Coastal Massachusetts pond development: edaphic,climatic, and sea level impacts since deglaciation

Kettle ponds in the Cape Cod National Seashore in southeastern Massachusetts differ in their evolution due to depth of the original ice block, the clay content of outwash in their drainage basins, and their siting in relation to geomorphic changes caused by sea-level rise, barrier beach formation, and saltmarsh development. Stratigraphic records of microfossil, carbon isotope, and sediment changes also document late-glacial and Holocene climatic changes.The ponds are separated into 3 groups, each of which follow different development scenarios. Group I ponds date from the late-glacial. They formed in clay-rich outwash, have perched aquifers and continuous lake sediment deposition. The earliest pollen and macrofossil assemblages in Group I pond sediments suggest tundra and spruce-willow parklands before 12 000 yr B.P., boreal forest between 12 000 and 10 500 yr B.P., bog/heath initiation and expansion during the Younger Dryas between 11 000 and 10 000 yr B.P., northern conifer forest between 10 500 and 9500 yr B.P., and establishment of the Cape oak and pitch pine barrens vegetation after 9500 yr B.P. Sedimentation rate changes suggest lowered freshwater levels between 9000 and 5000 yr B.P. caused by decreased precipitation on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Lake sediment deposition began in the middle Holocene in Group II ponds which formed in clay-poor outwash. These ponds date from about 6000-5000 yr B.P. In these ponds sediment deposition began as sea level rose and the freshwater lens intersected the dry basins. The basal radiocarbon dates of these ponds and stable carbon isotope analyses of the pond sediments suggest a sea-level curve for Cape Cod Bay. Holocene topographic changes in upland and the landscape surrounding the ponds is reconstructed for this coastal area.Group III ponds in the late Holocene landscape of the Provincelands dunes originated as interdunal bogs about 1000 yr B.P. and became ponds more recently as water-levels increased. Peat formation in the Provincelands reflects climatic changes evident on both sides of the Atlantic region.This is the 8th in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest editor for these papers.     

A postglacial pollen and nonsiliceous algae record from Gegoka Lake, Lake County, Minnesota

As part of a multidisciplinary investigation of the Misiano archaeological site, pollen and nonsiliceous algae were recovered from a 262 cm core from Gegoka Lake, Lake County, Minnesota. The palynomorph assemblage from Gegoka Lake records changes in local and regional vegetational and lake productivity over the past 10 000 years. Pollen spectra indicate that vegetation progressed from a shrub parkland/open conifer forest, to a spruce-pine forest, to a mixed conifer-hardwood forest. Pinus banksiana/resinosa is replaced by Pinus strobus about 7000 years ago. A small rise in Gramineae in the upper 17.5 cm of the core is attributed to the expansion of wild rice (Zizania aquatica) in Gegoka Lake. Four cycles of nutrient enrichment are indicated by the Pediastrum and Scenedesmus maxima in the nonsiliceous algae record. Oscillations in the nonsiliceous algae abundance probably result from changing environmental and/or limnologic conditions. The decline in nonsiliceous algae in the upper 57.5 cm of the core suggests that there has been an apparent shift to more nutrient poor conditions in Gegoka Lake in the recent past.This is the 17th in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest editor for these papers.     

Sediment indicators of meromixis: comparison of laminations, diatoms, and sediment chemistry in Brownie Lake, Minneapolis, USA

Meromixis has several powerful effects on lakes, yet there is no single definitive sediment indicator of meromixis. In this study three sediment indicators of meromixis were compared in Brownie Lake, Minneapolis, Minnesota, a small eutrophic lake that became meromictic around 1925. The results show that in Brownie the onset of laminations and changes in the iron to manganese ratio most likely occurred before the development of permanently anoxic bottom water and that changes in the diatom assemblage occurred later, most likely only when meromixis was well developed.This is the 11th in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest editor for these papers.     

