CC BY
0THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE FREQUENCY OF FIRES IN THE UPPER DON RIVER BASIN OVER LAST 4000 YEARS, BASED ON MACROCHARCOAL DATA FROM PODKOSMOVSKOYE MIRE
®D.A. Kupriyanov1 , E.M. Yolkova2 , E.Yu. Novenko3 ***
1 Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia 2 Tula State University, Russia 3Institute of Geography Russian Academy of Science, Russia e-mail: *dmitriykupriyanov1994@yandex.ru, **convallaria@mail.ru, ***lenanov@mail.ru
Received: 08.02.2024. Revised: 16.03.2024. Accepted: 31.03.2024.
The paper presents a reconstruction of Late Holocene fire frequency in the Upper Don River Basin revealed from the analysis of microscopic charcoal particles (>100 p,m in linear size) accumulated in peat layers at the Podkosmovskoye mire since 4000 cal. (calibrated) years BP. The Podkosmovskoye mire is located in the area of the Kulikovo Battlefield museum-reserve and has the status of a protected area. A comparison of the obtained results with previous quantitative reconstructions of forest coverage and vegetation changes in the study area inferred from pollen and archaeological data showed a low fire activity in the Upper Don River Basin between 4000 and 1500 cal. years BP. The mosaic of forest-steppe vegetation included patches of broad-leaf pine forests, riverine alder woodlands and meadow steppe on dry slopes. The total forest cover of the Kulikovo Battlefield area varied between 20 and 40%, and about 2700 cal. years BP, it reached 40-45% due to climate cooling and an increase in humidity. Starting from 1500 cal. years BP, the charcoal accumulation rate in the peat sequences of the Podkosmovskoye mire gradually increased. The highest frequency of fires and the most intense accumulation of charcoal in peat were detected for the period from 900 to 300 cal. years BP that led to the deforestation of the area. The clear relationship between the fire frequency and climate changes during the last millennium has not been determined, however the phases of intensive charcoal accumulation in peat coincided with the stages of human occupation in the region, as suggested by vegetation changes and archeological findings.
Key words: fire return interval, forest coverage, Kulikovo Battlefield Museum-Reserve, Late Holocene, macroscopic charcoal particles, peat, plant macro remains, pollen analysis
https://dx.doi.org/10.24412/cl-31646-2686-7117-2024-34-45-58
License CC BY-NC 4.0
Cite: Kupriyanov D.A., Volkova E.M., Novenko E.Yu. 2024. The reconstruction of the frequency of fires in the Upper Don River Basin over last 4000 years, based on macrocharcoal data from Podkosmovskoye Mire // Proceedings of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve. Vol. 34. P. 45-58. https://dx.doi.org/10.24412/cl-31646-2686-7117-2024-34-45-58
Introduction
The Holocene vegetation history and human-environment interaction in the modern forest and steppe ecotone have become increasingly important in recent years due to climatic changes and the growing anthropogenic load on ecosystems in the region. Despite a significant amount of paleobotanical research conducted in the forest-steppe vegetation zone of the East European plain, including data revealed from lakes
and peatlands (Serebryannaya & Ilves, 1974; Serebryannaya, 1976; Khotinskiy et al., 1979; Klimanov & Serebryannaya, 1986; Spiridonova, 1991; Borisova et al., 2006; Novenko et al., 2012, 2013, 2017; Panin et al., 2017; Shumilovskikh et al., 2018) and paleosoils (Sycheva, 2009; Gerasimova & Sycheva, 2010; Alexandrovsky et al., 2011, 2022; Alifanov et al., 2011; Gorskaya et al., 2016; Kurbanova et al., 2023), the role of fires in the transformation of vegetation cover has been poorly investigated and affected only in few studies (Novenko et al., 2016; Lukanina et al., 2022). Although paleofire reconstructions could contribute to resolving controversial issues regarding the evolution of the forest and steppe boundary during the Holocene.
