Late holocene environmental change in an upper Montane area of the snowy mountains,New South Wales

This study examines environmental change in the upper montane zone of the Australian Eastern Highlands during the late Holocene, by analysing vegetation, fire and erosion records contained within a small fen located in a frost hollow. Differences in environmental parameters across the prehistoric—historic boundary were particularly investigated in an attempt to characterise better the changes associated with the imposition of European land‐use practices. Decreases in arboreal pollen and an increased charcoal concentration near the base of the analysed sequence, interpreted to be about 1600 y BP until about 1300 y BP, are suggestive of reduced moisture availability. After this, a period of relative stability continued to the close of the prehistoric period. The arrival of Europeans in the region triggered changes in the sediment record, including an increase in the accumulation of sediment by an order of magnitude, and changes in the surrounding vegetation. Saturated isothermal remnant magnetism (SIRM) was found to be significantly higher in the historic period compared to the analysed prehistoric period, suggesting an alteration in the erosional processes within the catchment. The concentration of charcoal was comparable between the prehistoric and historic periods; however, the increased sedimentation rate of the historic period infers an increased accumulation of charcoal. Fire did not appear to be related to the vegetation changes evident in the historic period, perhaps due to the use of cool fires by the pastoralists.     

A thousand years of environmental change and human impact in the alpine zone at Mt Kosciusko,New South Wales

This study reconstructs erosion, productivity, fire and vegetation records at Club Lake, in the alpine zone of Kosciusko National Park (the highest mountain region in Australia), and uses them to compare the prehistoric and historic periods. While disturbance in the prehistoric period was found to be minimal and mainly activated by fire, the impact of land uses after European arrival initiated a change in the erosion and fire regime and brought new grazing animals and exotic plant species. These triggered temporal changes in eutrophication and the nature of erosion, and significant vegetation changes. There was a reduction in the stability and persistence of species representation, especially in herbfield vegetation, and little recovery is evident despite the cessation of summer grazing. It is apparent that the area is very sensitive to disturbance by human impact and large fires.     

Fire and vegetation history during the last 3800 years in northwestern Montana

Foy Lake in northwestern Montana provides a record of annual-to-decadal-scale landscape change. Sedimentary charcoal and pollen analyses were used to document fire and vegetation changes over the last 3800 years, which were then compared to similar records from AD 1880 to 2000. The long-term record at Foy Lake suggests shifts between forest and steppe as well as changes in fire regime that are likely the result of climate change. Fire activity (inferred from the frequency of charcoal peaks) averaged 18 fire episodes/1000 years from 3800 to 2125 cal year BP, and increased from 16 fire episodes/1000 years at 2125 cal year BP to 22 episodes/1000 years at 750 cal year BP, a period when the pollen data suggest that steppe vegetation yielded to increasing patches of forest cover. Between 2125 and 750 cal year BP, increased forest cover produced more background charcoal than before and after this period, when vegetation was dominated by steppe. Between 750 and 75 cal year BP steppe has expanded and fire episode frequency averaged 33 episodes/1000 years, increasing to a maximum of 40 episodes/1000 years at ca. 300 cal year BP and then decreasing to present levels. Since AD 1880, the pollen record indicates an increase in shrubs and grasses from AD 1895 to 1960 as a result of vegetation changes associated with timber harvesting and livestock grazing. No fires have been documented in the Foy Lake watershed since AD 1880. Charcoal from the extralocal fires of AD 1910, burning over 4,111,249 ha in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, however, is present in Foy Lake. Between AD 1970 and 2000, increased arboreal pollen in the record is consistent with observations that the forest has become more closed. The activities of Euro–Americans have led to a decline in forest cover between AD 1880 and 1970, followed by a recent increase as trees are now growing in areas previously occupied by steppe. Euro–Americans are likely the cause of a reduction in fire activity in watershed since AD 1880.     

