1
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Kobziar LN, Lampman P, Tohidi A, Kochanski AK, Cervantes A, Hudak AT, McCarley R, Gullett B, Aurell J, Moore R, Vuono DC, Christner BC, Watts AC, Cronan J, Ottmar R. Bacterial Emission Factors: A Foundation for the Terrestrial-Atmospheric Modeling of Bacteria Aerosolized by Wildland Fires. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:2413-2422. [PMID: 38266235 PMCID: PMC10851933 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Wildland fire is a major global driver in the exchange of aerosols between terrestrial environments and the atmosphere. This exchange is commonly quantified using emission factors or the mass of a pollutant emitted per mass of fuel burned. However, emission factors for microbes aerosolized by fire have yet to be determined. Using bacterial cell concentrations collected on unmanned aircraft systems over forest fires in Utah, USA, we determine bacterial emission factors (BEFs) for the first time. We estimate that 1.39 × 1010 and 7.68 × 1011 microbes are emitted for each Mg of biomass consumed in fires burning thinning residues and intact forests, respectively. These emissions exceed estimates of background bacterial emissions in other studies by 3-4 orders of magnitude. For the ∼2631 ha of similar forests in the Fishlake National Forest that burn each year on average, an estimated 1.35 × 1017 cells or 8.1 kg of bacterial biomass were emitted. BEFs were then used to parametrize a computationally scalable particle transport model that predicted over 99% of the emitted cells were transported beyond the 17.25 x 17.25 km model domain. BEFs can be used to expand understanding of global wildfire microbial emissions and their potential consequences to ecosystems, the atmosphere, and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leda N. Kobziar
- Department
of Natural Resources and Society, University
of Idaho, 1031 N. Academic Way, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83814, United States
| | - Phinehas Lampman
- Department
of Natural Resources and Society, University
of Idaho, 1031 N. Academic Way, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83814, United States
| | - Ali Tohidi
- Mechanical
Engineering Department, Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center, San Jose State University, San Jose, California 95192, United States
| | - Adam K. Kochanski
- Department
of Meteorology and Climate Science, Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research
Center, San Jose State University, San Jose, California 95192, United States
| | - Antonio Cervantes
- Mechanical
Engineering Department, Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center, San Jose State University, San Jose, California 95192, United States
| | - Andrew T. Hudak
- Rocky
Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Moscow, Idaho 83846, United States
| | - Ryan McCarley
- Department
of Forest, Fire and Rangeland Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844, United States
| | - Brian Gullett
- Office of
Research and Development, Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Johanna Aurell
- Office of
Research and Development, Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Rachel Moore
- Department
of Microbiology and Cell Science, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - David C. Vuono
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Brent C. Christner
- Department
of Microbiology and Cell Science, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Adam C. Watts
- Pacific
Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest
Service, Wenatchee, Washington 98801, United States
| | - James Cronan
- Pacific
Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest
Service, Seattle, Washington 98103, United States
| | - Roger Ottmar
- Pacific
Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest
Service, Seattle, Washington 98103, United States
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2
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Storey MA, Price OF, Fox-Hughes P. The influence of regional wind patterns on air quality during forest fires near Sydney, Australia. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 905:167335. [PMID: 37748611 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Particulate pollution from forest fire smoke threatens the health of communities by increasing the occurrence of respiratory illnesses. Wind drives both fire behaviour and smoke dispersal. Understanding regional wind patterns would assist in effectively managing smoke risk. Sydney, Australia is prone to smoke pollution because it has a large population close to fire-prone eucalypt forests. Here we use the self-organising maps (SOM) technique to identify sixteen unique wind classes for the Sydney region from days with active fires, including identifying sea breeze occurrence. We explored differences in PM2.5 levels between classes and between hazard reduction burning (HRB) and wildfire days. For HRB days, classes with the highest PM2.5 mostly had a sea breeze, whereas better air quality days usually had winds aligned across the region (e.g. all westerly). The wind class with the most HRB days had low wind speeds and a sea breeze and was among the worst wind classes for air quality. For wildfire days, days with a sea breeze were also generally of poor air quality but many classes had at least some poor air quality days, most of which were during the 2019-2020 east coast wildfires in New South Wales. Some poor air quality days occurred in wind classes that sent strong plumes directly over air quality stations, spread smoke over a wide area or transported smoke from outside the region. The classes identified may be useful in scheduling HRBs, for example, identifying days with low pollution risk to conduct an HRB, or for assisting in understanding pollution risk and sending health warnings during HRBs and wildfires. Further development of the approach may allow the creation of multi-day classifications for fire managers to plan HRB ignitions over several days to ensure better smoke dispersal. Further research could incorporate other weather predictors or focus on other regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Storey
- NSW Bushfire Risk Management Research Hub, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
| | - Owen F Price
- NSW Bushfire Risk Management Research Hub, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
| | - Paul Fox-Hughes
- Research Program, Bureau of Meteorology, Hobart, TAS 7000, Australia.
