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Summary of the 5th GWIS & GOFC-GOLD Fire Implementation Team Meeting

The 5th joint Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS) and Global Observation of Forest and Land Use Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD) – Fire Mapping and Monitoring Implementation Team (FireIT) was held on 21-23rd June 2022, at Stresa, Italy. Thirty researchers from academia, government, and non-government organizations participated in the meeting, the majority in person (Figure 1) and several online. The meeting’s goals were to review recent progress made by the GWIS and the GOFC Fire-IT, discuss recent developments in fire science and technology, and determine the prospects for satellite-based fire monitoring and science in the context of forest and natural resource management and other applications. The joint meeting was aimed to building collaboration and cooperation amongst the international fire remote sensing community. After a brief background on GWIS-GOFC-GOLD Fire-IT, this article summarizes the latest updates on the various fire thematic areas presented by the attendees. The full presentations are available at https://gofcgold.org/meetings/5th-gofc-gold-fire-it-and-global-wildfire-information-systemgwis

Fires↗

Global rules for translating land-use change (LUH2) to land-cover change for CMIP6 using GLM2

Anthropogenic land-use and land-cover change activities play a critical role in Earth system dynamics through significant alterations to biogeophysical and biogeochemical properties at local to global scales. To quantify the magnitude of these impacts, climate models need consistent land-cover change time series at a global scale, based on land-use information from observations or dedicated land-use change models. However, a specific land-use change cannot be unambiguously mapped to a specific land-cover change. Here, nine translation rules are evaluated based on assumptions about the way land-use change could potentially impact land cover. Utilizing the Global Land-use Model 2 (GLM2), the model underlying the latest Land-Use Harmonization dataset (LUH2), the land-cover dynamics resulting from land-use change were simulated based on multiple alternative translation rules from 850 to 2015 globally. For each rule, the resulting forest cover, carbon density and carbon emissions were compared with independent estimates from remote sensing observations, U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization reports, and other studies. The translation rule previously suggested by the authors of the HYDE 3.2 dataset, that underlies LUH2, is consistent with the results of our examinations at global, country and grid scales. This rule recommends that for CMIP6 simulations, models should (1) completely clear vegetation in land-use changes from primary and secondary land (including both forested and non-forested) to cropland, urban land and managed pasture; (2) completely clear vegetation in land-use changes from primary forest and/or secondary forest to rangeland; (3) keep vegetation inland-use changes from primary non-forest and/or secondary non-forest to rangeland. Our analysis shows that this rule is one of three (out of nine)rules that produce comparable estimates of forest cover, vegetation carbon and emissions to independent estimates and also mitigate the anomalously high carbon emissions from land-use change observed in previous studies in the 1950s. According to the three translation rules, contemporary global forest area is estimated to be 37.42×106 km2, within the range derived from remote sensing products. Likewise, the estimated carbon stock is in close agreement with reference biomass datasets, particularly over regions with more than 50 % forest cover

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

ITreeForeCast: An integrated modeling software to simulate tree level growth and forest carbon storage

Healthy trees in forest act as a natural carbon sink, capturing carbon. As they grow, they store carbon in their trunks, leaves and roots. Not all trees store carbon at the same rate, or in the same quantities, as it depends on a variety of biophysical and climatic factors. Furthermore, although carbon estimation in trees can be complex, the precision of estimates is tightly linked to trees growth, both in diameter and height. However, the simulation of carbon uptake by forest and forest growth has each been modeled separately, and independently at differing levels of detail and spatial resolution. In this paper, we introduce ITreeForeCast, a simulation model combining the two types of modeling on a unified platform, enabling the investigation of impacts of management strategies on carbon sequestration and wood products. ITreeForeCast is a user-extendable framework that offers new opportunities to model, simulate, and visualize the dynamics of individual trees in a forest, simulate management strategies over time, and carbon uptake.

09 - BIOMASS FUELS↗

AgRISTARS: Renewable resources inventory. Land information support system implementation plan and schedule

The planning and scheduling of the use of remote sensing and computer technology to support the land management planning effort at the national forests level are outlined. The task planning and system capability development were reviewed. A user evaluation is presented along with technological transfer methodology. A land management planning pilot test of the San Juan National Forest is discussed.

Yao, S. S.↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-Ha1 Harvard Forest EMS Tower (HFR1)

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Ha1 Harvard Forest EMS Tower (HFR1). This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Ha1 Harvard Forest EMS Tower (HFR1) produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - The Harvard Forest tower is on land owned by Harvard University. The site is designated as an LTER site. Most of the surrounding area was cleared for agrigulture during European settlement in 1600-1700. The site has been regrowing since before 1900 (based on tree ring chronologies) and is now predominantly red oak and red maple, with patches of mature hemlock stand and individual white pine. Overstory trees were uprooted by hurricane in 1938. Climate measurements have been made at Harvard Forest since 1964.