Fine Resolution Palaeoecology Confirms Anthropogenic Impact During the Late Holocene in the Lower Hawkesbury Valley,NSW

This study reconstructs environmental conditions at Mill Creek, within the lower Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley, by the use of fine resolution palaeoecological studies of sediments. Archaeological surveys and historical accounts are used to investigate ecosystem response to known human activities. Research found that during prehistoric times (between 820 BP and the 1790s), the study area was well vegetated with dry sclerophyll communities on the valley sides, and a highly productive wetland community occupied the moist valley floor. Valley sides were generally stable, and little fire was evident in the landscape. Sediment was mainly deposited on the valley floor from the Hawkesbury-Nepean River during flood. After European settlement in the 1790s, sedimentation rates and charcoal preserved within sediments increased significantly, probably due to agricultural and clearing practices, both locally and upstream. Consequently, vegetation communities were altered. In 1967, the study area became part of Dharug National Park. Forestry and agricultural activities were excluded from the catchment, and the fire regime was reduced in frequency. Present-day vegetation communities appear to be becoming more like those that prevailed during prehistoric times. However, sedimentation rates remain elevated due to continued disturbance to the greater Hawkesbury River catchment. Recent poor water quality, coupled with a succession of floods on the Hawkesbury River, has increased wetland productivity levels, and their spatial extent, at Mill Creek.     

Controls on sediment export from the Waipaoa River basin, New Zealand

A stability model of drainage basin mass balance is used to interpret historic and prehistoric patterns of sediment production, storage and output from the Waipaoa River basin, New Zealand and assess the sensitivity of basin sediment yield to land use change in the historic period. Climate and vegetation cover changed during the late Holocene, but the drainage basin mass balance system was stable before the basin was deforested by European colonists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In this meso‐scale dispersal system sediment sources and sinks are closely linked, and before that time there was also little variability in the rate of terrigenous mass accumulation on the adjacent continental shelf. However, despite strong first‐order geologic controls on erosion and extensive alluvial storage, sediment delivery to the continental shelf is sensitive and highly responsive to historic hillslope destabilization driven by land use change. Alluvial buffering can mask the effects of variations in sediment production within a basin on sediment yield at the outlet, but this is most likely to occur in basins where alluvial storage is large relative to yield and where the residence time of alluvial sediment is long relative to the time scale of environmental change. At present, neither situation applies to the Waipaoa River basin. Thus, the strength of the contemporary depositional signal may not only be due to the intensity of the erosion processes involved, but also to the fact that land use change in the historic period destabilized the drainage basin mass balance system.     

Palaeoenyironments and human impact at Burraga Swamp in Montane rainforest,Barrington tops National Park,New South Wales,Australia

Palaeoecological studies have identified the broad patterns of environmental and climate change in highland south‐eastern Australia, but the detail of human impact on a variety of parameters and their interlinkages is largely missing. This study compares the erosion, productivity, fire and vegetation history in prehistoric and historical times at Burraga Swamp in montane rainforest in New South Wales. The known human impact is meagre; the major presently sustained impacts involve forestry in the surrounding sclerophyll forests and a low level of visits to the swamp by day‐walkers. While no significant changes in the largely oligotrophic conditions or in fire frequency were detected, changes in erosion rates and some vegetation change can be attributed to impacts since European settlement. There has been a small decline in eucalypts and a loss of fern cover, while grasses, Urtica and exotic species have expanded. It is clear that upland sites are sensitive to environmental change including low‐level human impact.     

