Sedimentary cladoceran assemblages and their functional attributes record late Holocene climate variability in southern Finland

We examined long-term relationships between Cladocera and limnogeological and climate variables in a late Holocene lake sediment sequence to assess cladoceran responses to climate change and reconstruct past climate variations in southern Finland, near the Baltic Sea coast. Elemental composition, organic matter, and inferred water quality variables were used to constrain paleoenvironmental (until 4500 cal BP) conditions and human impact. Fossil Cladocera assemblages, ephippia, and body size trends were utilized to estimate mean July air temperature (T _Jul) variability, open-water season length, and water-temperature regimes. Results revealed stable cladoceran communities, dominated by Eubosmina, until 500 cal BP, followed by major assemblage changes including increases in Chydorus cf. sphaericus, Alonella spp., and Bosmina longirostris. Pb and Cu concentrations were associated temporally with increasing human impact and warming climate during the past few centuries, and were the most significant factors in explaining cladoceran community changes, based on redundancy analysis. A Cladocera-based T _Jul reconstruction estimated elevated temperatures for the end of the Holocene Thermal Maximum, a cooler period during ~3000–2000 cal BP, slightly increased temperatures during 1200–800 cal BP corresponding to the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA), and lower temperatures during the Little Ice Age (LIA), 800–200 cal BP. The reconstruction also suggests that significant climate warming took place during the twentieth century. Cladocerans mostly associated with warm periods included B. longirostris and Pleuroxus uncinatus, whereas Alona affinis, A. quadrangularis, and C. cf. sphaericus were associated with colder climate. Compared to a reference Chironomidae-inferred T _Jul reconstruction from the same region, discrepancies were apparent in amplitude of temperature change, as the temperature variability in the cladoceran-based record was muted until ~200 cal BP. During the LIA, increased ephippia and body size agreed with the temperature reconstruction, but suggested a severely shorter open-water season and reduced water temperatures compared to the preceding late Holocene episodes, even though the cladoceran T _Jul showed quite similar temperatures for these periods. Our results suggest that fossil cladoceran assemblages, ephippia, and morphological attributes respond sensitively to long-term climate fluctuations and this record reflects well the major climate events of the late Holocene and provides realistic paleoclimatic estimates for maritime southern Finland.     

Degrading river network due to urbanization in Yangtze River Delta

Evolution of river systems under the background of human activities has been a heated topic among geographers and hydrologists. Spatial and temporal variations of river systems during the 1960s–2010s in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) were investigated based on streams derived from the topographic maps in the 1960s, 1980s and 2010s. A list of indices, drainage density (Dd), water surface ratio (WSR), ratio of area to length of main streams (R), evolution coefficient of tributaries (K) and box dimension (D), were classified into three types (quantitative, structural, and complex indices) and used to quantify the variations of stream structure. Results showed that: (1) quantitative indices (Dd, WSR) presented decreasing trend in the past 50 years, and Dd in Wuchengxiyu, Hangjiahu and Yindongnan have decreased most, about 20%. Structurally, the Qinhuai River basin was characterized by significant upward R, and K value in Hangjiahu went down dramatically by 46.8% during the 1960s–2010s. Decreasing tendency in D was found dominating across the YRD, and decreasing magnitude in Wuchengxiyu and Hangjiahu peaks for 7.8% and 6.5%, respectively in the YRD. (2) Urbanization affected the spatial pattern of river system, and areas with high level of urbanization exhibited least Dd (2.18 km/km²), WSR (6.52%), K (2.64) and D (1.42), compared to moderate and low levels of urbanization. (3) Urbanization also affected the evolution of stream system. In the past 50 years, areas with high level of urbanization showed compelling decreasing tendency in quantitative (27.2% and 19.3%) and complex indices (4.9%) and trend of enlarging of main rivers (4.5% and 7.9% in periods of the 1960s–1980s and the 1980s–2010s). In the recent 30 years, areas with low level of urbanization were detected with significant downward trend in Dd and K. (4) Expanding of urban land, construction of hydraulic engineering and irrigation and water conservancy activities were the main means which degraded the river system in the YRD.     

