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Author(s):
Nathan A. Nelson, Jennifer L. Pierce
Year Published:

Cataloging Information

Topic(s):
Fire History
Ecosystem(s):
Montane dry mixed-conifer forest, Ponderosa pine woodland/savanna, Sagebrush steppe

NRFSN number: 11466
FRAMES RCS number: 11237
Record updated:

The forest-sagebrush ecotone is characterized by a more arid climate than forested regions; therefore, establishing fire histories using traditional methods (e.g. fire-scars from trees, charcoal in lake sediments) is problematic. This study uses radiocarbon dating of charcoal preserved in alluvial deposits to reconstruct a record of fire and geomorphic response in southwestern Idaho. Samples indicate three primary periods of fire-related activity: 4400-4000, 2000-1400, and 650-400 cal. yr BP.

Citation

Nelson, Nathan A.; Pierce, Jennifer. 2010. Late-Holocene relationships among fire, climate and vegetation in a forest-sagebrush ecotone of southwestern Idaho, USA. The Holocene 20(8):1179-1194.

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