Journal of Siberian Federal University. Biology / Macrocharcoal in Sediments of Varcha Bay (Krasnoyarsk Reservoir, Khakassia) as a Proxy for Fire Dynamics in the Surrounding Area in the Recent Period

Full text (.pdf)
Issue
Journal of Siberian Federal University. Biology. 2025 18 (4)
Authors
Shmurova, Anna A.; Ponomarev, Evgenii I.; Rogozin, Denis Y.
Contact information
Shmurova, Anna A. : Siberian Federal University Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation; Ponomarev, Evgenii I.: Siberian Federal University Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS Federal Research Center “Krasnoyarsk Science Center SB RAS” Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation; ORCID: 0000-0002-7185-3639; Rogozin, Denis Y.: Siberian Federal University Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation; Institute of Biophysics SB RAS Federal Research Center “Krasnoyarsk Science Center SB RAS” Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation; ORCID: 0000-0002-9350-2936
Keywords
fires; charcoal particles; sediments; Krasnoyarsk Reservoir; satellite monitoring
Abstract

The increased number of wildfires in many regions across the world calls for reliable fire prediction methods. For accurate fire forecasting, valuable information on past fire dynamics can be obtained from water bodies’ bottom sediments using macrocharcoal particles as proxies. This study aimed to analyze the distribution of macrocharcoal particles in the upper sediments of Varcha Bay (Krasnoyarsk Reservoir), located in the steppe zone of southern Siberia (Republic of Khakassia). We analyzed the distribution of charcoal particles larger than 100 μm since the bay’s formation. A sharp shift in sedimentation patterns reflected the 1971 transition from a shallow lake to a deep body of water following the inundation of the small Varcha Lake by the Yenisei River due to formation of the Krasnoyarsk Reservoir (after the construction of the Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Power Station). This change in sedimentation patterns served as a stratigraphic marker for 1971, that allowed us to accurately date the upper core. Charcoal particles were quantified by wet sieving and microscopic counting. The results showed an increased accumulation rate of charcoal particles over the last two decades, likely reflecting rising fire activity in the recent period, and satellite monitoring data confirms this. Additionally, the layered sediments of Varcha Bay provide a unique record of reservoir history with reliable dating, enabling further studies of ecosystem changes since the reservoir’s formation

Pages
503–516
EDN
MVPKYL
Paper at repository of SibFU
https://elib.sfu-kras.ru/handle/2311/158026

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