The present study of the Late Holocene fire frequency in the northern forest-steppe subzone was focused on the area of the Kulikovo Battlefield State Military Historical and Natural Museum-Reserve located in the Upper Don River Basin. The problems of the restoration of the natural landscape that corresponds to the time of the Kulikovo Battle and the study of the heroic events in 1380 provided the impetus for a number of paleogeographical and geoarchaeological studies and researches into the biological diversity of this region (Folomeev et al.,1984; Khotinskiy, 1988; Burova & Glasko, 2007; Novenko et al., 2013; Novenko, 2017; Nosova, 2019; Rozova & Volkova et al., 2020, 2021, 2022; Burova & Naumov, 2022). At present, the Kulikovo Battlefield Museum-Reserve is one of the most significant model regions for investigating the present-day landscapes and their natural and anthropogenic dynamics.
The aim of this study is to reconstruct the frequency of forest fires in Upper Don River Basin the during the Late Holocene, based on macroscopic charcoal data from the peat sequences of Podkosmovskoye mire (Kulikovo Battlefield area), and compare our findings with vegetation and climate changes in the region as well as archaeological discoveries.
The Study Area
The study area is located in the central part of the East European Plain, on the northern slopes of the Mid-Russian Uplands (Fig. 1). Today's topography includes small, evenly undulating plateaus that are 210 to 234 meters high, separated by long, narrow valleys. The gently sloping watersheds are dissected by numerous ravines, which are often steep and show evidence of recent erosion, and, less frequently, landslides (Isachenko, 1985). The climate of this region is temperate and moderately continental, with features that lie between the moderately humid climate of the northwest and the warm and dry southeastern climate of Europe. Meteorological observations from the Bogoroditsk weather station, located near the Kulikovo Battlefield area, indicate the mean annual temperatures around +3.8°C. In January and July, the average temperatures are -10.6°C and +18.4°C respectively, while the mean annual precipitation is 530 mm (Razuvaev et al., 2020).
The vegetation in the region is a combination of forest and grassland communities. Small patches of deciduous forests can still be found in the Upper Don River basin and its tributaries. The most common tree species are Quercus robur L., Tilia cordata Mill., Acer platanoides L., A. tataricum L., A. campestre L. Among shrubs Corylus avellana L., Cerasus fruticosa Pall., Prunus spinosa L., and Rhamnus
cathartica L., are widespread. This mosaic of ecosystems has been described in detail in several studies (Volkova, 2011; Semenishchenkov & Volkova, 2021; Semenishchenkov et al., 2022; Volkova et al., 2022; Zatsarinaya et al., 2022). However, the natural vegetation cover has dramatically changed as a result of human activity over the past 300 years (Novenko et al., 2016). Today, the landscape is almost entirely devoid of trees. Natural forests and grassy areas have been replaced by farmland that is either actively used or abandoned.
The reconstruction of paleofires on the area of the Kulikovo Battlefield MuseumReserve was carried out using macroscopic charcoal revealed from peat sequences of the Podkosmovskoye mire (53.667586° N, 38.655001° E), located in the Nepryadva River floodplain (the tributary of Don River), on the right bank of the river and at the base of the valley slope (Fig. 1). It covers a surface area (including the adjoining wet meadow) of 3 hectares (Zatsarinnaya et al., 2022). The maximum depth of peat reaches 120 cm. The fen is fed by relatively high mineralized (425-690 mg/l) groundwater seeping from the base of the valley slope as well as by lateral floodwater, ensures the existence of eutrophic vegetation, represented by communities of Scirpus sylvaticus L., Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim., Carex acutiformis Ehrh. and Equisetum fluviatile L. The ground water level varies from 3 to 40 cm during the growing season. The absence of traces of human influence on the structure of the peat and the current vegetation cover has led to considering the Podkosmovskoye mire as an example of a model ecosystem and giving it the status of a protected area. This decision was made in accordance with the Resolution of the Government of the Tula Region dated April 29, 2015, No. 210.
38°36' 38°39'
38°33' 38°36' 38°39'
Fig. 1. Geographical setting of the study area: 1 - location of the study area, 2 - location of the peat core.