Ostracode δ18O and δ13C evidence of Holocene environmental changes in the sediments of two Minnesota lakes

Stable oxygen and carbon isotope geochemistry of ostracode valves, abundance and assemblages of ostracode species, and sedimentological parameters from cores taken in Williams and Shingobee Lakes in north-central Minnesota show changes in climatic and hydrologic history during the Holocene. Isotopic records are consistent with the following scenario:Before 9800 yr B.P. the two lakes were connected. Increasing evaporation through the jack/red pine period (9800-7700 yr B.P.) led to lower lake levels, leaving small separated basins. The prairie period (7700-4000 yr B.P.) reflects high aridity, and lake levels reached low stands shortly before 6500 yr B.P. Low lake levels are associated with groundwater discharge between 6500 and 6000 yr B.P. The hardwood period (4000-3200 yr B.P.) corresponds to long cold winters and warm to cool summers with lower evaporation rates and slower sedimentation. During the white pine period (<3200 yr B.P.) evaporation increased and/or precipitation shifted to the summer months.These changes can be related to shifting atmospheric circulation patterns. Zonal flow was probably dominant during the early Holocene until the end of the prairie period (c. 4000 yr B.P.). During the hardwood period a combination of zonal and meridional flow patterns caused long and cold winters and wetter summers. During the white pine period wintners were shorter and the meridional flow pattern more significant. Today meridional flow dominates the circulation pattern.This is the 6th in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest editor for these papers.     

Late-glacial and early Holocene lake sediments,ground-water formation and climate in the Atacama Altiplano 22–24°S

Precipitation rates in the Atacama Altiplano 22–24°S were 400–500 mm yr^–1 during late glacial and early Holocene times as opposed to 200 mm yr^–1 today. This humid phase (Tauca phase) was likely due to strengthened tropical (monsoonal) circulation, which brought continental moisture to the Atacama Altiplano. The lake level of Laguna Lejía (23°30S, 4350 m) at that time was up to 25 m higher than it is today. Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca data from lake sediments show that, what today is a highly saline lake was a freshwater lake at that time. Seasonally-laminated calcareous sediments were deposited between 13 500 and <10 400 yr B.P. indicating the maximum of the humid phase. Climatic changes in the past are important for current groundwater resources.¹⁴C and³H data from lake-, ground- and well water suggest that modern groundwater formation (i.e. water <40 years) in the Altiplano is very limited under current arid conditions. We conclude that significant amounts of the water resources in this area originated during the time of the late-glacial and early Holocene humid climate. Tritium data from snow samples show that the moisture in the Altiplano at 22–24°S is mainly of continental origin, whereas precipitation from the westerlies hardly contributes to the water supply in this area. This precipitation pattern matches the paleodata, and we suggest that current precipitation formation may provide an analogue framework for late-glacial circulation in this area.This is the 3rd in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest editor for these papers.     

Holocene lake-level fluctuations and beach-ridge development along the northern shore of Lake Michigan, USA

