Post-fire carbon dioxide fluxes in the western Canadian boreal forest: evidence from towers, aircraft and remote sensing

Recent CO2 flux measurements from towers and aircraft (net ecosystem exchange by eddy covariance) and remote sensing/modeling (net primary productivity—NPP) following fire show that the regenerating boreal forest in western Canada has a low initial flux that increases with time since fire. Daytime CO2 fluxes are downward, even after 2 years following fire, although fluxes were upward during the first year after the fire. In summer, the forest …