Changing patterns in the Holocene pollen record of northeastern North America: A mapped summary

By mapping the data from 62 radiocarbon-dated pollen diagrams, this paper illustrates the Holocene history of four major vegetational regions in northeastern North America. Isopoll maps, difference maps, and isochrone maps are used in order to examine the changing patterns within the data set and to study broad-scale and long-term vegetational dynamics. Isopoll maps show the distributions of spruce (Picea), pine (Pinus), oak (Quercus), herb (nonarboreal pollen groups excluding Cyperaceae), and birch + maple + beech + hemlock (Betula, Acer, Fagus, Tsuga) pollen at specified times from 11,000 BP to present. Difference maps were constructed by subtracting successive isopoll maps and illustrate the changing patterns of pollen abundances from one time to the next. The isochrone maps portray the movement of ecotones and range limits by showing their positions at a sequence of times during the Holocene. After 11,000 BP, the broad region over which spruce pollen had dominated progressively shrank as the boreal forest zone was compressed between the retreating ice margin and the rapidly westward and northward expanding region where pine was the predominant pollen type. Simultaneously, the oak-pollen-dominated deciduous forest moved up from the south and the prairie expanded eastward. By 7000 BP, the prairie had attained its maximum eastward extent with the period of its most rapid expansion evident between 10,000 and 9000 BP. Many of the trends of the early Holocene were reversed after 7000 BP with the prairie retreating westward and the boreal and other zones edging southward. In the last 500 years, man's impact on the vegetation is clearly visible, especially in the greatly expanded region dominated by herb pollen. The large scale changes before 7000 BP probably reflect shifts in the macroclimatic patterns that were themselves being modified by the retreat and disintegration of the Laurentide ice sheet. Subsequent changes in the pollen and vegetation were less dramatic than those of the early Holocene.     

渭河流域全新世以来野火历史与人类土地利用的炭屑记录

全新世黄土沉积中的炭屑通常用来重建野火历史及其演变的过程。通过野外考察和对炭屑以及磁化率等指标的分析,获得全新世野火景观演变过程的地球生物沉积证据。参照OSL/TL、¹⁴C测年和考古学断代数据,重建渭河流域黄土高原全新世以来野火历史以及景观演变过程。结果表明：末次冰期到全新世中期阶段(12 000~3 100 a B.P.),渭河流域黄土高原地区野火事件变化主要与区域季节性气候差异密切相关,其中千年-百年尺度有效湿度和燃料供给区域变化是野火发生的主控因素;全新世晚期,随着气候进一步干旱,加之人类耕作活动加剧,人类土地利用强度与时空分布已成为影响生物量燃烧规模的重要驱动力。距今3 100 a以来,渭河流域南部地区农田景观已初具规模;而距今约2 170 a,大规模土地开垦已扩展到渭河北部黄土台塬地区;直到距今1 500 a,渭河北部黄土高阶台塬地区旱作农业景观已基本形成。利用多项古生态记录和区域角度综合分析,有助于深入理解该区域野火历史和人类土地利用变化以及社会结构演变过程。     

A late Holocene paleoenvironmental reconstruction from Agua Caliente,southern Belize,linked to regional climate variability and cultural change at the Maya polity of Uxbenká

We report high-resolution macroscopic charcoal, pollen and sedimentological data for Agua Caliente, a freshwater lagoon located in southern Belize, and infer a late Holocene record of human land-use/climate interactions for the nearby prehistoric Maya center of Uxbenká. Land-use activities spanning the initial clearance of forests for agriculture through the drought-linked Maya collapse and continuing into the historic recolonization of the region are all reflected in the record. Human land alteration in association with swidden agriculture is evident early in the record during the Middle Preclassic starting ca. 2600 cal yr BP. Fire slowly tapered off during the Late and Terminal Classic, consistent with the gradual political demise and depopulation of the Uxbenká polity sometime between ca. 1150 and 950 cal yr BP, during a period of multiple droughts evident in a nearby speleothem record. Fire activity was at its lowest during the Maya Postclassic ca. 950–430 cal yr BP, but rose consistent with increasing recolonization of the region between ca. 430 cal yr BP and present. These data suggest that this environmental record provides both a proxy for 2800 years of cultural change, including colonization, growth, decline, and reorganization of regional populations, and an independent confirmation of recent paleoclimate reconstructions from the same region.     

