Nesting Effects of Climate and Local Drivers on Long-Term Subalpine Fires in the Alps

Abstract

Background: The present article questions the relative importance of local- and large-scale processes on the long-term dynamics of fire in the subalpine belt in the western Alps. The study is based on soil charcoal dating and identification, several study sites in contrasting environmental conditions, and sampling of soil charcoal along the elevation gradient of each site. Based on local differences in biomass combustion, we hypothesize that local-scale processes have driven the fire history, while combustion homogeneity supports the hypothesis of the importance of large-scale processes, especially the climate. Results: The results show that biomass burning during the Holocene resulted from the nesting effects of climate, land use, and altitude, but was little influenced by topography (slope exposure: north versus south), soil (dryness, pH, depth), and vegetation. The mid-Holocene (6500–2700 cal BP) was an important period for climatic biomass burning in the subalpine ecosystems of the western Alps, while fires from about 2500 years ago appear much more episodic, prompting us to speculate that human society has played a vital role in their occurrence. Conclusion: Our working hypothesis assuming that the strength of mountain natural and local drivers should offset the effects of regional climate is not validated. The homogeneity of the fire regime between sites thus underscore that climate was the main driver during the Holocene of the western Alps. Long-term subalpine fires are controlled by climate at millennial scale. Local conditions count for little in determining variability at the century scale. The mid-Holocene was a chief period for climatic biomass burning in the subalpine zone, while fires during the late Holocene appear much more episodic, prompting the assumption that societal drivers has exercised key roles on their control.