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3
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Zahed M, Bączek-Kwinta R. The Impact of Post-Fire Smoke on Plant Communities: A Global Approach. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3835. [PMID: 38005732 PMCID: PMC10674613 DOI: 10.3390/plants12223835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Smoke is one of the fire-related cues that can alter vegetation communities' compositions, by promoting or excluding different plant species. For over 30 years, smoke-derived compounds have been a hot topic in plant and crop physiology. Research in this field was initiated in fire-prone areas in Australia, South Africa and some countries of both Americas, mostly with Mediterranean-type climates. Then, research extended to regions with moderate climates, like Central European countries; this was sometimes determined by the fact that in those regions, extensive prescribed or illegal burning (swailing) occurs. Hence, this review updates information about the effects of smoke compounds on plant kingdoms in different regions. It also focuses on research advances in the field of the physiological effects of smoke chemicals, mostly karrikins, and attempts to gather and summarize the current state of research and opinions on the roles of such compounds in plants' lives. We finish our review by discussing major research gaps, which include issues such as why plants that occur in non-fire-prone areas respond to smoke chemicals. Have recent climate change and human activities increased the risk of wildfires, and how may these affect local plant communities through physiologically active smoke compounds? Is the response of seeds to smoke and smoke compounds an evolutionarily driven trait that allows plants to adapt to the environment? What can we learn by examining post-fire smoke on a large scale?
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahboube Zahed
- Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in Gorgan, Basij Square, Pardis No. 2, Gorgan 49189-43464, Iran
| | - Renata Bączek-Kwinta
- Department of Plant Breeding, Physiology and Seed Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Krakow, ul. Podłuzna 3, 30-239 Kraków, Poland
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4
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Koman PD, Billmire M, Baker KR, Carter JM, Thelen BJ, French NHF, Bell SA. Using wildland fire smoke modeling data in gerontological health research (California, 2007-2018). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156403. [PMID: 35660427 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Widespread population exposure to wildland fire smoke underscores the urgent need for new techniques to characterize fire-derived pollution for epidemiologic studies and to build climate-resilient communities especially for aging populations. Using atmospheric chemical transport modeling, we examined air quality with and without wildland fire smoke PM2.5. In 12-km gridded output, the 24-hour average concentration of all-source PM2.5 in California (2007-2018) was 5.16 μg/m3 (S.D. 4.66 μg/m3). The average concentration of fire-PM2.5 in California by year was 1.61 μg/m3 (~30% of total PM2.5). The contribution of fire-source PM2.5 ranged from 6.8% to 49%. We define a "smokewave" as two or more consecutive days with modeled levels above 35 μg/m3. Based on model-derived fire-PM2.5, 99.5% of California's population lived in a county that experienced at least one smokewave from 2007 to 2018, yet understanding of the impact of smoke on the health of aging populations is limited. Approximately 2.7 million (56%) of California residents aged 65+ years lived in counties representing the top 3 quartiles of fire-PM2.5 concentrations (2007-2018). For each year (2007-2018), grid cells containing skilled nursing facilities had significantly higher mean concentrations of all-source PM2.5 than cells without those facilities, but they also had generally lower mean concentrations of wildland fire-specific PM2.5. Compared to rural monitors in California, model predictions of wildland fire impacts on daily average PM2.5 carbon (organic and elemental) performed well most years but tended to overestimate wildland fire impacts for high-fire years. The modeling system isolated wildland fire PM2.5 from other sources at monitored and unmonitored locations, which is important for understanding exposures for aging population in health studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia D Koman
- University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Michael Billmire
- Michigan Technological University, Michigan Tech Research Institute, 3600 Green Court, Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA.