Holocene fire and vegetation dynamics in a montane forest, North Cascade Range, Washington, USA

We reconstructed a 10,500-yr fire and vegetation history of a montane site in the North Cascade Range, Washington State based on lake sediment charcoal, macrofossil and pollen records. High-resolution sampling and abundant macrofossils made it possible to analyze relationships between fire and vegetation. During the early Holocene (> 10,500 to ca. 8000 cal yr BP) forests were subalpine woodlands dominated by Pinus contorta. Around 8000 cal yr BP, P. contorta sharply declined in the macrofossil record. Shade tolerant, mesic species first appeared ca. 4500 cal yr BP. Cupressus nootkatensis appeared most recently at 2000 cal yr BP. Fire frequency varies throughout the record, with significantly shorter mean fire return intervals in the early Holocene than the mid and late Holocene. Charcoal peaks are significantly correlated with an initial increase in macrofossil accumulation rates followed by a decrease, likely corresponding to tree mortality following fire. Climate appears to be a key driver in vegetation and fire regimes over millennial time scales. Fire and other disturbances altered forest vegetation at shorter time scales, and vegetation may have mediated local fire regimes. For example, dominance of P. contorta in the early Holocene forests may have been reinforced by its susceptibility to frequent, stand-replacing fire events.     

Winter and summer monsoonal evolution in northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau during the Holocene period

Climate change especially moisture condition in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan in China are mainly controlled by the strength and variability of Asian winter and summer monsoon. In this paper, we presented the climate record and related winter and summer monsoonal history in Gonghe Basin, northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, based on the geochemical indicators (geochemical elements content, i.e., Fe₂O₃, CaO, Zr and Sr content, and geochemical parameters, i.e., the chemical index of alteration (CIA), Zr/Rb, Rb/Sr, CaO/MgO, SiO₂/TiO₂ and SiO₂/(Al₂O₃ + Fe₂O₃) ratio) of the peat deposits and ¹⁴C and OSL technologies. The regional temperature and humidity gradually increased in 10.0–8.5 cal ka BP, accompanied by enhanced summer monsoonal strength and decreased winter monsoonal strength. But climate became cold and dry between 8.5 cal ka BP and 7.6 cal ka BP owing to the stronger winter monsoon. During the 7.6–3.8 cal ka BP, stronger summer monsoon and weaker winter monsoon led to an optimal warm and humid condition, although it had several cold phases. From 3.8 cal ka BP to 0.5 cal ka BP, the regional climate tended to be cold and dry, with increasing winter monsoonal strength and decreasing summer monsoonal strength. Thereafter, the relatively warm and humid climate appeared again, due to the stronger summer monsoon. That is to say, the regional climate conditions are mainly related to the winter and summer monsoonal changes. These changes are consistent with palaeoclimatic records (monsoonal model) from the region influenced by the Asian monsoon in eastern China. In addition, nine cold events were recorded: 8.5–7.8 cal ka BP, 6.1–5.6 cal ka BP, 5.2–4.8 cal ka BP, 4.7–4.3 cal ka BP, 4.1–4.0 cal ka BP, 3.8–3.4 cal ka BP, 3.0–2.3 cal ka BP, 1.4–1.3 cal ka BP, and 1.0–0.5 cal ka BP, which are coincident with cold fluctuations in the high and low latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere on a millennial scale, as recorded by lakes, peat sediments, and ice cores in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. In conclusion, Holocene millennial-scale climatic changes in Gonghe Basin were controlled by the dual function of Asian monsoonal changes and global cold fluctuations.     

