Multi-proxy Analysis of Macro-Charcoal Particles and Testate Amoebae to Determine Potential Fire Events

Date of Award

5-13-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Biology

First Reader

Dr. Christin Pruett

Second Reader

Dr. Tim Knight

Third Reader

Dr. Chris Brune

Abstract

Peatland bogs store carbon and serve as important areas for maintaining biodiversity in multiple regions of Northern Europe and western Siberia. Loss of these wetlands could prove costly to the organisms found in these habitats, as well as causing significant carbon emissions into the atmosphere, catalyzing climate change. To understand the history of fire in peatlands in Northern England and their origins, peat cores were sampled. Holme Moss is a national park on the border between the Holme Valley district of Kirklees in West Yorkshire and the High Peak district of Derbyshire in Northern England. Peatland cores were extracted from the wetland-rich areas within Holme Moss, allowing analysis of charcoal contents and testate amoebae at depth levels up to 40 cm (approximately 1.31 ft) deep, to be used as proxies to determine high peaks in fire frequency. A multi-proxy analysis of the charcoal fragments and fire-indicating testate amoebae present at depth levels 26-40 cm indicates that a significant fire event occurred (mid­ late 18th century). These findings correlate with studies (Turner, 2012) that used pollen analysis and found fire events occurred in the late 18th century and early 19th century in the Holme Moss area.

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