New research from the University of Aberdeen has revealed that periods of global warming can trigger long-lasting increases in wildfire activity, with ecosystems taking far longer to recover than previously thought.
The study, which was published recently in Nature’s Scientific Reports, provides the first detailed evidence of how wildfires responded to a major natural warming event around 65 million years ago, the Danian hyperthermal. This work offers important insights into the risks facing today's world as climate change drives more frequent and severe fires.
Researchers analysed fossil charcoal preserved in ancient lake sediments to reconstruct wildfire activity during a well constrained hyperthermal event: a period of significant climate change in the past. Their findings show that wildfires intensified in several stages and continued even after temperatures began to stabilise.
The results suggest that once wildfire activity becomes established, it can persist for long periods because of changes in vegetation and the amount of fuel available to burn, rather than climate alone.
Dr Tom Theurer from the University of Aberdeen, said: "Wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe across many parts of the world. By studying a similar warming event from Earth's past, we've found that ecosystems can take much longer to recover from fire than previously thought.
"What's particularly concerning is that wildfire activity remained high even after the climate began to recover. This suggests that the effects of climate change on wildfire risk may continue long into the future, even if temperatures stabilise."
Professor Dave Muirhead added: “Our findings provide new evidence that wildfire and ecosystem recovery can be shaped by long-lasting environmental changes. While the Danian hyperthermal occurred naturally, this study highlights the potential challenges facing modern ecosystems as human-driven climate change intensifies.”
The team hopes the research will improve understanding of how landscapes respond to climate change and help inform efforts to reduce wildfire risk and support ecological recovery.