A 350‐year tree‐ring fire record from Białowieża Primeval Forest, Poland: implications for Central European lowland fire history

A detailed 350-year fire record from Białowieża Primeval Forest (BPF), Poland, reveals that frequent, small-scale fires shaped Central European lowland forests historically. Analysis of 886 tree-ring samples showed mean fire intervals as short as 6 years between the mid-1600s and late 1700s, with dramatic shifts post-1781, including no major fires since 1874. The study links fire frequency to forest composition, noting that frequent fires suppressed Pinus sylvestris establishment, while later reductions in fire activity allowed for dominant Picea abies regeneration. This challenges historical narratives of BPF, which emphasize rare large fires. The findings underscore the critical role of fire in maintaining open, conifer-dominated forests and call for its integration into ecological models of Central European lowland regions.

Niklasson, M., Zin, E., Zielonka, T., Feijen, M., Korczyk, A. F., Churski, M., Samojlik, T., Jędrzejewska, B., Gutowski, J. M., & Brzeziecki, B. (2010). A 350‐year tree‐ring fire record from Białowieża Primeval Forest, Poland: implications for Central European lowland fire history. Journal of Ecology, 98(6), 1319–1329. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01710.x