Pela primeira vez incêndios florestais são identificados em uma associação de fácies contendo a Flora Dicroidium nos sedimentos avermelhados do Triássico Médio (Ladiniano) na parte sul da Bacia do Paraná (Formação Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul). A extensão geográfica dessa assembleia de plantas foi, assim, estendida no Gondwana brasileiro. As análises por petrografia orgânica, fluorescência, microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (tipo field emission gun - MEV-FEG) revelaram a presença recorrente de carvão vegetal (charcoal) na sucessão vertical de fácies relacionadas a um modelo deposicional de fluxos efêmeros de baixa densidade do tipo inunditos. O carvão microscópico (micro-charcoal) ocorre como fragmentos comuns em diferentes fácies, enquanto que o carvão vegetal macroscópico (macro-charcoal) é representado por espécimes tridimensionais de lenhos atribuídos a gimnospermas (Pinaceae?) e por fragmentos achatados, finos e alongados atribuídos a pteridospermas (rachises de Dicroidium?) Os valores médios de reflectância da inertinita entre 2,80-6,61 %Ro medidos nos fragmentos de macro-charcoal evidenciaram processos de queima de alta temperatura, envolvendo tanto incêndios na copa quanto na interface copa-superfície. A recorrência de fragmentos queimados em várias fácies do perfil estudado indica a ocorrência de incêndios regionais que afetaram tanto as comunidades meso-xerófilas distais quanto às associações proximais higro- mesófilas, compostas majoritariamente por espécimes da Flora Dicroidium. A integração dos resultados obtidos a partir das múltiplas análises dos fragmentos de charcoal é consistente com um teor de oxigênio atmosférico superior a 20%. / For the first time wildfires are reported from an association of different facies containing a Dicroidium flora from the Middle Triassic (Ladinian) red beds in the southern part of the Paraná Basin (Santa Maria Formation, Rio Grande do Sul state). The geographical extension of the Dicroidium plant assemblage has thus been extended in the Brazilian Gondwana. Analyses through petrography, fluorescence microscopy, scanning (SEM) and field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) revealed recurrent charcoal presence in a vertical facies succession of depositional cycles related to ephemeral prograding low density flows. Microscopic charcoal occurs as common fragments within different facies whereas macroscopic charcoal is represented by tridimensional wood specimens assigned to gymnosperms (Pinaceae?) and by flattened, thin, elongated remains assigned to pteridospermophytes (rachises of Dicroidium?). Average reflectance values between 2.80-6.61 %Ro measured in the macro-charcoals evidenced burning processes of high temperature, involving fires both in the crown and in the crown-surface interface. The recurrence of charcoal in several facies of the studied profile indicates regional wildfires, which affected hinterland, meso-xerophyllous coniferous assemblages and marginal hygro-mesophyllous Dicroidium-like assemblages. The integration of results obtained from the multiple charcoal analyses is consistent with atmospheric oxygen content higher than 20%.

Pela primeira vez incêndios florestais são identificados em uma associação de fácies contendo a Flora Dicroidium nos sedimentos avermelhados do Triássico Médio (Ladiniano) na parte sul da Bacia do Paraná (Formação Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul). A extensão geográfica dessa assembleia de plantas foi, assim, estendida no Gondwana brasileiro. As análises por petrografia orgânica, fluorescência, microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (tipo field emission gun - MEV-FEG) revelaram a presença recorrente de carvão vegetal (charcoal) na sucessão vertical de fácies relacionadas a um modelo deposicional de fluxos efêmeros de baixa densidade do tipo inunditos. O carvão microscópico (micro-charcoal) ocorre como fragmentos comuns em diferentes fácies, enquanto que o carvão vegetal macroscópico (macro-charcoal) é representado por espécimes tridimensionais de lenhos atribuídos a gimnospermas (Pinaceae?) e por fragmentos achatados, finos e alongados atribuídos a pteridospermas (rachises de Dicroidium?) Os valores médios de reflectância da inertinita entre 2,80-6,61 %Ro medidos nos fragmentos de macro-charcoal evidenciaram processos de queima de alta temperatura, envolvendo tanto incêndios na copa quanto na interface copa-superfície. A recorrência de fragmentos queimados em várias fácies do perfil estudado indica a ocorrência de incêndios regionais que afetaram tanto as comunidades meso-xerófilas distais quanto às associações proximais higro- mesófilas, compostas majoritariamente por espécimes da Flora Dicroidium. A integração dos resultados obtidos a partir das múltiplas análises dos fragmentos de charcoal é consistente com um teor de oxigênio atmosférico superior a 20%. / For the first time wildfires are reported from an association of different facies containing a Dicroidium flora from the Middle Triassic (Ladinian) red beds in the southern part of the Paraná Basin (Santa Maria Formation, Rio Grande do Sul state). The geographical extension of the Dicroidium plant assemblage has thus been extended in the Brazilian Gondwana. Analyses through petrography, fluorescence microscopy, scanning (SEM) and field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) revealed recurrent charcoal presence in a vertical facies succession of depositional cycles related to ephemeral prograding low density flows. Microscopic charcoal occurs as common fragments within different facies whereas macroscopic charcoal is represented by tridimensional wood specimens assigned to gymnosperms (Pinaceae?) and by flattened, thin, elongated remains assigned to pteridospermophytes (rachises of Dicroidium?). Average reflectance values between 2.80-6.61 %Ro measured in the macro-charcoals evidenced burning processes of high temperature, involving fires both in the crown and in the crown-surface interface. The recurrence of charcoal in several facies of the studied profile indicates regional wildfires, which affected hinterland, meso-xerophyllous coniferous assemblages and marginal hygro-mesophyllous Dicroidium-like assemblages. The integration of results obtained from the multiple charcoal analyses is consistent with atmospheric oxygen content higher than 20%.

