Climate Impacts on Burn Severity in Three Forest Ecoregions of the US

Project ID: G09AC00279

Federal Agency: U.S. Geological Survey

Partner Institution: University of Washington

Fiscal Year: 2009

Initial Funding: $57,000

Total Funding: $260,512

Project Type: Technical Assistance

Project Disciplines: Biological

Principal Investigator: Halpern, Charles

Agreement Technical Representative: Key, Carl

Abstract: Project uses Landsat TM data from 1984 to 2009 to quantify the fire regime in forested areas in and near Yosemite National Park. Project compares the satellite measurements of fire severity with existing ground data related to fire effects, and validates the spectral signature of burned areas with field measurements. Measurements of burn severity will be correlated with existing climate data (PRISM, NARR, RAWS). Finally, climate-fire relationships in Yosemite National Park will be compared to similar relationships examined by other project participants in Glacier National Park and Yukon Charley National Reserve for a synthesis of climate-fire relationships in western North America.