African grassy biomes evolved together with fire and have a long history of human manipulation of fire, yet few rangeland studies acknowledge the role of prehistoric fire in shaping contemporary ecological patterns. Nevertheless, prehistoric fire records have been used elsewhere as invaluable environmental contexts for practitioners in fire management, ecosystem restoration and climate change. Therefore, our aim is to collate prehistoric sedimentary charcoal studies from southern African grassy biomes and bring them to the attention of practitioners. We discuss how long-term data contribute to fire ecology and ecosystem functioning. Importantly, this contribution aims to give a reference point for stakeholders working at different temporal and spatial scales to improve our understanding and management of grassy ecosystems.

非洲草地生物群系与火一起进化，人类操纵火的历史悠久，但很少有牧场研究承认史前火在塑造当代生态模式中的作用。尽管如此，史前火灾记录已在其他地方被用作火灾管理、生态系统恢复和气候变化从业者的宝贵环境背景。因此，我们的目标是整理来自南部非洲草地生物群落的史前沉积木炭研究，并引起从业者的注意。我们讨论了长期数据如何促进火灾生态和生态系统功能。重要的是，这项贡献旨在为在不同时间和空间尺度上工作的利益相关者提供一个参考点，以提高我们对草地生态系统的理解和管理。