摘要：The fire history of the northern larch forests within the permafrost zone in a portion of northern Siberia
(~66°N,
100°E) was studied. Since there is little to no human activity in this area, fires within the study area
were mostly caused by lightning. Fire return intervals (FRI) were estimated on the basis of burn
marks on tree stems and dates of tree natality. FRI values varied from 130 to 350 yr with a
200 ± 50 yr mean. For southerly larch dominated communities, FRI was found to be shorter (77 ± 20 yr at ~ 61°N, and
82 ± 7 at
64°N), and it was longer at the northern boundary (~71°) of larch
stands (320 ± 50 yr). During the Little Ice Age period in the 16th–18th centuries, FRI was approximately
twice as long those as recorded in this study. Fire caused changes in the soil including
increases in soil drainage and permafrost thawing depth, and a radial growth increase to
about twice the background value (with more than six times observed in extreme cases).
This effect may simulate the predicted warming impact on the larch growth in the
permafrost zone.