| | - Kirk R Baker
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
| | - Julie M Carter
- University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Michigan Technological University, Michigan Tech Research Institute, 3600 Green Court, Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA.
| | - Brian J Thelen
- Michigan Technological University, Michigan Tech Research Institute, 3600 Green Court, Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA.
| | - Nancy H F French
- Michigan Technological University, Michigan Tech Research Institute, 3600 Green Court, Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA.
| | - Sue Anne Bell
- University of Michigan, School of Nursing, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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5
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D’Evelyn SM, Jung J, Alvarado E, Baumgartner J, Caligiuri P, Hagmann RK, Henderson SB, Hessburg PF, Hopkins S, Kasner EJ, Krawchuk MA, Krenz JE, Lydersen JM, Marlier ME, Masuda YJ, Metlen K, Mittelstaedt G, Prichard SJ, Schollaert CL, Smith EB, Stevens JT, Tessum CW, Reeb-Whitaker C, Wilkins JL, Wolff NH, Wood LM, Haugo RD, Spector JT. Wildfire, Smoke Exposure, Human Health, and Environmental Justice Need to be Integrated into Forest Restoration and Management. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:366-385. [PMID: 35524066 PMCID: PMC9076366 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00355-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Increasing wildfire size and severity across the western United States has created an environmental and social crisis that must be approached from a transdisciplinary perspective. Climate change and more than a century of fire exclusion and wildfire suppression have led to contemporary wildfires with more severe environmental impacts and human smoke exposure. Wildfires increase smoke exposure for broad swaths of the US population, though outdoor workers and socially disadvantaged groups with limited adaptive capacity can be disproportionally exposed. Exposure to wildfire smoke is associated with a range of health impacts in children and adults, including exacerbation of existing respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, worse birth outcomes, and cardiovascular events. Seasonally dry forests in Washington, Oregon, and California can benefit from ecological restoration as a way to adapt forests to climate change and reduce smoke impacts on affected communities. RECENT FINDINGS Each wildfire season, large smoke events, and their adverse impacts on human health receive considerable attention from both the public and policymakers. The severity of recent wildfire seasons has state and federal governments outlining budgets and prioritizing policies to combat the worsening crisis. This surging attention provides an opportunity to outline the actions needed now to advance research and practice on conservation, economic, environmental justice, and public health interests, as well as the trade-offs that must be considered. Scientists, planners, foresters and fire managers, fire safety, air quality, and public health practitioners must collaboratively work together. This article is the result of a series of transdisciplinary conversations to find common ground and subsequently provide a holistic view of how forest and fire management intersect with human health through the impacts of smoke and articulate the need for an integrated approach to both planning and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah M. D’Evelyn
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | - Jihoon Jung
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | - Ernesto Alvarado
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Jill Baumgartner
- Dept of Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - R. Keala Hagmann
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Applegate Forestry, LLC, Corvallis, USA
| | | | - Paul F. Hessburg
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Wenatchee, WA USA
| | - Sean Hopkins
- Washington State Department of Ecology, Lacey, USA
| | - Edward J. Kasner
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | - Meg A. Krawchuk
- Dept. of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA
| | - Jennifer E. Krenz
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | - Jamie M. Lydersen
- California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Sacramento, USA
| | - Miriam E. Marlier
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | | | | | | | - Susan J. Prichard