关中平原全新世土壤与环境研究

根据蓝田田家村、长安四府村、西安吴家坟和岐山雍川村剖面样品的粒度分析、CaCO3含量测定和微结构的鉴定资料得知,关中平原全新世中期形成的土壤S0具有明显的淀积粘化特征和现代沉积间断条件下发育的土壤剖面特点,该层土壤的构成物质至少有一部分是由先前形成的黄土经成壤作用改造而成的。关中平原S0的粘化类型不仅可以指示当地温湿的气候环境和很少有沙尘暴活动,而且它与西北荒漠区全新世千年尺度上的环境变化存在遥相关关系。全新世晚期发育的黄土L0是在相对冷干条件下形成的狭义土壤,它具有明显的残积粘化和残积—淀积粘化特征,它发育在沙尘暴连续堆积的条件下,形成了厚度大发育弱的粘化层和厚度大而均匀分布的CaCO3淀积层。全新世黄土剖面特征显示,在风尘连续堆积条件下发育的土壤可以不具有明显的剖面分层,厚度可以大于2 m。关中平原全新世L0发育时的气候与西北荒漠区的气候也存在遥相关关系。     

Traces of volcanic ash from the Mediterranean,Iceland and North America in a Holocene record from south Wales,UK

A tephra record is presented for a sediment core from Llyn Llech Owain, south Wales, spanning the early- to mid-Holocene. Seven cryptotephra deposits are discovered with three thought to correlate with known eruptions and the remaining four considered to represent previously undocumented events. One deposit is suggested to correlate with the ~6.9 cal ka bp Lairg A tephra from Iceland, whereas more distant sources are proposed as the origin for two of the tephra deposits. A peak of colourless shards in early-Holocene sediments is thought to tentatively correlate with the ~9.6 cal ka bp Fondi di Baia tephra (Campi Flegrei) and a second cryptotephra is tentatively correlated with the ~3.6 cal ka bp Aniakchak (CFE) II tephra (Alaska). The Fondi di Baia tephra has never been recorded beyond proximal sites and its discovery in south Wales significantly extends the geographical distribution of ash from this eruption. The remaining four cryptotephra deposits are yet to be correlated with known eruptions, demonstrating that our current understanding of widespread tephra deposits is incomplete. This new tephra record highlights the potential for sites at more southerly and westerly locations in northwest Europe to act as repositories for ash from several volcanic regions.     

Late Pleistocene and Holocene depositional systems and the palaeogeography of the Dogger Bank, North Sea

3D seismic data from the Dogger Bank, North Sea, allow the mapping of Late Pleistocene and Holocene depositional systems in unprecedented detail. The data demonstrate that glacial processes resulted in the development of incised tunnel valley systems during the Weichselian and that these were subsequently modified by fluvial processes in a pro-glacial setting. Subsequently, the Dogger Bank formed an emergent plain during the Holocene with a complex meandering river system, associated tributary or distributary channels and lakes, dominating the region. Prior to the sea level rising sufficiently to submerge the Dogger Bank around 7500 yr ago, the meandering river system was replaced by a dendritic channel network of potential fluvial, estuarine or intertidal origin. As the Holocene depositional features bear no systematic relationship to the bathymetry this study demonstrates that previously published bathymetry-based models for the Holocene palaeogeographic development of the North Sea require modification.     

Late Pleistocene and Holocene glaciation of the Fish Lake valley,northeastern Alaska Range,Alaska

We reconstructed a chronology of glaciation spanning from the Late Pleistocene through the late Holocene for Fish Lake valley in the north‐eastern Alaska Range using ¹⁰Be surface exposure dating and lichenometry. After it attained its maximum late Wisconsin extent, the Fish Lake valley glacier began to retreat ca. 16.5 ka, and then experienced a readvance or standstill at 11.6 ± 0.3 ka. Evidence of the earliest Holocene glacial activity in the valley is a moraine immediately in front of Little Ice Age (LIA) moraines and is dated to 3.3–3.0 ka. A subsequent advance culminated at ca. AD 610–900 and several LIA moraine crests date to AD 1290, 1640, 1860 and 1910. Our results indicate that ¹⁰Be dating from high‐elevation sites can be used to help constrain late Holocene glacial histories in Alaska, even when other dating techniques are unavailable. Close agreement between ¹⁰Be and lichenometric ages reveal that ¹⁰Be ages on late Holocene moraines may be as accurate as other dating methods. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

