A morphological analysis of Holocene charcoal particles from a peatland in southwest England

Abstract

Peat deposits that preserve charcoal particles can provide valuable archives for reconstructing fire histories. Palaeofire studies using lake sediments often use morphometric data or morphotype classifications of charcoal particles, from which information on fuel types and taphonomic processes may be derived. We present a preliminary assessment of whether such methods may be useful for peat charcoal studies, using a single Holocene peat core from an upland area in southwest England. Diverse charcoal morphotypes were preserved in the peat, some displaying plant anatomy and others amorphous, and with a variety of structures and textures. Quantitative measures of shape also varied widely, and aspect ratios appear to reflect shifts in dominance between grasses and woody taxa as is seen in lake sediments. Some of the morphotypes found could not be meaningfully described using only the categories established for lake sediment charcoal, indicating that peatlands may preserve distinctive charcoal morphologies. Detailed research on peatland charcoal morphotypes and their origins would enable greater understanding of the fire histories that peat archives can reveal.

Keywords

• charcoal morphology
• charcoal morphometry
• fire history
• image analysis
• palaeofire