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Claire L. Schollaert
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | | | - Jens T. Stevens
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM USA
| | - Christopher W. Tessum
- Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, USA
| | - Carolyn Reeb-Whitaker
- Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention Program, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Tumwater, USA
| | - Joseph L. Wilkins
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Interdisciplinary Studies Department, Howard University, Washington, DC USA
| | | | - Leah M. Wood
- Evan’s School of Public Policy and Governance and The Department of Global Health, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | | | - June T. Spector
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
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6
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Evaluating a New Relative Phenological Correction and the Effect of Sentinel-Based Earth Engine Compositing Approaches to Map Fire Severity and Burned Area. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14133122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The remote sensing of fire severity and burned area is fundamental in the evaluation of fire impacts. The current study aimed to: (i) compare Sentinel-2 (S2) spectral indices to predict field-observed fire severity in Durango, Mexico; (ii) evaluate the effect of the compositing period (1 or 3 months), techniques (average or minimum), and phenological correction (constant offset, c, against a novel relative phenological correction, rc) on fire severity mapping, and (iii) determine fire perimeter accuracy. The Relative Burn Ratio (RBR), using S2 bands 8a and 12, provided the best correspondence with field-based fire severity (FBS). One-month rc minimum composites showed the highest correspondence with FBS (R2 = 0.83). The decrease in R2 using 3 months rather than 1 month was ≥0.05 (0.05–0.15) for c composites and <0.05 (0.02–0.03) for rc composites. Furthermore, using rc increased the R2 by 0.05–0.09 and 0.10–0.15 for the 3-month RBR and dNBR compared to the corresponding c composites. Rc composites also showed increases of up to 0.16–0.22 and 0.08–0.11 in kappa values and overall accuracy, respectively, in mapping fire perimeters against c composites. These results suggest a promising potential of the novel relative phenological correction to be systematically applied with automated algorithms to improve the accuracy and robustness of fire severity and perimeter evaluations.
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7
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Kobziar LN, Vuono D, Moore R, Christner BC, Dean T, Betancourt D, Watts AC, Aurell J, Gullett B. Wildland fire smoke alters the composition, diversity, and potential atmospheric function of microbial life in the aerobiome. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:8. [PMID: 37938277 PMCID: PMC9723787 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00089-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
The atmosphere contains a diverse reservoir of microbes but the sources and factors contributing to microbial aerosol variability are not well constrained. To advance understanding of microbial emissions in wildfire smoke, we used unmanned aircraft systems to analyze the aerosols above high-intensity forest fires in the western United States. Our results show that samples of the smoke contained ~four-fold higher concentrations of cells (1.02 ± 0.26 × 105 m-3) compared to background air, with 78% of microbes in smoke inferred to be viable. Fivefold higher taxon richness and ~threefold enrichment of ice nucleating particle concentrations in smoke implies that wildfires are an important source of diverse bacteria and fungi as well as meteorologically relevant aerosols. We estimate that such fires emit 3.71 × 1014 microbial cells ha-1 under typical wildfire conditions in western US forests and demonstrate that wildland biomass combustion has a large-scale influence on the local atmospheric microbial assemblages. Given the long-range transport of wildfire smoke emissions, these results expand the concept of a wildfire's perimeter of biological impact and have implications to biogeography, gene flow, the dispersal of plant, animal, and human pathogens, and meteorology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leda N Kobziar
- Department of Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, Coeur d'Alene, ID, 83814, USA.
