Fire is a key ecological agent in the savanna biome, burning millions of square kilometers of savanna each year. Fire plays an important role in maintaining seasonally dry, species-rich, tropical savanna woodlands (Miombo woodlands) that are the dominant vegetation type across southern Africa yet the role of fire maintaining these woodlands is still poorly understood. Using detailed analyses of pollen, charcoal and geochemical elements from lake sediment records, our research will be used to reconstruct vegetation and fire histories for central Mozambique. This research will provide historical context for management and conservation of Miombo woodlands by identifying long-term trends in the abundance of Miombo woodland species and comparing these trends with variations in climate and fire.