2005 Volume 13 Issue 2 Pages 47-54
Charcoal particles in sediments have been examined to clarify fire history such as forest fire history. To reconstruct fire history since 17,000 cal BP in central Japan, we quantified microscopic and macroscopic charcoal particles in the sediments from Sonenuma Swamp located in Shiga Prefecture. The abundance of microscopic and macroscopic charcoal particles fluctuated differently. In sediments from 7.6 to 6.8 m deep (corresponding to 13,000–10,000 cal BP), microscopic charcoal particles abounded continuously. In sediments less than 7.0 m deep (after ca.10,000 cal BP), macroscopic charcoal particles often showed sudden increase. Thus, fires seem to have been extensive and frequent between 13,000 and 10,000 cal BP and local and occasional after 10,000 cal BP. Previous studies indicated that frequent fires occurred from terminal Pleistocene to incipient Holocene, and this study and studies in adjacent areas show that the fires were extensive at least in the Kinki district. Reflectance measurements of charcoal particles showed that charcoal particles in sediments at 300 cm deep (ca. 4000 cal BP) were formed at a high temperature (ca. 500°C), suggesting their probable formation through combustion of trees.
