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Fire cycles in North American interior grasslands and their relation to prairie drought

Kendrick J. Brown, James S. Clark, Eric C. Grimm, J. J. Donovan, Pietra G. Mueller, Barry C. S. Hansen, Ivanka Stefanova
Summary - what did the authors do and why?

The authors reconstructed the historical fire history and fire-climate relationships throughout the Holocene by sampling fossilized charcoal cores in the grassland prairies of the Northern Great Plains.

Publication findings:

The authors found that fire frequency was not consistent during the Holocene, but that fire activity was driven by short-term climatic cycles. Wetter periods were associated with higher fire occurrence due to the increase in available vegetation, whereas dry periods were associated with less dense vegetation and therefore, less fire activity.

Climate and Fire Linkages

How does drought relate to fire frequency, rotation, or return interval?

The authors found that fire frequency was not consistent during the Holocene, but that fire activity was driven by short-term climatic cycles. Wetter periods were associated with higher fire occurrence due to the increase in available vegetation, whereas dry periods were associated with less dense vegetation and therefore, less fire activity.

How do snowpack and precipitation (snow/rain) relate to fire frequency, rotation, and return interval?

The authors found that fire frequency was not consistent during the Holocene, but that fire activity was driven by short-term climatic cycles. Wetter periods were associated with higher fire occurrence due to the increase in available vegetation, whereas dry periods were associated with less dense vegetation and therefore, less fire activity.