A 700-Year Paleoecological Record of Boreal Ecosystem Responses to Climatic Variation From Alaska

Tinner, Willy; Bigler, Christian; Gedye, Sharon; Gregory‐Eaves, Irene; Jones, Richard T.; Kaltenrieder, Petra; Krähenbühl, Urs; Hu, Feng Sheng

doi:10.1890/06-1420.1

Cited by 60 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 88 publications

(97 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Over the past 3,000 y, the regional vegetation has remained broadly similar to modern boreal forests (Fig. 3 D and E), although high-resolution pollen analysis suggests climatically driven shifts in species composition during this period (26). Inferences of biomass burning from CHAR display centennialscale patterns (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Recent burning of boreal forests exceeds fire regime limits of the past 10,000 years

Kelly¹,

Chipman

Higuera

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

342

333

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Wildfire activity in boreal forests is anticipated to increase dramatically, with far-reaching ecological and socioeconomic consequences. Paleorecords are indispensible for elucidating boreal fire regime dynamics under changing climate, because fire return intervals and successional cycles in these ecosystems occur over decadal to centennial timescales. We present charcoal records from 14 lakes in the Yukon Flats of interior Alaska, one of the most flammable ecoregions of the boreal forest biome, to infer causes and consequences of fire regime change over the past 10,000 y. Strong correspondence between charcoal-inferred and observational fire records shows the fidelity of sedimentary charcoal records as archives of past fire regimes. Fire frequency and area burned increased ∼6,000–3,000 y ago, probably as a result of elevated landscape flammability associated with increased Picea mariana in the regional vegetation. During the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA; ∼1,000–500 cal B.P.), the period most similar to recent decades, warm and dry climatic conditions resulted in peak biomass burning, but severe fires favored less-flammable deciduous vegetation, such that fire frequency remained relatively stationary. These results suggest that boreal forests can sustain high-severity fire regimes for centuries under warm and dry conditions, with vegetation feedbacks modulating climate–fire linkages. The apparent limit to MCA burning has been surpassed by the regional fire regime of recent decades, which is characterized by exceptionally high fire frequency and biomass burning. This extreme combination suggests a transition to a unique regime of unprecedented fire activity. However, vegetation dynamics similar to feedbacks that occurred during the MCA may stabilize the fire regime, despite additional warming.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Recent burning of boreal forests exceeds fire regime limits of the past 10,000 years

Kelly¹,

Chipman

Higuera

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

342

333

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…1B). The IACP is associated with a rapid oscillation in North Atlantic temperatures that may have affected atmospheric circulation patterns across the continent (21,23,49) and increased the likelihood of drought as well as severe frost damage on some tree species (50). Any increase in vegetation mortality associated with such events would have added to the available fuels and facilitated an increase in fire.…”

Section: Potential Controls On Fire Regimes and Woody Fuel Levels Durmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The nature of the changes in ignition, fire weather, and vegetation composition will not be homogenous at a regional scale, but any rapid climate change, whatever its direction, imposes stress on an ecosystem and can trigger some change in the fire regime. Stress would result in increased mortality of the woody vegetation and a buildup of fuel, for example, as a result of pest outbreaks or physiological intolerance of new climate extremes (50). The rate at which such factors affect the fire regime varies, so a broad-scale change in fire activity would not necessarily exhibit absolute synchroneity, but some change should still be evident at most sites.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Wildfire responses to abrupt climate change in North America

Marlon

Bartlein

Walsh

et al. 2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

366

267

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It is widely accepted, based on data from the last few decades and on model simulations, that anthropogenic climate change will cause increased fire activity. However, less attention has been paid to the relationship between abrupt climate changes and heightened fire activity in the paleorecord. We use 35 charcoal and pollen records to assess how fire regimes in North America changed during the last glacial-interglacial transition (15 to 10 ka), a time of large and rapid climate changes. We also test the hypothesis that a comet impact initiated continental-scale wildfires at 12.9 ka; the data do not support this idea, nor are continent-wide fires indicated at any time during deglaciation. There are, however, clear links between large climate changes and fire activity. Biomass burning gradually increased from the glacial period to the beginning of the Younger Dryas. Although there are changes in biomass burning during the Younger Dryas, there is no systematic trend. There is a further increase in biomass burning after the Younger Dryas. Intervals of rapid climate change at 13.9, 13.2, and 11.7 ka are marked by large increases in fire activity. The timing of changes in fire is not coincident with changes in human population density or the timing of the extinction of the megafauna. Although these factors could have contributed to fire-regime changes at individual sites or at specific times, the charcoal data indicate an important role for climate, and particularly rapid climate change, in determining broad-scale levels of fire activity.biomass burning ͉ charcoal ͉ comet ͉ Younger Dryas

show abstract

“…So the record of its sclerotia could be evidence that organic matter in the surface soil (i.e., litter horizon) eroded and was deposited into the peat bog (cf. Wick et al 2003, Tinner et al 2008). This kind of origin may be confi rmed by sites located east of Bałupiany e.g.…”

