Charcoal analysis, a method to study vegetation and climate of the Holocene: The case of Lago di Pergusa (Sicily, Italy)

Sadori, Laura; Giardini, Marco

doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2006.04.002

Cited by 94 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Such climatic conditions could explain the occurrence of laminated sediments at Lago dell'Accesa and could have advantaged fires, since dry summer conditions favour fire ignition and expansion. In agreement, charcoal series from around the Mediterranean basin in Sicily (Lago di Pergusa, Sadori and Giardini, 2006), Spain (Lake Siles; , and Turkey (Lake Van;Wick et al, 2003) also show high charcoal values during the early Holocene that were attributed to frequent fires. Similar results were obtained on the west coast of North America (Millspaugh et al, 2000;Gavin et al, 2003a;Whitlock et al, 2007;Anderson et al, 2008).…”

Section: Early Holocene Fire Regime and Climate Seasonalitysupporting

confidence: 71%

“…This reconstruction is supported by stalagmite data from Corchia cave (northern Italy) that suggest increased of precipitation in the western Mediterranean during the deposition of Sapropel 1 (Zanchetta et al, 2007). Charcoal data available from Lago di Pergusa in upland Sicily (Sadori and Giardini, 2006) and from Lake Van in Turkey (Wick et al, 2003) also attest to high CHAR until 8400/8200 cal. yr BP.…”

Section: Early Holocene Fire Regime and Climate Seasonalitymentioning

confidence: 62%

“…Carcaillet, 1998;Pitkanen and Huttunen, 1999;Millspaugh et al, 2000;Long and Whitlock, 2002;Brunelle and Anderson, 2003;Brunelle and Whitlock, 2003;Lynch et al, 2003;Tinner et al, 2005;Black and Mooney, 2006;Gavin et al, 2006;Hu et al, 2006). Surprisingly, few data are currently available from the Mediterranean Basin (Carcaillet et al, 1997;[Carrión et al, 2003] and [Carrión et al, 2007]; Sadori et al, 2004;Caroli and Caldara, 2006;Magny et al, 2006;Sadori and Giardini, 2006), most of them having low temporal resolution and/or precision. In fact, only a few studies have high enough precision and resolution (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climate versus human-driven fire regimes in Mediterranean landscapes: the Holocene record of Lago dell’Accesa (Tuscany, Italy)

Vannière

Colombaroli

Chapron

et al. 2008

Quaternary Science Reviews

216

169

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A high-resolution sedimentary charcoal record from Lago dell'Accesa in southern Tuscany reveals numerous changes in fire regime over the last 11.6 kyr cal. BP and provides one of the longest gap-free series from Italy and the Mediterranean region. Charcoal analyses are coupled with gamma density measurements, organic-content analyses, and pollen counts to provide data about sedimentation and vegetation history. A comparison between fire frequency and lake-level reconstructions from the same site is used to address the centennial variability of fire regimes and its linkage to hydrological processes. Our data reveal strong relationships among climate, fire, vegetation, and land-use and attest to the paramount importance of fire in Mediterranean ecosystems. The mean fire interval (MFI) for the entire Holocene was estimated to be 150 yr, with a minimum around 80 yr and a maximum around 450 yr. Between 11.6 and 3.6 kyr cal. BP, up to eight high-frequency fire phases lasting 300-500 yr generally occurred during shifts towards low lake-level stands (ca 11,300, 10,700, 9500, 8700, 7600, 6200, 5300, 3400, 1800 and 1350 cal. yr BP). Therefore, we assume that most of these shifts were triggered by drier climatic conditions and especially a dry summer season that promoted ignition and biomass burning. At the beginning of the Holocene, high climate seasonality favoured fire expansion in this region, as in many other ecosystems of the northern and southern hemispheres. Human impact affected fire regimes and especially fire frequencies since the Neolithic (ca 8000-4000 cal. yr BP). Burning as a consequence of anthropogenic activities became more frequent after the onset of the Bronze Age (ca 3800-3600 cal. yr BP) and appear to be synchronous with the development of settlements in the region, slash-and-burn agriculture, animal husbandry, and mineral exploitation. The anthropogenic phases with maximum fire activity corresponded to greater sensitivity of the vegetation and triggered significant changes in vegetational communities (e.g. temporal declines of Quercus ilex forests and expansion of shrublands and macchia). The link between fire and climate persisted during the mid-and late Holocene, when human impact on vegetation and the fire regime was high. This finding suggests that climatic conditions were important for fire occurrence even under strongly humanised ecosystem conditions.

