The role of fire in landscape dynamics : an
example of two sediment records from the
Rodna Mountains, northern Romanian
Carpathians

Haliuc, A; Hutchinson, SM; Florescu, G; Feurdean, A

Abstract

Fire is an important disturbance agent worldwide and one of the major causes of geomorphological change.
Dependent on its characteristics (size, duration, temperature), fire induces changes in soil stability, modifying infiltration and promoting soil erosion. Here, we employ a suite of physical (mineral magnetic, loss-on ignition, geochemical (XRF derived elemental data), biological (macro-charcoal, pollen) proxies and dating
measurements (AMS 14C, 210Pb and 137Cs) to examine the relationship between fire activity, sedimentary
characteristics and geomorphological change over the Holocene. Our results highlight that fire events
imprint a magnetic signature characterised by secondary ferrimagnetic assemblage particularly very fine
superparamagnetic (SP) magnetite and maghemite. In Lake BuhăiescuMare, the early Holocene is characterised
bymoderate fire activity and coarser sediment particle size indicating a relatively unstable catchment affected by
burning events which activated erosional processes. Subsequently, the late Holocene (4,000–0 cal yr. BP) is
marked by intermittently variable fire activity with sporadic increases between 3,400 and 3,200 cal yr. BP and
around 2,000 cal yr. BP when burning was strong enough to lead to the magnetic enrichment of topsoil and
detrital inputs to the lake. In our high resolution record, Lake Știol, the interval 2,500–700 cal yr. BP, and also
the last 100 years, are characterised by intense burning that coincides with sustained surface soil erosion and
magnetic enrichment. The fire–erosion–landscape relationship varies over time being highly dependent on fire
behaviour, fire temporal and spatial distribution and landscape features (slope, soil type, vegetation cover).

Citation

Carpathians. CATENA, 137(2), 432-440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2015.10.021

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 16, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Oct 26, 2015
• Publication Date: Feb 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Nov 10, 2015
• Journal: CATENA
• Print ISSN: 0341-8162
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Volume: 137
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 432-440
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2015.10.021
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2015.10.021
• Related Public URLs: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/catena/
• Additional Information: Funders : European Social Fund through Sectorial Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2007-2013 “Investing in people!”;European Social Fund through Sectorial Operational Programme Human Resources 2007-2013; Projects : SOCERT. Knowledge society, dynamism through research;Sustainable performance in doctoral and post-doctoral research PERFORM; Grant Number: POSDRU/159/1.5/S/132406; Grant Number: POSDRU/159/1.5/S/138963