Holocene Fire Dynamics in the Altai Mountains and Its Driving Factors

Abstract Fire activity reshapes the successions of forest and steppe ecosystems. However, the long‐term fire history and its driving factors in the Altai Mountains remain poorly documented and understood. In this study, we explore the Holocene fire history and its influencing factors, based on diffe...

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Main Authors: Yu Hu, Xiaozhong Huang, Yuan Li, Hongming Chen, Otgonbayar Demberel, Jun Zhang, Lixiong Xiang, Ling Wang, Xiaoyan Mu, Xiuxiu Ren, Jiawu Zhang, Mingrui Qiang, Jule Xiao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-05-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL116309
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author Yu Hu
Xiaozhong Huang
Yuan Li
Hongming Chen
Otgonbayar Demberel
Jun Zhang
Lixiong Xiang
Ling Wang
Xiaoyan Mu
Xiuxiu Ren
Jiawu Zhang
Mingrui Qiang
Jule Xiao
author_facet Yu Hu
Xiaozhong Huang
Yuan Li
Hongming Chen
Otgonbayar Demberel
Jun Zhang
Lixiong Xiang
Ling Wang
Xiaoyan Mu
Xiuxiu Ren
Jiawu Zhang
Mingrui Qiang
Jule Xiao
author_sort Yu Hu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Fire activity reshapes the successions of forest and steppe ecosystems. However, the long‐term fire history and its driving factors in the Altai Mountains remain poorly documented and understood. In this study, we explore the Holocene fire history and its influencing factors, based on different sizes and morphologies of charcoals in a sediment core from Tolbo Lake in the Altai Mountains. On a millennial‐scale, fire activity was primarily regulated by moisture‐driven biomass availability. After ∼6000 BP, increased precipitation led to higher biomass and enhanced fire activity, with potentially higher human activities contribution. At a centennial‐scale, lower fire frequency corresponded to cold climate events in this study. Ongoing global warming may increase the risk of fires in the Altai region.
format Article
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institution OA Journals
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language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Wiley
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-05780ebb05cf48bc9b4357832c20cb1d2025-08-20T02:17:01ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-05-01529n/an/a10.1029/2025GL116309Holocene Fire Dynamics in the Altai Mountains and Its Driving FactorsYu Hu0Xiaozhong Huang1Yuan Li2Hongming Chen3Otgonbayar Demberel4Jun Zhang5Lixiong Xiang6Ling Wang7Xiaoyan Mu8Xiuxiu Ren9Jiawu Zhang10Mingrui Qiang11Jule Xiao12Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education) College of Earth and Environmental Sciences Lanzhou University Lanzhou ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education) College of Earth and Environmental Sciences Lanzhou University Lanzhou ChinaKey Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education) College of Earth and Environmental Sciences Lanzhou University Lanzhou ChinaKhovd Branch School National University of Mongolia Khovd MongoliaSichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Monitoring and Control for Soil Erosion in Dry Valleys School of Geographical Sciences China West Normal University Nanchong ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education) College of Earth and Environmental Sciences Lanzhou University Lanzhou ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education) College of Earth and Environmental Sciences Lanzhou University Lanzhou ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education) College of Earth and Environmental Sciences Lanzhou University Lanzhou ChinaKey Laboratory of Mongolian Plateau's Climate System at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region College of Geographical Sciences Inner Mongolia Normal University Hohhot ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education) College of Earth and Environmental Sciences Lanzhou University Lanzhou ChinaSchool of Geography South China Normal University Guangzhou ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment Institute of Geology and Geophysics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaAbstract Fire activity reshapes the successions of forest and steppe ecosystems. However, the long‐term fire history and its driving factors in the Altai Mountains remain poorly documented and understood. In this study, we explore the Holocene fire history and its influencing factors, based on different sizes and morphologies of charcoals in a sediment core from Tolbo Lake in the Altai Mountains. On a millennial‐scale, fire activity was primarily regulated by moisture‐driven biomass availability. After ∼6000 BP, increased precipitation led to higher biomass and enhanced fire activity, with potentially higher human activities contribution. At a centennial‐scale, lower fire frequency corresponded to cold climate events in this study. Ongoing global warming may increase the risk of fires in the Altai region.https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL116309the Altai Mountainscharcoal analysisfire activityHolocene
spellingShingle Yu Hu
Xiaozhong Huang
Yuan Li
Hongming Chen
Otgonbayar Demberel
Jun Zhang
Lixiong Xiang
Ling Wang
Xiaoyan Mu
Xiuxiu Ren
Jiawu Zhang
Mingrui Qiang
Jule Xiao
Holocene Fire Dynamics in the Altai Mountains and Its Driving Factors
Geophysical Research Letters
the Altai Mountains
charcoal analysis
fire activity
Holocene
title Holocene Fire Dynamics in the Altai Mountains and Its Driving Factors
title_full Holocene Fire Dynamics in the Altai Mountains and Its Driving Factors
title_fullStr Holocene Fire Dynamics in the Altai Mountains and Its Driving Factors
title_full_unstemmed Holocene Fire Dynamics in the Altai Mountains and Its Driving Factors
title_short Holocene Fire Dynamics in the Altai Mountains and Its Driving Factors
title_sort holocene fire dynamics in the altai mountains and its driving factors
topic the Altai Mountains
charcoal analysis
fire activity
Holocene
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL116309
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AT hongmingchen holocenefiredynamicsinthealtaimountainsanditsdrivingfactors
AT otgonbayardemberel holocenefiredynamicsinthealtaimountainsanditsdrivingfactors
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