科尔沁沙地不同沙地景观区植被指数对水热因素响应

在全球气候变化背景下,不同尺度下植物对环境条件的响应机制是生态学研究的核心。为了更好理解不同沙地景观区域植被指数(NDVI)对气象水热环境因子的响应机制,以2000-2013年7-9月MODIS遥感影像为数据源,采用3S空间分析技术和通径分析方法,对科尔沁沙地围封保护区、人工造林固沙区和流动沙丘区等3种景观类型区NDVI的变化趋势和影响其变化的同期气象水热因子年降水、关键期降水、关键期最大一次性降水、重要期降水、年均温、关键期均温、关键期最高气温、关键期最低气温等8个因素进行了分析。结果表明:不同景观类型区NDVI整体上呈现增长的态势。降水的影响明显高于气温,且降水主要起正相关作用,气温主要起负相关作用。促进沙地围封保护景观区NDVI增长的气象因子是关键期降水,决策系数最大且为正(0.445);人工造林固沙景观区受到人工造林更新和农业开垦的影响,削弱了水热条件对NDVI的影响,相比较而言,重要期降水影响较大;流动沙丘景观类型区主要受到关键期气温极值的影响,其他因子影响不显著。     

近600年来巢湖流域旱涝灾害研究

基于历史文献中的水旱灾害记录,重建巢湖流域1370~1988年旱涝灾害等级序列,并进行连续功率谱分析。结果表明:近600多a来,巢湖流域涝灾和旱灾发生的频率几乎相当,平均为2.28~2.40 a一遇;但特大涝灾和大涝灾的频率远高于特大旱灾和大旱灾。巢湖流域水旱灾害存在准周期的变化,主要为:2~3、7~10 a,这与长江中下游的洪涝灾害变化步调基本一致。自然气候因素和人类活动对环境演变的影响是今后进一步研究的主要方向。     

东南极、西南极4000年以来生物活动强度变化与南极冰芯的对比

利用南极中山站地区的冰退速率和奈拉湖湖相沉积物中的硫浓度分布特征推算了奈拉湖的沉积速度。以硫元素浓度作为湖相沉积物中生物活动强度的指标，对比了西南极长城站地区西湖沉积物和东南极中山站奈拉湖沉积物中生物活动强度的变化趋势，并与Ｄ１０冰芯中反映海洋生物活动强度的指标ＣＨ３ＳＯ－３的浓度变化趋势作对比。结果表明，４０００ａＢ．Ｐ．以来三者的历史变化趋势是明显一致的，１８５０～１１５０ａＢ．Ｐ．是生物活动的最宜期，这是全球环境变化在不同地点、不同类型沉积物中的表现。     

阿拉善地区湖泊岩芯磁性特征记录的全新世环境变化

对居延海G36钻孔进行了系统磁性特征分析,并结合总有机碳含量和粒度等环境代用指标,在精确测年的基础上,探讨了居延海地区全新世时期以来的环境变化。结果显示,居延海岩芯磁性矿物主要存在于粗颗粒的沉积物中,载磁矿物为颗粒较粗的多畴磁铁矿;磁化率变化机制比较复杂,与干湿环境变化没有简单正（反）关系。根据G36沉积物环境代用指标的变化,大致可以将其分为4个干湿交替时期:6 700~4 600 a BP干旱时期,4 600~3 100 a BP湿润时期,3 100~2 500 a BP干旱时期以及1 800 a BP以来湖泊干涸。在这4个时期中,磁学参数记录了两次显著湿润事件和两次显著干旱事件。     

Holocene Coastal Stratigraphy and the Sedimentary Development of the Hai Phong Area of the Bac Bo Plain (Red River Delta), Vietnam

We report a study of the Holocene coastal sediments of the Hai Phong area of the Bac Bo Plain (also known as the Red River Delta) in northern Vietnam. This is the first attempt to interpret the region's coastal depositional environments in the light of a geological model of Holocene environmental change recognising the interacting roles of Holocene sea-level change, alluvial responses to sea-level fluctuation, and tidal environment sedimentation. The coastal sediments overlie a Pleistocene land surface, and represent the Holocene marine transgression and regression. Prior to c .6000 bp , the sea rose to around or above its present elevation, converting the Pleistocene terrestrial landscape to a Holocene tidal landscape of tidal flat, channel and mangrove environments. Sea-level lowering by c .4000 bp triggered a switch in dominant sedimentary processes, allowing floodplain sediments to be deposited increasingly seawards.     