Cyanobacterial influence on diatom community lifeform dynamics in shallow subtropical lakes of Florida USA

Fragilarioid diatom taxa are often deemed ubiquitous in shallow lake systems. Their presence has been described as contributing to statistical noise in paleolimnological studies of cold-temperate lakes. In shallow, warm-temperate lakes of Florida, long-term transitions from assemblages dominated by Aulacoseira spp. to fragilarioid taxa, particularly Pseudostaurosira brevistriata, Staurosira construens var. venter, and Staurosirella pinnata, often occur. Distinctly higher limnetic nutrient optima are demonstrated by these fragilarioid taxa than by planktonic Aulacoseira spp. Community successions occur during eutrophication, and progressive replacement of Aulacoseira spp. and other planktonic taxa by fragilarioid taxa is concurrent with and apparently related to the onset of cyanobacterial dominance. We examine successions from Aulacoseira-dominated to fragilarioid-dominated assemblages in sediment cores from subtropical Florida lakes that have undergone eutrophication. Diatom profiles are compared with sedimented pigments, nitrogen stable isotopes of organic matter, and with silica accumulation rates. These study lakes have little if any macrophyte presence. Their light-extinction depths are extremely shallow, yet diatom communities are dominated by bottom-dwelling rather than planktonic taxa. Frequent wind-generated mixing, sometimes to lake bottoms, is sufficient to sustain the light needs of benthic and tychoplanktonic taxa. We conclude that assemblage changes generally are not caused by reduced water depths, silica limitation, nor increased incipient stratification, but that cyanobacteria are responsible for reducing planktonic Aulacoseira in favor of fragilarioid taxa. Cyanobacteria blooms persist over a wide seasonal range because of warm climate and high limnetic nutrient concentrations in Florida lakes. Cyanobacteria progressively displace and outcompete Aulacoseira and other planktonic taxa as eutrophication proceeds. Reduced light availability, changes in mineral/nutrient availability, and other aspects of competitive exclusion, such as cyanobacterial allelotoxins, might contribute to observed changes. Climate warming is not likely to account for Aulacoseira reduction as in colder regions because it is less pronounced in this subtropical district. Lakes with low nutrient levels and less cyanobacteria still sustain large Aulacoseira populations, and decreases in limnetic nutrients sometimes lead to the return of planktonic Aulacoseira. Rather than simply representing statistical noise for paleolimnological reconstructions, shifts to certain fragilarioid taxa indicate when subtropical Florida lakes progressed to hypereutrophic conditions that were marked by cyanobacterial proliferation.     

Reconstruction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lu</Emphasis>-level cropland areas in the Northern Song Dynasty (AD976–1078)

Based on data on taxed-cropland area and on the number of households in historical documents, a probabilistic model of cropland distribution and a cropland area allocation model were designed and validated. Cropland areas for the years AD976, 997, 1066, and 1078 were estimated at the level of Lu (an administrative region of the Northern Song Dynasty). The results indicated that (1) the cropland area of the whole study region for AD976, 997, 1066, and 1078 was about 468.27 million mu (a Chinese unit of area, with1 mu=666.7m²), 495.53 million mu, 697.65 million mu, and 731.94 million mu, respectively. The fractional cropland area (FCA) increased from 10.7% to 16.8%, and the per capita cropland area decreased from 15.7 mu to 8.4 mu. (2) With regard to the cropland spatial pattern, the FCA of the southeast, north, and southwest regions of the Northern Song territory increased by 12.0%, 5.2%, and 1.2%, respectively. The FCA of some regions in the Yangtze River Plain increased to greater than 40%, and the FCA of the North China Plain increased to greater than 20%. However, the FCA of the southwest region (except for the Chengdu Plain) in the Northern Song territory was less than 6%. (3) There were 84.2% Lus whose absolute relative error was smaller than 20% in the mid Northern Song Dynasty. The validation results indicate that our models are reasonable and that the results of reconstruction are credible.     

Anthropogenic and climatic influences on the diatom flora within the Fallen Leaf Lake watershed,Lake Tahoe Basin,California over the last millennium

