Bioscience Evidence 2024, Vol.14, No.3, 93-97 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/be 96 the Spearman's ρ relationship between MARSPAC and PARCHAR is stronger under the natural fire regime compared to the anthropogenic one. The solid black line indicates the probability that the relationship between the percentage of C4 pollen and δ13CSPAC is stronger under the anthropogenic regime. Both outcomes of the hypothesis tests are insensitive to changes in either the TOC threshold when it's over 2% or temporal splits that are older than 10 ka. Details on the methodological approach can be found in the Methods section of the study. Figure 5 Sensitivity of hypothesis to fire and vegetation indices at Girraween lagoon 2 Analysis of Research Findings The transition to an anthropogenic fire regime at least 11 000 years ago reflects Indigenous peoples' sophisticated land management strategies, significantly predating European arrival. This study underscores the long-standing human influence on fire regimes and challenges previous assumptions regarding the natural state of Australia's fire-prone landscapes. 3 Evaluation of the Research This research stands out for its rigorous methodological approach, combining palaeoenvironmental proxies with statistical analyses to decipher long-term fire regime shifts. Its findings contribute significantly to our understanding of human-environment interactions, highlighting the role of Indigenous land management in shaping current biodiversity and ecosystem function. The study's limitations include the inherent challenges of distinguishing anthropogenic from climatic impacts on prehistoric fire regimes, a common hurdle in palaeoenvironmental research. 4 Conclusions The study convincingly demonstrates that the alteration of natural fire regimes to anthropogenic ones in Australia's tropical savannahs was a gradual process influenced significantly by Indigenous fire management practices starting from at least the early Holocene. This work adds a crucial chapter to the narrative of human impact on the environment, offering insights into sustainable land management practices that could inform current fire management strategies.
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