Fire history of a prairie/forest boundary: more than 250 years of frequent fire in a North American tallgrass prairie

摘要: Questions: Most modern fire-prone landscapes have experienced disruptions of their historic fire regimes. Are the primary tallgrass prairies Flint Hills reflective a history continuous occurrence? Did frequency, severity, size and seasonality change in connection with changes land use? Has occurrence been related to drought conditions? Location: Edges Cross Timbers forest stands at Tallgrass Prairie Preserve (TGPP) Osage County, Oklahoma, USA. Methods: Cross-sections 76 Quercus stellata were collected from or near grassland edge TGPP. Dendrochronological methods used identify years formation for tree rings scars. Superposed epoch analysis was evaluate effect conditions on occurrence. Results: Fires recorded 46.6% between 1729 2005. In 41 cross-sections one site, mean interval 1759 2003 2.59 years, decreasing 3.76 early part record 2.13 times. No extended periods without study area. Drought had no significant Conclusions: contrast many worldwide, recent suppression exclusion. Changes frequency mark transitions use, primarily being traditionally by Native Americans managed cattle production.