Fire Intensity and Burn Severity Metrics for Circumpolar Boreal Forests, 2001-2013

This data set provides products characterizing immediate and longer-term ecosystem changes from fires in the circumpolar boreal forests of Northern Eurasia and North America. The data include fire intensity (fire radiative power; FRP), increase in spring albedo, decrease in tree cover, normalized burn ratio, normalized difference vegetation index, and land surface temperature, as well as three derived fire metrics: crown scorch, vegetation destruction, and fire-induced tree mortality. Longer-term changes are indicated by mean albedo determined 5-12 years after fires, mean percent decrease in tree cover 5-7 years after fires, and mean annual burned percentage. The data cover the period 2001-2013 and are provided at quarter, half, and one degree resolutions for boreal forests within the 40 to 80 degree North circumpolar region. The data were derived from a variety of sources including MODIS products, climate reanalysis data, and forest inventories. A data file with identified boreal forest area (pixels), as defined by climate and vegetation type, and a file with the defined North American and Eurasian boreal forest study regions are included.