This study addresses the effects of climate, land-use, and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition on the Fallen Leaf Lake watershed, Lake Tahoe Basin, through diatom and geochemical analyses of sediment cores. Four diatom zones are recognized from a core taken at Fallen Leaf Lake (FLL), a site moderately impacted by human activities: (1) Pre-Little Ice Age Zone (840–1385), (2) Little Ice Age Zone (1385–1810) characterized by Stephanodiscus alpinus and Aulacoseira subarctica, (3) Transitional Zone (1810–1950) of warming and anthropogenic influence with increased Lindavia rossii-ocellata group and Discostella stelligera and decreased Pseudostaurosira brevistriata, and (4) Anthropogenic Zone (1950–2010) characterized by a rapid increase of mesotrophic diatoms of the Fragilaria tenera-nanana group, Tabellaria flocculosa strain IIIP, and Nitzschia gracilis. The Transitional Zone increases in elemental Co, Zn, and Sn that may be attributed to an increase in coal burning and smelting activities in California and Nevada. Beginning around 1910 and accelerating in the 1940s, increased building, land-use, and recreation around FLL caused an increase in terrestrial sedimentary input. Down core proxies for atmospheric N deposition in the FLL watershed are, at best, weakly expressed and appear to be overshadowed by stronger signals. Lack of support for N deposition includes the asynchrony in the appearance of the N-sensitive diatom Asterionella formosa in FLL and a lower impact site at Gilmore Lake, and an uninformative δ¹⁵N record. Asterionella formosa is a dominant component in the FLL water column today, but has been present in similar abundances for at least the last 1200 years. Asterionella formosa is present in the water column at Gilmore Lake and absent from the sediment, indicating a very recent appearance. The data collected show that the FLL record is sensitive to climatic cooling during the Little Ice Age and to anthropogenic activities commencing in the 1800s that increased throughout the latter half of the twentieth century; however the effects of anthropogenic N deposition in these lakes could not be substantiated.     

Long-term environmental change and shifts in the aquatic plant community of Jones Creek,Thousand Islands National Park,Ontario, Canada based on plant macrofossil analysis

Plant macrofossils and pollen were analyzed from sediment cores to identify long-term changes in the aquatic plant community of Jones Creek, Thousand Islands National Park, Ontario, Canada. Six sediment cores were recovered from Jones Creek in February 2014. One complete core and five top/bottom samples were analyzed for plant macrofossil abundance and diversity. Sediment analysis and ²¹⁰Pb dating confirmed a productive wetland throughout the core, dating back beyond 1883 AD. Jones Creek is currently dominated by thick stands of cattails, particularly the hybrid white cattail (Typha x glauca Godr). The relative abundance of Typha pollen began to increase in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, reaching a relative abundance of nearly 40% in the modern day surface sediment. Common macrofossils recovered from the sediment record included seeds of Carex, Schoenoplectus, Najas, and Eleocharis. There is evidence that community composition, as recorded by the macrofossil record, has shifted in Jones Creek in response to human activities. In particular there has been a reduction in sedge species between historical and present day conditions as the wetland shifted from a sedge dominated wet-meadow wetland to a cattail dominated system. The results of our study indicate that future restoration efforts should be directed towards reintroducing native sedge species that were present prior to major changes in land-use that occurred in the St. Lawrence region throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.     

Seasonal climate inferences from high-resolution modern diatom data along a climate gradient: a case study

This study represents a step towards developing seasonal climate inferences by using high-resolution modern data sets. The importance of seasonal climate changes is highlighted by the instrumental record of a meteorological station close to our study site (lac du Sommet in the Laurentian Mountains, Québec, Canada): Between 1966 and 2001, May temperatures increased significantly by 3.1°C (r = 0.41, n = 35, p < 0.01) but annual mean temperatures only by 0.6°C (r = 0.21, n = 35, p > 0.05). Comparison of this instrumental record with fossil diatom assemblages in a sediment core from lac du Sommet showed that axis one of a principal component analysis (PCA) of the fossil diatoms was best correlated with wind velocity in June (r = 0.62, n = 19, p < 0.005) and that past diatom production was significantly enhanced in periods with colder July temperatures (r =  ?0.77, n = 19, p < 0.0005) and higher wind velocity in June (r = 77, n = 19, p < 0.0005). The strong impact of the spring and summer conditions on overall diatom composition and productivity suggests that seasonal lake responses to climate are more important than annual mean temperatures. However, the seasonal dynamics of diatom communities are not well understood, and seasonality is rarely inferred effectively from lake sediment studies. Our research presents a pilot study to answer a twofold question: Is it possible to identify diatom communities which are typical for warmer or colder seasonal climate using sediment traps, and if it is, can this knowledge be used to infer seasonal climate conditions from fossil diatom assemblages? To address these questions, the seasonal dynamics of diatom communities and water chemistry were studied using sediment traps and water samples at biweekly intervals in four lakes distributed along an altitudinal gradient in the Laurentian Mountains from May through October 2002. Date of ice break-up was significantly related to the diatom assemblages taken in spring and uncorrelated to other significant environmental variables. Summer water temperature, circulation of the water column and pH explained a significant part of the biological variance in summer, and total nitrogen (TN) explained most of the biological variance in autumn. To infer these variables, weighted averaging partial least squares models were applied to the seasonal data sets. Inferred ice break-up dates were significantly correlated with number of days below 0°C in April (r = 0.52, n = 19, p < 0.025), inferred circulation of the water column was significantly related to measured wind velocity in June (r = 0.64, n = 19, p < 0.005), inferred summer water temperature and inferred pH was significantly related to measured July air temperature (r = 0.50, r =  ?53, n = 19, p < 0.025) and inferred TN autumn concentrations had an inverse relationship to August temperatures (r =  ?0.53, n = 19, p < 0.01). This comparison of the historical record with diatom-inferred seasonal climate signals, based on the comparison of fossil diatom assemblages with modern sediment trap data of high temporal resolution, provides a promising new approach for the reconstruction of seasonal climate aspects in paleolimnological studies.     