Munger, J. William↗

The application of LANDSAT remote sensing technology to natural resources management. Section 1: Introduction to VICAR - Image classification module. Section 2: Forest resource assessment of Humboldt County.

A teaching module on image classification procedures using the VICAR computer software package was developed to optimize the training benefits for users of the VICAR programs. The field test of the module is discussed. An intensive forest land inventory strategy was developed for Humboldt County. The results indicate that LANDSAT data can be computer classified to yield site specific forest resource information with high accuracy (82%). The "Douglas-fir 80%" category was found to cover approximately 21% of the county and "Mixed Conifer 80%" covering about 13%. The "Redwood 80%" resource category, which represented dense old growth trees as well as large second growth, comprised 4.0% of the total vegetation mosaic. Furthermore, the "Brush" and "Brush-Regeneration" categories were found to be a significant part of the vegetative community, with area estimates of 9.4 and 10.0%.

Fox, L., III↗

Operational considerations for the application of remotely sensed forest data from LANDSAT or other airborne platforms

Research in the application of remotely sensed data from LANDSAT or other airborne platforms to the efficient management of a large timber based forest industry was divided into three phases: (1) establishment of a photo/ground sample correlation, (2) investigation of techniques for multi-spectral digital analysis, and (3) development of a semi-automated multi-level sampling system. To properly verify results, three distinct test areas were selected: (1) Jacksonville Mill Region, Lower Coastal Plain, Flatwoods, (2) Pensacola Mill Region, Middle Coastal Plain, and (3) Mississippi Mill Region, Middle Coastal Plain. The following conclusions were reached: (1) the probability of establishing an information base suitable for management requirements through a photo/ground double sampling procedure, alleviating the ground sampling effort, is encouraging, (2) known classification techniques must be investigated to ascertain the level of precision possible in separating the many densities involved, and (3) the multi-level approach must be related to an information system that is executable and feasible.

Baker, G. R.↗

Role of forest regrowth in global carbon sink dynamics

Although the existence of a large carbon sink in terrestrial ecosystems is well-established, the drivers of this sink remain uncertain. It has been suggested that perturbations to forest demography caused by past land-use change, management, and natural disturbances may be causing a large component of current carbon uptake. Here we use a global compilation of forest age observations, combined with a terrestrial biosphere model with explicit modeling of forest regrowth, to partition the global forest carbon sink between old-growth and regrowth stands over the period 1981–2010. For 2001–2010 we find a carbon sink of 0.85 (0.66–0.96) Pg/year located in intact old-growth forest, primarily in the moist tropics and boreal Siberia, and 1.30 (1.03–1.96) Pg/year located in stands regrowing after past disturbance. Approaching half of the sink in regrowth stands would have occurred from demographic changes alone, in the absence of other environmental changes. These age-constrained results show consistency with those simulated using an ensemble of demographically-enabled terrestrial biosphere models following an independent reconstruction of historical land use and management. We estimate that forests will accumulate an additional 69 (44–131) Pg C in live biomass from changes in demography alone if natural disturbances, wood harvest, and reforestation continue at rates comparable to those during 1981–2010. Our results confirm that it is not possible to understand the current global terrestrial carbon sink without accounting for the sizeable sink due to forest demography. They also imply that a large portion of the current terrestrial carbon sink is strictly transient in nature.

forest↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F CA-SF1 Saskatchewan - Western Boreal, forest burned in 1977

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-SF1 Saskatchewan - Western Boreal, forest burned in 1977. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-SF1 Saskatchewan - Western Boreal, forest burned in 1977 produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - Regenerated jack pine (Pinus banksiana) following fire in 1977; canopy height 6 m and LAI = 2.8. Some black spruce understory developing. Trees tend to be clumpy, with some clear spaces that can be easily walked thorugh, and other areas are thick. Fire killed coarse woody debris on the ground, that is soft and decomposing. Very few perched trunks. Understory are short shrubs such as Vaccinium and Arctostaphylus uva-ursi.

Amiro, Brian↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F CA-SF2 Saskatchewan - Western Boreal, forest burned in 1989

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-SF2 Saskatchewan - Western Boreal, forest burned in 1989. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-SF2 Saskatchewan - Western Boreal, forest burned in 1989 produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - Amiro_et_al_2006, AFM/136:...The 1989 burn site (F89) was northeast of Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, with the humancaused fire covering 13,500 ha. Parts of the area had been logged prior to the fire, and slash residues would have been burned in some locations. Parts of the area were aerially seeded with jack pine seeds in the winter of 1990. The present tree canopy was composed of balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L.), jack pine, trembling aspen, and birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) and prior to the fire, the stand consisted of these same species aswell asblack spruce.Deadsnags of black spruce and jack pinewere still standing, althoughmost had fallen over and formed a leaningmix of dry, dead tree boles. The understory vegetation consisted mostly of black spruce saplings, saplings of the tree overstory species, bearberry, blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides Michx.), raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.), rose (Rosa acicularis Lindl.), bunchberry (Cornus canadensis L.), and reed grass (Calamagrostis canadensis (Michx.) Nutt.).