| | - David Vuono
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, 80401, USA
| | - Rachel Moore
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
- Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Brent C Christner
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Timothy Dean
- U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
| | - Doris Betancourt
- U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
| | - Adam C Watts
- Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory, USDA Forest Service, Seattle, WA, 98103, USA
| | - Johanna Aurell
- University of Dayton Research Institute, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH, 45469, USA
| | - Brian Gullett
- U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
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8
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Dove NC, Klingeman DM, Carrell AA, Cregger MA, Schadt CW. Fire alters plant microbiome assembly patterns: integrating the plant and soil microbial response to disturbance. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:2433-2446. [PMID: 33525047 PMCID: PMC8251558 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
It is increasingly evident that the plant microbiome is a strong determinant of plant health. While the ability to manipulate the microbiome in plants and ecosystems recovering from disturbance may be useful, our understanding of the plant microbiome in regenerating plant communities is currently limited. Using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region amplicon sequencing, we characterized the leaf, stem, fine root, rhizome, and rhizosphere microbiome of < 1-yr-old aspen saplings and the associated bulk soil after a recent high-intensity prescribed fire across a burn severity gradient. Consistent with previous studies, we found that soil microbiomes are responsive to fire. We extend these findings by showing that certain plant tissue microbiomes also change in response to fire. Differences in soil microbiome compositions could be attributed to soil chemical characteristics, but, generally, plant tissue microbiomes were not related to plant tissue elemental concentrations. Using source tracking modeling, we also show that fire influences the relative dominance of microbial inoculum and the vertical inheritance of the sapling microbiome from the parent tree. Overall, our results demonstrate how fire impacts plant microbiome assembly, diversity, and composition and highlights potential for further research towards increasing plant fitness and ecosystem recovery after fire events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas C. Dove
- Biosciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTN37831USA
| | - Dawn M. Klingeman
- Biosciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTN37831USA
| | - Alyssa A. Carrell
- Biosciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTN37831USA
| | - Melissa A. Cregger
- Biosciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTN37831USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTN37996USA
| | - Christopher W. Schadt
- Biosciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTN37831USA
- Department of MicrobiologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTN37996USA
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9
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Aurell J, Gullett B, Holder A, Kiros F, Mitchell W, Watts A, Ottmar R. Wildland Fire Emission Sampling at Fishlake National Forest, Utah Using an Unmanned Aircraft System. ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (OXFORD, ENGLAND : 1994) 2021; 247:118193. [PMID: 34335074 PMCID: PMC8318188 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2021.118193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Emissions from a stand replacement prescribed burn were sampled using an unmanned aircraft system (UAS, or "drone") in Fishlake National Forest, Utah, U.S.A. Sixteen flights over three days in June 2019 provided emission factors for a broad range of compounds including carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen oxide (NO2), particulate matter < 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including carbonyls, black carbon, and elemental/organic carbon. To our knowledge, this is the first UAS-based emission sampling for a fire of this magnitude, including both slash pile and crown fires resulting in wildfire-like conditions. The burns consisted of drip torch ignitions as well as ground-mobile and aerial helicopter ignitions of large stands comprising over 1,000 ha, allowing for comparison of same-species emission factors burned under different conditions. The use of a UAS for emission sampling minimizes risk to personnel and equipment, allowing flexibility in sampling location and ensuring capture of representative, fresh smoke constituents. PM2.5 emission factors varied 5-fold and, like most pollutants, varied inversely with combustion efficiency resulting in lower emission factors from the slash piles than the crown fires.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Aurell
- University of Dayton Research Institute, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
| | - B. Gullett
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
- Corresponding author : phone (+1-919) 541-1534; fax (+1-919) 541-0554
| | - A. Holder
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
| | - F. Kiros
- University of Dayton Research Institute, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
| | - W. Mitchell
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
| | - A. Watts
- Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV 89512, USA
| | - R. Ottmar
- U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Wildland Forest Service Laboratory, 400 North 34 Street, Seattle, WA 98103, USA
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10
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Abstract
Coupled fire-atmosphere models are increasingly being used to study low-intensity fires, such as those that are used in prescribed fire applications. Thus, the need arises to evaluate these models for their ability to accurately represent fire spread in marginal burning conditions. In this study, wind and fuel data collected during the Prescribed Fire Combustion and Atmospheric Dynamics Research Experiments (RxCADRE) fire campaign were used to generate initial and boundary conditions for coupled fire-atmosphere simulations. We present a novel method to obtain fuels representation at the model grid scale using a combination of imagery, machine learning, and field sampling. Several methods to generate wind input conditions for the model from eight different anemometer measurements are explored. We find a strong sensitivity of fire outcomes to wind inputs. This result highlights the critical need to include variable wind fields as inputs in modeling marginal fire conditions. This work highlights the complexities of comparing physics-based model results against observations, which are more acute in marginal burning conditions, where stronger sensitivities to local variability in wind and fuels drive fire outcomes.
