This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (4) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Froyd, C. A. Search for Related Content GeoRef GeoRef Citation Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Holocene fire in the Scottish Highlands: evidence from macroscopic charcoal records

Department of Plant Cambridge CB2 3EA, Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, UK; School of Geography, Centre for the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK cynthia.froyd{at}ouce.ox.ac.uk

It has been hypothesized that the mid-Holocene decline of pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) woodland in the Scottish Highlands may have been the result of a change in the fire regime of the region. Little is known about the Holocene fire history of these forests, although a number of factors suggest that fire may have played a significant role. This study examines whether fire was a prevalent factor in Scotland over the course of the Holocene and its relationship with Highland vegetation communities. Both macroscopic and microscopic charcoal are analysed in conjunction with a full palynological investigation from four Holocene lake sedimentary sequences in locations throughout the Scottish Highlands. Comparison of macroscopic charcoal abundance profiles with those from areas of known wildfire activity and the consistent pattern of burning revealed across the four disparate Highland sites indicate that broad-scale burning of vegetation did occur. Charcoal abundance was related to vegetation composition at all four of the sites examined. The abundance of pine, however, was found to be unrelated to fire history. Instead, fire appears to be predominantly linked to the development of heath and blanket mire communities. Analysis of three different macroscopic charcoal size fractions (? 500 gm, 250-500 gm and 125-250 gm) revealed strong correlations between measures. Microscopic charcoal abundance, however, was more variable and was determined to be a less accurate measure of local catchment-scale burning within the region.

Key Words: Fire history • vegetation change • sedimentary charcoal • macroscopic charcoal • Scotland • Pinus sylvestris • Holocene

The Holocene, Vol. 16, No. 2, 235-249 (2006)
DOI: 10.1191/0959683606hl910rp


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				U. Segerstrom, H. von Stedingk, and G. Hornberg Long-term sustainability of a northern boreal deciduous swamp forest in northern Sweden: succession in the absence of fire The Holocene, November 1, 2008; 18(7): 1113 - 1122. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K.I. Duffin, L. Gillson, and K.J. Willis Testing the sensitivity of charcoal as an indicator of fire events in savanna environments: quantitative predictions of fire proximity, area and intensity The Holocene, February 1, 2008; 18(2): 279 - 291. [Abstract] [PDF]