Late glacial and early Holocene hydroclimate variability in northwest Iran (Talesh Mountains) inferred from chironomid and pollen analysis

We reconstructed the paleohydrologic and climatic history of the Lake Neor region, NW Iran, from the end of the late glacial to the middle Holocene (15,500–7500 cal yr BP). Subfossil chironomid and pollen assemblages in a sediment core from a peatland located south of Lake Neor enabled identification of four main hydrologic phases. The period 15,500–12,700 cal yr BP was characterized by a relatively dry climate with an open landscape, suggested by the abundance of Irano-Turanian steppe plants (e.g. Amaranthaceae, Artemisia and Cousinia). Dominance of several shallow-water and semi-terrestrial chironomid taxa (e.g. Pseudosmittia, Smittia/Parasmittia and Paraphaenocladius/Parametriocnemus) during this period is indicative of lower water tables in the wetland. Between 12,700 and 11,300 cal yr BP, chironomid taxa indicate higher wetland water tables, as suggested by the presence of Zavrelia, Chironomus anthracinus/plumosus-type and Micropsectra, which are inhabitants of open-water, lacustrine areas. The open-steppe vegetation remained dominant in the watershed during this time. Increasing wetland moisture could be explained by: (1) cool summers that reduced the evaporation rate; and/or (2) a decrease in duration of the summer dry season. The period 11,300–8700 cal yr BP was characterized by lower wetland moisture, contemporaneous with a delay in the expansion of deciduous forest, suggesting persistent dry climate conditions throughout the beginning of the Holocene, which may have been related to the intensified seasonality of precipitation. Around 8700 cal yr BP, higher wetland water levels, inferred from chironomids, occurred simultaneously with the onset of regional deciduous forest expansion, probably caused by a shortening of the summer dry period. We concluded that chironomids are appropriate paleoecological proxies to investigate global and local hydrologic variability in the Middle East.     

Aquatic macrophyte dynamics in Lake Karakul (Eastern Pamir) over the last 29 cal ka revealed by sedimentary ancient DNA and geochemical analyses of macrofossil remains

Due to methodological challenges there are only a few studies that focus on macrophyte dynamics in large lakes despite their notable role in a lake’s ecosystem functioning. This study investigates composition and productivity changes of the submerged vegetation of Lake Karakul, Pamir Mountains (Tajikistan), using sedimentary ancient DNA metabarcoding and elemental (C/N) and isotopic (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) measurements of Stuckenia cf. pamirica (Baagøe) Z. Kaplan (Potamogetonaceae) leaf remains. No Stuckenia cf. pamirica leaf remains were found for 28.7–26.1 cal ka BP, when both Potamogetonaceae and Chara (L.) DNA sequences were recorded, suggesting sparse submerged vegetation at the coring site. This agrees with the inference of a deep lake reached using geochemical proxies. From 26.1 to 17.5 cal ka BP a few macrophyte remains and high numbers of Potamogetonaceae sequences were recovered: lake level was probably low, as suggested by other studies on the lake. Another phase of increased numbers of Chara sequences and the absence of Stuckenia cf. pamirica leaf remains was found between 17.5 and 12.2 cal ka BP, which coincides with a lake-level transgression at Lake Karakul as indicated by paleo-shoreline investigations. Analyses of macrophyte remains reveal intermediate paleo-productivity from 6.9 cal ka BP and high paleo-productivity from 2.2 cal ka BP onwards. From comparisons with other studies, we suggest that lake-level changes are the main driver for the submerged vegetation composition and productivity at the coring site in Lake Karakul and underline our conclusions by depicting the present-day distribution of Stuckenia cf. pamirica and Chara within the lake.     

