Declining fires in Larix-dominated forests in northern Irkutsk district
Tuomo Wallenius A E , Markku Larjavaara B D , Juha Heikkinen A and Olga Shibistova C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa Research Unit, PO Box 18, FI-01301 Vantaa, Finland.
B Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, República de Panamá.
C VN Sukachev Institute of Forest, SB-RAS, Akademgorodok, 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation.
D Present address: Department of Forest Sciences, PO Box 27, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
E Corresponding author. Email: tuomo.wallenius@metla.fi
International Journal of Wildland Fire 20(2) 248-254 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF10020
Submitted: 1 February 2010 Accepted: 16 June 2010 Published: 30 March 2011
Abstract
To study the poorly known fire history of Larix-dominated forest in central Siberia, we collected samples from 200 trees in 46 systematically located study plots. Our study area stretches ~90 km from north to south along the River Nizhnyaya Tunguska in northern Irkustk district. Cross-dated tree-ring chronology for all samples combined extended from the year 1360 AD to the present and included 76 fire years and 88 separate fire events. Average fire cycle gradually lengthened from 52 years in the 18th century to 164 years in the 20th century. During the same time, the number of recorded fires decreased even more steeply, i.e. by more than 85%. Fires were more numerous but smaller in the past. Contrary to expectations, climate change in the 20th century has not resulted in increased forest fires in this region. Fire suppression may have contributed to the scarcity of fires since the 1950s. However, a significant decline in fires was evident earlier; therefore an additional explanation is required, a reduction in human-caused ignitions being likely in the light of historical accounts.
Additional keywords: dendrochronology, fire cycle, fire history, fire scar, forest dynamics, human influence, Larix gmelinii, natural, permafrost region, Pinus sylvestris, Siberia.
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