Material and Methods
Paleoecological studies of the Podkosmovskoye mire was conducted in two stages. In the first stage in 2009, the peat core up to a depth of 120 cm was taken in the
deepest part of the peatland. During the Battlefield observation, it was discovered that peat deposits were underlined by bluish-gray clay and the composition of peat varies slightly from one part of the mire to another. The peat sequences are represented by eutrophic types (Fig. 2): sedge, grass, woody-grass, and woody-sedge peat (Volkova, 2011). The high degree of peat humification (from 65% in the lower parts of the core to 35-40% in its higher parts) suggests a fluctuating hydrological regime within the mire that led to the active decomposition processes of plant remains during the period of peat accumulation. Analysis of pollen and plant macro remains and radiocarbon dating were performed for the peat core obtained in 2009. The results were published in detail by Novenko & Volkova (2015) and Novenko (2017).
Age, cal. years BP _
HI a HH 6
Fig. 2. The results of the plant macro-remains analysis of the peat core from Podkosmovskoye mire and the interrelation of peat cores taken in 2009 and 2019: a - type of peat (1 - sedge, 2 - woody-sedge, 3 - woody-herbal, 4 - herbal, 5- woody peat), b - clay.
The age of basal layer of the peat core is 5040±80 cal years BP. Based on previously obtained radiocarbon data (Novenko & Volkova, 2015), presented in the Table 1, the new age-depth model (Fig. 3) for the peat sequences was calculated using the Bacon software (Blaauw & Christen, 2011) within the R statistical software environment (R Core Team, 2021). The radiocarbon data were calibrated using the Calib 8.2 software with the IntCal20 calibration curve (Reimer et al., 2020).
Table 1. Results of radiocarbon dating of peat samples from the Podkosmosovskoye mire
Laboratory code IGAN Depth (cm) Material dated Age, 14C years BP Age, cal. years BP (15)
3851 45-50 peat 607±85 600±80
3852 75-80 peat 2345±75 2410±70
3855 110-120 peat 4405±80 5040±80
Age, cal yr BP Fig. 3. Ade-depth model of peat core from Podkosmovskoye mire.
In 2019, the peat deposit in the Podkosmovskoye mire was re-examined and samples were collected to the macroscopic charcoal analysis and paleo-fires reconstructions. A peat column obtained in 2019 for technical reasons turned out to be shorter than the core taken in 2009. Both cores were located in the central part of the peatland within a Carex acutiformis community, and the botanical composition of the both peat cores is very similar, with close positions of the layer boundaries (Fig. 2). Based on the composition of plant macro remains, we have mathed the results of radiocarbon dating and pollen analysis from previous findings with the results of charcoal analysis obtained during this study.
The reconstruction of the Holocene fire frequencies in the Upper Don River Basin was carried out based on the analysis of the concentration of macroscopic charcoal particles (with linear size > 100 ^m) in a peat. The main source of the input of micro- and macro-charcoal particles into the peatland occurs from the air as a result of convective processes caused by the heat generated from fires, as well as arrival by horizontal flushing to the peatland from the adjacent area (Whitlock et al., 2010). Several experiments and model calculations have shown that charcoal particles larger than 100 ^m can fall from the air within a distance of hundreds of meters to 20 kilometers from the place of ignition (Higuera et al., 2009). However, most of these particles settle within two to three kilometers of the fire. Therefore, charcoal particles larger than 100 ^m can be used as a reliable indicator of local fires in the study area.
Sampling from the Podkosmovskoye mire was carried out by Russian peat corer with a diameter of chamber of 5 cm and a length of 50 cm. For the macro-charcoal
analysis wet peat samples with a volume of 1 cm3 were taken continuously with an interval of 1 cm. A total of 100 probes were analyzed. Sample preparation was carried out according to the standard procedure (Mooney & Tinner, 2011).
Peat samples were bleached in 10% NaOCl solution with a volume of 100 ml for a day at room temperature, then each sample was washed with distilled water through a sieve with a mesh diameter of 100 [im and placed in a Petri dish. All charcoal particles contained in the Petri dish were counted at 28x magnification under the MBS-10 171 stereoscopic microscope.
