Larch Forests of Middle Siberia: Long-Term Trends in Fire Return Intervals

• Published in: Regional Environmental Change
• Main Authors: Kharuk, Viacheslav I., Dvinskaya, Mariya L., Petrov, Ilya A., Im, Sergei T., Ranson, Kenneth J.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Article; Arctic; Siberia
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5618805/; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28966554; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-016-0964-9

Fire history within the northern larch forests of Central Siberia was studied (65+°N). Fires within this area are predominantly caused by lightning strikes rather than human activity. Mean fire return intervals (FRI) were found to be 112 ± 49 years (based on fire scars) and 106 ± 36 years (based on fire scars and tree natality dates). FRI were increased with latitude increase, and observed to be about 80 years at 64°N, about 200 years near the Arctic Circle, and about 300 years nearby the northern range limit of larch stands (~71°+N). Northward FRI increase correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = − 0.95). Post Little Ice Age (LIA) warming (after 1850) caused approximately a doubling of fire events (in comparison with a similar period during LIA). The data obtained support a hypothesis of climate-induced fire frequency increase.