Cladoceran remains in lake sediments: a comparison between plankton counts and sediment records

To evaluate the comparability of neo- and paleo-limnology, we made year-to-year as well as seasonal comparisons of contemporary zooplankton data and cladoceran remains in thick (9–42 mm) annual laminations in sediment of Lake Vesijärvi, southern Finland. We calculated the expected annual exuviae production of nine planktonic taxa in the water column using contemporary zooplankton records, and compared the value to the observed net accumulation of their remains in deep sediment for 7 years. Although all of the species studied occur commonly in the lake pelagic zone, deposition of remains differed significantly among taxa. The observed accumulation of three Bosmina species and Chydorus sphaericus was similar to or exceeded expected values, suggesting good preservation of their remains as well as focusing of sediment into the deepest part of the lake. The accumulation of Limnosida and Leptodora remains exceeded expected values several fold, suggesting under-representation of these species in pelagic plankton samples, as well as efficient transportation and spatial averaging of their remains in the sediment. Daphnia, Diaphanosoma, and Ceriodaphnia were clearly under-represented in the sediment due to poor preservation of their remains and use of a 50-μm sieve in sediment processing. Thus, sieving should be taken into account as a possible source of bias. Correlation between relative abundances of all species in the sediment and in the plankton was weak (r _s = 0.54, P < 0.001), but for well-preserved species, the correlation was strong (r _s = 0.91, P < 0.001). Inter-annual variation in the deposition of remains suggested that resuspension and sediment focusing may vary between years, thus making it difficult to interpret absolute abundances, even though the deepest part of the basin shows clear varve formation and seasonality is well recorded. Detailed study of the uppermost lamination showed the seasonal succession of a cladoceran community within an annual varve as well as differences in the seasonality and intensity of ephippia production among the species. We recommend that results of cladoceran analyses be expressed in several ways (relative abundances, per unit dry weight, per unit organic matter, and as net accumulation values) before drawing final conclusions, as each approach may reveal a different aspect of the deposition process. In addition, sedimentation differences between epilimnetic and hypolimnetic species should be considered in stratified lakes.     

How effective are plant macrofossils as a proxy for macrophyte presence? The case of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Najas flexilis</Emphasis> in Scotland

Preventing biodiversity loss is a key aim of modern conservation, and paleolimnology can inform conservation strategies for target species and habitats where other data are unavailable. Care must be taken to fully understand the possibilities and limits of such techniques, particularly where they concern single species. This study uses plant and seed distribution data to inform macrofossil reconstructions of the rare macrophyte Najas flexilis (Slender Naiad) in Scotland, UK. It answers three questions: (a) How does the location of N. flexilis seeds in the surface sediments relate to the distribution of N. flexilis plants? (b) How do the numbers of seeds in surface sediments correlate with % cover of N. flexilis plants across lakes with differing N. flexilis abundances? (c) What are the implications of these findings for paleolimnology? Percentage N. flexilis cover and number of N. flexilis seeds in surface sediments were recorded at ~100 sample points at each of three sites; one where the species was abundant, one where it was occasional and one where it was extinct. At all sites, N. flexilis seeds were present in surface sediments across the entire lake. No correlation between % cover N. flexilis and the number of seeds in surface sediments was found within individual sites. The distribution of seeds in these lakes appeared to be related to multiple environmental and ecological variables including latitude and longitude (proxies for water currents). This is attributed to the ability of seed-bearing N. flexilis plants to fragment and float large distances on water. Between sites, there was a significant difference in the mean seed counts, with higher mean seed counts corresponding to higher abundances of N. flexilis plants. It is concluded that N. flexilis is likely to be well represented in sediment cores taken from any location within a basin, but that care should be taken when inferring changes in N. flexilis abundance from changes in the numbers of seeds in sediment samples. This work demonstrates that the reproductive ecology (number of seeds produced and dispersal mechanisms) is an important factor to consider when attempting reconstructions of single aquatic plant populations from macrofossil records.     

