Fire History of Pepoon and Ansaldo Lakes, Washington

Keywords: fire history, radiocarbon dating, lake sediment core
Abstract Type: Poster Abstract

Abstract

In order to understand the role of fire in our environment, it is crucial to look at how fire activity varied in the past, including both pre- and post- Euro American settlement. Through the use of macroscopic charcoal analysis (MCA) of lake sediment cores, fire history can be reconstructed and used to better understand spatial and temporal patterns of both natural- and human-caused fires. This research of lake sediment cores from Pepoon and Ansaldo lakes in Stevens County, WA, will provide two fire history reconstructions spanning the last approximately 1,000 years. The charcoal data produced will tell us about the type and frequency of fires that occurred, and along with the radiocarbon dating of each sediment core, it will tell us when those fires occurred and how fire patterns changed through time. This study will develop the first two long-term fire history reconstructions from northeast Washington and will significantly expand our understanding of past fire activity in the Pacific Northwest.