宁绍平原中全新世火历史与影响因素研究

宁绍平原是研究全新世火事件、气候环境以及人类活动之间复杂关系的理想场所。本研究选取宁绍平原田螺山遗址(30°01′20″N,121°22′38″E)和井头山遗址(30°01′28.45″N,121°21′40.69″E)两钻孔(长度分别为18.17 m和19.8 m)进行炭屑分析,并结合孢粉记录,旨在研究宁绍平原中全新世(9000~5700 cal.a B.P.)火历史、气候环境变化与人类活动的变化规律。结果表明：1)2个钻孔炭屑浓度在早中全新世都很低,田螺山钻孔 < 50 μm(细粒)、50~100 μm(中粒)和>100 μm(粗粒)这3种粒径的炭屑浓度均为钻孔最低值,反映当时火事件发生频率低;此时正值全新世大暖期,亚洲夏季风强劲,降水丰沛,孢粉记录也显示此时的植被类型为亚热带阔叶林,温暖湿润的气候不利于火事件发生。2)随着研究区水文环境的稳定,人类被丰富的资源吸引前来定居,人类活动的加强可能导致火事件频发,炭屑浓度升高。7900 cal.a B.P. 左右,随着海平面上升速度减缓,人类先民选择井头山区域定居,并开始了早期稻作农业的尝试,炭屑浓度随着人类在此定居出现了高值。在7000 cal.a B.P. 之后,研究区淡水湿地广泛分布,河姆渡文化兴起,炭屑浓度再次上升。田螺山钻孔炭屑浓度在6300 cal.a B.P. 左右出现最大值,但此时研究区环境尚未稳定,仍会受到海水影响,7000~6000 cal.a B.P. 期间田螺山钻孔炭屑浓度多次出现低值都与海水入侵有关;5900 cal.a B.P. 之后研究区完全成陆,稻作农业也开始了蓬勃发展,炭屑浓度也出现了明显上升。本研究探讨了中全新世宁绍平原火事件、气候环境以及人类活动之间的相互关系,揭示了气候与人类活动对该区域火事件的影响,为该区域的相关研究提供了一个新的视角。

     

Late‐glacial and Holocene history of the dry forest area in the south Colombian Cauca Valley

