Canadian Forest Service Publications
Charred particle analyses. 2013. Brown, K.J.; Power, M.J. In: Elias, S.A. (ed.) The Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science 2:716-729.
Year: 2013
Issued by: Northern Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 34692
Language: English
Availability: Order paper copy (free), PDF (request by e-mail)
Plain Language Summary
Fire is a common occurrence throughout the history of the Earth. This review focuses on how charred particles, such as charcoal fragments, can be used to evaluate how fire disturbance has changed through time. Charcoal fragments produced during forest fires are preserved in the natural environment, where they can be recovered using a variety of sampling methods. Advances in methods and software to analyze charcoal records, coupled with the development of a global charcoal database, are now advancing our ability to examine the dynamics of fire disturbance and to identify factors that regulate the likelihood of fire.