Table 2 Selected fire history studies for areas within fire weather index (FWI) zones of Canada (see Figure 3). Where detailed fire history studies are unavailable, research from areas in adjacent United States was used. If researchers assigned climate change as a primary factor causal to a fire frequency change at the end of a period, this is indicated by an asterisk.
FWI zone | Ecozonea-vegetation cover | Reference | Estimated mean fire interval or fire cycleb in years (time period, year AD) | Potential causal covariates analyzedc | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Early period | Middle period | Late period | ||||
Minimal | PM-conifer | >1000 (<2000) | TE, FT, C | |||
PM-conifer | Daniels and Gray 2006 | >500 | >fire | LU | ||
MC-conifer | >500(<1940) | TE, RC | ||||
PM-conifer | Hallett et al. 2003 | 174–272 (800–2000) | RC, C | |||
Very low | TP-boreal conifer | Johnson 1979 | 102 (<1975) | RC | ||
BSE-conifer | Bergeron et al. 2001 | 69*(<1850) | 123* (1850–1920) | 273 (1920–1999) | C, RC | |
BSE-conifer | Bouchard et al. 2008 | >500 (1800–2000) | RC | |||
Low | TP-boreal conifer | Johnson 1979 | 70 (<1975) | RC | ||
BSE-conifer | Bergeron et al. 2001 | 86* (1850–1920) | 195 (1920–1999) | C, RC | ||
BSE-conifer | Le Goff et al. 2007 | 99* (1720–1940) | 282 (1940–1998) | C, RC | ||
BSE-conifer | Lauzon et al. 2007 | 89* (1600–1850) | 176 (1850–2003) | IW, IT | ||
BSE-conifer | Bouchard et al. 2008 | 250 (1800–2000) | RC | |||
Moderate | MC-conifer | Van Wagner 1978 | 50 (1680–1915) | >80 (1915–1960) | LU | |
TP-boreal conifer | Johnson 1979 | 50 (<1975) | RC | |||
MC-conifer | Johnson et al. 1990 | 80* (1520–1760) | 110 (1760–1988) | TE, LU | ||
BSE-conifer | Bergeron et al. 2001 | 131* (<1850) | 234* (1850–1920) | 521 (1920–1999) | C, RC | |
BSE-conifer | Bergeron et al. 2001 | 83*(<1850) | 146* (1850–1920) | 325 (1920–1999) | C, RC | |
BSE-mixedwood | 83*(<1850) | 111* (1850–1920) | 326 (1920–1990) | C, FT, IW, RC, IT, FT, LU, LF | ||
BC-conifer | Bothwell et al. 2004 | 28 (1813–1974) | RC | |||
TP-boreal conifer | Bothwell et al. 2004 | 27 (1765–1977) | RC | |||
High | BSW-mixedwood | Heinselman 1973, Van Wagner 1978 | 47 (1542–1911) | 1000 (1911–1970) | IW, FT, IT, S, FS, LU | |
AM-mixedwood | Wein and Moore 1977 | >650 (1920–1975) | FT, IT, S, RC | |||
MC-conifer | Tande 1979 | 74 (1675–1913) | Few fires (1913–1975) | TE, FT | ||
TP-boreal conifer | Johnson 1979 | 37 (<1975) | RC | |||
BP-conifer | Larsen 1997 | 25–49 (1750–1859) | 59–89 (1860–1989 | FT | ||
BP-conifer | Weir et al. 2000 | 15* (<1890) | 75* (1890–1945) | 1745 (1945–1996) | RC, LU | |
MP-mixedwood | 29 (1643–1814) | 6 (1814–1954) | Few fires | RC, IT, TK, LU | ||
BP-mixedwood | Tardif 2004 | 35 (1700–1880) | 278 (1900–1960) | >15 000 (1960–2002) | C, LU, FS | |
Very high | MC-conifer grassland | Tande 1979 | 21* (1675–1913) | Few fires (1913–1975) | TE, FT | |
MC-conifer | Masters 1990 | 60* (1508–1778) | 130* (1778–1928) | >2700 (1928–1988) | TE | |
MC-conifer | Johnson and Larsen 1991 | 50* (1600–1730) | 90 (1730–1990) | TE | ||
BP-mixedwood | Weir et al. 2000 | 25* (1795–1945) | 645 (1945–1996) | FT, LU, IT | ||
MC-conifer westslope | Van Wagner et al. 2006 | 99 (1332–1840) | 352 (1841–1999) | RC, C, LF | ||
MC-conifer eastslope | Van Wagner et al. 2006, and others | 72 (1285–1760) | 174 (1760–1940) | 6855 (1941–1999) | RC, C, IW, TE, IT, FS, LU, TK, LF | |
MC-conifer grass | Heyerdahl et al. 2006 | 37 (1700–1860) | Few fires (1860–2005) | LU, C, TE | ||
Extreme | MC-conifer | Gray et al. 2004 | 19 (1694–1883) | >115 (1884–1998) | TE | |
MC-conifer grass | Heyerdahl et al. 2005 | 16 (1750–1950) | Few fires (1950–2004) | TE, S | ||
MC-conifer grass | Daniels et al. 2009 | 10–26 (1509–1944) | Few fires (1944–2006) | C, LU | ||
P-conifer grass | Fisher et al. 1987 | 27 (1600–1770) | 14 (1770–1900) | 42 (1900–1987) | LU, FS | |
P-conifer grass | Brown and Seig 1999 | 10–12 (1564–1912) | Few fires (1912–1996) | S, LU, RC | ||