Improvements & What Can Be Done

The human impact upon Alaskan boreal forests is twofold. First, climate change has lead to a temperature increase of 2 degrees Celsius in the last forty years, which heightens the probability of forest fires erupting. Second, forests near human populations are at risk of human-induced fires.

One way to reduce forest fires in Alaskan boreal forests is to reduce the rate of human-caused fires, which account for 10% of burned areas. Simulations using the ALFRESCO landscape model of interior Alaskan forests show that a 50% reduction in fire probability would result in a 22% reduction in the number of fires and a 6.5-fold reduction in average fire size. Such a change in the fire regime would reduce the annual burned area by 800% and ensure that the fire interval in the most flammable areas would be raised from 83 to 115 years (5).

After 150 years, it is projected that such a reduction in human-induced fires would lead to a 50-60% increase in the number of late-succession trees such as black and white spruce, which are better adapted to fire than the early-succession trees that tend to replace them after fires burn out. This is projected to lead to a 600% increase in the number of spruce trees within the initial 30 to 70 years after the initiation of fire-suppression policies.

Model of the interactive effects of climate change and fire suppression on short- and long-term fire risk in interior Alaska (6)

However, fire-suppression can cause unwanted side-effects. Without regular fires, buildup of flammable material and early-succession vegetation leaves the forests and any nearby communities vulnerable to wildfire outbreaks (5). A possible solution to this problem is to harvest these flammable materials from the forest areas. These materials can be used as fuel for heating and electric power generation in human communities, thereby also solving the problem of community vulnerability in these areas.

Ultimately, the best way to combat excessive fires in Aaskan boreal forests is to address the root of the problem: climate change. Climate warming is the primary cause of recent increases in wildfire in these areas. Global reductions in fossil-fuel emissions are essential to constrain the long-term increases in wildfire. This will require adaptation on the part of human populations across the world. Renewable energy sources such as wind, biofuels, and solar power can be harnessed to wean countries and corporations off of their dependency on fossil fuels. Economies must be restructured, and the focus of developed nations must shift from continued economic growth to sustainability (6).