FIRE: Fire Impacts in Rainforest Ecotones

The combined factors of global warming and increased human disturbance in the 21st century are projected to cause an unprecedented increase in fire activity in the Amazon Basin. The increase in recent fire activity is most notable in Amazonian rainforest ecotones (AREs), a naturally occurring vegetation transition zone from fire-averse rainforest to fire-prone savanna vegetation. To date, AREs have largely been neglected in conservation initiatives and the long-term ecological effects of fire in AREs remain poorly understood. The aim of this project is to investigate the role of ancient cultural burning in shaping the Bolivian rainforest-savanna boundary. This research utilizes a state-of-the-art method using Fourier-Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy to chemically analyze fossil charcoal to provide a proxy to reconstruct maximum pyrolysis temperatures. This research will be used to evaluate long-term ecological impacts of natural and anthropogenic driven fire regimes.