Pela primeira vez incêndios florestais são identificados em uma associação de fácies contendo a Flora Dicroidium nos sedimentos avermelhados do Triássico Médio (Ladiniano) na parte sul da Bacia do Paraná (Formação Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul). A extensão geográfica dessa assembleia de plantas foi, assim, estendida no Gondwana brasileiro. As análises por petrografia orgânica, fluorescência, microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (tipo field emission gun - MEV-FEG) revelaram a presença recorrente de carvão vegetal (charcoal) na sucessão vertical de fácies relacionadas a um modelo deposicional de fluxos efêmeros de baixa densidade do tipo inunditos. O carvão microscópico (micro-charcoal) ocorre como fragmentos comuns em diferentes fácies, enquanto que o carvão vegetal macroscópico (macro-charcoal) é representado por espécimes tridimensionais de lenhos atribuídos a gimnospermas (Pinaceae?) e por fragmentos achatados, finos e alongados atribuídos a pteridospermas (rachises de Dicroidium?) Os valores médios de reflectância da inertinita entre 2,80-6,61 %Ro medidos nos fragmentos de macro-charcoal evidenciaram processos de queima de alta temperatura, envolvendo tanto incêndios na copa quanto na interface copa-superfície. A recorrência de fragmentos queimados em várias fácies do perfil estudado indica a ocorrência de incêndios regionais que afetaram tanto as comunidades meso-xerófilas distais quanto às associações proximais higro- mesófilas, compostas majoritariamente por espécimes da Flora Dicroidium. A integração dos resultados obtidos a partir das múltiplas análises dos fragmentos de charcoal é consistente com um teor de oxigênio atmosférico superior a 20%. / For the first time wildfires are reported from an association of different facies containing a Dicroidium flora from the Middle Triassic (Ladinian) red beds in the southern part of the Paraná Basin (Santa Maria Formation, Rio Grande do Sul state). The geographical extension of the Dicroidium plant assemblage has thus been extended in the Brazilian Gondwana. Analyses through petrography, fluorescence microscopy, scanning (SEM) and field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) revealed recurrent charcoal presence in a vertical facies succession of depositional cycles related to ephemeral prograding low density flows. Microscopic charcoal occurs as common fragments within different facies whereas macroscopic charcoal is represented by tridimensional wood specimens assigned to gymnosperms (Pinaceae?) and by flattened, thin, elongated remains assigned to pteridospermophytes (rachises of Dicroidium?). Average reflectance values between 2.80-6.61 %Ro measured in the macro-charcoals evidenced burning processes of high temperature, involving fires both in the crown and in the crown-surface interface. The recurrence of charcoal in several facies of the studied profile indicates regional wildfires, which affected hinterland, meso-xerophyllous coniferous assemblages and marginal hygro-mesophyllous Dicroidium-like assemblages. The integration of results obtained from the multiple charcoal analyses is consistent with atmospheric oxygen content higher than 20%.

