A Regional Synthesis of Post-Glacial Fire History in the Eastern Cascades, Washington, using Macroscopic Charcoal Analysis

Document Type

Oral Presentation

Campus where you would like to present

Ellensburg

Event Website

https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source

Start Date

16-5-2021

End Date

22-5-2021

Keywords

Fire History, Forest Management, Macroscopic Charcoal Analysis

Abstract

The recent rise in severe wildfires in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) has created a heightened sense of urgency and reignited public interest in wildfire risk. In order to put this rise into a broader spatial and temporal context, a more in-depth look at fire histories from frequently burned areas in the eastern Cascades is needed. The first major objective of this study was to determine if CharAnalysis, a statistical program developed to reconstruct fire history from macroscopic charcoal-based records, is appropriate for use with charcoal records from the eastern Cascades of Washington. The second major objective was to develop a regional synthesis of post-glacial fire activity for the eastern Cascades using the seven existing charcoal-based records by developing a regional biomass burning curve, which was then compared to the existing PNW synthesis. Results from the first objective determined that CharAnalysis is either an inappropriate, moderately appropriate, or appropriate tool for use with charcoal records from the eastern Cascades depending on the site’s vegetation and fire regime. Results from completing the second objective indicate that biomass burning in the eastern Cascades rose throughout the post-glacial period, likely due to climate shifts, the establishment of modern forests (particularly after ca. 7,000 cal yr BP), and increased human use of fire in the late Holocene. By completing this analysis, much needed data points eastern side of the Cascades now contribute to our understanding of past and future drivers of fire activity in the PNW.

Faculty Mentor(s)

Megan Walsh

Department/Program

Cultural and Environmental Resource Management

Additional Mentoring Department

https://cwu.studentopportunitycenter.com/a-regional-synthesis-of-post-glacial-fire-history-in-the-eastern-cascades-washington-using-macroscopic-charcoal-analysis/

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May 16th, 12:00 PM May 22nd, 12:00 PM

A Regional Synthesis of Post-Glacial Fire History in the Eastern Cascades, Washington, using Macroscopic Charcoal Analysis

Ellensburg

The recent rise in severe wildfires in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) has created a heightened sense of urgency and reignited public interest in wildfire risk. In order to put this rise into a broader spatial and temporal context, a more in-depth look at fire histories from frequently burned areas in the eastern Cascades is needed. The first major objective of this study was to determine if CharAnalysis, a statistical program developed to reconstruct fire history from macroscopic charcoal-based records, is appropriate for use with charcoal records from the eastern Cascades of Washington. The second major objective was to develop a regional synthesis of post-glacial fire activity for the eastern Cascades using the seven existing charcoal-based records by developing a regional biomass burning curve, which was then compared to the existing PNW synthesis. Results from the first objective determined that CharAnalysis is either an inappropriate, moderately appropriate, or appropriate tool for use with charcoal records from the eastern Cascades depending on the site’s vegetation and fire regime. Results from completing the second objective indicate that biomass burning in the eastern Cascades rose throughout the post-glacial period, likely due to climate shifts, the establishment of modern forests (particularly after ca. 7,000 cal yr BP), and increased human use of fire in the late Holocene. By completing this analysis, much needed data points eastern side of the Cascades now contribute to our understanding of past and future drivers of fire activity in the PNW.

https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2021/COTS/41