Articles | Volume 12, issue 13
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4017-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4017-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
03 Jul 2015
Research article |
| 03 Jul 2015
Spatiotemporal patterns of tundra fires: late-Quaternary charcoal records from Alaska
M. L. Chipman
Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA
V. Hudspith
Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA
now at: Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Laver Building 440, Exeter, EX4 4QE, UK
P. E. Higuera
College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, P.O. Box 441133, Moscow, Idaho 83844, USA
P. A. Duffy
Neptune and Company, Inc., 1435 Garrison Street, Suite 110, Lakewood, Colorado 80215, USA
R. Kelly
Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA
now at: Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
W. W. Oswald
Institute for Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies, Emerson College, 120 Boylston St., Boston, Massachusetts 02116, USA
F. S. Hu
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA
Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA
Department of Geology, University of Illinois, 605 E. Springfield Ave., Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA
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Cited
44 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Impact of wildfire on permafrost landscapes: A review of recent advances and future prospects J. Holloway et al. 10.1002/ppp.2048
- Temperature-controlled tundra fire severity and frequency during the last millennium in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska J. Sae-Lim et al. 10.1177/0959683619838036
- Post-fire stabilization of thaw-affected permafrost terrain in northern Alaska B. Jones et al. 10.1038/s41598-024-58998-5
- Plant Uptake Offsets Silica Release From a Large Arctic Tundra Wildfire J. Carey et al. 10.1029/2019EF001149
- Fire as a fundamental ecological process: Research advances and frontiers K. McLauchlan et al. 10.1111/1365-2745.13403
- Resilience and sensitivity of ecosystem carbon stocks to fire-regime change in Alaskan tundra Y. Chen et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151482
- Tundra fires and surface subsidence increase spectral diversity on the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska D. Anderson et al. 10.1088/2752-664X/ad9282
- Ignition frequency and climate controlled Alaskan tundra fires during the Common Era R. Vachula et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107418
- Comparison of black carbon chemical oxidation and macroscopic charcoal counts for quantification of fire by-products in sediments R. Vachula et al. 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2018.08.011
- Methods for quantification of biochar in soils: A critical review Y. Xie et al. 10.1016/j.catena.2024.108082
- Evidence of Ice Age humans in eastern Beringia suggests early migration to North America R. Vachula et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.12.003
- Does fire always accelerate shrub expansion in Arctic tundra? Examining a novel grass-dominated successional trajectory on the Seward Peninsula T. Hollingsworth et al. 10.1080/15230430.2021.1899562
- Burned phytoliths absorbing black carbon as a potential proxy for paleofire H. Dong et al. 10.1177/09596836221074033
- Preservation biases are pervasive in Holocene paleofire records R. Vachula et al. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.111165
- Northern Norway paleofire records reveal two distinct phases of early human impacts on fire activity R. Topness et al. 10.1177/09596836231185826
- Assessing the spatial fidelity of sedimentary charcoal size fractions as fire history proxies with a high-resolution sediment record and historical data R. Vachula et al. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.07.032
- Unrecorded Tundra Fires of the Arctic Slope, Alaska USA E. Miller et al. 10.3390/fire6030101
- Sedimentary charcoal proxy records of fire in Alaskan tundra ecosystems R. Vachula et al. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2019.109564
- Arctic tundra fires: natural variability and responses to climate change F. Hu et al. 10.1890/150063
- A robust visible near-infrared index for fire severity mapping in Arctic tundra ecosystems Y. Chen et al. 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2019.11.012
- Tundra fire increases the likelihood of methane hotspot formation in the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, USA E. Yoseph et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/acf50b
- Informing sedimentary charcoal-based fire reconstructions with a kinematic transport model R. Vachula & N. Richter 10.1177/0959683617715624
- Circumpolar spatio-temporal patterns and contributing climatic factors of wildfire activity in the Arctic tundra from 2001–2015 A. Masrur et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/aa9a76
- Holocene changes in biomass burning in the boreal Northern Hemisphere, reconstructed from anhydrosugar fluxes in an Arctic sediment profile A. Chen et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161460