西辽河流域历史早期的文化景观格局

考古发现表明 ,西辽河流域自历史早期以来 ,先后演绎了多期文化 ,文明一直延续至今。本文根据大量的野外考古调查资料 ,在典型考古遗址、教来河流域、敖汉旗三个空间尺度上建立了本区历史早期文化景观的DEM模型 ,分析了赤峰全境历史早期文化遗址点的水平分布格局 ,从四个不同的空间尺度探讨了西辽河流域历史早期文化景观的演变过程 ,概括出本区历史时期文化景观垂向变迁和水平变迁两种模式 ,为进一步深入研究本区人地系统的相互作用机制提供了基础。     

Paleolimnological investigations of anthropogenic environmental change in Lake Tanganyika: III. Physical stratigraphy and charcoal analysis

Documenting the history of catchment deforestation using paleolimnological data involves understanding both the timing and magnitude of change in the input of erosional products to the downstream lake. These products include both physically-eroded soil and the byproducts of burning, primarily charcoal, which arise from both intentional and climatically-induced changes in fire frequency. As a part of the Lake Tanganyika Biodiversity Projects special study on sedimentation, we have investigated the sedimentological composition of seven dated cores from six deltas or delta complexes along the east coast of Lake Tanganyika: the Lubulungu River delta, the Kabesi River delta, the Nyasanga/Kahama River delta, and the Mwamgongo River delta in Tanzania, and the Nyamusenyi River delta and Karonge/Kirasa River delta in Burundi. Changes in sediment mass accumulation rates, composition, and charcoal flux in the littoral and sublittoral zones of the lake that can be linked to watershed disturbance factors in the deltas were examined. Total organic carbon accumulation rates, in particular, are strongly linked to higher sediment mass accumulation from terrestrial sources, and show striking mid-20th century increases at disturbed watershed deltas that may indicate a connection between increased watershed erosion and increased nearshore productivity. However, changes in sedimentation patterns are not solely correlated with the 20th century period of increasing human population in the basin. Fire activity, as recorded by charcoal accumulation rates, was also elevated during arid intervals of the 13th–early 19th centuries. Some differences between northern and southern sedimentation histories appear to be correlated with different histories of human population in central Tanzania in contrast with northern Tanzania and Burundi.     

A 140-year record of recent changes in aquatic productivity in a remote,tropical alpine lake in the Rwenzori Mountain National Park,Uganda

Environmental change in many tropical, alpine habitats remains poorly resolved due to an absence of proximate and sustained observations. In the Rwenzori Mountains of East Africa, glaciers have receded rapidly over the last century, and here we assess the impact of this recession through palaeolimnological analyses of a 45 cm sediment core (Buju3) from Lake Bujuku which is closest to the ice-fields and partly supplied by melt water in-flows. ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs suggest that Buju3 has an average sedimentation rate of 2.9 mm year⁻¹ and the base of the core can be dated to 1864 ± 20 years. Contemporary diatom taxa found in the lake are dominated by Tabellaria flocculosa and Synedra spp., but also include Achnanthes minutissima and Fragilaria pinnata. However, the diatom flora for Buju3 is less diverse and dominated by small, tychoplanktonic species of Fragilaria. Over the period associated with glacial recession, organic carbon isotope analysis (δ¹³C) suggests a small but distinct increase in within-lake productivity, which increases in rate since the mid 1970s up to the present day, in line with a shift towards increased algal productivity (as highlighted by C/N ratios). However, the diatom and pollen records appear rather insensitive to changes in glacier recession since the late 19th century.     