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Section: Early Holocene Fire Regime and Climate Seasonalitysupporting

confidence: 71%

Section: Early Holocene Fire Regime and Climate Seasonalitymentioning

confidence: 62%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climate versus human-driven fire regimes in Mediterranean landscapes: the Holocene record of Lago dell’Accesa (Tuscany, Italy)

Vannière

Colombaroli

Chapron

et al. 2008

Quaternary Science Reviews

216

169

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The existence of long-term fire activity patterns in the Mediterranean Basin has been proved in different local and regional approaches (Wick et al, 2003;Sadori and Giardini, 2007;Colombaroli et al, 2007;Sadori et al, 2008;Turner et al, 2008;Tinner et al, 2009;Vannière et al, 2008). These approaches show in some cases synchronous trends but also many unexpected ecosystem responses due to particular physical settings, microclimatic aspects and different models of human agency.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence the understanding of long-term relationships between vegetation, climate change and fluctuations in fire and human activity in the Mediterranean basin may help to assess the ecosystem's resilience to changing fire activities and human impact. Since conventional ecology is often limited when addressing issues within time frames beyond instrumental records, palaeoecological methods may serve as an adequate alternative, as proven by the abundant literature that has been produced across the European Mediterranean region (Colombaroli et al, 2007;Colombaroli et al, 2008;Sadori and Giardini, 2007;Tinner et al, 2009;Vannière et al, 2008). This is especially relevant under the current scenario of increasing temperatures in Southern Europe (Pausas, 2004), where fire management may be critical in the near future for biodiversity and landscape management.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene fire activity and vegetation response in South-Eastern Iberia

Gil‐Romera

2012

Quaternary International

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Since fire has been recognised as an essential disturbance in Mediterranean landscapes, the study of long-term fire ecology has developed rapidly. We have reconstructed a sequence of vegetation dynamics and fire changes across south-eastern Iberia by coupling records of climate, fire, vegetation and human activities. We calculated fire activity anomalies (FAAs) in relation to 3 kyr cal BP for 10-8 kyr cal BP, 6 kyr cal BP, 4 kyr cal BP and the present. For most of the Early to the Mid-Holocene uneven, but low fire events were the main vegetation driver at high altitudes where broadleaved and coniferous trees presented a highly dynamic post-fire response. At mid-altitudes in the mainland Segura Mountains, fire activity remained relatively stable, at similar levels to recent times. We hypothesize that coastal areas, both mountains and lowlands, were more fire-prone landscapes as biomass was more likely to have accumulated than in the inland regions, triggering regular fire events. The wet and warm phase towards the Mid-Holocene (between ca. 8 and 6 kyr cal BP) affected the whole region and promoted the spread of mesophytic forest co-existing with Pinus, as FAAs appear strongly negative at 6 kyr cal BP, with a less important role of fire. Mid and Late Holocene landscapes were shaped by an increasing aridity trend and the rise of human occupation, especially in the coastal mountains where forest disappeared from ca. 2 kyr cal BP. Mediterranean-type vegetation (evergreen oaks and Pinus pinaster-halepensis types) showed the fastest post-fire vegetation dynamics over time.

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Historical ecology identifies long‐term rewilding strategy for conservingMediterranean mountain forests in southItaly

Palli

Mensing

Schoolman

et al. 2022

Ecological Applications

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In the context of global decline in old-growth forest, historical ecology is a valuable tool to derive insights into vegetation legacies and dynamics and develop new conservation and restoration strategies. In this cross-disciplinary study, we integrate palynology (Lago del Pesce record), history, dendrochronology, and historical and contemporary land cover maps to assess drivers of vegetation change over the last millennium in a Mediterranean mountain forest (Pollino National Park, southern Italy) and discuss implications in conservation ecology. The study site hosts a remnant beech-fir (Fagus sylvatica-Abies alba) mixed forest, a priority habitat for biodiversity conservation in Europe. In the 10th century, the pollen record showed an open environment that was quickly colonized by silver fir when sociopolitical instabilities reduced anthropogenic pressures in mountain forests. The highest forest cover and biomass was reached between the 14th and the 17th centuries following land abandonment due to recurring plague pandemics. This

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Charcoal analysis, a method to study vegetation and climate of the Holocene: The case of Lago di Pergusa (Sicily, Italy)

Cited by 94 publications

References 28 publications

Climate versus human-driven fire regimes in Mediterranean landscapes: the Holocene record of Lago dell’Accesa (Tuscany, Italy)

Climate versus human-driven fire regimes in Mediterranean landscapes: the Holocene record of Lago dell’Accesa (Tuscany, Italy)

Holocene fire activity and vegetation response in South-Eastern Iberia

Historical ecology identifies long‐term rewilding strategy for conservingMediterranean mountain forests in southItaly

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