Fire causes threshold changes in energy exchange with the atmosphere.
Immediately following fire, there is an increase in winter albedo and decrease in summer albedo, combined with reduced ET and increased runoff. ET than unburned stands, with a net reduction in runoff. The net change at the watershed scale is sensitive to the fate of permafrost. Background Fire radically alters the energy budget of forest stands. The reduction in plant canopy and mosses reduces ET, leading to large transfer of sensible heat to the atmosphere.