Estimating of greenhouse gas emissions from fires in light coniferous forests of the lower Angara region

Abstract

Every year, hundreds of forest fires occur on the territory of the Siberia. It is established that in recent decades there has been an increase in the number and area of forest fires, respectively, the volume of pyrogenic emissions increases too. During fires gas-aerosol emissions are released the volume of which is determined by the intensity of the fire and the burnt forest combustible materials. The paper presents calculations of greenhouse gas emissions from fires in light coniferous forests of the Lower Angara region for 2014–2019. Using data on the amount of forest combustible materials burned in a fire, the mass of greenhouse gases released during fires is calculated, depending on the type of fire, the type of forest and weather conditions that affect the drying of combustible materials., The estimated greenhouse gas emission from fires in light coniferous forests ranges from 5.9 to 37.5 ton/ha, depending on the type of fire and the type of forest. Each year, in the light coniferous forests of the Lower Angara region, greenhouse gas emissions from fires vary from 160 to 5649 thousand tons, on average more than 2300 thousand ton/ha per year. In total, during the period under review, according to the calculated data, more than 16 million tons of greenhouse gases were released during forest fires, with a predominance of CO–CO2. It is revealed that unfavorable conditions of dispersion of emissions from forest fires are formed in the summer months, characterized by a high frequency of calm, surface inversions and radiation fogs. Relatively favorable weather conditions in the presence of pollution factors for self-cleaning the atmosphere from fire emissions are observed in spring and autumn, when the greatest number of windy days is recorded.

Keywords

• forest fires
• fire emissions
• greenhouse gases
• forest types
• central siberia