Publications

Fan, DL; Wang, MH; Liang, TL; He, HC; Zeng, Y; Fu, BL (2024). Estimation and trend analysis of carbon emissions from forest fires in mainland China from 2011 to 2021. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS, 81, 102572.

Abstract
Frequent forest fires severely damage forest ecosystems. One potential big issue, however, is the fact that the substantial release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from biomass combustion significantly impacts the global climate system and carbon balance. This study aims to assess the emissions of major carbon-containing gases from forest fires in mainland China between 2011 and 2021. Information on wildfires was obtained with Google Earth Engine (GEE) through the integration of MODIS products and Global Forest Above Ground Biomass (AGB) produced by the Climate Change Initiative Biomass (CCI BIOMASS) Programme. Utilizing the combustible load model and consideration of carbon emission factors in different vegetation, from 2011 to 2022, mainland China consumed an estimated 35.55 Tg C (3.23 Tg C yr(-1)) of above-ground combustible matter, resulting in 46.94 Tg (4.27 Tg yr(-1)) of carbon-containing gas emissions. Among these emissions, 42.16 Tg (3.83 Tg yr(-1)), 4.58 Tg (0.42 Tg yr(-1)), and 0.20 Tg (0.02 Tg yr(-1)) were attributed to CO2, CO, and CH4. In general, carbon emissions from forest fires in mainland China exhibited a declining pattern with fluctuations. This indicates a substantial decrease in average annual emissions of CO2 and CH4 by 48.38% and 88.87%, respectively, compared to the previous century (1990s). Additionally, there was an average annual decrease in biomass consumption of approximately 35.4%. When analyzing the results on regional scales using linear regression and normalization methods, it was found that 81%-84% of provinces and regions in mainland China showed a decline in forest fire carbon emissions. Nevertheless, several areas in the northwest region displayed a noticeable rising trend. Pixel analysis is utilized in this paper to perform a spatial analysis of carbon emissions and fire locations associated with forestry fires in mainland China. This analysis clarifies the impact of combustible load distribution across different fire intensities on the interannual variability of carbon emissions from wildfires, thereby offering fire management authorities valuable insights.

DOI:
10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102572

ISSN:
1878-0512