Fire Occurrence in Hemi-Boreal Forests: Exploring Natural and Cultural Scots Pine Fire Regimes Using Dendrochronology in Lithuania

Fire is an important natural disturbance and a driver of hemi-boreal forest successional trajectories, structural complexity, biodiversity. Understanding the historic fire regime step towards sustainable management. Focusing on Lithuania’s forests, we first mapped potential regimes based relationship between site conditions, vegetation, frequency using ASIO model. The model revealed that all categories (Absent, Seldom, Intermittent, Often) are found in Lithuania. Scots pine forests dominated often category (92%). Secondly, focusing fire-prone landscape, Dzūkija, analyzed occurrence types dendrochronological records. We sampled cross-dated 132 samples with scars from four dry stands (n = 92) peatland 40), respectively. In total, history analysis 455 213 events during period 1742–2019. Weibull median intervals were 2.7 years (range 1–34) for 6.3 1–27) types. Analysis pre- post-1950 showed interval increased 2.2 to 7.2 but decreased 6.2 5.2. A superposed epoch significant precipitation fluxes prior after 1950. Thus, Dzūkija landscape Lithuania has been strongly shaped by both human naturally induced fires. combination theory (the model) examination biological archives can be used help guide management emulate disturbances related fire. As traditional wood production eliminated fire, effectively simplified ecosystems, recommend introducing educational programs communicate benefits fires as well adaptive trials use low-intensity prescribed burning stands.