Geomorphology of a beach-ridge complex and adjacent lake basins along the northern shore of Lake Michigan records fluctuations in the level of Lake Michigan for the last 8000 to 10 000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. (radiocarbon years Before Present). A storm berm at 204.7–206 m (671.6–675.9 ft) exposed in a sandpit provides evidence of a pre-Chippewa Low lake level that is correlated with dropping water levels of Glacial Lake Algonquin (c. 10 300–10 100 ¹⁴C yr B.P.). Radiocarbon dates from organic material exposed in a river cutbank and basal sediments from Elbow Lake, Mackinac Co., Michigan, indicate a maximum age of a highstand of Lake Michigan at 6900 ¹⁴C yr B.P., which reached as high as 196.7 m (645 ft), during the early-Nipissing transgression of Lake Michigan. Basal radiocarbon dates from beach swales and a second lake site (Beaverhouse Lake, Mackinac Co.) provide geomorphic evidence for a subsequent highstand which reached 192.6 m (632 ft) at 5390±70 ¹⁴C yr B.P.Basal radiocarbon dates from a transect of sediment cores, along with tree-ring data, and General Land Office Surveyor notes of a shipwreck, c. A.D. 1846, reveal a late-Holocene rate for isostatic rebound of 22.6 cm/100 radiocarbon years (0.74 ft/100 radiocarbon years) for the northern shore of Lake Michigan, relative to the Lake Michigan-Lake Huron outlet at Port Huron, Michigan. Changes in sediment stratigraphy, inter-ridge distance, and sediment accumulation rates document a mid- to late-Holocene retreat of the shoreline due to isostatic rebound. This regression sequence was punctuated by brief, periodic highstands, resulting in progressive development over the past 5400 ¹⁴C yr of 75 pairs of dune ridges and swales each formed over an interval of approximately 72 years. Times of lake-level fluctuation were identified at 3900, 3200, and 1000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. based on changes in inter-ridge spacing, shifts in the course of Millecoquins River, and reorientation of beach-ridge lineation. Soil type, dune development, and selected pollen data provide supporting evidence for this chronology. Late-Holocene beach-ridge development and lake-level fluctuations are related to a retreat of the dominant Pacific airmass and the convergence of the Arctic and Tropical airmasses resulting in predominantly meridional rather than zonal air flow across the Great Lakes region.This is the 13th in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest editor for these papers.     

Interpretation of Holocene lake-level change from diatom assemblages in Lake Sidi Ali,Middle Atlas,Morocco

While palaeohydrological changes in non-outlet lakes provide a key proxy indicator of past climatic fluctuations, for lake systems which have been chemically insensitive, it is necessary to use indicators of water depth rather than salinity to reconstruct their hydro- climatic histories. A study of diatoms in the modern sediments of Sidi Ali, a non-outlet lake in the Middle Atlas of Morocco, has shown a statistically significant correlation between water depth and the ratio of planktonic to littoral diatoms. This relationship is used to calibrate fossil diatom assemblages from a lake sediment core from the same lake to provide a quantitative index of water levels over the pastc. 6500 years. Palaeoecological evidence suggests that climatically induced hydrological variations have dominated the bulk of the mid-late Holocene lake sediment record, with significant human-induced catchment disturbance only occurring during the twentieth century. The pattern of water depth fluctuations suggests that the response time of the regional groundwater system to climatic forcing is <100 years.This is the third in a series of papers published in this issue on the paleolimnology of arid regions. These papers were presented at the Sixth International Palaeolimnology Symposium held 19–21 April, 1993 at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. Dr A. R. Chivas served as guest editor for these papers.     

近30年来西藏那曲地区湖泊变化对气候波动的响应

根据1975年地形图、20世纪80年代至2005年的TM、CBERS卫星遥感资料和近45年的气温、降水量、蒸发量、最大积雪深度和最大冻土深度等气候资料分析得出,西藏那曲地区东南部的巴木错、蓬错、东错、乃日平错等四个湖泊的水位面积在近30年来呈较显著的扩大趋势,2005年与1975年相比,分别增加了48.2 km²、38.2km²、19.8 km² (比2004年)、26.0 km²,增长幅度分别为25.6%、28.2%、16.2%、37.6%。其主要原因与该地区近年来气温的上升、降水量的增加和蒸发量的减少、冻土退化等暖湿化的气候变化有很大关系。     

