Charcoal dispersion and deposition in boreal lakes from 3 years of monitoring: Differences between local and regional fires

Ali, Adam A.; Asselin, Hugo; Paradis, Laure; Bergeron, Yves; Finsinger, Walter

doi:10.1002/2014gl060984

Cited by 61 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…However, the results of our study derive from rather open European vegetation conditions. It is conceivable that under densely forested conditions, MAC source areas might be somewhat smaller (Kelly et al, ; Oris et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The sedimentary and remote‐sensing reflection of biomass burning in Europe

Adolf

Wunderle

Colombaroli

et al. 2017

Global Ecol Biogeogr

103

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Aim We provide the first European‐scale geospatial training set relating the charcoal signal in surface lake sediments to fire parameters (number, intensity and area) recorded by satellite moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors. Our calibration is intended for quantitative reconstructions of key fire‐regime parameters by using sediment sequences of microscopic (MIC from pollen slides, particles 10–500 µm) and macroscopic charcoal (MAC from sieves, particles > 100 µm). Location North–south and east–west transects across Europe, covering the mediterranean, temperate, alpine, boreal and steppe biomes. Time period Lake sediments and MODIS active fire and burned area products were collected for the years 2012–2015. Methods Cylinder sediment traps were installed in lakes to annually collect charcoal particles in sediments. We quantitatively assessed the relationships between MIC and MAC influx (particles/cm2/year) and the MODIS‐derived products to identify source areas of charcoal and the extent to which lake‐sediment charcoal is linked to fire parameters across the continent. Results Source area of sedimentary charcoal was estimated to a 40‐km radius around sites for both MIC and MAC particles. Fires occurred in grasslands and in forests, with grass morphotypes of MAC accurately reflecting the burned fuel‐type. Despite the lack of local fires around the sites, MAC influx levels reached those reported for local fires. Both MIC and MAC showed strong and highly significant relationships with the MODIS‐derived fire parameters, as well as with climatic variation along a latitudinal temperature gradient. Main conclusions MIC and MAC are suited to quantitatively reconstructing fire number and fire intensity on a regional scale. However, burned area may only be estimated using MAC. Local fires may be identified by using several lines of evidence, e.g. analysis of large particles (> 600 µm), magnetic susceptibility and sedimentological data. Our results offer new insights and applications to quantitatively reconstruct fires and to interpret available sedimentary charcoal records.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The sedimentary and remote‐sensing reflection of biomass burning in Europe

Adolf

Wunderle

Colombaroli

et al. 2017

Global Ecol Biogeogr

103

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“…Within the atmospheric sciences, it is usually referred to as black C (BC), elemental C or soot (for a detailed discussion of these terms see Buseck et al, 2012). It is important to recognize that during fire, some macroscopic PyC (particles >120-150 lm) can also become airborne, but these are commonly not considered in PyC emissions as its mobilization is generally limited to the vicinity of the fire (Oris et al, 2014).…”

Section: Pyc Emitted To the Atmospherementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The reservoir that a PyC particle initially enters and its further mobility are primarily determined by its size: for small PyC particles emitted during burning (atmospheric PyC, size <1-2 lm), the initial reservoir is predominantly the atmosphere, whereas for larger PyC particles, it is the burnt area and surroundings (although some large charred particles may become airborne during fire; Tinner et al, 2006;Oris et al, 2014). Following this basic division by size, atmospheric transport would be the main mobilization pathway for emitted PyC particles and transport by water for on-site PyC particles (Scott, 2010).…”

Section: Pyc Mobilizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a global assessment of pyrogenic carbon from vegetation fires

Santín

Doerr

Kane

et al. 2015

Global Change Biology

294

281

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The production of pyrogenic carbon (PyC; a continuum of organic carbon (C) ranging from partially charred biomass and charcoal to soot) is a widely acknowledged C sink, with the latest estimates indicating that~50% of the PyC produced by vegetation fires potentially sequesters C over centuries. Nevertheless, the quantitative importance of PyC in the global C balance remains contentious, and therefore, PyC is rarely considered in global C cycle and climate studies. Here we examine the robustness of existing evidence and identify the main research gaps in the production, fluxes and fate of PyC from vegetation fires. Much of the previous work on PyC production has focused on selected components of total PyC generated in vegetation fires, likely leading to underestimates. We suggest that global PyC production could be in the range of 116-385 Tg C yr À1 , that is~0.2-0.6% of the annual terrestrial net primary production.According to our estimations, atmospheric emissions of soot/black C might be a smaller fraction of total PyC (<2%) than previously reported. Research on the fate of PyC in the environment has mainly focused on its degradation pathways, and its accumulation and resilience either in situ (surface soils) or in ultimate sinks (marine sediments). Off-site transport, transformation and PyC storage in intermediate pools are often overlooked, which could explain the fate of a substantial fraction of the PyC mobilized annually. We propose new research directions addressing gaps in the global PyC cycle to fully understand the importance of the products of burning in global C cycle dynamics.

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“…Charcoal particles larger than 150 microns were counted and measured (area) under a dissecting microscope (20 ×) equipped with a digital camera coupled to an image analysis software (Winseedle, Regent Instruments Inc., Canada). Charcoal particles larger than 150 microns are rarely carried more than 1 km from the fire and are usually assumed to represent local fires (Wein et al 1987), although long-distance transport (>30 km) of such particles has been reported (Oris et al 2014a). We nevertheless elected to work with charcoal particles larger than 150 microns to ease comparisons with Oris et al (2014b).…”

Section: Charcoal Quantificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene variations of wildfire occurrence as a guide for sustainable management of the northeastern Canadian boreal forest

et al. 2015

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Background: Cumulative impacts of wildfires and forest harvesting can cause shifts from closed-crown forest to open woodland in boreal ecosystems. To lower the probability of occurrence of such catastrophic regime shifts, forest logging must decrease when fire frequency increases, so that the combined disturbance rate does not exceed the Holocene maximum. Knowing how climate warming will affect fire regimes is thus crucial to sustainably manage the forest. This study aimed to provide a guide to determine sustainable forest harvesting levels, by reconstructing the Holocene fire history at the northern limit of commercial forestry in Quebec using charcoal particles preserved in lake sediments. Methods: Sediment cores were sampled from four lakes located close to the northern limit of commercial forestry in Quebec. The cores were sliced into consecutive 0.5 cm thick subsamples from which 1 cm 3 was extracted to count and measure charcoal particles larger than 150 microns. Age-depth models were obtained for each core based on accelerator mass spectroscopy (AMS) radiocarbon dates. Holocene fire histories were reconstructed by combining charcoal counts and age-depth models to obtain charcoal accumulation rates and, after statistical treatment, long-term trends in fire occurrence (expressed as number of fires per 1000 years). Results: Fire occurrence varied between the four studied sites, but fires generally occurred more often during warm and dry periods of the Holocene, especially during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (7000-3500 cal. BP), when fire occurrence was twice as high as at present. Conclusions: The current fire regime in the study area is still within the natural range of variability observed over the Holocene. However, climatic conditions comparable to the Holocene Thermal Maximum could be reached within the next few decades, thus substantially reducing the amount of wood available to the forest industry.

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Charcoal dispersion and deposition in boreal lakes from 3 years of monitoring: Differences between local and regional fires

Cited by 61 publications

References 45 publications

The sedimentary and remote‐sensing reflection of biomass burning in Europe

The sedimentary and remote‐sensing reflection of biomass burning in Europe

Towards a global assessment of pyrogenic carbon from vegetation fires

Holocene variations of wildfire occurrence as a guide for sustainable management of the northeastern Canadian boreal forest

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