Sur la base de constats globaux concernant l’importance d’appliquer des modes de gestion durable des zones forestières et le manque d’investigation concernant l’histoire passée des feux en Europe centrale, il a été entrepris de reconstruire l’histoire des événements de feux et de la dynamique forestière pour des sites d’étude en Allemagne. L’ensemble des données obtenues et analysées ont été utilisées pour l’évaluation du niveau de naturalité des sites étudiés, cette notion étant essentielle pour la mise en place d’une gestion durable, et/ou pour des projets de conservation et / ou de restauration des systèmes perturbés. Concernant les dynamiques des écosystèmes en Europe centrale, il a été souvent mis en évidence que l’homme joue un rôle essentiel depuis des millénaires. Par conséquent, l’approche historique des événements de feux et de la dynamique forestière à été réalisée sur de longues échelles temporelles. Neuf sites d’étude ont été sélectionnés incluant une large gamme de systèmes forestiers d’Europe centrale. Les sites d’études sont répartis dans deux zones générales d’étude : le nord de l’Allemagne (Schleswig-Holstein), qui comprend quatre sites d’étude, et le centre de l’Allemagne (le Harz), qui comprend cinq sites d’étude. Quatre disciplines ont été principalement utilisées. Pour définir l’état actuel des sites d’études ceux-ci ont été caractérisés, utilisant divers indicateurs dendrométriques concernant la structure et la composition des parcelles analysées. Pour obtenir des informations à propos de la dynamique forestière des peuplements forestiers en place des analyses dendroécologiques ont été utilisées. Pour analyser la dynamique forestière sur une longue échelle temporelle, à une échelle spatiale comparable, des analyses pédoanthracologiques ont été menées, combinées à des analyses de sols. De plus, des analyses anthracologiques de séquences de tourbes ont été réalisées, fournissant, combinées avec les données pedoanthracologiques, des enseignements à propos de l’histoire des incendies. L’état actuel et la dynamique forestière récente des sites étudiés indiquent divers niveaux de complexité des peuplements forestiers, correspondant souvent à divers niveaux postulés d’impact anthropique. Il a été obtenu huit chronologies moyennes, standardisées en haute et moyenne fréquences, âgées au maximum de 1744 et au minimum de 1923 ans. A partir de ces chronologies des changements dans les conditions de croissance de peuplements forestiers ont été mises en évidence. Basées sur un ensemble de 71 charbons de bois datés par radiocarbone, il a été mis en évidence, à l’échelle locale et globale, deux principales phases présentant plus d’événements de feux datés, une durant le Pléistocène supérieur/Holocène inférieur, une autre durant l’Holocène supérieur. Pour les deux phases identifiées des forçages climatique et anthropogénique ont été respectivement postulés comme déterminisme des occurrences de feux. Finalement, les différentes données collectées ont été utilisées de façon combinée pour reconstruire l’histoire des feux et des forêts des sites étudiés, afin de contribuer à l’évaluation de leur niveau de naturalité. / Considering two global observations in Central Europe of, firstly, the need for, and development of, sustainable and biological conservation practices for forest and/or woodland areas and, secondly, the lack of long-term fire history, an attempt has been made to reconstruct the fire and the forest history at several investigation sites in Germany. The overall data set gathered and analyzed has been used for on-site naturalness assessment. This latter notion is crucial for forest system conservation/restoration planning, considering the past human impact on forest dynamics. Also, in view of this past human impact on forest systems, which is well-documented for Central Europe, as occurring on a multi-millennium scale, an historical perspective perceptive that combined a long and short temporal scale of investigation was used.Nine investigation sites were selected, in order to include various and representative types of Central European forest. Therefore, the investigation sites were located in two main investigation areas. One is in Northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) and includes four investigation sites. The other is in Central Germany (Harz Mountains) and includes five investigation sites. Four main approaches were used. To assess the current state of the investigated site, forest stand characterization was undertaken (i.e. based on various forest attributes that concern stand structure and composition). Tree ring series were analyzed to provide insights about short-term forest tree population dynamics. Then, charcoal records from soil (combined with soil analysis) and peat sequences were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. These last two approaches also provide information about the past fire history. Forest current and short-term dynamics illustrated various levels of stand complexity, often corresponding to various levels of human impact that had been postulated. Eight mean site tree-ring chronologies, standardized in high and mid-frequency signal, spanning at a maximum of up to AD 1744 and at a minimum of up to AD 1923, were obtained. The insight, about the identification of events of growing changes and the correlated temporal and, if possible, spatial patterns, was discussed. Charcoal analysis provided a long-term insight about fire history. Based on 71 charcoal radiocarbon dates, it was shown on a macro-scale that there were two phases that had a greater frequency of fire - one during the transition from the late Pleistocene to the early Holocene, and one during the mid- and late Holocene. A strong human control during the most recent fire phase has been postulated. This is supported by on-site soil and peat charcoal record analysis, allowing one to point out the event of environmental changes (disturbances), at local scales. In the end, the on-site data from the various indicators were combined to assess the fire and forest history and the naturalness level of the investigated sites, based on past insights, thereby contributing to a better understanding of the present and helping to anticipate the future.