Mission possible: diatoms can be used to infer past duckweed (lemnoid Araceae) dominance in ponds

Compared to larger lakes, ponds have rarely been the focus of palaeoecological studies. A common feature of ponds, especially those subject to eutrophication, is mass surface coverings of lemnoid Araceae (duckweed) which have severe implications for ecological processes in small waterbodies, in particular lowered oxygen content. To help understand the implications of duckweed dominance for the long-term ecology of ponds, and to determine the potential for palaeoecological studies in ponds more generally, we develop a new diatom-based Lemna-indicator metric. Recent studies of diatom host-plant relationships have shown significant associations between duckweed and the epiphytes Lemnicola hungarica and Sellaphora saugerresii (formally known as Sellaphora seminulum). To determine the potential of these species as palaeo-indicators of long-term duckweed dynamics in ponds, we investigated the diatom composition of surface sediment assemblages in sets of duckweed and non-duckweed-dominated ponds in Norfolk, eastern England. In addition, we undertook diatom analysis of two cores from a small farmland pond (Bodham Rail Pit) subject to a known duckweed dominance event (1999–2005). Both L. hungarica and S. saugerresii were significant predictors of past Lemna dominance in the surface sediments. Further, in the core study, both diatom species accurately and closely tracked the documented “on–off” duckweed cycle. Our study suggests huge potential for using ponds in palaeoecological studies and for diatom-based investigations of floating plant histories.     

Palaeoecology of Holocene peat deposits from Nordvestø, north-west Greenland

Two extensive peat deposits on Nordvestø, between Greenland and Canada, were examined for macroscopic remains of plants and animals. One of the peat deposits accumulated during the period from c. 7,100 to 5,100 cal. years BP. This peat is guanogenic and completely dominated by the coprophilous bryophyte Aplodon wormskioldii, and also contains frequent remains of feathers. The peat formed close to a large former sea bird colony, probably a puffin (Fratercula arctica) colony. Puffins are now rare in the region, but the population may have been larger during the mid Holocene, when the sea was ice-free for a longer period than at present. The other peat deposit is dated to c. 9,300–7,400 cal. years BP, it is minerogenic and the macrofossils reflect deposition in a shallow, richly vegetated pond. This peat formed during warmer summers than at present.     

Stable carbon isotopes (δ<Superscript>13</Superscript>C) of total organic carbon and long-chain <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-alkanes as proxies for climate and environmental change in a sediment core from Lake Petén-Itzá, Guatemala

Sediment core PI-6 from Lake Petén Itzá, Guatemala, possesses an ~85-ka record of climate and environmental change from lowland Central America. Variations in sediment lithology suggest large and abrupt changes in precipitation during the last glacial and deglacial periods, and into the early Holocene. We measured stable carbon isotope ratios of total organic carbon and long-chain n-alkanes from the core, the latter representing a largely allochthonous (terrestrial) source of organic matter, to reveal past shifts in the relative proportion of C₃–C₄ terrestrial biomass. We sought to test whether stable carbon isotope results were consistent with other paleoclimate proxies measured in the PI-6 core, and if extraction and isotope analysis of n-alkanes is warranted. The largest δ¹³C variations are associated with Heinrich Events. Carbon isotope values in sediments deposited during the last glacial maximum indicate moderate precipitation with little fluctuation. The deglacial was a period of pronounced climate variability, e.g. a relatively warm and moist Bølling–Allerød, but a cool and dry Younger Dryas. Arid periods of the deglacial were inferred from samples with high δ¹³C values in total organic carbon, which reflect times of greater proportions of C₄ plants. These inferences are supported by stable isotope measurements on ostracod shells and relative abundance of grass pollen from the same depths in core PI-6. Similar trends in carbon stable isotopes measured on bulk organic carbon and n-alkanes suggest that carbon isotope measures on bulk organic carbon in sediments from this lake are sufficient to infer past climate-driven shifts in local vegetation.     

Evaluation of the applicability of climate forecast system reanalysis weather data for hydrologic simulation: A case study in the Bahe River Basin of the Qinling Mountains,China

In recent years, global reanalysis weather data has been widely used in hydrological modeling around the world, but the results of simulations vary greatly. To consider the applicability of Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) data in the hydrologic simulation of watersheds, the Bahe River Basin was used as a case study. Two types of weather data (conventional weather data and CFSR weather data) were considered to establish a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, which was used to simulate runoff from 2001 to 2012 in the basin at annual and monthly scales. The effect of both datasets on the simulation was assessed using regression analysis, Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE), and Percent Bias (PBIAS). A CFSR weather data correction method was proposed. The main results were as follows. (1) The CFSR climate data was applicable for hydrologic simulation in the Bahe River Basin (R ² of the simulated results above 0.50, NSE above 0.33, and |PBIAS| below 14.8. Although the quality of the CFSR weather data is not perfect, it achieved a satisfactory hydrological simulation after rainfall data correction. (2) The simulated streamflow using the CFSR data was higher than the observed streamflow, which was likely because the estimation of daily rainfall data by CFSR weather data resulted in more rainy days and stronger rainfall intensity than was actually observed. Therefore, the data simulated a higher base flow and flood peak discharge in terms of the water balance, except for some individual years. (3) The relation between the CFSR rainfall data (x) and the observed rainfall data (y) could be represented by a power exponent equation: y=1.4789x ^0.8875 (R ²=0.98, P<0.001). There was a slight variation between the fitted equations for each station. The equation provides a theoretical basis for the correction of CFSR rainfall data.     