Statistical processing of the results of counting the concentration of charcoal particles in peat was performed in the R software environment using the Tapas software package (Finsinger & Bonnici, 2022), an improved and adapted version of the CharAnalysis program (Higuera et al., 2009). This program allows users to calculate the accumulation rate of charcoal particles and determine its background and peak values, and local fire episodes (single or multiple large fires in proximity to the peatland), as well as fire return intervals.
The transformation of the obtained values of the concentration of microscopic charcoal particles into the charcoal accumulation rate (CHAR, particles/cm2 per year) was carried out using the age-depth model of the peat core. Previously, the values of peat vertical growth were interpolated and reduced to a single time resolution for each sample, which was equal to the median time resolution for each centimeter of peat deposit (40 years). Then, the background values for CHAR were determined using LOWESS statistical function with a smoothing interval of 300 years. This function takes into account low-frequency fluctuations in the accumulation rate, corresponding to regional signals of fire dynamics, and possible errors in sample preparation and redepositing charcoal within a peat profile. To determine local fire episodes, we calculate the threshold value for the charcoal accumulation rate. Continuous interpolated values exceeding the threshold are considered to be fire episodes. To assess the statistical reliability of each time window, we use the Signal-to-Noise Index (SNI). Values of SNI > ~ 0.5 are considered to be sufficient, and values of SNI > 3 are considered reliable as much as possible for statistically justifying the allocation of a local fire. According to our calculations, the SNI values ranges between 2.8 and 7.1, which meets the requirements for statistical analysis. We then calculated the fire return intervals, which is the time between two consecutive local fires.
The results of plant macro remains and pollen analysis of the peat revealed from the Podkosmovskoye mire (Volkova, 2011; Novenko & Volkova, 2015) were used for understanding the role of fire in the vegetation history in the study area. We also discussed the reconstruction of the total forest coverage in the Kulikovo Battlefield area, inferred from pollen data from the Podkosmovskoye mire using the "Best modern analogue" technique. The methodology and results of these reconstruction are presented in Novenko (2017).
Results
The analysis of the macroscopic charcoal particles in the peat core obtained in 2019 allow us to characterize changes in the fire activity of the area, starting from 4000 cal.
years BP. The concentration of macro-charcoal particles in peat revealed its high variability in the range from 49 to 2779 particles/cm3 (Fig. 4a). The low concentration of charcoal particles (50-120 particles/cm3) are typical for the lower part of the peat column (100-81 cm). In the depth range of 81-60 cm, the charcoal concentrations increase, but experience sharp fluctuations, not exceeding 1000 particles /cm3. A significant growth in concentrations of charcoal (from 200 to 1500 particles/cm3, with peaks up to 2900 particles/cm3) was detected between 60 and 15 cm. In the upper part of the peat deposit, the charcoal concentration decreases to 150-200 particles/cm3.
Fig. 4. Results of the macrocharcoal analysis of the peat core from the Podkosmovskoye peatland: a) macroscopic charcoal concentration, b) macroscopic charcoal accumulation rate (1 - interpolated charcoal accumulation rates, 2 - threshold values, 3 - background values, 4 - local fire episodes), c) fire return interval.
Calculations of the charcoal accumulation rate and the release of peaks indicate low fire activity during the period 4000 to 1500 cal. years BP (Fig. 4b). Background and interpolated values of CHAR do not exceed 10-15 particles/cm2 per year. The mean fire return interval (FRI) ranges from 200 to 350 years (Fig. 4c).
During the period 1500-900 cal. years BP CHAR increased to 20 particles/cm2 per year, but the FRI remained long and amounted to about 150 years. A sharp increase in the rate of accumulation of charcoal macro-particles in peat was revealed between 900 and 300 cal. years BP. Background and interpolated CHAR values increased to 30-40 particles/cm2 per year, sharp peaks exceeding 70-80 particles/cm2 per year were identified. The FRI has been reduced to 50-100 years. Over the past 300 years, charcoal accumulation in peat has decreased, one fire episode has been identified.
Discussion
The results of the analysis of the macroscopic charcoal particles in the peat and their comparison with palynological data together with the reconstructions of the forest coverage in the Kulikov Battlefield area during the late Holocene (Fig. 5) allow us to reconstruct vegetation changes in this region and to consider the impact of forest fires on plant cover.
