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DR. BRIAN AMIRO

Dr. Amiro joined the Department of Soil Science as Head in July 2004. He received his Ph.D. in Land Resource Science (Agrometeorology) from the University of Guelph in 1983, and received M.Sc. and B.Sc. degrees in Biology from Laurentian University in 1979 and 1977, respectively. He has worked as a Research Scientist with the Canadian Forest Service (1997-2004) and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (1983-1997). He has taught courses at the University of Alberta and the University of Hawaii. He is currently on the Editorial Board of the journal Agricultural and Forest Meteorology.

Past Work Experience

1997-2004: Research Scientist and Team Leader, Forest Fire Research, Canadian Forest Service, Edmonton, AB

1983-1997: Research Scientist and Section Head, Environmental Research, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Whiteshell Research Establishment, Pinawa, MB

1991: Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy and Soil Science, University of Hawaii, Manoa, HI

Current Research Interests

Dr. Amiro’s research interests are in a broad range of biophysical aspects of ecosystems. His main focus is on micrometeorology related to agriculture and forests. Some current projects are:

Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Exchange in Agricultural Systems: This research investigates the implications of carbon and greenhouse gas exchange between the atmosphere and agricultural systems as a function of changes in land use. In particular, we are studying the effects of changing converting pasture/forage lands to annual crops.

Fluxnet Canada Research Network: Post-fire flux measurements .
We operate flux towers at three boreal forest sites in Saskatchewan in conjunction with the Canadian Forest Service. Carbon, water and energy exchange between forests and the atmosphere are measured at these sites. These sites are part of the Canadian network and the International Fluxnet network.

Fluxnet Canada Research Network: Northern Old Black Spruce Site
We operate the Northern Old Black Spruce flux site near Thompson Manitoba. This is the longest running flux site in the boreal forest, started by Harvard University in 1994. Current projects are focusing on the hydrological control of carbon exchange.

Effects of Fire on Water Budgets of Northern Forests
This project is collaborative with the Universities of Wyoming and Wisconsin and takes place on a fire chronosequence near Thompson, Manitoba. We are measuring evapotranspiration and water balances and relating these to tree physiology.

Forest Fire in a Changing Climate
This area of research involves analyses and modeling of the future environment and how it will impact forest fires. This includes analyses of future carbon emissions, which could have a positive feedback effect on a warming climate. It also includes the meteorological and ecological effects of fire on the climate, such as changes to the surface characteristics. For example, young vegetation following fire tends to reflect more radiation and could cause atmospheric cooling.

Teaching Responsibilites

SOIL 7220 - Principles of Scientific Research
AGEC 3510 - Agroecology
AGEC 4540 - Agroecology Research Project

Some Selected Publications

Amiro, B.D. 2009. Measuring boreal forest evapotranspiration using the energy balance residual. Journal Hydrology 366: 112-118.

Amiro, B.D., Cantin, A., Flannigan, M.D., and de Groot, W.J. 2009. Future emissions from Canadian boreal forest fires. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 39: 383-395.

M.S. Mkhabela, B.D. Amiro, A.G. Barr, T.A. Black, I. Hawthorne, J. Kidston, J.H. McCaughey, A.L. Orchansky, Z. Nesic, A. Sass, A. Shashkov and T. Zha.  2009. Comparison of carbon dynamics and water use efficiency following fire and harvesting in Canadian boreal forests.  Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 149: 783-794.

Drolet, G.G., Middleton, E.M., Huemmrich, K.F., Hall, F.G., AMIRO, B.D., Barr, A.G., Black, T.A., McCaughey, H.J., Margolis, H.A. 2008. Regional mapping of gross light-use efficiency using MODIS spectral indices. Remote Sensing of the Environment 112:3064-3078.

Singh, S., AMIRO, B.D. and Quideau, S. 2008. Effects of forest floor organic layer and root biomass on soil repiration following boreal forest fire. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38:647-655.

AMIRO, B.D., A.L. Orchansky, A.G. Barr, T.A. Black, S.D. Chambers, F.S. Chapin III, M.L. Goulden, M. Litvak, H.P. Liu, J.H. McCaughey, A. McMillan and J.T. Randerson.  2006. The effect of post-fire stand age on the boreal forest energy balance.  Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 140: 41-50.

