Fires in temperate peatlands (southern Quebec): past and recent trends

2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claude Lavoie ◽  
Stéphanie Pellerin
Keyword(s):  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Temperate Region ◽  
Forest Expansion ◽  
Short Period ◽  
History Of ◽  
Recent Trends

In this study, we reconstructed the long-term fire history of a set of ombrotrophic peatlands (bogs) located in a temperate region of southern Quebec (Bas-Saint-Laurent). Past and recent fire-free intervals (time interval between two consecutive fires) were compared using macrofossil analyses. During most of the Holocene epoch, fires were relatively rare events in bogs of the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. The fire-free intervals were approximately ten times longer (all sites considered) before the beginning of agricultural activities in the region (1800 AD) than after. This strongly suggests an anthropogenic influence on the fire regime prevailing in the bogs over the last 200 years. However, the shortening of the fire-free intervals was mainly the result of the ignition of one or two fires in almost every site during a relatively short period (200 years), rather than a higher fire frequency in each of the bogs. In some cases, fires had an influence on the vegetation structure of bogs, but it is more likely that a combination of several disturbances (fire, drainage, and drier than average summers) favoured the establishment of dense stands of pine and spruce, a forest expansion phenomenon that is now widespread in temperate bogs.

scholarly journals Postglacial Fire Frequency and its Relation to Long-Term Vegetational and Climatic Changes in Yellowstone Park

1992 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 212-218
Author(s):  
Cathy Whitlock
Keyword(s):  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Northern Rocky Mountains ◽  
Modern Pollen ◽  
Pollen Rain ◽  
History Of ◽  
Fossil Records ◽  
In Fire ◽  
The Relationship

The primary research objective has been to study the vegetational history of Yellowstone and its sensitivity to changes in climate and fire frequency. To establish a sequence of vegetational changes, a network of pollen records spanning the last 14,000 years has been studied from different types of vegetation within the Park. The relationship between modern pollen rain, modern vegetation and present­day climate in the northern Rocky Mountains has been the basis for interpreting past vegetation and climate from the fossil records. Changes in fire regime during the past 14,000 years have been inferred from sedimentary charcoal and other fire proxy in lake sediments. Calibration of the fire signal is based on a study that measures the input of charcoal into lakes following the 1988 fires in Yellowstone.

Fire regime shift linked to increased forest density in a piñon–juniper savanna landscape

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellis Q. Margolis
Keyword(s):  
Regime Shift ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Tree Density ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
In Fire

Piñon–juniper (PJ) fire regimes are generally characterised as infrequent high-severity. However, PJ ecosystems vary across a large geographic and bio-climatic range and little is known about one of the principal PJ functional types, PJ savannas. It is logical that (1) grass in PJ savannas could support frequent, low-severity fire and (2) exclusion of frequent fire could explain increased tree density in PJ savannas. To assess these hypotheses I used dendroecological methods to reconstruct fire history and forest structure in a PJ-dominated savanna. Evidence of high-severity fire was not observed. From 112 fire-scarred trees I reconstructed 87 fire years (1547–1899). Mean fire interval was 7.8 years for fires recorded at ≥2 sites. Tree establishment was negatively correlated with fire frequency (r=–0.74) and peak PJ establishment was synchronous with dry (unfavourable) conditions and a regime shift (decline) in fire frequency in the late 1800s. The collapse of the grass-fuelled, frequent, surface fire regime in this PJ savanna was likely the primary driver of current high tree density (mean=881treesha–1) that is >600% of the historical estimate. Variability in bio-climatic conditions likely drive variability in fire regimes across the wide range of PJ ecosystems.

scholarly journals Fire Exclusion Destroys Habitats for At-Risk Species in a British Columbia Protected Area

Fire ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Kira M. Hoffman ◽  
Sara B. Wickham ◽  
William S. McInnes ◽  
Brian M. Starzomski
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Conifer Encroachment ◽  
Oak Trees ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Fire Exclusion ◽  
History Of

Fire exclusion and suppression has altered the composition and structure of Garry oak and associated ecosystems in British Columbia. The absence of frequent low severity ground fires has been one of the main contributors to dense patches of non-native grasses, shrubs, and encroaching Douglas-fir trees in historical Garry oak dominated meadows. This case study uses remote sensing and dendrochronology to reconstruct the stand dynamics and long-term fire history of a Garry oak meadow situated within Helliwell Provincial Park located on Hornby Island, British Columbia. The Garry oak habitat in Helliwell Park has decreased by 50% since 1950 due to conifer encroachment. Lower densities and mortalities of Garry oak trees were associated with the presence of overstory Douglas-fir trees. To slow conifer encroachment into the remaining Garry oak meadows, we recommend that mechanical thinning of Douglas-fir be followed by a prescribed burning program. Reintroducing fire to Garry oak ecosystems can restore and maintain populations of plants, mammals, and insects that rely on these fire resilient habitats.

