Return to flip book view

Message We Need Fires to Have Healthy Ecosystems! Wild Wild WondersWondersAlaska’s Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife ConservationMany people think that re is a bad thing and that it is harmful to wildlife, but re actually plays a role in keeping Alaska’s ecosystems healthy. Smokey Bear’s message—“Only you can prevent forest res”—is aimed at res caused by people and is accurate in that sense. Humans usually cause res near where people live and these can threaten life and property. People should prevent accidental res. People cannot, however, be expected to prevent res caused by nature. What’s more, when res aren’t threatening people or property, it may be benecial to the ecosystem to let them burn. Take a look inside this magazine and see how re really aects our environment and the animals that live there. You might be surprised by what you learn! In an average year in Alaska res burn about a million acres of forest and tundra. Wow! A million acres? at’s almost the size of the entire Municipality of Anchorage! Did You Know?In This IssueFire in Alaska....................2–3Boreal Forest.....................4–5Fire and Wildlife..............6–7Fire Puzzles...........................8

is map shows the locations of all the major res in Alaska since 1940. While there are certainly res throughout the state, notice how the Interior region of Alaska has had the most res. Can you guess why?is map is from the Alaska Fire Service website. You can do your own research, nd out where res are currently burning and create custom maps about Alaska’s re history. Go to http://re.ak.blm.gov/afs/ to check it out! Fire Historyin AlaskaFires from 1940-2014Fire in Alaska: Burning Questions!Fire in Alaska: Burning Questions!Alaska is an enormous state with several different ecosystems. Tundra is found mainly in the north, west coast, and mountains, but is also mixed in with boreal forest. Southeast Alaska is home to the coastal rainforest, where the weather is often wet and cloudy. A big part of Alaska is boreal forest, which makes up most of the Interior region. Fire plays a different role in each of these environments. Why? Because fire needs certain conditions to exist. Does all of Alaska burn?We’ve probably all felt the warmth of a re or sat around a campre and enjoyed roasting marshmallows. But what exactly is re? e denition is: e rapid and persistent chemical reaction which combines fuel and oxygen to produce heat and light. What is fire?How does it burn?All res need three things to burn. ese three things make up what is called the Fire Triangle. If you take any one of them out of the triangle, the re will not burn. Fuel Heat (ignition) OxygenWhat are the sources of oxygen, fuel, and ignition for wildres? 2

How can the tundra burn if there are no trees? ere are many other plant species on the tundra that are prone to burning. Plants in the heath family such as blueberry and Labrador tea produce a ammable resin that make them burn easily. BlueberryLabrador TeaDry lichens, blueberries, cranberries, Labrador tea, and other members of the heath family are ammable. ey allow ground res to start and spread quickly in the boreal forest and tundra.Fire in Alaska: Burning Questions!Fire in Alaska: Burning Questions!Fire on the tundra Fire history shows that the tundra has not burned as oen in the past as it does today. Scientists are only recently learning more about tundra res and how they aect wildlife. e Anaktuvuk re in 2007 was the largest tundra re in Alaska’s recorded history. Scientists are studying this site to learn about the types of impacts that re has on plants and wildlife in the tundra. Sure tundra can burn, but does it?Crossword Challenge: Across...1) Woodpecker 6) Lightning 7) Meet 8) Ashes Down... 1) Willow 2) Open 3) Habitat 4) Snags 5) Fireweed Habitat Match: 1) Lynx 2) Marten 3) Rued Grouse 4) Moose 5) Northern 3-toed woodpecker Good question!It is almost always wet in Southeast Alaska where more than 100 inches of rain fall annually. However, there are occasional sunny spells that can dry out the forest enough to create the right conditions for res. Occasionally lightning will start a re in Southeast Alaska, but most res are started by people. What’s this duff stuff? Du is the accumulated organic material (leaves, needles, roots, fallen branches, etc.) on the forest oor. Most res in Southeast burn in the du layer. Fires can actually burn for a long time underground. ey burn slowly and ames may not be visible. Fires in the rainforest tend to be rather small compared to res in other areas of the state. is is because there are lots of wet areas, like muskeg, that prevent a re from getting too large. Can the rainforest in Southeast Alaska burn? 3Answers - Turn upside down to read!

