Alaska Burn Severity Workshop
(February 2008)
The USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS) project and the USGS Alaska Science Center hosted a burn severity mapping workshop in Anchorage Alaska on February 20–21, 2008. The main objective of this workshop was to bring together key players in developing and using MTBS to answer the following questions: 1) What questions are the Alaska community (in the broad sense) trying to address with burn severity data and what are the successes and failures; 2) What is the MTBS methodology and what are known strengths and weaknesses; 3) How could burn severity information be improved to better answer the major questions facing Alaskans; and 4) Are there projects that individuals from academia and the different agencies can collaborate on in the near future? The desired outcome of the workshop is an understanding among the broad Alaska user community and MTBS to improve burn severity mapping for Alaska. For full documented workshop summary and list of the attendees please click here...
The workshop began with a review of the current understanding, associated burn severity mapping activities, and research activities making use of satellite observations and burn severity measurements in Alaska. The workshop objectives were to:
- Review federal, state, academia, and others (Canada) burn severity mapping and application activities in Alaska. Focus was given to detailing agency needs for burn severity data, what aspect of “Burn Severity” is important to their management needs
- Review MTBS objectives and methodology
- Consider the relationship of MTBS to other Alaska activities to identify the similarities and differences between MTBS and the other activities
- Discuss differences and adjustments that could be made to improve the generation and application of burn severity data. Issues such as timing of pre and post fire imagery, initial or extended assessments, field validation, technique development
- Review collection of field data (CBI and other metrics)
- Identify potential collaborations and studies to advance burn mapping in Alaska.
Agenda:
Wednesday 20 February 2008- 09:00 Welcome and Introductions (Carl Markon/Jeff Eidenshink)
- 09:20 Presentation: Assessing dNBR in the Boreal Forest and Tundra Ecosystems of Alaska’s National Parks - Brian Sorbel/Jennifer Allen (National Park Service)
- 10:00 Break
- 10:10 Presentation: Applications of Burn Severity Mapping On Alaska National Wildlife Refuges (Karen Murphy – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
- 10:50 Presentation: Remote Sensing of Burn Severity in the Canadian Boreal: Results and Lessons Learned - Ron Hall (Canadian Forest Service)
- 11:30 Presentation: Burn Severity Mapping For Estimating Fire Emissions: Remote Sensing Advantages and Issues in the Boreal Region - Nancy French, Eric Kasischke (University of Maryland) & David Verbyla (University of Alaska-Fairbanks)
- 12:10 Lunch
- 01:30 Presentation: Fire Perimeter Mapping at the Alaska Fire Service – Parker Martyn (Bureau of Land Management)
- 02:10 Break
- 02:20 Presentation: Understanding Climate Change Impacts on Burn Severity in Alaska Boreal Forest, Yukon River Basin – Crystal Kolden (US Geological Survey)
- 03:00 Presentation: MTBS Objectives and Methodology – Brad Quayle (US Forest Service)
- 04:00 Summary of the Day and Adjourn
- 09:00 Review of Previous Day
- 09:15 Demonstration: MTBS Fire Mapping Protocol For A Selected 2004/2005 Alaska Fire – Steve Howard (US Geological Survey)
- 09:45 Demonstration: Fire Mapping For the 2004 Alaska Winter Trail Fire – Carl Key (US Geological Survey)
- 10:15 Break
- 10:30 Presentation: BAER Mapping on the 2004 Alaska Central Complex – Randy McKinley (SAIC/US Geological Survey)
- 11:00 Presentation: A Brief Background, Basis, Application and Validation of dNBR and CBI – Carl Key (US Geological Survey)
- 11:30 Lunch
- 01:00 Demonstration: Examination of Alaska Burn Imagery – Carl Key (US Geological Survey)
- 02:00 Open Discussion: Potential Collaborations and Studies to Advance Burn Mapping Efforts in Alaska
- 02:40 Break
- 04:20 Adjourn