Using simulation to map fire regimes: an evaluation of approaches, strategies, and limitations

2003 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Keane ◽  
Geoffrey J. Cary ◽  
Russell Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Simulation Modelling ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Eastern Australia

Spatial depictions of fire regimes are indispensable to fire management because they portray important characteristics of wildland fire, such as severity, intensity, and pattern, across a landscape that serves as important reference for future treatment activities. However, spatially explicit fire regime maps are difficult and costly to create requiring extensive expertise in fire history sampling, multivariate statistics, remotely sensed image classification, fire behaviour and effects, fuel dynamics, landscape ecology, simulation modelling, and geographical information systems (GIS). This paper first compares three common strategies for predicting fire regimes (classification, empirical, and simulation) using a 51�000�ha landscape in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area of Montana, USA. Simulation modelling is identified as the best overall strategy with respect to developing temporally deep spatial fire patterns, but it has limitations. To illustrate these problems, we performed three simulation experiments using the LANDSUM spatial model to determine the relative importance of (1) simulation time span; (2) fire frequency parameters; and (3) fire size parameters on the simulation of landscape fire return interval. The model used to simulate fire regimes is also very important, so we compared two spatially explicit landscape fire succession models (LANDSUM and FIRESCAPE) to demonstrate differences between model predictions and limitations of each on a neutral landscape. FIRESCAPE was developed for simulating fire regimes in eucalypt forests of south-eastern Australia. Finally, challenges for future simulation and fire regime research are presented including field data, scale, fire regime variability, map obsolescence, and classification resolution.

Fire regimes and their correlates in the Darwin region of northern Australia

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owen Price ◽  
Bryan Baker
Keyword(s):  
Fire History ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Landsat Imagery ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Generalized Linear Modelling

A nine year fire history for the Darwin region was created from Landsat imagery, and examined to describe the fire regime across the region. 43% of the region burned each year, and approximately one quarter of the fires occur in the late dry season, which is lower than most other studied areas. Freehold land, which covers 35% of the greater Darwin region, has 20% long-unburnt land. In contrast, most publicly owned and Aboriginal owned land has very high fire frequency (60-70% per year), and only 5% long unburnt. It seems that much of the Freehold land is managed for fire suppression, while the common land is burnt either to protect the Freehold or by pyromaniacs. Generalized Linear Modelling among a random sample of points revealed that fire frequency is higher among large blocks of savannah vegetation, and at greater distances from mangrove vegetation and roads. This suggests that various kinds of fire break can be used to manage fire in the region. The overall fire frequency in the Darwin region is probably too high and is having a negative impact on wildlife. However, the relatively low proportion of late dry season fires means the regime is probably not as bad as in some other regions. The management of fire is ad-hoc and strongly influenced by tenure. There needs to be a clear statement of regional fire targets and a strategy to achieve these. Continuation of the fire mapping is an essential component of achieving the targets.

Determinants of fire activity during the last 3500 yr at a wildland—urban interface, Alberta, Canada

2016 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma L. Davis ◽  
Colin J. Courtney Mustaphi ◽  
Amber Gall ◽  
Michael F.J. Pisaric ◽  
Jesse C. Vermaire ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Ring ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Vegetation History ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Fire Activity ◽  
Historical Range

AbstractLong-term records of wildfires and their controlling factors are important sources of information for informing land management practices. Here, dendrochronology and lake sediment analyses are used to develop a 3500-yr fire and vegetation history for a montane forest in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. The tree-ring record (AD 1771-2012) indicates that this region historically experienced a mixed-severity fire regime, and that effective fire suppression excluded widespread fire events from the study area during the 20th century. A sediment core collected from Little Trefoil Lake, located near the Jasper townsite, is analyzed for subfossil pollen and macroscopic charcoal (>150 μm). When comparing the tree-ring record to the 3500-yr record of sediment-derived fire events, only high-severity fires are represented in the charcoal record. Comparisons between the charcoal record and historical climate and pollen data indicate that climate and vegetation composition have been important controls on the fire regime for most of the last 3500 yr. Although fire frequency is presently within the historical range of variability, the fire return interval of the last 150 yr is longer than expected given modern climate and vegetation conditions, indicating that humans have become the main control on fire activity around Little Trefoil Lake.

scholarly journals Fire History of the Lamar River Drainage, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

1989 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 169-173
Author(s):  
Stephen Barrett ◽  
Stephen Arno
Keyword(s):  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
River Drainage ◽  
Tree Ring Data ◽  
History Of

This study's goal is to document the fire history of the Lamar River drainage, southeast of Soda Butte Creek in the Absaroka Mountains of northeastern Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Elsewhere in YNP investigators have documented very long-interval fire regimes for lodgepole pine forests occurring on rhyolitic derived soils (Romme 1982, Romme and Despain 1989) and short-interval fire regimes for the Douglas-fir/grassland types (Houston 1973). No fire regime information was available for lodgepole pine forests on andesitic derived soils, such as in the Lamar drainage. This study will provide managers with a more complete understanding of YNP natural fire history, and the data will supplement the park's Geographic Information System (GIS) data base. Moreover, most of the study area was severely burned in 1988 and historical tree ring data soon will be lost to attrition of potential sample trees.