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11
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Criteria-Based Identification of Important Fuels for Wildland Fire Emission Research. ATMOSPHERE 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos11060640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Studies of the emissions from wildland fires are important for understanding the role of these events in the production, transport, and fate of emitted gases and particulate matter, and, consequently, their impact on atmospheric and ecological processes, and on human health and wellbeing. Wildland fire emission research provides the quantitative information needed for the understanding and management of wildland fire emissions impacts based on human needs. Recent work to characterize emissions from specific fuel types, or those from specific areas, has implicitly been driven by the recognition of the importance of those fuel types in the context of wildland fire science; however, the importance of specific fuels in driving investigations of biomass-burning emissions has not been made explicit thus far. Here, we make a first attempt to discuss the development and application of criteria to answer the question, “What are the most important fuels for biomass-burning emissions investigations to inform wildland fire science and management?” Four criteria for fuel selection are proposed: “(1) total emissions, (2) impacts, (3) availability and uncertainty, and (4) potential for future importance.” Attempting to develop and apply these criteria, we propose a list of several such fuels, based on prior investigations and the body of wildland-fire emission research.
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Jaffe DA, O’Neill SM, Larkin NK, Holder AL, Peterson DL, Halofsky JE, Rappold AG. Wildfire and prescribed burning impacts on air quality in the United States. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2020; 70:583-615. [PMID: 32240055 PMCID: PMC7932990 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2020.1749731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Air quality impacts from wildfires have been dramatic in recent years, with millions of people exposed to elevated and sometimes hazardous fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) concentrations for extended periods. Fires emit particulate matter (PM) and gaseous compounds that can negatively impact human health and reduce visibility. While the overall trend in U.S. air quality has been improving for decades, largely due to implementation of the Clean Air Act, seasonal wildfires threaten to undo this in some regions of the United States. Our understanding of the health effects of smoke is growing with regard to respiratory and cardiovascular consequences and mortality. The costs of these health outcomes can exceed the billions already spent on wildfire suppression. In this critical review, we examine each of the processes that influence wildland fires and the effects of fires, including the natural role of wildland fire, forest management, ignitions, emissions, transport, chemistry, and human health impacts. We highlight key data gaps and examine the complexity and scope and scale of fire occurrence, estimated emissions, and resulting effects on regional air quality across the United States. The goal is to clarify which areas are well understood and which need more study. We conclude with a set of recommendations for future research. IMPLICATIONS In the recent decade the area of wildfires in the United States has increased dramatically and the resulting smoke has exposed millions of people to unhealthy air quality. In this critical review we examine the key factors and impacts from fires including natural role of wildland fire, forest management, ignitions, emissions, transport, chemistry and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A. Jaffe
- School of STEM and Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Amara L. Holder
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - David L. Peterson
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington Seattle, Seattle WA, USA
| | - Jessica E. Halofsky
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington Seattle, Seattle WA, USA
| | - Ana G. Rappold
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Lab, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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Yang G, Zhao H, Tong DQ, Xiu A, Zhang X, Gao C. Impacts of post-harvest open biomass burning and burning ban policy on severe haze in the Northeastern China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 716:136517. [PMID: 32059315 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Open filed biomass burning is a major contributor to airborne particulate matter and reactive trace gases during the post-harvest season in the Northeastern China. Due to prevailing weather conditions and high emission density, this region is prone to the accumulation of air pollutants that often leads to severe haze events. In this study, we combined satellite and ground observations, and a regional air quality modeling system to quantify the contribution of open biomass burning to surface PM2.5 (particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 µm) concentrations during a severe haze episode. During this period (November 1st - 4th, 2015), the average PM2.5 concentrations in Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces reached 116.98 μg/m3, 98.60 μg/m3, and 70.17 μg/m3 respectively. Model simulations showed that open biomass burning contributed to 52.7% of PM2.5 concentrations over Northeast China. Using the differences in active fire spots as detected by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suites (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi-NPP, we estimated that the burning ban enforced in 2018 have caused the PM2.5 concentrations to decrease from the 2015 level by 67.10%, 53.23%, and 10.06% in the Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces respectively. Over the region, the burning ban proved to be effective in reducing fire emissions and lowering region-wide PM2.5 concentration by 48.1% during the post-harvest season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangyi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Hongmei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China.