Amiro, Brian↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F CA-SF3 Saskatchewan - Western Boreal, forest burned in 1998

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-SF3 Saskatchewan - Western Boreal, forest burned in 1998. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-SF3 Saskatchewan - Western Boreal, forest burned in 1998 produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - The 1998 burn site (F98) was in the east part of Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, in the Waskesiu Fire, ignited by lightning that burned about 1700 ha in July 1998. The pre-fire forest consisted of jack pine and black spruce stands, with some intermixed aspen. The fire was severe, consuming much of the top layer of organic soil and killing all trees. In 2001, much of the regenerating vegetation consisted of aspen saplings about 1 m tall and shorter jack pine and black spruce seedlings. An overstory of dead, leafless jack pine trees dominated at a height of 18 m. Sparse grass and herbs, such as fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium L.) covered the ground. There were a large number of fallen dead trees, mostly perched above the ground and not decomposing quickly.

Amiro, Brian [University of Manitoba; Canadian For↗

Effect of land-use practice on soil moisture variability for soils covered with dense forest vegetation of Puerto Rico

Little is known about the landuse management effect on soil moisture and soil pH distribution on a landscape covered with dense tropical forest vegetation. This study was conducted at three locations where the history of the landuse management is different. Soil moisture was measured using a 6-cm three-rod Time Domain Reflectometery (TDR) probe. Disturbed soil samples were taken from the top 5-cm at the up, mid, and foothill landscape position from the same spots where soil moisture was measured. The results showed that soil moisture varies with landscape position and depth at all three locations. Soil pH and moisture variability were found to be affected by the change in landuse management and landscape position. Soil moisture distribution usually expected to be relatively higher in the foothill (P3) area of these forests than the uphill (P1) position. However, our results indicated that in the Luquillo and Guanica site the surface soil moisture was significantly higher for P1 than P3 position. These suggest that the surface and subsurface drainage in these two sites may have been poor due to the nature of soil formation and type.

Tsegaye, T.↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F CA-SJ2 Saskatchewan - Western Boreal, Jack Pine forest harvested in 2002

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-SJ2 Saskatchewan - Western Boreal, Jack Pine forest harvested in 2002. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-SJ2 Saskatchewan - Western Boreal, Jack Pine forest harvested in 2002 produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - 53.944737° N, 104.649340° W, BERMS flux and climate measurements to begin by Mar 2003

Barr, Alan [Global Institute for Water Security, U↗

An Indicator-based Approach to Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (Chapter 12)

Assessing the sustainability of natural resource management choices for agricultural and forest lands requires quantification of potential changes to a set of environmental and socioeconomic indicators selected to characterize reference scenarios relative to projected future scenarios. Correctly framing the questions with local stakeholders is a critical first step in the sustainability assessment, and the questions that can be addressed are often limited by data availability. Selecting and prioritizing indicators with stakeholders to address their needs and concerns improves the likelihood of investment in monitoring and evaluation of those indicators over time. Computational techniques for analyzing interactions between the selected indicators are inherently affected by the scales and formats of the assembled indicator datasets. Data analytics have the potential to improve understanding of the potential synergies and tradeoffs involved with meeting multiple environmental and socioeconomic goals simultaneously, but timely and appropriate indicator datasets are not always available—even in this new era of “big data.” Continued improvements in data science and data analytics are needed to broaden understanding and acceptance of problems and to provide valuable information for natural resource management. Advances in these areas will enable society to design future landscapes that meet multiple objectives, including the provisioning of agricultural and forest resources along with a variety of ecosystem services (e.g., clean water and healthy soils).

Parish, Esther↗

Recent California tree mortality portends future increase in drought-driven forest die-off

Vegetation tolerance to drought depends on an array of site-specific environmental and plant physiological factors. This tolerance is poorly understood for many forest types despite its importance for predicting and managing vegetation stress. We analyzed the relationships between precipitation variability and forest die-off in California's Sierra Nevada and introduce a new measure of drought tolerance that emphasizes plant access to subsurface moisture buffers. We applied this metric to California's severe 2012-2015 drought, and show that it predicted the patterns of tree mortality. We then examined future climate scenarios, and found that the probability of droughts that lead to widespread die-off increases threefold by the end of the 21st century. Our analysis shows that tree mortality in the Sierra Nevada will likely accelerate in the coming decades and that forests in the Central and Northern Sierra Nevada that largely escaped mortality in 2012-2015 are vulnerable to die-off.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

