Forest fires in southwest Western Siberia: the impact of climate and economic transitions over 9000 years

Abstract

Here we compare the long-term dynamics of fires in the southern taiga of Western Siberia with changes in the environment and ancient economies. Utilizing charcoal particles extracted from peat sediments, we assess charcoal accumulation rates to identify the neighborhood level of fires. Comparison of changes in vegetation, climate and land-use history with fire dynamics reveals that wildfires were climate-dependent but inconsequential during the first half of the Holocene (9.0–4.1k cal a bp) in the hunter-gatherer period. Critical changes and a notable increase in fires were observed in the Late Holocene when pyrogenic events correlate poorly with changes in vegetation cover and climate. Nevertheless, after 4.1k cal a  bp, a direct relationship between fire frequency and economic features emerged, primarily linked to the introduction of animal husbandry and metallurgy, along with an increase in the number of settlements. Subsequently, fire activity increased, remaining higher even during periods of cooling and increased humidity, and this appears to have been related more closely to the economic strategies and periods of depopulation. Thus, even in Siberia, where agriculture had not been practised until the last few centuries, the transition to a productive economy in the Bronze Age brought decisive changes in the dynamics of forest fires.