Interaction of ecosystems, fires, air quality and climate change in the Southeast;

Auburn University

Interaction of ecosystems, fires, air quality and climate change in the Southeast.

Hanqin Tian, Professor

Forestry & Wildlife Bldg.
602 Duncan Drive
Auburn, AL 36849-5418
(334) 844-1007
(334) 844-1084 FAX

Large amounts of biomass are burned in the Southeast. Fire emissions have been found to significantly affect air quality in the region. The effects of fire emissions will change significantly as a result of climate and land use changes. The objectives of this research are: (1) integrate process-based ecosystem, fire emissions, air quality, and regional climate models to systematically understand the complex interaction of these components in the Southeast in a climate change setting; (2) evaluate the integrated modeling system with state fire statistics, ground and satellite observations for the present and understand better the effects of fire emissions on air quality in the Southeast; (3) propagate and calculate the sensitivities of the modeling system to major inputs, and to use those sensitivities to quantify uncertainties in the system results; and (4) assess the impact of regional climate and land use changes and fire management on ecosystems and fire emissions and the consequent effects on air quality in the Southeast. Further, assess the impact of changing aerosol concentrations as a result of fire emissions and other sources on regional climate.