e natural change in plant and wildlife populations aer a disturbance is called succession. Succession usually begins with small herbaceous plants (low-growing plants without woody stems) and then eventually leads to old spruce forest over time. Look outside your school. What stages of succession can you identify in your area? 0-5 years5-25 years25-50 years 50-150 years 150-300 yearsFirst green plants growShrubs, then small trees dominateBirch or aspen dominateSpruce grow up beneath leafed treesSpruce dominateOld SpruceWoodpeckersNorthern hawk owlNorthern shrikeSharp–shinned hawkRuffed grouseLynxRed foxNorthern goshawkFlying squirrelMartenGreat horned owlCrossbillSpruce grouseBoreal Forest SuccessionIt can burn at any stage!Sharp-tailedGrouseEveryone Can Succeed! e boreal forest is the largest terrestrial ecosystem on Earth, covering some 11 percent of land area on the planet! In Alaska, boreal forest is found in the Interior between the Brooks Range in the north and the Alaska Range in the south. It is characterized by the dominant tree species: aspen, spruce (black and white), and paper birch. Extent of boreal forest.Black SpruceAspenPaper BirchEach successional stage of the boreal forest provides habitat for dierent animals. Some animals rely on more than one successional stage to meet their needs. For example, some owls need older forests to hide and nest in, but they hunt for small mammals in newer areas of the forest among herbs and shrubs where more prey animals can be found. Boreal ForestBoreal Forest4Did You Know?Because spruce trees are shade tolerant they can live and slowly grow beneath aspen and birch trees. When the aspen and birch trees die, the spruce dominate the forest. If there was no disturbance in the forest it would eventually end up becoming all spruce. at would not be good for many species of wildlife. Moose

e natural change in plant and wildlife populations aer a disturbance is called succession. Succession usually begins with small herbaceous plants (low-growing plants without woody stems) and then eventually leads to old spruce forest over time. Look outside your school. What stages of succession can you identify in your area? 0-5 years5-25 years25-50 years 50-150 years 150-300 yearsFirst green plants growShrubs, then small trees dominateBirch or aspen dominateSpruce grow up beneath leafed treesSpruce dominateOld SpruceWoodpeckersNorthern hawk owlNorthern shrikeSharp–shinned hawkRuffed grouseLynxRed foxNorthern goshawkFlying squirrelMartenGreat horned owlCrossbillSpruce grouseBoreal Forest SuccessionIt can burn at any stage!Sharp-tailedGrousee boreal forest is the largest terrestrial ecosystem on Earth, covering some 11 percent of land area on the planet! In Alaska, boreal forest is found in the Interior between the Brooks Range in the north and the Alaska Range in the south. It is characterized by the dominant tree species: aspen, spruce (black and white), and paper birch. Extent of boreal forest.Black SpruceAspenPaper BirchA combination of hot, dry summers, frequent lightning, and abundant spruce trees make the boreal forest in Alaska re prone. Black spruce trees are particularly vulnerable to re because they have branches near the ground and a high resin content. Most black spruce forests burn before they’re 100 years old.is map shows over 4,000 lightning strikes for more than a 24–hour period in early June 2014! You can see the number and location of lightning strikes for any day you want. Check it out by going to the Alaska Fire Service website. http://re.ak.blm.gov/afs/ What do you get when you have hot, dry summers, lots of highly flammable materials, and lightning? That’s right...fires. Did You Know?Hundreds of res burn in Alaska every year. Most of them are human-caused, but many are caused by lightning. Even though there are more human-caused res, they burn fewer acres than naturally-caused res. It’s Designed to BurnIt’s Designed to BurnBoreal ForestSpruce Need Fire!Black spruce trees have what is called semi-serrotinous cones. ey have a waxy coating that keeps the cones closed until a heat event (like re) causes them to open up and drop their seeds on the newly exposed soil. 5