- Linkages Among Climate, Fire, and Thermoerosion in Alaskan Tundra Over the Past Three Millennia M. Chipman & F. Hu 10.1002/2017JG004027
- Charcoal reflectance suggests heating duration and fuel moisture affected burn severity in four Alaskan tundra wildfires V. Hudspith et al. 10.1071/WF16177
- Climatic thresholds shape northern high‐latitude fire regimes and imply vulnerability to future climate change A. Young et al. 10.1111/ecog.02205
- The morphology of experimentally produced charcoal distinguishes fuel types in the Arctic tundra E. Pereboom et al. 10.1177/0959683620908629
- The ratio of microcharcoal to phytolith content in soils as a new proxy of fire activity M. Wen et al. 10.1177/0959683620941086
- Divergent shrub‐cover responses driven by climate, wildfire, and permafrost interactions in Arctic tundra ecosystems Y. Chen et al. 10.1111/gcb.15451
- Response of plant communities to climate change during the late Holocene: Palaeoecological insights from peatlands in the Alaskan Arctic M. Gałka et al. 10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.10.062
- Arctic and boreal paleofire records reveal drivers of fire activity and departures from Holocene variability T. Hoecker et al. 10.1002/ecy.3096
- Climate change and mercury in the Arctic: Abiotic interactions J. Chételat et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153715
- Tundra recovery post-fire in the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska L. Clayton et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/adbfaa
- Consequences of climatic thresholds for projecting fire activity and ecological change A. Young et al. 10.1111/geb.12872
- Tussocks Enduring or Shrubs Greening: Alternate Responses to Changing Fire Regimes in the Noatak River Valley, Alaska B. Gaglioti et al. 10.1029/2020JG006009
- Climate exceeded human management as the dominant control of fire at the regional scale in California’s Sierra Nevada R. Vachula et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/ab4669
- Vegetation and fire history of the Lake Baikal Region since 32 ka BP reconstructed through microcharcoal and pollen analysis of lake sediment from Cis- and Trans-Baikal A. Krikunova et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108867
- A Holocene fire history from Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland, Canada: vegetation and climate change both influenced the fire regime N. Lake et al. 10.3389/fevo.2024.1419121
- Microbial contribution to post-fire tundra ecosystem recovery over the 21st century N. Bouskill et al. 10.1038/s43247-022-00356-2
- Biophysical effects of an old tundra fire in the Brooks Range Foothills of Northern Alaska, U.S.A E. Miller et al. 10.1016/j.polar.2023.100984
- A Framework for Understanding the Impacts of Thaw‐Driven Disturbance Regimes on Northern Lakes J. Thienpont et al. 10.1002/ppp.2256
- Soil surface organic layers in Arctic Alaska: Spatial distribution, rates of formation, and microclimatic effects C. Baughman et al. 10.1002/2015JG002983
- Recent Arctic tundra fire initiates widespread thermokarst development B. Jones et al. 10.1038/srep15865
42 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Impact of wildfire on permafrost landscapes: A review of recent advances and future prospects J. Holloway et al. 10.1002/ppp.2048
- Temperature-controlled tundra fire severity and frequency during the last millennium in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska J. Sae-Lim et al. 10.1177/0959683619838036
- Post-fire stabilization of thaw-affected permafrost terrain in northern Alaska B. Jones et al. 10.1038/s41598-024-58998-5
- Plant Uptake Offsets Silica Release From a Large Arctic Tundra Wildfire J. Carey et al. 10.1029/2019EF001149
- Fire as a fundamental ecological process: Research advances and frontiers K. McLauchlan et al. 10.1111/1365-2745.13403
- Resilience and sensitivity of ecosystem carbon stocks to fire-regime change in Alaskan tundra Y. Chen et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151482
- Tundra fires and surface subsidence increase spectral diversity on the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska D. Anderson et al. 10.1088/2752-664X/ad9282
- Ignition frequency and climate controlled Alaskan tundra fires during the Common Era R. Vachula et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107418
- Comparison of black carbon chemical oxidation and macroscopic charcoal counts for quantification of fire by-products in sediments R. Vachula et al. 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2018.08.011
- Methods for quantification of biochar in soils: A critical review Y. Xie et al. 10.1016/j.catena.2024.108082
- Evidence of Ice Age humans in eastern Beringia suggests early migration to North America R. Vachula et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.12.003
- Does fire always accelerate shrub expansion in Arctic tundra? Examining a novel grass-dominated successional trajectory on the Seward Peninsula T. Hollingsworth et al. 10.1080/15230430.2021.1899562
- Burned phytoliths absorbing black carbon as a potential proxy for paleofire H. Dong et al. 10.1177/09596836221074033
- Preservation biases are pervasive in Holocene paleofire records R. Vachula et al. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.111165
