Andrew Purcell, contributor
(Image: Bureau of Land Management)
In 2007, a tundra fire covering covered over 1000 square kilometres put as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as the entire Arctic tundra normally absorbs in a year. This one catastrophic fire doubled the total amount of Alaskan tundra burned since 1950.
Now new research from the University of Alaska Fairbanks is highlighting the danger of increased forest fire risk in the Arctic tundra. Summer temperatures are rising in the region due to climate change, which could lead to a potentially devastating positive feedback effect. As rising temperatures cause the frequency of forest fires to increase, this in turn can lead to fewer trees in the region soaking up carbon dioxide, and exacerbating the problem of climate change further.
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