| | - Daniel Q Tong
- Center for Spatial Information Science and Systems, George Mason University, VA 22030, USA; Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA.
| | - Aijun Xiu
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China.
| | - Xuelei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China.
| | - Chao Gao
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Fire Behavior, Fuel Consumption, and Turbulence and Energy Exchange during Prescribed Fires in Pitch Pine Forests. ATMOSPHERE 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos11030242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Prescribed fires are conducted extensively in pine-dominated forests throughout the Eastern USA to reduce the risk of wildfires and maintain fire-adapted ecosystems. We asked how fire behavior and fuel consumption during prescribed fires are associated with turbulence and energy fluxes, which affect the dispersion of smoke and transport of firebrands, potentially impacting local communities and transportation corridors. We estimated fuel consumption and measured above-canopy turbulence and energy fluxes using eddy covariance during eight prescribed fires ranging in behavior from low-intensity backing fires to high-intensity head fires in pine-dominated forests of the New Jersey Pinelands, USA. Consumption was greatest for fine litter, intermediate for understory vegetation, and least for 1 + 10 hour wood, and was significantly correlated with pre-burn loading for all fuel types. Crown torching and canopy fuel consumption occurred only during high-intensity fires. Above-canopy air temperature, vertical wind velocity, and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in buoyant plumes above fires were enhanced up to 20.0, 3.9 and 4.1 times, respectively, compared to values measured simultaneously on control towers in unburned areas. When all prescribed fires were considered together, differences between above-canopy measurements in burn and control areas (Δ values) for maximum Δ air temperatures were significantly correlated with maximum Δ vertical wind velocities at all (10 Hz to 1 minute) integration times, and with Δ TKE. Maximum 10 minute averaged sensible heat fluxes measured above canopy were lower during low-intensity backing fires than for high-intensity head fires, averaging 1.8 MJ m−2 vs. 10.6 MJ m−2, respectively. Summed Δ sensible heat values averaged 70 ± 17%, and 112 ± 42% of convective heat flux estimated from fuel consumption for low-intensity and high-intensity fires, respectively. Surprisingly, there were only weak relationships between the consumption of surface and understory fuels and Δ air temperature, Δ wind velocities, or Δ TKE values in buoyant plumes. Overall, low-intensity fires were effective at reducing fuels on the forest floor, but less effective at consuming understory vegetation and ladder fuels, while high-intensity head fires resulted in greater consumption of ladder and canopy fuels but were also associated with large increases in turbulence and heat flux above the canopy. Our research quantifies some of the tradeoffs involved between fire behavior and turbulent transfer of smoke and firebrands during effective fuel reduction treatments and can assist wildland fire managers when planning and conducting prescribed fires.
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A Multipollutant Smoke Emissions Sensing and Sampling Instrument Package for Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Development and Testing. FIRE-SWITZERLAND 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/fire2020032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Poor air quality arising from prescribed and wildfire smoke emissions poses threats to human health and therefore must be taken into account for the planning and implementation of prescribed burns for reducing contemporary fuel loading and other management goals. To better understand how smoke properties vary as a function of fuel beds and environmental conditions, we developed and tested a compact portable instrument package that integrates direct air sampling with air quality and meteorology sensing, suitable for in situ data collection within burn units and as a payload on multi-rotor small unmanned aircraft systems (sUASs). Co-located sensors collect carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter data at a sampling rate of ~0.5 Hz with a microcontroller-based system that includes independent data logging, power systems, radio telemetry, and global positioning system data. Sensor data facilitates precise remote canister collection of air samples suitable for laboratory analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other major and trace gases. Instrument package specifications are compatible with common protocols for ground-based and airborne measurements. We present and discuss design specifications for the system and preliminary data collected in controlled burns at Tall Timbers Research Station, FL, USA and Sycan Marsh Preserve, OR, USA.