Late Holocene climate change and human disturbance on Andros Island, Bahamas

A 2 m sediment core from Church's Blue Hole on Andros Island, Bahamas provides the first paleoecological record from the Bahama Archipelago. The timing of events in the lower portion of the core is uncertain due to inconsistencies in the radiocarbon chronology, but there is evidence that a late Holocene dry period altered the limnology of Church's Blue Hole and supported only dry shrubland around the site. The dry period on Andros may correlate with a widespread dry period in the Caribbean from 3200 to 1500 yr BP. After the dry period ended, a more mesic climate supported tropical hardwood thicket around Church's Blue Hole. At c. 740 radiocarbon yr BP there is a sudden rise in charcoal concentration and a rapid transition to pinewoods vegetation, while at c. 430 radiocarbon yr BP charcoal concentration drops, but is higher again near the top of the core. Although climatic shifts could have caused these changes in vegetation and charcoal concentration, the changes post-date human colonization of the Bahamas and may reflect human arrival, followed by the removal of humans c. 1530 AD and the recolonization of Andros Island c. 200 years later.This is the 12th in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest editor for these papers.     

Recognition of the 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes in Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee sediments using pollen data

Reelfoot Lake is located within the New Madrid Seismic Zone, a region characterized by ongoing seismic activity and the locus of a series of large earthquakes (m _b >7) during 1811–1812. Coseismic uplift and subsidence from the 1811–1812 events formed the lake basin from a partially inundated alluvial bottomland forest. Lithologic, chronologic, and palynologic data from a vibracore are used here to characterize the 1811–1812 earthquake record in lacustrine sediments. The stratigraphic record consists of a poorly consolidated upper silt, an intervening 10-cm sand layer, overlying a compact lower silt. Calibrated radiocarbon age estimates on wood samples from both silt units indicate deposition during historical time (1490–1890 AD).Better age estimates were obtained by correlating pollen assemblage data from the upper and lower silt with the historical record of land-use change in the Reelfoot Lake region. Two factors resulted in changing plant distributions (and hence pollen assemblages) in Reelfoot Lake sediments: 1) altered drainage patterns of Reelfoot Creek and Bayou de Chien resulting from 1811–1812 uplift and subsidence, and 2) deforestation and subsequent cultivation beginning approximately 1850 AD. The upper silt is characterized by a oak/cedar arboreal pollen (AP) assemblage, showing a mixture of upland and alluvial bottomland AP influx from the region to the open lake basin. Non-arboreal pollen (NAP) in the upper silt shows increasing abundance of Composites, particularly ragweed pollen indicating cultivation. This unit was deposited after the 1811–1812 earthquakes. The intervening sand layer was apparently emplaced by earthquake activity, or represents colluvium derived from most recent (1811–1812) coseismic uplift of Reelfoot scarp, which forms the western margin of the lake. The lower silt is characterized by a baldcypress/cedar AP assemblage with minor percentages of other flood-tolerant AP genera, interpreted as a baldcypress-dominated bottomland forest. Pollen influx in this environment is dominated by gravity-component deposition from local sources. The NAP in the lower silt shows that ragweed is rare or absent, suggesting pre-settlement conditions and deposition prior to 1811–1812.This is the 15th in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest editor for these papers.     

Limnogeology of Laguna Miscanti: evidence for mid to late Holocene moisture changes in the Atacama Altiplano (Northern Chile)

Sedimentological, mineralogical and geochemical analyses of sediment cores from 9 m-deep, saline Laguna Miscanti, Chile (23 ° 44S, 67 °46W, 4140 m a.s.l.) together with high-resolution seismic profiles provide a mid to late Holocene time series of regional environmental change in the Atacama Altiplano constrained by ²¹⁰Pb and conventional ¹⁴C dating. The mid Holocene was the most arid interval since the last glacial maximum, as documented by subaerial exposure and formation of hardgrounds on a playa surface. Extremely low lake levels during the mid Holocene appear consistent with lower effective moisture recorded at other sites along the Altiplano and in the Amazon Basin. Termination of this arid period represented a major shift in the regional environmental dynamics and inaugurated modern atmospheric conditions. The cores show a progressive upward increase in effective moisture interrupted by numerous century-scale drier periods of various intensities and durations that characterize a fluctuating late Holocene climate. In spite of chronological uncertainties, the major environmental changes seem to correlate with the available paleorecords from the region providing a coherent account of effective moisture variability in the tropical highlands of South America.This is the 16th in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest for these papers.     