Learn more about Alaska’s wildlife at www.wildlife.alaska.govFire and WildlifeFire and WildlifeThe black-backed woodpecker thrives in recent burn areas where it eats beetles that invade dead and dying trees.e border where two successional stages meet is called an edge. Edges support the greatest diversity of wildlife and many animals use edges as travel routes and hunting grounds. Examples of edges are where a mature spruce forest meets a young birch forest, or an open meadow, or willow thickets. Can you nd any edges around your home or school? Wildlife need an edge! No! Not at all!Some animals die in res but many animals have the ability to y or run away. Plus there are many areas within the re perimeter that do not burn. Wildlife biologists look at the long-term benets of re, such as habitat creation and rejuvenation. In fact, re is sometimes used as a tool by biologists to enhance habitat. Fires actually burn some areas completely, scorch other areas, and leave some areas untouched. e result is a patchwork of habitats called a habitat mosaic. Don’t fires just burn everything up? 6Standing dead trees are called snags. Every animal has specic habitat requirements to meet its need for food, water, shelter, and space. If an animal’s habitat needs are not met in a certain location it cannot live there. In order to have a lot of wildlife diversity you need a lot of dierent types of habitat! Fires create habitat diversity! It’s all about habitat

Fire and WildlifeInto the Future!Into the Future!Life continues. Fires burn organic material and fertilize the soils for new plants to grow. Many burned plants are not killed. Aer a re, newly burned areas are soon covered by a thick carpet of green plants, such as reweed—one of the rst green plants to sprout aer re. Over the next several years shrubs such as alder, willow and berry bushes begin to grow in the warm, sunny sites along with several tree species. New life arises from the ashes7e change in the Earth’s weather patterns over time is called climate change. Climate aects where plants and animals live. In Alaska it also contributes to the types and frequency of wildres. A warming climate will lead to more res and could change the habitat for many animals. Highly ammable spruce forests will likely decline and be replaced by more birch and aspen forests. Fire and Climate ChangeA warming climate could be a good thing for moose, and possibly not so great for caribou. Why? Because caribou rely on old-growth spruce forests and lichen, which may decline with more re in a warming climate. Moose on the other hand thrive on aspen, willow, and birch. ese plants will likely increase with a warming climate. Moose love willow—it’s their favorite food!What about moose and caribou?Scientists study the eects of re today and attempt to determine what the future vegetation will look like. How do you think climate change will aect the future of re in Alaska?

Fire PuzzlesFire PuzzlesEach paragraph describes one of the animals below. You will notice that dierent animals use various succession stages. Draw a line from the animal to its story. MooseNorthern three-toed woodpeckerLynxRuffed grouseMarten1. Snowshoe hares are my main food. My tued ears help me listen for movement. I hunt in shrubby areas, but stay close to the mature birch-spruce forests that oer cover and shelter. 2. I make my den in old, hollow spruce trees and travel into newly burned patches to nd voles to eat.3. I nest on the ground near the base of a tree. My summer home is in alder thickets and willows, with some trips to the mature forest. In the winter you’ll nd me eating seeds and buds in a mature aspen forest.5. I chisel out my nesting cavity in a snag (dead tree) near the edge of old forests. Recently burned spruce forests provide me with plenty of bark beetles and other insects to eat.4. Aer spending most of my day eating willow leaves and twigs, I like to bed down in the cool spruce forest.Habitat MatchAnswers on page 3 Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation Issue No. 48The Alaska Department of Fish and Game administers all programs and activities free from discrimination based on race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, or disability. For information on alternative formats for this and other department publications, please contact the department ADA Coordinator at (voice) 907-465-6077, (TDD) 907-465-3646, or (FAX) 907-465-6078.Alaska’s Wild Wonders Issue No. 4, July 2014, photos courtesy of ADF&G , USFWS, and Jim Dau.ACROSS1. Bird that arrives aer a re to eat bark beetles in dead or dying trees.6. In Interior Alaska this starts many res.7. Edges are where dierent successional stages__________.8. Burned shrubs and other plants turn into ____________which help new plants grow. DOWN1. Favorite food of moose.2. Spruce cones do this aer a re.3. Wildland res can improve _________ for wildlife.4. Dead, standing trees that provide food and homes for birds and small mammals.5. One of the rst green plants to sprout aer a re. Crossword ChallengeAnswers on page 3