Changes in sub-fossil chironomid assemblages in two Northern Patagonian lake systems associated with the occurrence of historical fires

Patagonia is commonly seen as an exceptionally pristine area because of its wildlife and practically unpolluted waters. However, during the twentieth century the burning of natural forests was one of the most important human activities in Northern Chilean Patagonia. Some estimations indicate that three million hectares were burned during the first three decades of the century. Hence the objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of the historical fires in Lake Burgos (45º42′S) and Lake Thompson (45º38′S) in Chilean Patagonia. The impact was measured by evaluating chironomid assemblage since they are sensitive enough to be used as an indicator of aquatic ecosystem health. Fires have a direct and drastic effect on a lake watershed but also indirectly affect a lake ecosystem, changing sedimentation patterns or increasing nutrient inputs. In the studied lakes the periods with higher prevalence of fires were identified by charcoal analysis, while organic matter and magnetic susceptibility allowed the confirmation of pre-fire and post-fire periods. The chironomid composition was evaluated through a PCA and an analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) to test the significance among periods while a Detrended Correspondence Analysis was applied to the chironomid assemblage downcore to assess compositional structure and taxa turnover. In Lake Burgos the ANOSIM test indicated significant differences between the pre-fire and fire periods (p < 0.05), while in Lake Thompson differences were not significant. However, in Lake Thompson the PCA clearly separated the pre-fire from the fire period but not the fire from the post-fire periods. In both lakes chironomid composition changed in relation to the period of higher prevalence of fires, which in turn implies catchment changes, pollution, and other anthropogenic impacts. Particularly a marked change in mesotrophic/eutrophic taxa was detected, reflecting an increase in nutrient input due to deforestation. Our findings point out that the lacustrine ecosystems are still affected by the impact of fires and the subsequent increase in nutrient supply that occurred almost 50 years ago. No sign of reverting to pre-disturbance conditions was observed, which makes these lakes highly sensitive to current human-induced impacts.     

Rapid 20th century environmental change on northeastern Baffin Island,Arctic Canada inferred from a multi-proxy lacustrine record

The Arctic has a disproportionately large response to changes in radiative forcing of climate, and arctic lacustrine ecosystems respond sensitively to these changes. The goal of this research is to generate high-resolution climate records for the past two millennia using multiple proxies in order to place 20th and 21st century climate and environmental change into a long-term context. We use a ¹⁴C- and ²¹⁰Pb-dated surface core from Lake CF8 on northeastern Baffin Island, Arctic Canada to generate a high-resolution multiproxy reconstruction of climate and environmental change. Throughout the late Holocene, primary productivity in Lake CF8 was low, but increased almost 20-fold in the past 200 years. Insect (Chironomidae) assemblages also show dramatic changes since 1950 AD, with cold stenothermous chironomid taxa disappearing from the record altogether. These changes in productivity and chironomid assemblages are unprecedented in the past 5,000 years. The dramatic ecological shifts that occurred at Lake CF8 have also been observed elsewhere in the Arctic, and will likely continue at ever-increasing rates as anthropogenic inputs of green house gases continue to cause climate warming and enhanced lacustrine primary production.     

Whole-basin,mass-balance approach for identifying critical phosphorus-loading thresholds in shallow lakes

Lake Lochloosa, Florida (USA) recently underwent a shift from macrophyte to phytoplankton dominance, offering us the opportunity to use a whole-basin, mass-balance approach to investigate the influence of phosphorus loading on ecosystem change in a shallow, sub-tropical lake. We analyzed total phosphorus (TP) sedimentation in the basin to improve our understanding of the forcing factor responsible for the recent shift to phytoplankton dominance. We measured ²¹⁰Pb activity, organic matter (OM), organic carbon (OC) and TP in short sediment cores from 20 locations to develop a comprehensive, whole-basin estimate of recent mass sedimentation rates (MSR) for bulk sediment, OM, OC and TP. The whole-basin sedimentation models provided insights into historic lake processes that were not evident from the limited, historic water quality data. We used Akaike’s Information Criteria to differentiate statistically between constant MSR and exponentially increasing MSR. An eightfold, exponential increase in TP accumulation over the past century provided evidence for the critical role of increased P loading as a forcing factor in the recent shift to phytoplankton dominance. Model results show increased TP retention and decreased TP residence time were in-lake responses to increased TP loading and the shift from macrophyte to phytoplankton dominance in Lake Lochloosa. Comparison of TP loading with TP retention and historic, diatom-inferred limnetic TP concentrations identified the TP loading threshold that was exceeded to trigger the shift to phytoplankton dominance.     