Schwalm, C.R., T.A Black, B. AMIRO, A. Arain, A. Barr, C. P.-A. Bourque, A. Dunn, L. Flanagan, M.-A. Giasson, P. Lafleur, H. Margolis, H. McCaughey, A.Orchansky, and S. Wofsy.  2006.  Photosynthetic light use efficiency across an east-west transect in Canada.  Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 140: 269-286.

Chen, J.M., A. Govind, O. Sonnentag, Y. Zhang, A. Barr and B.D. AMIRO.  2006.  Leaf area measurements at Fluxnet Canada forest sites.  Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 140: 257-268.

Rittmaster, R., W.L. Adamowicz, B. AMIRO, and R. Pelletier.  2006.  Economic analysis of health effects from forest fires.  Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36:868-877.

Coursolle, C., H.A. Margolis, A.G. Barr, T. A. Black, B.D. AMIRO, J.H. McCaughey, L.B. Flanagan, P.M. Lafleur, N.T. Roulet, C. P.-A. Bourque, M.A. Arain, S.C. Wofsy, A. Dunn, K. Morgenstern, A.L. Orchansky, P.Y. Bernier, J.M. Chen, J. Kidston, N. Saigusa, and N. Hedstrom.  2006. Late-summer carbon fluxes from Canadian forests and peatlands along an east-west continental transect.  Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36: 783-800.

Amiro, B.D., A.G. Barr, T.A. Black, H. Iwashita, N. Kljun, J.H. McCaughey, K. Morgenstern, S. Murayama, Z. Nesic, A.L. Orchansky, and N. Saigusa. 2006. Carbon, energy and water fluxes at mature and disturbed forest sites, Saskatchewan, Canada. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 136:237-151.

Flannigan, M.D., Amiro, B.D., Logan, K.A., Stocks, B.J. and Wotton, B.M. 2005. Forest Fires and Climate Change in the 21st Century. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change DOI: 10.1007/s11027-005-9020-7.

Flannigan, M.D., K.A. Logan, B.D. Amiro, W.R. Skinner and B.J. Stocks. 2005. Future area burned in Canada. Climatic Change, 72: 1-16.

Turetsky, M.R., B.D. Amiro, E. Bosch, and J.S. Bhatti. 2004. Peatland burning and its relationship to fire weather indices in western Canada. Global Biogeochemical Cycles
18: GB4014, doi:10.1029 / 2004 GB002222.

Amiro, B.D., K.A. Logan, B.M. Wotton, M.D. Flannigan, J.B. Todd, B.J. Stocks, and D.L. Martell. 2004. Fire weather index system components of large fires in the Canadian boreal forest. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 13: 391-400

Amiro, B.D. and J.M. Chen. 2003. Forest-fire-scar aging using SPOT-VGT for Canadian ecoregions. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 33: 1116-1125.

Amiro, B.D., J.I. MacPherson, R.L. Desjardins, J.M. Chen, and J. Liu. 2003. Post-fire carbon dioxide fluxes in the western Canadian boreal forest: evidence from towers, aircraft and remote sensing. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 115: 91-107.

Stocks, B.J., J.A. Mason, J.B. Todd, E.M. Bosch, B.M. Wotton, B.D. Amiro, M.D. Flannigan, K.G. Hirsch, K.A. Logan, D.L. Martell, and W.R. Skinner. 2002. Large forest fires in Canada, 1959-1997. Journal of Geophysical Research 10.1029/2001JD000484.

Amiro, B.D., B.J. Stocks, M.E. Alexander, M.D. Flannigan, and B.M. Wotton. 2001. Fire, climate change, carbon and fuel management in the Canadian boreal forest. International Journal of Wildland Fire 10: 405-413.

Amiro, B.D., J.B. Todd, B.M. Wotton, K.A. Logan, M.D. Flannigan, B.J. Stocks, J.A. Mason, D.L. Martell, and K.G. Hirsch. 2001. Direct carbon emissions from Canadian forest fires, 1959 to 1999. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 31: 512-525.

Amiro, B.D. 2001. Paired-tower measurements of carbon and energy fluxes following disturbance in the boreal forest. Global Change Biology 7: 253-268.

Contact Information:
Dr. Brian Amiro, Head
Department of Soil Science
University of Manitoba
364 Ellis Building
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3T 2N2
Phone 204-474-9155
Brian_Amiro@umanitoba.ca