How can Prescribed Burning and Indigenous Cultural Burning be Used to Reduce the Impacts of Wildfires in Canadian Forests in Response to the Effects of Climate Change?

Abstract

The relatively recent uptick in extreme wildfire seasons in Canada is linked to a history of fire suppression management and accelerated climate change, creating discussion on prescribed burning and Indigenous cultural burning for proactive forest management. The literature review analyzes several studies on the use of prescribed burning, primarily in coniferous forests similar to those found in western Canada, to reduce fuel buildup on the forest floor. The literature review also emphasizes the importance of Indigenous-led, collaborative forest management based on traditional Indigenous burning practices. Findings indicate that prescribed burning and Indigenous cultural burning have significant impacts on wildfires through reducing forest fuel load and increasing the resistance of forest ecosystems to fire. These results reveal the potential for prescribed and cultural burning in active forest management in Canada and invite further research into these methods.