Section: Bał-1 Maz; Bał-1 Juniperus L Paz (Depth 312-3035 Cm) Youngmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The composition of the neighbouring carr gradually changed as the migration of Alnus and Fraxinus excelsior occurred and a riparian forest developed where Urtica and Solanum dulcamara might have grown. The fi rst probable presence of peoples of Mesolithic or Early Neolithic cultures was marked in this zone at a depth of 180 cm, where there were macroscopic charcoal particles, which together with Cenoccocum geophilum may indicate intentional fi re clearance and subsequent soil erosion (Wick et al 2003, Tinner et al 2008. Additionally peaks of bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) in the zone may signify the expansion of this fern in the fi re clearings (see Page 1986, Oberdorfer 1990.…”

Section: Bał-2b Corylus Lpasz; Bał-3 Bał-4 Maz (Under the Depth Of mentioning

confidence: 99%

Palaeobotanical studies on Late Glacial and Holocene vegetation development and transformations of the ‘Wielkie Błoto’ mire near Gołdap (north-eastern Poland)

Karpińska‐Kołaczek¹,

Kołaczek²,

Stachowicz‐Rybka³

2013

Acta Palaeobotanica

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT. This paper presents the results of palynological, macrofossil and peat analyses that were conducted on deposits from a profi le collected from the Wielkie Błoto mire near Bałupiany (north eastern Poland). The investigation revealed that the recorded changes of vegetation span the period from the decline of the Younger Dryas (ca 9600 cal. yr BC) to the late Subboreal or early Subatlantic chronozone, but due to a 40 cm long sediment gap a complete reconstruction was not possible. At the beginning, the area was occupied by steppe and tundra communities together with abundant Juniperus stands. A subsequent expansion of birch (Betula) woodlands with pine (Pinus sylvestris) took place in the Preboreal chronozone in which a rise in the water level and/or basin deepening was recorded at the site as well. The domination of such woodlands lasted to the end of the Boreal chronozone when Corylus avellana expanded rapidly. In the Atlantic chronozone multispecies deciduous forests developed with Tilia cordata and Quercus, while Ulmus together with Alnus spread in damp habitats. During this chronozone, traces of the occurrence of Carpinus betulus were detected in the macrofossil analysis, while the pollen analysis failed to record its presence. The expansion of Carpinus betulus and Picea abies was characteristic of the Subboreal chronozone when both taxa presented antagonistic optima. Alone in north-eastern Poland, there was a re-expansion of deciduous forest in the younger part of the Subboreal chronozone caused probably by low human impact, which is refl ected in the whole profi le. The fi rst probable traces of human activity were noticed in the Atlantic chronozone and attributed to peoples of the Mesolithic or Early Neolithic cultures, while the fi rst evidence of cultivation was correlated to the Bronze Age. However, the low resolution of the radiocarbon dates did not allow a more precise reconstruction of the chronology. The analysis of macrofossils and tissues indicated two episodes of oligotrophication of the mire. The fi rst one took place during the Boreal chronozone, while the second fall in trophy was triggered by spruce expansion in the Subboreal chronozone. On the other hand, a rise in human impact during the fi rst Carpinus betulus maximum caused eutrophication of the mire.

show abstract

A 700-Year Paleoecological Record of Boreal Ecosystem Responses to Climatic Variation From Alaska

Cited by 60 publications

References 88 publications

Recent burning of boreal forests exceeds fire regime limits of the past 10,000 years

Recent burning of boreal forests exceeds fire regime limits of the past 10,000 years

Wildfire responses to abrupt climate change in North America

Palaeobotanical studies on Late Glacial and Holocene vegetation development and transformations of the ‘Wielkie Błoto’ mire near Gołdap (north-eastern Poland)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About