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Full Citation: Marlon, J.R.; Bartlein, Patrick J.; Walsh, M.K.; Harrison, S.P.; Brown, K.J.; Edwards, Mary E.; Higuera, Philip E.; Power, M.J.; Anderson, R.S.; Briles, C.; Brunelle, A.; Carcaillet, C.; Daniels, M.; Hu, F.S.; Lavoie, M.; Long, C.; Minckley, T.; Richard, P. J.H.; Scott, A.C.; Shafer, D.S.; Tinner, W.; Umbanhowar, C.E. Jr.; Whitlock, C. 2009. Wildfire responses to abrupt climate change in North America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 106(8):2519-2524.
External Identifier(s): 10.1073/pnas.0808212106 Digital Object Identifier
Location: North America
Ecosystem types: None specified
Southwest FireCLIME Keywords: None
FRAMES Keywords: charcoal, fire regimes, North America, biomass burning, Younger Dryas

View the FRAMES record

Wildfire responses to abrupt climate change in North America

Jennifer R. Marlon, Patrick J. Bartlein, Megan K. Walsh, Sandy P. Harrison, Kendrick J. Brown, Mary E. Edwards, Philip E. Higuera, Mitchell J. Power, R. Scott Anderson, Christy E. Briles, Andrea R. Brunelle, Christopher Carcaillet, Mark L. Daniels, Feng Sheng Hu, Martin Lavoie, Colin J. Long, Thomas A. Minckley, Pierre J. H. Richard, Andrew C. Scott, David S. Shafer, Willy Tinner, Charles E. Umbanhower Jr., Cathy L. Whitlock
Summary - what did the authors do and why?

The authors examined charcoal and pollen records of a period of abrupt climate change beginning during the last glacial-interglacial transition to the Younger Dryas period (15 to 10 ka) to assess how fire regimes across North America were affected.


Publication findings:

The authors found that during the period of deglaciation, there was an increase in the level of burning and fire occurrence, although fire activity varied across the continent likely due to spatially complex climate controls and their consequent effects on vegetation changes.

Climate and Fire Linkages

How do snowpack and precipitation (snow/rain) relate to annual area burned and fire size?

The authors found that during the period of deglaciation, there was an increase in the level of burning and fire occurrence, although fire activity varied across the continent likely due to spatially complex climate controls and their consequent effects on vegetation changes.