Holocene Fire History of the Area Surrounding Lemanasky Lake, Eastern Cascades, Washington
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC Ballroom B/C/D
Start Date
21-5-2015
End Date
21-5-2015
Keywords
Fire, Charcoal, Paleoecology
Abstract
Macroscopic charcoal analysis of lake sediments has been successfully used to reconstruct past fire patterns throughout the Pacific Northwest; however, there has been little research done on the forests of the eastern Cascades of Washington State. This research reconstructs the fire history of Lemanasky Lake, Washington (48.7°N, -119.6°W; elevation: 1088 m), located in the Cascade foothills near the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area, roughly five miles northwest of Tonasket, Washington. The analysis of macroscopic charcoal from a five-meter long sediment core provides a record of Holocene fire activity in the forest surrounding the lake. The primary research question addressed in this study is: “How has fire activity changed at the study site during the Holocene, and what has been the cause of those changes?” In order to reconstruct the local fire history of the site, we counted all macroscopic charcoal particles >125 microns from contiguous 2 cm3 samples taken at 1 cm intervals. Our results suggest intentional fire suppression during the last ~100 years, which was preceded by frequent, low severity ground fires, with less fire activity prior to that. This reconstruction not only facilitates our understanding of changes in fire frequency and severity at the site as a result a past climatic variability, but more importantly shows how 20th century fire suppression has affected the forest. Additionally, the results may assist landowners within the wildlife-urban interface of Washington in implementing safe fire management practices.
Recommended Citation
Clifton, Grant and Walsh, Megan, "Holocene Fire History of the Area Surrounding Lemanasky Lake, Eastern Cascades, Washington" (2015). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 21.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2015/posters/21
Poster Number
26
Department/Program
Anthropology & Museum Studies
Additional Mentoring Department
Geography
Holocene Fire History of the Area Surrounding Lemanasky Lake, Eastern Cascades, Washington
SURC Ballroom B/C/D
Macroscopic charcoal analysis of lake sediments has been successfully used to reconstruct past fire patterns throughout the Pacific Northwest; however, there has been little research done on the forests of the eastern Cascades of Washington State. This research reconstructs the fire history of Lemanasky Lake, Washington (48.7°N, -119.6°W; elevation: 1088 m), located in the Cascade foothills near the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area, roughly five miles northwest of Tonasket, Washington. The analysis of macroscopic charcoal from a five-meter long sediment core provides a record of Holocene fire activity in the forest surrounding the lake. The primary research question addressed in this study is: “How has fire activity changed at the study site during the Holocene, and what has been the cause of those changes?” In order to reconstruct the local fire history of the site, we counted all macroscopic charcoal particles >125 microns from contiguous 2 cm3 samples taken at 1 cm intervals. Our results suggest intentional fire suppression during the last ~100 years, which was preceded by frequent, low severity ground fires, with less fire activity prior to that. This reconstruction not only facilitates our understanding of changes in fire frequency and severity at the site as a result a past climatic variability, but more importantly shows how 20th century fire suppression has affected the forest. Additionally, the results may assist landowners within the wildlife-urban interface of Washington in implementing safe fire management practices.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Megan Walsh