近46年松木希错流域冰川和湖泊变化及原因分析

采用1:5万地形图、Landsat MSS/TM/ETM+/OLI遥感影像及数字高程模型数据,利用遥感和地理信息系统技术,并结合狮泉河、和田和于田3个气象站点1968-2013年的气温、降水量数据对松木希错流域的冰川、湖泊面积变化及其原因进行分析。结果表明：① 1968-2013年流域冰川面积不断退缩,由139.25 km²减少至137.27±0.02 km²,共减少1.98±0.02 km²,减少百分比为1.42%,2001年以后冰川退缩速度加快;② 1968-2013年松木希错面积不断扩张,由25.05 km²增加至32.62±0.02 km²,共扩张7.57±0.02 km²,扩张百分比为30.22%,且2001年之后扩张速率加快,在年代际上与冰川的退缩具有较好的耦合性;③ 1968-2013年湖面潜在蒸散量减少和降水增加分别是导致湖泊扩张的第一和第二影响因素,而升温引起的冰川、冻土融水增加有一定贡献,但影响较小且在年际尺度上不显著。     

2000—2019年新疆大型湖泊湖冰物候时空变化特征

湖冰物候变化特征是全球气候变化过程的重要指示器。通过长时间序列MODIS数据、Landsat数据提取的湖泊数据集,综合分析了2000—2019年新疆大型湖泊湖冰物候的变化特征。结果表明：（1） 近20 a新疆大型湖泊的开始冻结日呈现提前和推迟2种变化趋势,开始冻结日呈现推迟趋势的湖泊分别为博斯腾湖、赛里木湖、艾比湖、吉力湖、乌伦古湖、萨利吉勒干南库勒湖和鲸鱼湖,且大部分湖泊的开始冻结日推迟趋势在0.51~1.53 d·a^-1之间;开始冻结日呈现提前趋势的湖泊有3个,分别为阿牙克库木湖（变化趋势为-1.04 d·a^-1）、阿克赛钦湖（变化趋势为-0.41 d·a^-1）、阿其克库勒湖（-0.31 d·a^-1）。（2） 湖冰完全覆盖期是重要的湖冰参数,湖冰覆盖期的延长或者缩短能够直接表示区域气候变化过程,新疆大部分湖泊湖冰覆盖期表现为缩短趋势,其中分布在新疆中北部的艾比湖、吉力湖和博斯腾湖等湖泊的湖冰覆盖期缩短较为明显,变化趋势分别为-1.76 d·a^-1、-2.13 d·a^-1和-0.81 d·a^-1;冰完全覆盖期延长的湖泊有3个,分别为阿牙克库木湖、阿其克库勒湖和鲸鱼湖,变化趋势分别为3.51 d·a^-1、1.54 d·a^-1和1.37 d·a^-1,这些湖泊均匀分布在昆仑山高原北翼。（3） 新疆大型湖泊湖冰物候变化特征是受其自身条件（湖泊形态因子、湖泊面积等）及气候变化（气温、降水量等）等多种因素共同作用的结果。本研究探讨了气候变化环境下的新疆大型湖泊湖冰物候的冻融趋势及其变化模式,同时应用不同遥感数据和研究方法识别了湖冰,证实了MODIS数据反演湖冰物候的可行性。     

