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Project ID:

24-1-01-7

Year:

2024

Date Started:

09/01/2024

Date Completed:

12/12/2025

Title:

Assessing the effects of pile burning-induced soil heating in Alaska’s boreal forest

Project Proposal Abstract:

Climate change is intensifying the wildfire threat in Alaska, prompting fire managers and communities to urgently seek effective strategies for safeguarding both human assets and ecosystems. A method increasingly employed to mitigate this risk is debris pile burning after mechanical or hand thinning in fuel breaks. In the boreal forest, however, there is a scarcity of information to guide fire managers in implementing best practices for pile burning. While pile burning has been observed to heat soils, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the depth, temperature, and duration of this heat impulse, especially in the presence of deep organic soils or permafrost, which are common in the boreal forest. It is crucial to understand the extent to which pile burning heats soils under various seasonal and forest conditions as this knowledge is vital for illuminating critical aspects of ecosystem dynamics and informing best management practices.
The objective of this study is to collect first-of-its-kind data on three-dimensional soil heating over time at pile burn sites under spring and fall burn conditions at Denali National Park & Preserve. We hypothesize that spring pile burning will result in shallower soil heating, less cumulative heat energy radiated to the soil, and lower maximum temperatures due to higher soil moisture and ice content. The findings of this study will directly inform forest management prescriptions and will lay the foundation for pile burning best practices in the boreal forest. As our results will have implications for a wide range of communities, we will develop a similarly broad range of science communication modes to convey our findings.
The proposed research will bring benefits to a wide range of stakeholders, including land and fire managers, community members relying on the boreal forest for ecosystem services and cultural significance, as well as the fire science community. In addition to publishing a peer-reviewed journal article, we will provide valuable deliverables, including an informative infographic strategically placed near study sites along well-traveled trails to facilitate public engagement with our findings. We will also develop a best practices brochure for pile burning in the boreal forest, serving as a decision support tool for fire managers to achieve their objectives and follow best practices. Furthermore, these findings will be shared in person through participation in an Alaska Fire Science Consortium Workshop.
This project addresses the critical need to understand the fire effects and post-fire recovery resulting from frequently employed fuels management practices aimed at reducing fire behavior. Soil heating induced by pile burning takes on particular significance due to its potential implications for carbon management in deep organic soils and the preservation of permafrost. Our various government collaborators in land and fire management have conveyed a pressing concern about the lack of data supporting their ongoing management actions. Thus, there is an urgent call for research to quantitatively assess soil heating induced by pile burning and to assess the influence of season of burn. The outcomes of this study will bridge a vital and timely knowledge gap, elucidating the impacts of pile burning-induced soil heating on vegetation regeneration, permafrost subsidence, soil characteristics, and the preservation of buried cultural resources.

Principal Investigator:

Michelle C. Mack

Agency/Organization:

Northern Arizona University

Branch or Dept:

Other Project Collaborators

Type	Name	Agency/Organization	Branch or Dept
Agreements Contact	Samaneh Moeini	Northern Arizona University	Office of Grant & Contract Service
Budget Contact	Camille J Tucker	Northern Arizona University	Office of Grant & Contract Service
Student Investigator	Matt C Behrens	Northern Arizona University