洞庭湖演变趋势探讨

洞庭湖的演变主要受构造沉降、泥沙淤积和人类活动影响三大因素的控制。目前 ,洞庭湖盆的构造沉降速率虽然较低 (3～ 10mm/a) ,但构造沉降量仍抵消了部分泥沙淤积量 ,在一定程度上抑制了洞庭湖日益萎缩的趋势。由于湖盆中泥沙淤积速率大于构造沉降速率 ,洲滩会继续发育和扩展 ,洞庭湖仍保持淤高的趋势。在“4 35 0工程”完成和三峡建坝后 80年内 ,湖盆泥沙淤积速率将降低到 1 79mm/a ,洞庭湖不断淤高的趋势将得到减缓。     

洞庭湖周边地区第四纪红土粒度特征及环境意义

第四纪风成红土广泛分布于中国南方,与北方的黄土同为反映第四纪古环境的重要载体。基于洞庭湖周边地区10 处剖面122 个红土样品的粒度分析,对该区红土沉积特征及其反映的环境意义进行探讨。结果显示：①样品均以粉砂（4~63 μm）为优势粒级,其次为粘粒（<4 μm）,砂含量很少,并富集“风尘基本粒级”（10~50 μm）,含量达33.23%~42.23%,粒度特征与典型的黄土、下蜀黄土、加积型红土样品相似,显著不同于湘潭洪冲积红土,也区别于本区砂岩风化壳红土,表明洞庭湖西、南、东缘丘陵岗地存在风成堆积成因的中亚热带风成加积型红土。② 黄棕色土、网纹黄棕色土、均质红土、网纹红土等4 类样品的粘粒含量由高到低的排序是网纹红土 >均质红土 >网纹黄棕色土>黄棕色土;粉砂含量由高到低的排序正好相反。结合粒度参数推测,黄棕色土发育时期,沉积作用增强,粒度变粗,分选性较好;网纹红土发育时期,沉积作用较弱,风化成壤作用强,细颗粒含量增多,分选性相对较差。这可能反映了洞庭湖地区中更新世至晚更新世冬季风加强,风化减弱的气候变化过程。③ 沿冬季风主导风向（偏北风）,洞庭湖周边地区红土的M_φ、Md值（φ值）自北向南增大（变细）,风成组分（10~63 μm）百分含量随之减少,<2 μm组分百分含量自北向南略有增加。这种趋势提供了组成该地区加积型红土的粉尘由偏北向南传输的风成证据和母质风化程度向南增强的环境信息。     

Spatial variability and correlation of environmental proxies during the past 18,000 years among multiple cores from Lake Pumoyum Co,Tibet, China

Multiple cores from Lake Pumoyum Co, southern Tibet, provide an improved understanding of the spatial distribution of lake sediments, and how well they represent the paleo-climate. Comparative study of these cores using AMS ¹⁴C dating and environmental proxies clarified their relationships with environmental changes. Our work focused on understanding the spatial similarities among cores covering different time scales, and evaluating variations in sedimentary processes across sites. The four studied cores demonstrate different sedimentation rates, but environmental proxies help synchronize the timing of environmental variations. Sediment variables such as total organic carbon (TOC), inorganic carbon (IC), and grain size in different cores correlate well and corroborate changing trends over the past 10,000 cal years. Differences in sedimentation rates and facies among core sites probably result largely from differences in water depth. The core from the deepest site displays the highest average sedimentation rates and the highest accumulation rates of TOC, but lowest content of IC. Two cores from somewhat shallower sites have plant residues in their lower sections and record similar variations in both the number of layers and their depositional ages. Our results do not indicate any significant variation in sedimentation pattern or its related factors among the three sites. A single core from the deepest site could adequately represent the total lake environment over the time span covered. But cores from somewhat shallower sites might reveal important shifts in the environment over a longer time period.