The developmental history of Adirondack (N.Y.) lakes

We utilized paleoecological techniques to reconstruct long-term changes in lake-water chemistry, lake trophic state, and watershed vegetation and soils for three lakes located on an elevational gradient (661–1150 m) in the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Mountains of New York State (U.S.A.). Diatoms were used to reconstruct pH and trophic state. Sedimentary chrysophytes, chlorophylls and carotenoids supplied corroborating evidence. Pollen, plant macrofossils, and metals provided information on watershed vegetation, soils, and biogeochemical processes. All three lakes were slightly alkaline pH 7–8 and more productive in the late-glacial. They acidified and became less productive at the end of the late-glacial and in the early Holocene. pH stabilized 8000–9000 yr B.P. at the two higher sites and by 6000 yr B.P. at the lowest. An elevational gradient in pH existed throughout the Holocene. The highest site had a mean Holocene pH close to or below 5; the lowest site fluctuated around a mean of 6. The higher pH and trophic state of the late-glacial was controlled by leaching of base cations from fresh unweathered till, a process accelerated by the development of histosols in the watersheds as spruce-dominated woodlands replaced tundra. An apparent pulse of lake productivity at the late-glacial-Holocene boundary is correlated with a transient, but significant, expansion of alder (Alnus crispa) populations. The alder phase had a significant impact on watershed (and hence lake) biogeochemistry. The limnological changes of the Holocene and the differences between lakes were a function of an elevational gradient in temperature, hydrology (higher precipitation and lower evapotranspiration at higher elevation), soil thickness (thinner tills at higher elevation), soil type (histosols at higher elevation), vegetation (northern hardwoods at lower elevation, spruce-fir at higher), and different Holocene vegetational sequences in the three watersheds.This is the thirteenth of a series of papers to be published by this journal that was presented in the paleolimnology sessions organized by R. B. Davis and H. Löffler for the XIIth Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA), which took place in Ottawa, Canada in August 1987. Dr. Davis is serving as guest editor of this series.     

Recent lake level variations in Lake Haubi, central Tanzania, interpreted from pollen and sediment studies

Variations in pollen assemblages and in physical and chemical composition of a dated sediment record from the small Lake Haubi in north central Tanzania, reveal lake level fluctuations since the late 19th century. Lake Haubi changed from a seasonally inundated swamp to a lake in the beginning of the 20th century. With the exception of 1942-44, when it dried out completely, it remained water filled until 1994 when it again turned into a swamp. The lake level fluctuations in Lake Haubi are largely in phase with fluctuations of the larger East African lakes levels during the 20th century, and are therefore interpreted as being mainly controlled by regional climatic fluctuations. However, the initial formation of Lake Haubi at the turn of the century was likely due to local catchment specific causes, e.g. changes in land use, as the rapid increase in the water level at this time does not correspond to other lake level records from the region.     

The Dynamics of Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) Assemblages in Response to Environmental Change during the past 700 years on Svalbard

The impact of recent natural and human-induced environmental change on chironomid faunas on Svalbard has been investigated. The modern chironomid fauna was studied from surface-sediment samples collected from 23 lakes in western Svalbard. A total of 18 taxa was found, of which three had not been recorded previously from Svalbard. The influence of water chemistry and physical variables on the distribution and abundance of the modern chironomid assemblages was investigated using correspondence analysis and multiple regression. The chironomid assemblages fall into four groups, which are primarily influenced by pH, nutrient concentrations, water temperature, and water depth. Sediment cores were taken from three lakes to investigate changes in chironomid assemblages over the last 700 years. At two of the sites there is evidence for a response to regional climatic change occurring about 200 years ago and may have been associated with the ‘Little Ice Age’. At the third site there is a response to local catchment changes, probably brought about, initially, by the establishment of a human settlement close to the lake 70 years ago, and subsequently, as a result of the abandonment of this settlement in 1988.     

Lake evolution and its implication for environ-mental changes in China during 1950?2000

Lakes in China have undergone considerable environmental changes during the past 50 years, e.g. lake level, water area changes, as did in the past several thousands years. The enhanced human activities, such as land reclamation, application of chemical fertilizer, land use and cover, irrigation and industrialization in the catchment etc., have played an im-portant role on the recent decades’ changes of these lakes, although constrained to a great extent by the natural impact. Comparative study on variations of lake volume (water level, depth and area) in the eastern and western lake regions of China during 1950–2000 indicated that, lake volume in the eastern region had approximately undergone a two-stage change, i.e. a dramatic decrease from the 1950s to 1970s, and a continuous increase between the 1980s and 1990s; while, in the western region, lake volume had been decreasing nearly all the time. Further studies on some typical lakes concluded that, climatic change was a primary factor for the variations of lake volume during the past 50 years, although human activities showed important effect.     

