Findings of Anaktuvuk River Fire Recovery Study, 2007-2011

The 2007 Anaktuvuk River Fire was an order of magnitude larger than the average fire size in the historic record for northern Alaska and indices of severity were substantially higher than for other recorded tundra burns. An interdisciplinary team assessed fire effects including burn severity, potential plant community shifts, and effects on permafrost and active layers. Observers monumented, photographed, and measured 24 burned and 17 unburned reference transects, starting the year after the fire, and spanning the range of vegetation types and burn severities. Three independent ocular estimates of burn severity at varying scales were made, two ground-based indices and one aerial index. Remotely sensed data and indices were compared to ocular estimates. Landsat imagery and field data were used to prepare a burn severity map, which showed that 80% of the fire burned with moderate-to-high severity. Consumption of plant biomass and organic soils was estimated using direct measurements of plants and soils in burned plots and allometric scaling developed from unburned comparison plots. Active layer, pH, temperature, residual organic duff depth and other soil characteristics were recorded and vegetation and organic layers were destructively sampled for laboratory analysis of fire fuel biomass and density of fuel layers. Regrowth of vegetation was rapid for some species (Eriophorum vaginatum [cottongrass]) and lush stands of fire mosses and liverworts developed after the first year on severely burned areas. Graminoid cover, primarily E. vaginatum, increased from 11% to 63% between 2008 and 2011. Shrubs were recovering more slowly by the 4th year after burning and other species were declining (Sphagnum mosses) or virtually absent (lichens: 0.1%). Shifts in community species composition seem likely for many years to come in the burn area. A dietary analysis on caribou scat collected from the area showed approximately 50% lichen composition in the fall/winter diet, uncorrected for digestibility. Since lichens are absent for some years post-fire, the fire has reduced forage availability for caribou. Foraging conditions for some microtines and their predators may have improved. Data on fire effects and vegetation recovery are important for assessing the impacts of increasing temperatures on tundra fire regimes and the implications of increased fire in the Arctic for wildlife and ecosystem processes.

Data and Resources

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metadata_created 2025-11-23T00:13:57.496128
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notes The 2007 Anaktuvuk River Fire was an order of magnitude larger than the average fire size in the historic record for northern Alaska and indices of severity were substantially higher than for other recorded tundra burns. An interdisciplinary team assessed fire effects including burn severity, potential plant community shifts, and effects on permafrost and active layers. Observers monumented, photographed, and measured 24 burned and 17 unburned reference transects, starting the year after the fire, and spanning the range of vegetation types and burn severities. Three independent ocular estimates of burn severity at varying scales were made, two ground-based indices and one aerial index. Remotely sensed data and indices were compared to ocular estimates. Landsat imagery and field data were used to prepare a burn severity map, which showed that 80% of the fire burned with moderate-to-high severity. Consumption of plant biomass and organic soils was estimated using direct measurements of plants and soils in burned plots and allometric scaling developed from unburned comparison plots. Active layer, pH, temperature, residual organic duff depth and other soil characteristics were recorded and vegetation and organic layers were destructively sampled for laboratory analysis of fire fuel biomass and density of fuel layers. Regrowth of vegetation was rapid for some species (Eriophorum vaginatum [cottongrass]) and lush stands of fire mosses and liverworts developed after the first year on severely burned areas. Graminoid cover, primarily E. vaginatum, increased from 11% to 63% between 2008 and 2011. Shrubs were recovering more slowly by the 4th year after burning and other species were declining (Sphagnum mosses) or virtually absent (lichens: 0.1%). Shifts in community species composition seem likely for many years to come in the burn area. A dietary analysis on caribou scat collected from the area showed approximately 50% lichen composition in the fall/winter diet, uncorrected for digestibility. Since lichens are absent for some years post-fire, the fire has reduced forage availability for caribou. Foraging conditions for some microtines and their predators may have improved. Data on fire effects and vegetation recovery are important for assessing the impacts of increasing temperatures on tundra fire regimes and the implications of increased fire in the Arctic for wildlife and ecosystem processes.
num_resources 11
num_tags 16
title Findings of Anaktuvuk River Fire Recovery Study, 2007-2011