Russian scientists have studied taiga fires in Central Siberia over the past 5.5 thousand years. The data will help predict natural fires in the future, Anna Grenaderova, associate professor at Siberian Federal University (SFU), told TASS.
Researchers analyzed peat samples from the Bolshoy Spoloshinsky bog and compared them with archaeological data. During this period, six peaks of fire activity were recorded in the south of the region. The first occurred 4.9–5.1 thousand years ago, and the sixth is currently observed, having been active for the last five centuries.
Scientists directly link the reduction in fire intervals and the increase in the rate of charcoal particle accumulation over the past 500 years to human activity. The formation of settlements in the 1600s and the intensification of climate continentality played a role.
The obtained data can be used for modeling forest fire danger under various climate scenarios. The work was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation and the Krasnoyarsk Regional Science Foundation.
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