scholarly journals Late-Quaternary Vegetational and Climatic History of the Yellowstone/Grand Teton Region

1988 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 189-192
Author(s):  
Cathy Barnosky
Keyword(s):  
Environmental History ◽  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Sediment Accumulation ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Sediment Chemistry ◽  
History Of ◽  
Climatic History

The research underway has focused on two different aspects of the environmental history of the Yellowstone/Grand Teton region. One objective has been to examine the long-term vegetational and climatic history of Jackson Hole, the Pinyon Peak Highlands, and Yellowstone Park since the end of late Pinedale glaciation, about 14,000 years ago. Fossil pollen in sediment cores from lakes in the region is being analyzed to clarify the nature and composition of ice-age refugia, the rate and direction of plant migrations in the initial stages of reforestation, and the long-term stability of postglacial communities. Sedimentary charcoal also is being examined to reconstruct fire frequency during different climatic regions and different vegetation types in the past. This information is necessary to assess the sensitivity of plant communities to environmental change and to understand postglacial landscapes of the northern rocky Mountains. The second objective has been a multidisciplinary investigation of the relationship of climate to sedimentation rates in lakes and ponds in Yellowstone, undertaken with Drs. Wright, D.R. Engstrom and S.C. Fritz of the University of Minnesota. This facet of the research examines the relative importance of climate, fire, hillslope erosion induced by overgrazing, and nutrient enrichment in the last 150 years, as recorded in selected lakes in the northern range of Yellowstone. Populations of elk and bison are known to have fluctuated greatly during this interval, and slight climatic changes are suggested from other lines of research. In this study pollen, diatoms, charcoal, sediment chemistry, and sediment accumulation rates are analyzed in short cores from small lakes.

scholarly journals Postglacial Fire Frequency and its Relation to Long-Term Vegetational and Climatic Changes in Yellowstone Park

1993 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 146-152
Author(s):  
Cathy Whitlock
Keyword(s):  
Lake Sediment ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Plant Macrofossils ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Environmental Perturbations ◽  
Human Perturbation ◽  
Long Term Effect ◽  
History Of

The Paleoecologic recod provides unique insights into the response of communities to environmental perturbations of different duration and intensity. Climate is a primary agent of environmental change and its long-term effect on the vegetation of the Yellowstone/Grand Teton region is revealed in a network of pollen records (Whitlock, 1993). Fire frequency is controlled by climate, and as climate changes so too does the importance of fire in shaping spatial patterns of vegetation. The prehistoric record of Yellowstone's Northern Range, for example, shows the response of vegetation to the absence of major fires in the last 150 years (Whitlock et al., 1991; Engstrom et al., 1991). In longer records spanning the last 14,000 years, periods of frequent fire are suggested by sediments containing high percentages of fire-adapted trees, including lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir, and high amounts of charcoal (Bamosky et al., 1987; Millspaugh and Whitlock, 1993; Whitlock, 1993). The primary research objective has been to study the vegetational history of Yellowstone and its sensitivity to hanges in climate and fire frequency. This information is necessary to understand better the relative effects of climate, natural disturbance, and human perturbation on the Yellowstone landscape. Fossil pollen and plant macrofossils from dated-lake sediment cores provide information on past vegetation and climate. The frequency of charcoal particles and other fire indicators in dated lake-sediment cores offer evidence of past fires.

Riparian and adjacent upland forests burned synchronously during dry years in eastern Oregon (1650–1900 CE), USA

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 602
Author(s):  
Grant L. Harley ◽  
Emily K. Heyerdahl ◽  
James D. Johnston ◽  
Diana L. Olson
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Riparian Forests ◽  
Landscape Context ◽  
Blue Mountains ◽  
Study Sites

Riparian forests link terrestrial and freshwater communities and therefore understanding the landscape context of fire regimes in these forests is critical to fully understanding the landscape ecology. However, few direct studies of fire regimes exist for riparian forests, especially in the landscape context of adjacent upland forests or studies of long-term climate drivers of riparian forest fires. We reconstructed a low-severity fire history from tree rings in 38 1-ha riparian plots and combined them with existing fire histories from 104 adjacent upland plots to yield 2633 fire scars sampled on 454 trees. Historically (1650–1900), low-severity fires burned more frequently in upland than in riparian plots, but this difference was not significant (P=0.15). During more than half of the fire years at both sites, fires were extensive and burned synchronously in riparian and upland plots, and climate was significantly dry during these years. However, climate was not significantly dry when fires burned in only one plot type. Historically, entire riparian zones likely burned in these two study sites of the Blue Mountains during dry years. This study suggests that riparian and upland forests could be managed similarly, especially given the projected increases to fire frequency and intensity from impending climate change.

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