Two sedimentary cores with pollen, charcoal and radiocarbon data are presented. These records document the Late‐glacial and Holocene dry forest vegetation, fire and environmental history of the southern Cauca Valley in Colombia (1020 m). Core Quilichao‐1 (640 cm; 3° 6′N, 76° 31′W) represents the periods of 13 150–7720 ¹⁴C yr BP and, following a hiatus, from 2880 ¹⁴C yr BP to modern. Core La Teta‐2 (250 cm; 3° 5′N, 76° 32′W) provides a continuous record from 8700 ¹⁴C yr BP to modern. Around 13 150 ¹⁴C yr BP core Quilichao‐1 shows an active Late‐glacial drainage system and presence of dry forest. From 11 465 to 10 520 ¹⁴C yr BP dry forest consists mainly of Crotalaria, Moraceae/Urticaceae, Melastomataceae/Combretaceae, Piper and low stature trees, such as Acalypha, Alchornea, Cecropia and Celtis. At higher elevation Andean forest comprising Alnus, Hedyosmum, Quercus and Myrica was common. After 10 520 ¹⁴C yr BP the floral composition of dry forest changed, with extensive open grass vegetation indicative of dry climatic conditions. This event may coincide with the change to cool and dry conditions in the second part of the El Abra stadial, an equivalent to the Younger Dryas. From 8850 ¹⁴C yr BP the record from La Teta indicates dry climatic conditions relative to the present, these prevailing up to 2880 ¹⁴C yr BP at Quilichao and to 2720 ¹⁴C yr BP at La Teta. Severe dryness reached maxima at 7500 ¹⁴C yr BP and 4300 ¹⁴C yr BP, when dry forest reached maximum expansion. Dry forest was gradually replaced by grassy vegetation, reaching maximum expansion around 2300 ¹⁴C yr BP. After 2300 ¹⁴C yr BP grassy vegetation remains abundant. Presence of crop taxa (a.o. Zea mays), disturbance indicators (Cecropia) and an increase in charcoal point to the presence of pre‐Columbian people since 2300 ¹⁴C yr BP. After 950 ¹⁴C yr BP, expansion of secondary forest taxa may indicate depopulation and abandonment of previously cultivated land. After 400 ¹⁴C yr BP, possibly related to the Spanish conquest, secondary forest expanded and charcoal concentrations increased, possibly indicating further reduction of cultivated land. During the past century, Heliotropium and Didymopanax became abundant in an increasingly degraded landscape. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Holocene solifluction,climate variation and fire in a subarctic landscape at Pippokangas,Finnish Lapland,based on radiocarbon‐dated buried charcoal

A large number of radiocarbon dates from charcoal layers buried beneath stacked solifluction lobes at Pippokangas, in the northern boreal zone of Finnish Lapland, are used to reconstruct a Holocene history of solifluction. Although the site is surrounded by Scots pine forest, the solifluction lobes occur on the lower slopes of a kettle hole, the microclimate of which prevents the growth of trees. Samples from the upslope end of charcoal layers have enabled the recognition of four synchronous phases of solifluction lobe initiation: 7400–6700, 4200–3400, 2600–2100 and 1500–500 cal. yr BP. Rates of lobe advance are shown to be lobe‐dependent and age‐dependent: initially, average rates were commonly 0.14–0.19 cm yr^?1, later falling to 0.02–0.07 cm yr^?1 or less as the lobes approached the bottom of the slope. The absence of charcoal prior to 8000 cal. yr BP, together with single IRSL and TL dates, indicate a relatively stable early Holocene landscape. The onset of solifluction around 7400 cal. yr BP. appears to have followed the immigration of pine around the site, which increased the frequency of forest fires. Phases of solifluction activity seem to have been triggered by millennial‐scale variations in effective moisture (the climatic hypothesis), rather than episodic burning of the surface vegetation cover (the geoecological hypothesis), although climate may also have affected fire frequency and severity. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lateglacial and Holocene variation in aeolian sediment flux over the northeastern Tibetan Plateau recorded by laminated sediments of a saline meromictic lake

Predominantly laminated lake sediments from a saline closed‐basin lake on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau were investigated using a multi‐proxy approach (¹⁴C‐accelerator mass spectrometry dating, smear‐slide analysis, loss on ignition, grain size, X‐ray diffraction, elemental concentration, ostracod assemblages, stable isotopes of ostracod shells) to trace the regional environmental and climatic history in the Lateglacial and Holocene. Before about 15 cal. ka BP, small saline water bodies probably filled the basin under unstable cold and harsh environmental conditions. Soon after about 14.9 cal. ka BP, a relatively deep saline lake was established, probably as a result of runoff from melting snow, ice and frozen ground in the lake's catchment. Large changes in flux of aeolian material to the lake were recorded during this initial period of formation of Lake Kuhai. Highest lake levels, a low sediment accumulation rate and less saline conditions were maintained between about 12.8 and 7.1 cal. ka BP when the aeolian influx diminished significantly. After about 7.1 cal. ka BP, the aeolian influx remained at a moderate level apart from a strongly increased dust delivery to the lake between about 6.1 and 5.4 cal. ka BP and a minor short‐lived period of slightly enhanced aeolian influx at about 2.7 cal. ka BP. The strongly enhanced dust input to the lake between 6.1 and 5.4 cal. ka BP represented the largest influx of aeolian material to Lake Kuhai during the entire Holocene. However, evidence for climatic deterioration during this period is not seen at most other palaeoclimate sites on the Tibetan Plateau, but instead a significant increase in aridity has been recorded at numerous sites in the northern foreland of the Tibetan Plateau and on the Chinese Loess Plateau. The large dust input to Lake Kuhai between 6.1 and 5.4 cal. ka BP probably did not result from a severe climate deterioration on the Tibetan Plateau itself, but from the pronounced aridity in its northern and eastern foreland. In contrast, the increase in dust influx about 2.7 cal. ka BP seems to correspond to a brief warming spell recorded at other sites on the Tibetan Plateau too. A slight increase in lake level and decrease in salinity after about 0.6 cal. ka BP suggests a slightly higher effective moisture during the final lake stage, accompanied by a somewhat larger dust influx. This apparent contradiction possibly results from enhanced human activities on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau during the last 600 years. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