According to pollen data inferred from the Podkosmovskoye mire (Novenko & Volkova, 2015), the study area was part of the forest-steppe region during the period from 4000 to 2300 cal. years BP. The mosaic vegetation consisted of areas of broadleaf pine forests, riverine alder woodlands, and meadow steppe on dry slopes and well-drained watersheds. The total forest coverage of the area was 30-40% (Novenko, 2017), at approximately 2700 cal. years BP it reached 45% (Fig. 5).
The increase in forest coverage in the area of Kulikovo Battlefield occurred during the climate cooling, which began in Europe around 2700-2500 cal. years BP and was traced by climate reconstructions using palynological data in various regions of Europe (Davis et al., 2003; Mauri et al., 2015), and the East European Plain (Novenko, 2021). Fires did not have a significant impact on the vegetation dynamics in the Kulikov Battlefield area during that period, as indicated by a long fire return interval (from 600 to 200 years) and a relatively low intensity of macroscopic charcoal accumulation in peat (Fig. 4).
Significant changes in vegetation cover in the Kulikov Battlefield area occurred around 2300 cal. years BP. The proportion of pollen of trees and shrubs decreased from 80 to 50-60%, at the same time the participation of grasses and pollen of plants -anthropogenic indicators increased (Novenko & Volkova, 2015), pollen of cultivated cereals became a permanent component of pollen assemblages (Fig. 5). The total forest coverage reduced to 15% (Novenko, 2017). Signs of anthropogenic soil erosion have been revealed in sections of the Nepryadva floodplain (Sycheva, 2009). However, the macroscopic charcoal analysis of the peat core from the Podkosmovskoye mire did not reveal an increase in fire activity in the study area. The growth in charcoal accumulation and the decline in the frequency of fires occurs only around 1500 cal. years BP. Perhaps the deforestation in this area was caused by human activity, such as cutting down trees and using wood. Archaeological evidence of human occupation of
Fig. 5. Comparison of the results of macroscopic charcoal analysis with previous pollen records from Podkosmovskoye mire (Novenko & Volkova, 2015) and the forest coverage reconstruction (Novenko, 2017).
the Kulikovo Battlefield area during the Bronze Age is scarce, however, it is possible that nomadic pastoral tribes inhabited this region (Gonyanyi et al., 2007). Most researchers agree that the short-term human impact on landscapes during the Bronze Age was limited to the local environment (Khotinskiy et al., 1979; Khotinskiy, 1988; Folomeev et al., 1990; Gonyanyi et al., 2007). Archaeological sites from the Early Iron Age are unknown in the Kulikov Battlefield area. It is possible that the changes in vegetation identified by pollen analysis and the presence of domesticated cereals in pollen assemblages reflect a human presence in the region beyond the Kulikovo Battlefield area.
A noticeable increase in the charcoal accumulation in peat and the frequency of fires has been observed over the last millennium. Between 900 and 300 cal. years BP, 9 major fires occurred near the Podkosmovskoye mire, the mean FRI reduced to 50-100 years. The decline in forest coverage in the region during the same period, and
the abundance of anthropogenic pollen indicators in the pollen assemblages indicate an increase in human impact on vegetation (Lukanina et al., 2022). According to archaeological evidence, in the Middle Ages, the area of Kulikovo Battlefield was repeatedly settled and abandoned by humans. A number of the Early Slavic settlements of the IX and mid-X centuries AD, and more than 250 Old Russian settlements, fortified mounds and 'flat' cemeteries dating from late XII to late XIV centuries AD were found within the study area (Gonyanyi et al., 2007). Fires during this period may have been caused by both natural and human factors. It should be noted that the climate cooling in the Little Ice Age, which occurred in Europe between the XIV and XVII centuries and was traced by numerous paleoarchaeological sources with broad geographical coverage (PAGES 2k Consortium, 2013), did not lead to a decline in fire activity or an afforestation of the Kulikov Battlefield area.