Estimating rainfall erosivity by incorporating seasonal variations in parameters into the Richardson model

Rainfall erosivity is an important climatic factor for predicting soil loss. Through the application of high-resolution pluviograph data at 5 stations in Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China, we analyzed the performance of a modified Richardson model that incorporated the seasonal variations in parameters α and β. The results showed that (1) moderate to high seasonality was presented in the distribution of erosive rainfall, and the seasonality of rainfall erosivity was even stronger; (2) seasonal variations were demonstrated in both parameters α and β of the Richardson model; and (3) incorporating and coordinating the seasonality of parameters α and β greatly improved the predictions at the monthly scale. This newly modified model is therefore highly recommended when monthly rainfall erosivity is required, such as, in planning soil and water conservation practices and calculating the cover-management factor in the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE).     

Seasonality of cladoceran and bryozoan resting stage δ<Superscript>13</Superscript>C values and implications for their use as palaeolimnological indicators of lacustrine carbon cycle dynamics

The stable carbon isotope composition, expressed as δ¹³C values, of chitinous resting stages of planktivorous invertebrates can provide information on past changes in carbon cycling in lakes. For example, the δ¹³C values of cladoceran ephippia and bryozoan statoblasts have been used to estimate the past contribution of methane-derived carbon to lake food webs and variations in the δ¹³C value of planktonic algae. Limited information, however, is available concerning seasonal variations in δ¹³C values of these organisms and their resting stages. We measured the seasonal variation in δ¹³C values of Daphnia (Branchiopoda: Cladocera: Daphniidae) and their floating ephippia over a 2-year period in small, dimictic Lake Gerzensee, Switzerland. Floating ephippia of Ceriodaphnia (Branchiopoda: Cladocera: Daphniidae) and statoblasts of Plumatella (Phylactolaemata: Plumatellida: Plumatellidae) were analysed during parts of this period. Furthermore, δ¹³C values of remains from all three organism groups were analysed in a 62-cm-long sediment core. Throughout the year, Daphnia δ¹³C values tracked the δ¹³C values of particulate organic matter (POM), but were more negative than POM, indicating that Daphnia also utilize a relatively ¹³C-depleted carbon source. Daphnia ephippia δ¹³C values did not show any pronounced seasonal variation, suggesting that they are produced batch-wise in autumn and/or spring and float for several months. In contrast, δ¹³C values of Ceriodaphnia ephippia and Plumatella statoblasts followed variations in δ¹³C_POM values, Ceriodaphnia values being the most negative of the resting stages. Average cladoceran ephippia δ¹³C values in the flotsam agreed well with ephippia values from Gerzensee surface sediments. In contrast, average Plumatella statoblast δ¹³C values from the flotsam were 4‰ more negative than in the surface sediments. In the sediment core, δ¹³C values of the two cladocerans remained low (mean ?39.0 and ?41.9‰) throughout the record. In contrast, Plumatella had distinctly less negative δ¹³C values (mean ?32.0‰). Our results indicate that in Gerzensee, Daphnia and Ceriodaphnia strongly relied on a ¹³C-depleted food source throughout the past 150 years, most likely methane-oxidising bacteria, whereas this food source was not a major contribution to the diet of bryozoans.     

Past environmental change and seawater intrusion into coastal Lake Lilaste,Latvia