北疆地区早全新世环境演化的湖泊沉积记录

通过对北疆地区艾比湖沉积物的孢粉组合及其碳酸盐δ^18O,δ^13C,δ^13Corg，TOC，TON和Rb/Sr比等地球化学指标分析，重点对全新世早期气候环境演化特征进行了研究。结果表明，研究时段（8.0-11.cal ka B.P.)温度总体偏低，初期（11.5-10.6cal ka B.P.)较为温湿；早全新世向中全新世转换时期（8.9-8.0cal ka B.P.)气候波动显著。特别是3层泥炭沉积显示了艾比湖地区早全新世气候的强烈不稳定性。泥炭的发育程度及其同位素、孢粉分析数据等都显示，8.2cal ka B.P.,8.6cal ka B.P.,10.5cal ka B.P.的气候状况具有显著的冷湿特征，反映了早全新世的3次冷湿事件。     

Holocene vegetation and climate dynamics of the boreal alpine ecotone of northwestern Fennoscandia

Climate change with respect to summer temperature throughout the Holocene is inferred from oscillations in the local Pinus sylvestris, Alnus incana and Betula pubescens forest‐lines, as recorded by fossil pollen and plant macrofossils in lake sediments at four altitudinal levels. Mt Skrubben (848 m a.s.l.), in Dividalen, was deglaciated down to below 280 m a.s.l. during 10 800–10 300 cal. yr BP. Betula pubescens established 10100 cal. yr BP at 280 m a.s.l. and expanded up to near the summit during the next 700 years. Birch woodland prevailed on the mountain plateau until 3300 cal. yr BP. Local Pinus sylvestris stands are recorded up to 400 m a.s.l. at 8450 cal. yr BP and >548 m a.s.l. about 8160 cal. yr BP. Alnus incana expanded from 400 to nearly 790 m a.s.l. during the period 7900–7600 cal. yr BP. The maximum forest distribution lasted until ca. 6000 cal. yr BP. Marked climatic deteriorations caused lowering of the forest‐lines around 4600 and 3000 cal. yr BP. Reconstruction of the summer temperature indicated mean July temperatures at 400 m a.s.l. of 1.5–3°C above the present during the period of maximum forest expansion, whereas >3°C above the present temperature at 548 m a.s.l. This is in accordance with other regional temperature reconstructions from northern Europe. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

中国东北全新世干湿状况的演变

通过综合分析植物花粉,沙土埋藏土壤,泥炭形成与发展,沙丘活动历史,黄土状土堆积和黑土发育等多种资料表明,我国东北地区的湿润程度或土壤水分含量在５ｋａ ＢＰ以前的早中全新世较低,中晚全新世不能增加,早中全新世最干燥时段出现的＾１４Ｃ年代９－８ｋａ ＢＰ,中晚全新世湿润时期可能是最近的２ｋａ,近现代气候比过去１０ｋａ平均状况湿润。