Calibration of regional pollen data to construct maps of former forest types in southern Sweden

A method was developed to construct maps of former forest types based on regional pollen data in southern Sweden. The considered species were Alnus, Betula, Carpinus, Corylus, Fagus, Fraxinus, Juniperus, Picea, Pinus, Populus, Quercus, Salix, Tilia and Ulmus. A network of 37 regional pollen sites with high data quality from lakes and peat deposits were selected from Sweden south of 60 ° N. Pollen percentage values were calculated and converted into estimates of tree composition. For controlling the reliability of the reconstruction, the estimates from the core-tops were compared with present day forest inventory data, and local pollen diagrams were compared with the regional pollen diagrams. An inverse distance weighted interpolation algorithm was used to generate maps for each tree species distribution at 2000 BP, 1500 BP, 1000 BP, 500 BP and 0 BP. A supervised classification routine was implemented to generate nine different forest types common to the five studied time intervals. The maps show that the amounts and patterns of distribution of the species and the forest types have varied in a significant but systematic manner through time. The changes are due to human activities, migrational patterns and changes in climate. These maps will be of value as a basis for future landscape planning, forestry and conservation of biodiversity.This is the 20th in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest editor for these papers.     

Deciphering climatic history from lake sediments

Reconstructing climate from lake sediments can be challenging, because the response of lakes and various components of lake systems are mediated by non-climatic factors, such as geomorphic and hydrologic stetting. As a result, the magnitude of lake response to climatic forcing may be non-linear. In addition, changes in the lake system associated with the aging process or non-climatic influences may alter the response to a given climate perturbation. These non-linear and non-stationary characteristics can produce spatial heterogeneity in the pattern and timing of inferred change. One approach for generating regionally robust climatic interpretations from lakes is to increase coordinated efforts to generate and synthesize large data sets, so that localized influences can be more clearly distinguished from broad-scale regional patterns. This approach will be most successful for evaluating climate variation at multi-decadal or longer temporal scales; the climatic interpretation of higher frequency limnological variation can be more complicated, because of dating uncertainties and differential response times of individual proxies and systems. This paper is based on a plenary talk at the 10th International Paleolimnology Conference in Duluth, Minnesota in July 2006.     

The Holocene history of West Basin Lake,Victoria, Australia; chemical changes based on fossil biota and sediment mineralogy

Analyses of diatoms, ostracods, pollen and sediment mineralogy from a 524 cm core from a stratified, hypersaline crater lake, West Basin, Victoria, has revealed clear shifts in the lake's water balance and chemistry and the region's climate over the last 10 000 years. Diatom and ostracod analyses reveal lake water salinity changes which are consistent with the conditions suitable for the precipitation of the carbonate and other minerals identified using x-ray diffraction analysis. The fluctuations in lake water balance deduced from diatom and ostracod inferred lake salinity suggest that the lake began to fill at the beginning of the Holocene and was saline and shallow. Toward the mid-Holocene the water levels rose and yet the lake remained largely saline. The late Holocene is marked by a return to more shallow but fluctuating, water conditions. Through the whole period, the regional dryland vegetation was dominated by open sclerophyll woodland. Both the lacustrine and regional environments interpreted here are consistent with those from Holocene records elsewhere in the region.This is the fourth in a series of papers published in this issue on the paleolimnology of arid regions. These papers were presented at the Sixth International Palaeolimnology Symposium held 19–21 April, 1993 at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. Dr A. R. Chivas served as guest editor for these papers.