AmeriFlux US-Cst Crossett Experimental Forest

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Cst Crossett Experimental Forest. Site Description - The study takes place in the Crossett Experimental Forest (CEF, 32°2′ N, 91°57′ W), which was established in 1934 with the objective of developing effective management protocols for loblolly and shortleaf pine forests in the Gulf Coastal Plain. Mean annual temperature and precipitation are 17.6 °C and 1,410 mm, respectively. Most of the soils on and near the CEF are silt loams (primarily Glossaquic Fragiudalfs). The tower is situated in the the old-growth pine management sector of the CEF, which emphasizes management for old-growth-like conditions, with the goal of emulating the structural and compositional attributes of historic forests from this region using a combination of timber harvesting, prescribed fire, and other tools. This includes periodic commercial logging of intermediate-sized loblolly pines to support further restoration treatments, such as prescribed fire, hardwood and exotic species competition control, and the increase of plant species more compatible with fire (e.g., shortleaf pine and understory grasses)

Novick, Kim↗

Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO)

The Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project is expected to develop, integrate, demonstrate, and transition to operations, evolving aviation technologies from NASA and industry to identify, monitor, and suppress wildland fires as a means to enhance safety, improve operational efficiency, and prevent economic loss. Some of the concepts ACERO explores are: wildfire airspace mangement to improve safety and resource utilization during a disaster, applying new aviation technologies to improve safety and demonstrate new mission-support capabilities, second-shift operations to enable progress towards 24/7 aerial response, and the integration of capabilities across NASA's Aeronautics Research, Science, and Space Technology mission directorates to enable expanded and scalable operations. Realizing this vision is expected to bring positive impact to such areas as: consistency of technology adoption through a unified concept of operations, airspace coordination and deconfliction that integrates portable solutions and enables diverse operations, remote sensing and data fusion for modeling and predictions that support in-time decision making, aircraft technologies for hazard avoidance and state management, and increased response capabilities through persistent communications and surveillance. ACERO continues the research begun under the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations (STEReO) activity, which brings together several technologies in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM), Autonomy, Communications, Human Factors, and Domain Expertise & Tools, aimed at providing scalability and flexibility, as well as operational resiliency to dynamic changes during a disaster event. Some of the concepts STEReO explores are: collaborative tools to ingest remote sensing information and distribute a common mission operating picture, apply ad-hoc communication networks to facilitate timely information sharing and communication of changes, vehicle-to-vehicle and onboard autonomy technologies ensure the safety and resiliency of operations, and apply NASA’s UAS traffic management system (UTM) as a public safety UAS Service Supplier (USS) to access and coordinate use of the airspace by both manned and unmanned operations. The potential benefits of STEReO include: standardized, cross-platform communication means increased interoperability and ease of cooperation/collaboration, increased situation awareness and common operating picture allow for earlier detection and decision making, and scalable to size and complexity of environment, operations, and mission objectives. This presentation gives an informational overview of the ACERO and STEReO projects to the Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF) Western State Fire Managers (WSFM) Committee.

emergency response operations↗

Passive Microwave Measurements Over Conifer Forests at L-Band and C-Band

Measurements have been made at L-band and C-band over conifer forests in Virginia to study the response of passive microwave instruments to biomass and soil moisture. A series of aircraft measurements were made in July, August and November, 1999 over relatively homogenous conifer forests of varying biomass. Three radiometers participated in these measurements. These were: 1) the L-band radiometer ESTAR, a horizontally polarized synthetic aperture radiometer which has been used extensively in past measurements of soil moisture; 2) the L-band radiometer SLFMR, a vertically polarized cross-track scanner which has been used successfully in the past for mapping sea surface salinity; and 3) The ACMR, a new C-band radiometer which operates at V- and H-polarization and in the configuration for these experiments did not scan. All three radiometers were flown on the NASA P-3 aircraft based at the Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility. The ESTAR and SLFMR were mounted in the bomb bay of the P-3 and imaged across track whereas the ACMR was mounted to look aft at 54 degrees up from nadir. Data was collected at altitudes of 915 meters and 457 meters. The forests consisted of relatively homogeneous "managed" stands of conifer located near Waverly, Virginia. This is a relatively flat area about 30 miles southeast of Richmond, VA with numerous stands of trees being grown for the forestry industry. The stands selected for study consisted of areas of regrowth and mature stands of pine. In addition, a small stand of very large trees was observed. Soil moisture sampling was done in each stand during the aircraft over flights. Data was collected on July 7, August 27, November 15 and November 30, 1999. Measurements were made with ESTAR on all days. The ACMR flew on the summer missions and the SLFMR was present only on the August 27 flight. Soil moisture varied from quite dry on July 7 to quite moist on November 30 (which was shortly after a period of rain). The microwave images clearly distinguish between the different forest stands. Research is continuing to seek a quantitative correlation with biomass and surface soil moisture.

LeVine, D. M.↗