By Jennifer Barnes
In 2010, Noatak National Preserve had a record number of fires. At least 37 fires burned more than 106,000 acres in the preserve. After the record number of fires burned in Noatak during 2010, the NPS Alaska Region fire ecology program assessed the effects of burn severity on vegetation; and the age of carbon burned in these fires.
Initial results from the carbon dating show that the 2010 fires primarily consumed organic soil material that was less than 60 years old.
Last updated: February 3, 2015