- Northern Norway paleofire records reveal two distinct phases of early human impacts on fire activity R. Topness et al. 10.1177/09596836231185826
- Assessing the spatial fidelity of sedimentary charcoal size fractions as fire history proxies with a high-resolution sediment record and historical data R. Vachula et al. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.07.032
- Unrecorded Tundra Fires of the Arctic Slope, Alaska USA E. Miller et al. 10.3390/fire6030101
- Sedimentary charcoal proxy records of fire in Alaskan tundra ecosystems R. Vachula et al. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2019.109564
- Arctic tundra fires: natural variability and responses to climate change F. Hu et al. 10.1890/150063
- A robust visible near-infrared index for fire severity mapping in Arctic tundra ecosystems Y. Chen et al. 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2019.11.012
- Tundra fire increases the likelihood of methane hotspot formation in the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, USA E. Yoseph et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/acf50b
- Informing sedimentary charcoal-based fire reconstructions with a kinematic transport model R. Vachula & N. Richter 10.1177/0959683617715624
- Circumpolar spatio-temporal patterns and contributing climatic factors of wildfire activity in the Arctic tundra from 2001–2015 A. Masrur et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/aa9a76
- Holocene changes in biomass burning in the boreal Northern Hemisphere, reconstructed from anhydrosugar fluxes in an Arctic sediment profile A. Chen et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161460
- Linkages Among Climate, Fire, and Thermoerosion in Alaskan Tundra Over the Past Three Millennia M. Chipman & F. Hu 10.1002/2017JG004027
- Charcoal reflectance suggests heating duration and fuel moisture affected burn severity in four Alaskan tundra wildfires V. Hudspith et al. 10.1071/WF16177
- Climatic thresholds shape northern high‐latitude fire regimes and imply vulnerability to future climate change A. Young et al. 10.1111/ecog.02205
- The morphology of experimentally produced charcoal distinguishes fuel types in the Arctic tundra E. Pereboom et al. 10.1177/0959683620908629
- The ratio of microcharcoal to phytolith content in soils as a new proxy of fire activity M. Wen et al. 10.1177/0959683620941086
- Divergent shrub‐cover responses driven by climate, wildfire, and permafrost interactions in Arctic tundra ecosystems Y. Chen et al. 10.1111/gcb.15451
- Response of plant communities to climate change during the late Holocene: Palaeoecological insights from peatlands in the Alaskan Arctic M. Gałka et al. 10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.10.062
- Arctic and boreal paleofire records reveal drivers of fire activity and departures from Holocene variability T. Hoecker et al. 10.1002/ecy.3096
- Climate change and mercury in the Arctic: Abiotic interactions J. Chételat et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153715
- Tundra recovery post-fire in the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska L. Clayton et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/adbfaa
- Consequences of climatic thresholds for projecting fire activity and ecological change A. Young et al. 10.1111/geb.12872
- Tussocks Enduring or Shrubs Greening: Alternate Responses to Changing Fire Regimes in the Noatak River Valley, Alaska B. Gaglioti et al. 10.1029/2020JG006009
- Climate exceeded human management as the dominant control of fire at the regional scale in California’s Sierra Nevada R. Vachula et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/ab4669
- Vegetation and fire history of the Lake Baikal Region since 32 ka BP reconstructed through microcharcoal and pollen analysis of lake sediment from Cis- and Trans-Baikal A. Krikunova et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108867
- A Holocene fire history from Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland, Canada: vegetation and climate change both influenced the fire regime N. Lake et al. 10.3389/fevo.2024.1419121
- Microbial contribution to post-fire tundra ecosystem recovery over the 21st century N. Bouskill et al. 10.1038/s43247-022-00356-2
- Biophysical effects of an old tundra fire in the Brooks Range Foothills of Northern Alaska, U.S.A E. Miller et al. 10.1016/j.polar.2023.100984
- A Framework for Understanding the Impacts of Thaw‐Driven Disturbance Regimes on Northern Lakes J. Thienpont et al. 10.1002/ppp.2256
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Latest update: 05 Jul 2025
Short summary
Tundra fires may have increased as a result of anthropogenic climate change. To evaluate this hypothesis in the context of natural variability, we reconstructed fire history of the late Quaternary in the Alaskan tundra. Fire-return intervals are spatially variable, ranging from 1648 to 6045 years at our sites. The rarity of historical fires implies that increased fire frequency may greatly alter the structure and function of tundra ecosystems.
Tundra fires may have increased as a result of anthropogenic climate change. To evaluate this...
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