The palynological data reveals significant forest degradation over the last 300 years, which is linked to the development of the area in Modern times. During that period, large areas of agricultural land were cultivated, the population of the region grew, new settlements and roads emerged (Burova & Naumov, 2022). Currently, the total woody coverage the of Kulikov Battlefield area does not exceed 10% (Novenko, 2017). According to the results of the macroscopic charcoal analysis of the peat core from the Podkosmovskoye mire, charcoal accumulation in peat has decreased over the last 300 years. It is possible that the fragmentation of forests and measures to fire suppression have led to a reduction in fire activity in the area.
Conclusion
The results of charcoal studies at the Podkosmovskoye mire, located in the Upper Don River Basin, provided a unique opportunity to explore the Late Holocene history of fires and vegetation change in the forest-steppe ecotone on the East European Plain. The study showed that the analysis of the accumulation rate of macroscopic (> 100 ^m) charcoal particles in peat could be used as a reliable tool to reconstruct the long-term frequency of fires and fire return intervals. The application of this method to the Late Holocene peat core from the Podkosmovskoye mire has enabled us to conclude that the highest fire frequency and the most intense charcoal accumulation in the peat occurred between 900 and 300 cal. years BP. During this period, the increased fire activity was obviously caused by both natural and human-induced factors as a result of human occupation of the area during the Middle Ages. The phases of intensive charcoal accumulation in peat coincide with the stages of human settlement in the region, as revealed by archeological findings.
Acknowledgements
Data analysis and paper preparation were supported by the State assignment FMWS-2024-0005.
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РЕКОНСТРУКЦИЯ ПОВТОРЯЕМОСТИ ПОЖАРОВ В БАССЕЙНЕ РЕКИ ВЕРХНИЙ ДОН ЗА ПОСЛЕДНИЕ 4000 ЛЕТ ПО ПАЛЕОАНТРАКОЛОГИЧЕСКИМ ДАННЫМ ИЗ ПОДКОСМОВСКОГО
БОЛОТА
®Д.А. Куприянов1" , Е.М. Волкова2'** , Е.Ю. Новенко3 ***
1 Институт археологии Российской академии наук, Россия
2Тульский государственный университет, Россия 3Институт географии Российской академии наук, Россия e-mail: *dmitriykupriyanov1994@yandex.ru, **convallaria@mail.ru, ***lenanov@mail.ru
В статье представлена реконструкция повторяемости позднеголоценовых пожаров в бассейне р. Верхний Дон, выявленная на основе анализа микроскопических частиц древесного угля (линейный размер >100 мкм), накопленных в слоях торфа Подкосмовского болота с 4000 кал. (калиброванные) годы BP. Подкосмовское болото расположено на территории музея-заповедника «Куликовская битва» и имеет статус охраняемой территории. Сравнение полученных результатов с предыдущими количественными реконструкциями лесистости и изменений растительности на территории исследований по пыльцевым и археологическим данным показало низкую пожарную активность в бассейне Верхнего Дона между 4000 и 1500 кал. лет БП. Мозаика лесостепной растительности включала участки широколиственных сосновых лесов, приречных ольшаников и луговых степей на сухих склонах. Общая лесистость района Куликовской битвы колебалась от 20 до 40% и составляла около 2700 кал. лет назад она достигала 40-45% из-за похолодания климата и увеличения влажности. Начиная с 1500 кал. лет назад скорость угленакопления в торфяных толщах Подкосмовского болота постепенно увеличивалась. Наибольшая повторяемость пожаров и наиболее интенсивное накопление древесного угля в торфе отмечены в период от 900 до 300 кал. лет BP, что привело к вырубке лесов в этом районе. Четкая связь между частотой пожаров и изменениями климата в течение последнего тысячелетия не установлена, однако фазы интенсивного угленакопления в торфе совпадали с этапами заселения региона человеком, о чем свидетельствуют изменения растительности и археологические находки.
Ключевые слова: интервал возврата пожаров, лесной покров, макроостатки растений, макроскопические частицы древесного угля, музей-заповедник «Куликовская битва», поздний голоцен, торф, пыльцевой анализ
