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Holocene fire in Fennoscandia and Denmark

Clear, Jennifer ; Molinari, Chiara LU orcid and Bradshaw, Richard LU (2014) In International Journal of Wildland Fire 23(6). p.781-789
Abstract
Natural disturbance dynamics, such as fire, have a fundamental control on forest composition and structure.

Knowledge of fire history and the dominant drivers of fire are becoming increasingly important for conservation and

management practice. Temporal and spatial variability in biomass burning is examined here using 170 charcoal and 15 fire

scar records collated throughout Fennoscandia and Denmark. The changing fire regime is discussed in relation to

local biogeographical controls, regional climatic change, anthropogenic land use and fire suppression. The region has

experienced episodic variability in the dominant drivers of biomass burning throughout the Holocene, creating a

... (More)
Natural disturbance dynamics, such as fire, have a fundamental control on forest composition and structure.

Knowledge of fire history and the dominant drivers of fire are becoming increasingly important for conservation and

management practice. Temporal and spatial variability in biomass burning is examined here using 170 charcoal and 15 fire

scar records collated throughout Fennoscandia and Denmark. The changing fire regime is discussed in relation to

local biogeographical controls, regional climatic change, anthropogenic land use and fire suppression. The region has

experienced episodic variability in the dominant drivers of biomass burning throughout the Holocene, creating a

frequently changing fire regime. Early Holocene biomass burning appears to be driven by fuel availability. Increased

continentality during the mid-Holocene Thermal Maximum coincides with an increase in fire. The mid–late Holocene

front-like spread of Picea abies (Norway spruce) and cooler, wetter climatic conditions reduce local biomass burning

before the onset of intensified anthropogenic land use, and the late Holocene increase in anthropogenic activity created

artificially high records of biomass burning that overshadowed the natural fire signal. An economic shift from extensive

subsistence land use to agriculture and forestry as well as active fire suppression has reduced regional biomass burning.

However, it is proposed that without anthropogenic fire suppression, the underlying natural fire signal would remain low

because of the now widespread dominance of P. abies. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
biomass burning, climate change, fire suppression, slash and burn
in
International Journal of Wildland Fire
volume
23
issue
6
pages
781 - 789
publisher
CSIRO Publishing
external identifiers
  • wos:000341991700003
  • scopus:84907205733
ISSN
1448-5516
DOI
10.1071/WF13188
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c750b4f6-8b20-46f3-b499-bfb778359682 (old id 4623500)
alternative location
http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/WF13188.htm
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:28:05
date last changed
2022-02-02 18:07:56
@article{c750b4f6-8b20-46f3-b499-bfb778359682,
  abstract     = {{Natural disturbance dynamics, such as fire, have a fundamental control on forest composition and structure.<br/><br>
Knowledge of fire history and the dominant drivers of fire are becoming increasingly important for conservation and<br/><br>
management practice. Temporal and spatial variability in biomass burning is examined here using 170 charcoal and 15 fire<br/><br>
scar records collated throughout Fennoscandia and Denmark. The changing fire regime is discussed in relation to<br/><br>
local biogeographical controls, regional climatic change, anthropogenic land use and fire suppression. The region has<br/><br>
experienced episodic variability in the dominant drivers of biomass burning throughout the Holocene, creating a<br/><br>
frequently changing fire regime. Early Holocene biomass burning appears to be driven by fuel availability. Increased<br/><br>
continentality during the mid-Holocene Thermal Maximum coincides with an increase in fire. The mid–late Holocene<br/><br>
front-like spread of Picea abies (Norway spruce) and cooler, wetter climatic conditions reduce local biomass burning<br/><br>
before the onset of intensified anthropogenic land use, and the late Holocene increase in anthropogenic activity created<br/><br>
artificially high records of biomass burning that overshadowed the natural fire signal. An economic shift from extensive<br/><br>
subsistence land use to agriculture and forestry as well as active fire suppression has reduced regional biomass burning.<br/><br>
However, it is proposed that without anthropogenic fire suppression, the underlying natural fire signal would remain low<br/><br>
because of the now widespread dominance of P. abies.}},
  author       = {{Clear, Jennifer and Molinari, Chiara and Bradshaw, Richard}},
  issn         = {{1448-5516}},
  keywords     = {{biomass burning; climate change; fire suppression; slash and burn}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{781--789}},
  publisher    = {{CSIRO Publishing}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Wildland Fire}},
  title        = {{Holocene fire in Fennoscandia and Denmark}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WF13188}},
  doi          = {{10.1071/WF13188}},
  volume       = {{23}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}