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Ancient trees reveal relationship between climate change, wildfires
by Brooks Hays
(UPI) Aug 29, 2017
New analysis of centuries-old trees in South America has revealed a strong correlation between wildfires and periods of warming.
The history of Earth's climate features frequent fluctuations in global temperatures, including many periods of warming. In modern history, periods of warming have occurred more frequently -- interrupted by shorter and shorter periods of more and more moderate cooling.
By comparing evidence of wildfire scarring among tree rings with climate records, scientists can tease out the relationship between fire and climate change.
In the most recent study, researchers at Portland State University surveyed evidence of wildfire scarring among 1,767 trees spread across 97 South American sites, including trees from a range of ecosystems. The evidence revealed a strengthening relationship between periods of warming and wildfire frequency.
More:
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Ancient_trees_reveal_relationship_between_climate_change_wildfires_999.html