After the Fremont: Fire and vegetation history of prehistoric abandonment and historic occupation of Range Creek Canyon, Utah

Paleoecological reconstructions were used to analyze a low elevation wetland core extracted from Range Creek Canyon, Cherry Meadows, a location known to have Fremont habitation. The data presented here show the vegetation and fire regime changes within Range Creek Canyon from ca. A.D. 1166-1949, following the Fremont occupation, which centers on A.D. 1050. The fire and vegetation record shows low fire frequency and low pollen influx immediately postabandonment. This can be attributed to the Fremont performing annual maintenance burning for land management and agricultural purposes and/or decreases in woody fuels due to Fremont use of those resources. Around A.D. 1240 the record demonstrates the arboreal release of Salicaceae and Cupressaceae, and a steady increase in other economically significant taxa, such as Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae, Cheno/Ams, Sarcobatus, Rosaceae, Rosaceae/ Quercus, and Ephedra. This postabandonment change in vegetation suggests the utilization of these taxa by the Fremont during occupation, and a subsequent recovery of these plants. In addition to changes in vegetation following the abandonment of Range Creek by the Fremont, the record shows a significant increase in charcoal influx, which is attributed to the lack of maintenance burning and the recovery of vegetation (fuel). The Euro-American settlement of Range Creek Canyon brings a return of low fire frequency, associated with the reintroduction of maintenance burning, the removal of woody resources for building and/or the arrival of cattle on the landscape. Evidence of Euro-American settlement in the canyon is indicated by the appearance of Moraceae pollen at A.D. 1894.