Abstract: Based on field investigation, the burned areas and consumed fuel loadings in Daxing’anling region caused by forest fires in 2005-2007 were estimated by comparing the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) before and after burning. The burned areas were classified with fire intensity, and the carbon emission from the fires was estimated by the fuel consumption and the average carbon content of plants. It was estimated that the total burned area was 436512.5 hm², of which, the severe, moderate, and light burned areas occupied 207178.4, 150159.2, and 79159.4 hm², respectively. The consumed fuel loadings were 3.9×10⁶ t in total, and the emitted carbon was 1.76×10⁶ t, with 0.34×10⁶, 0.83×10⁶, 0.27×10⁶, and 0.32×10⁶ t from larch (Larix gmelini) forest, conifer and broadleaves mixed forest, broad-leaved forest, and grassland, respectively.

Key words: forest fire, carbon emission, fire intensity classification, Daxing’anling, Populus simonii, tree age, photosynthetic, hydraulic trait.