a part of landscape management.In order to complement conservation efforts established in protected areas,accurate,high resolution,wide ranging and spatially explicit knowledge of landscapes under management is primordial in order to apply effective biodiversity conservation strategies at the stand level as required in the extensively harvested portion of the boreal forest.In development of these strategies,an in-depth understanding of vegetation is key.

Correction to cffdrs:an R package for the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System

Correction The original publication(cffdrs,2017)has an error in the citation of figure 1.Below you will find the correct version.Incorrect version:The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System flow chart(FCFDG 1992)Correct version:The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System flow chart(Stocks et al.1989).