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Koman PD, Billmire M, Baker KR, de Majo R, Anderson FJ, Hoshiko S, Thelen BJ, French NH. Mapping Modeled Exposure of Wildland Fire Smoke for Human Health Studies in California. ATMOSPHERE 2019; 10:308. [PMID: 31803514 PMCID: PMC6892473 DOI: 10.3390/atmos10060308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Wildland fire smoke exposure affects a broad proportion of the U.S. population and is increasing due to climate change, settlement patterns and fire seclusion. Significant public health questions surrounding its effects remain, including the impact on cardiovascular disease and maternal health. Using atmospheric chemical transport modeling, we examined general air quality with and without wildland fire smoke PM2.5. The 24-h average concentration of PM2.5 from all sources in 12-km gridded output from all sources in California (2007-2013) was 4.91 μg/m3. The average concentration of fire-PM2.5 in California by year was 1.22 μg/m3 (~25% of total PM2.5). The fire-PM2.5 daily mean was estimated at 4.40 μg/m3 in a high fire year (2008). Based on the model-derived fire-PM2.5 data, 97.4% of California's population lived in a county that experienced at least one episode of high smoke exposure ("smokewave") from 2007-2013. Photochemical model predictions of wildfire impacts on daily average PM2.5 carbon (organic and elemental) compared to rural monitors in California compared well for most years but tended to over-estimate wildfire impacts for 2008 (2.0 μg/m3 bias) and 2013 (1.6 μg/m3 bias) while underestimating for 2009 (-2.1 μg/m3 bias). The modeling system isolated wildfire and PM2.5 from other sources at monitored and unmonitored locations, which is important for understanding population exposure in health studies. Further work is needed to refine model predictions of wildland fire impacts on air quality in order to increase confidence in the model for future assessments. Atmospheric modeling can be a useful tool to assess broad geographic scale exposure for epidemiologic studies and to examine scenario-based health impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia D. Koman
- Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Michael Billmire
- Michigan Tech Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105 USA
| | - Kirk R. Baker
- Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards, Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709 USA
| | - Ricardo de Majo
- Health Behavior Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Frank J. Anderson
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sumi Hoshiko
- Environmental Health Investigations Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA 94804,USA
| | - Brian J. Thelen
- Michigan Tech Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105 USA
| | - Nancy H.F. French
- Michigan Tech Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105 USA
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Liu Y, Kochanski A, Baker KR, Mell W, Linn R, Paugam R, Mandel J, Fournier A, Jenkins MA, Goodrick S, Achtemeier G, Zhao F, Ottmar R, French NHF, Larkin N, Brown T, Hudak A, Dickinson M, Potter B, Clements C, Urbanski S, Prichard S, Watts A, McNamara D. Fire behavior and smoke modeling: Model improvement and measurement needs for next-generation smoke research and forecasting systems. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WILDLAND FIRE 2019; 28:570. [PMID: 32632343 PMCID: PMC7336523 DOI: 10.1071/wf18204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
There is an urgent need for next-generation smoke research and forecasting (SRF) systems to meet the challenges of the growing air quality, health, and safety concerns associated with wildland fire emissions. This review paper presents simulations and experiments of hypothetical prescribed burns with a suite of selected fire behavior and smoke models and identifies major issues for model improvement and the most critical observational needs. The results are used to understand the new and improved capability required for the next-generation SRF systems and to support the design of the Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment (FASMEE) and other field campaigns. The next-generation SRF systems should have more coupling of fire, smoke, and atmospheric processes to better simulate and forecast vertical smoke distributions and multiple sub-plumes, dynamical and high-resolution fire processes, and local and regional smoke chemistry during day and night. The development of the coupling capability requires comprehensive and spatially and temporally integrated measurements across the various disciplines to characterize flame and energy structure (e.g., individual cells, vertical heat profile and the height of well mixing flaming gases), smoke structure (vertical distributions and multiple sub-plumes), ambient air processes (smoke eddy, entrainment and radiative effects of smoke aerosols), fire emissions (for different fuel types and combustion conditions from flaming to residual smoldering), as well as night-time processes (smoke drainage and super-fog formation).
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