Diatoms, organic matter and magnetic susceptibility in a 10-m-long sediment sequence from coastal Lake Lilaste, Latvia, were analysed to evaluate Holocene environmental changes related to past sea-water intrusions. Lake Lilaste is located ~1 km from the present sea coast in an area with a low uplift rate and a threshold altitude of 0.5 m a.s.l. It was thus considered to be an appropriate site to study the influence of past sea level fluctuations on the lake and its sediments. Variations in diatom community composition, along with sediment lithostratigraphy, show that a shallow, nutrient-rich freshwater lake existed there during the early Holocene. The first brackish-water diatoms appeared concurrent with a sea level rise ca. 8700 ± 50 cal a BP, but long-term, intermittent inputs of brackish water were observed between 6700 ± 40 and 4200 ± 80 cal a BP. During those time spans, diatoms indicate increased nutrient concentrations and high conductivity, a consequence of occasional mixing of brackish and freshwater that promoted biological productivity. Lilaste was isolated from the sea at 4200 ± 80 cal a BP, after which a stable freshwater environment, dominated by planktonic diatoms such as Aulacoseira ambigua, A. granulata, A. islandica and A. subarctica, was established. At 400 ± 50 cal a BP, planktonic diatoms were gradually replaced by Fragilaria spp., indicating the beginning of anthropogenic impact. The reconstructed relative water-level curve from the lake coincides with the eustatic sea level curve from 6800 ± 40 cal a BP onwards. There was a distinct increase in abundance of brackish-water diatoms when the sea level reached the threshold of Lilaste, which at that time was probably about 3 m lower than the present sea level. According to radiocarbon-dated shifts in the diatom community composition, the Litorina Sea transgression was a long-lasting event (ca. 2200 years) in the southern part of the Gulf of Riga, where the land uplift rate was near zero. It culminated more than 1000 years later than at other sites with higher uplift, in the northern part of the Baltic Sea.     

Climate conditions and relative abundance of C<Subscript>3</Subscript> and C<Subscript>4</Subscript> vegetation during the past 40 ka inferred from lake sediments in Wudalianchi,northeast China

Paleoclimate and paleovegetation changes over the last 40 cal ka were recorded by multiple variables in a sediment core from Qingshi, Wudalianchi City, northeast China. The history of vegetation types inferred from n-C₂₇/n-C₃₁ and average chain length of n-alkanes indicates the paleovegetation went through several distinct stages, consistent with pollen records from the study area. Compound-specific carbon isotope composition was also determined for C₂₇, C₂₉ and C₃₁ n-alkanes in the Qingshi core sediments. The relative abundance of C₃ and C₄ plants was calculated using a binary model and indicates that C₃ plants were the dominant input during the last glacial and Holocene. There were, however, shifts in the ratio of C₃ to C₄ vegetation abundance that correspond to changes in climate conditions. Generally, the long-term trend towards greater C₄ plant abundance from the last glacial to Holocene correlated with an increase in pCO₂, higher temperature, greater precipitation and more growing season precipitation. Our results suggest that temperature and seasonality of precipitation played a strong role in altering the relative abundance of C₃ and C₄ plants in the study area. These results provide information for predicting future vegetation changes in response to on-going global warming.     

Lake evolution and hydroclimate variation at Lake Qinghai (China) over the past 32 ka inferred from ostracods and their stable isotope composition

We used ostracod species assemblages and their δ¹⁸O values in a 32-m sediment core from Lake Qinghai, China, along with information from cores collected at other sites in the lake, to infer lake evolution and hydroclimate changes since the last glacial. Dominant ostracod species Ilyocypris bradyi and its low δ¹⁸O values showed that Lake Qinghai was small in size or even consisted of several playa lakes, and the 1F core site could have even been in a wetland setting, under cold and dry climate conditions before 15.0 ka. Presence of Limnocythere inopinata with low δ¹⁸O values, and absence of I. bradyi after 15.0 ka, indicate the lake area increased or that the playas merged. The decrease or disappearance of ostracods with high δ¹⁸O values showed that the lake shrunk under dry climate from 12.0 to 11.6 ka. After 11.6 ka, hydroclimate shifts inferred from ostracod species changes (Eucypris mareotica and L. inopinata) and their δ¹⁸O values were as follows: (1) 11.6–7.4 ka—larger, but still small lake area with greater moisture availability under primarily dry climate conditions, (2) 7.4 to 3.2 ka—increasing lake level under a warmer and wetter climate, and (3) 3.2 ka to present—stable, large, brackish lake. The low ratio of lake water volume to runoff, and close proximity of the core site to freshwater input from the river mouth would have resulted in relatively lower ostracod δ¹⁸O values when Lake Qinghai was small in area during the interval from 32.0 to 15.0 ka. Lower ostracod δ¹⁸O values during interstadials and throughout the entire Last Glacial Maximum and early deglacial (ca. 24.0–16.0 ka) were caused by a greater contribution of seasonal meltwater from ice or snow and low incoming precipitation δ¹⁸O values related to cold climate conditions in the region at that time.