Pre-European settlement conditions and human disturbance of a coniferous swamp in southern Ontario

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (10) ◽  
pp. 1770-1779 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Jane Bunting ◽  
Clayton R Morgan ◽  
Mark Van Bakel ◽  
Barry G Warner
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Wetland Hydrology ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Oil Well ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Upland Forest ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Tall Shrub

A vegetation survey at Oil Well Bog, southern Ontario, suggested that the central Picea mariana - Sphagnum (black spruce swamp) community represented the most mature point in the wetland succession. Pollen analysis of short sediment cores from beneath three major communities in the wetland (black spruce swamp, white pine swamp, and low shrub swamp) showed that the black spruce community only became established in the last 100 years. From around 2000 BP, the wetland was dominated by low shrubs with a tall shrub element. Upland forest composition around the wetland changed around 500 BP, with a decrease in percentages of Fagus and an increase in Pinaceae. At the same time trees colonized parts of the wetland. When the upland forest was cleared by European settlers (ca. AD 1830-1845), low shrub communities reestablished, suggesting that initially the wetland surface became wetter. Over time, the present-day mosaic of swamp types began to develop. The pollen analyses showed that the black spruce swamp is present as a result of changes in the wetland hydrology induced by human activity, and the fragmentary low shrub vegetation community (which contains locally rare plant species) represents a relic of the pre-European settlement wetland community.Key words: paleoecology, wetland development, hydroseral succession.

Interpreting pollen diagrams from wetlands: pollen representation in surface samples from Oil Well Bog, southern Ontario

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (10) ◽  
pp. 1780-1797 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Jane Bunting ◽  
Barry G Warner ◽  
Clayton R Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Wetland Vegetation ◽  
Oil Well ◽  
Floristic Diversity ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Surface Samples ◽  
Palynological Assemblages ◽  
Pollen Diagrams ◽  
Vegetational Diversity ◽  
And Cluster Analysis

Pollen and spore analysis of surface sediment samples from 45 points within Oil Well Bog, a coniferous swamp near Cambridge, Ontario, was used to determine the possibility of identifying different wetland vegetation communities from their palynological record, and to assess the effects of variable wetland vegetation on the pollen representation of surrounding upland communities. The data obtained were mapped for individual taxa to allow direct comparison of the spatial patterns of vegetation abundance and the associated palynological assemblages, and cluster analysis was used to identify palynologically similar assemblages. Some wetland communities, such as swamp dominated by black spruce, do have distinctive pollen signatures, but not all the vegetational diversity observed is reflected in the palynological data, with similar pollen assemblages deriving from some communities which are vegetationally very different (e.g., shrub swamps dominated by Chamaedaphne calyculata and Ilex verticillata). The wetland pollen assemblages do reflect much of the floristic diversity of the surrounding uplands, although the different communities receive varying proportions of their pollen influx from upland sources (varying from less than 5% to over 90%), and wide variations in the percentage of a given upland pollen morphotype can be found within quite a short distance, depending on the nature of local wetland communities.Key words: palynology, swamp, surface samples, wetland.

Prescribed burning for lowland black spruce regeneration in northern Minnesota

1984 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott E. Aksamit ◽  
Frank D. Irving
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
University Of Minnesota ◽  
Feather Moss ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Labrador Tea ◽  
Tall Shrub ◽  
The University ◽  
Larger Sample

Concern over the variability of black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) regeneration on peatlands in northern Minnesota following prescribed burning led to a cooperative study between the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Twenty-seven black spruce cutovers on State lands that had been prescribed burned and either seeded or left to regenerate naturally were sampled. These were stratified into sphagnum – Labrador-tea – leather-leaf (SPHG) sites (10), feather moss (FM) sites (9), and alder – graminoid – other tall shrub (ALDR) sites (8). Results indicate that fire was not necessary to regenerate SPHG sites. FM sites required fire to modify unfavorable seedbeds and to reduce competition. Best results were obtained by burning when the upper layers of the peat were highly desiccated. ALDR sites occupied a wide range of ecological conditions which led to highly variable regeneration results. A larger sample size and possibly more carefully controlled study conditions are needed to fully understand ALDR site regeneration. Seeding results were uncertain for all sites.

Using sediment cores to establish targets for the remediation of aquatic environments

2015 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 628-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Lintern ◽  
Marion Anderson ◽  
Paul Leahy ◽  
Ana Deletic ◽  
David McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Sediment Quality ◽  
Aquatic Systems ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Quality Guidelines ◽  
Water And Sediment ◽  
Water And Sediment Quality

When assigning site-specific restoration targets for deteriorating aquatic systems, it is necessary to have an understanding of the undisturbed or background state of the system. However, the site-specific characteristics of aquatic systems prior to disturbance are mostly unknown, due to the lack of historical water and sediment quality data. This study aims to introduce a method for filling this gap in our understanding, using dated sediment cores from the beds of aquatic environments. We used Bolin Billabong, a floodplain lake of the Yarra River (South-East Australia), as a case study to demonstrate the application of this method. We identified the concentrations of aluminium, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, tin and zinc at 8 cm intervals through the sediment core. This showed that aluminium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, nickel, tin and zinc concentrations in Bolin Billabong sediments significantly increased after European settlement in the river catchment in the mid-19th century. The differences between current Australian sediment quality guidelines trigger values and the background metal concentrations in Bolin Billabong sediments underscore the value of using locally relevant background toxicant concentrations when setting water and sediment quality targets.

scholarly journals Lithology and geochemistry of sediment cores, Pickering area, southern Ontario

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
R D Knight ◽  
D A J Stepner ◽  
B A Kjarsgaard ◽  
D R Sharpe ◽  
H Crow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Southern Ontario

Hand and Machine Tree Planting in Northern Ontario

1970 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 477-478
Author(s):  
W. C. Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Tree Planting ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Rock Outcrops ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Precambrian Shield ◽  
Limited Scale ◽  
Commercial Forest

Northern Ontario lies entirely in the Precambrian Shield with its many rock outcrops, sand plains, valleys and extensive lowlands.Tree planting started on a limited scale in Northern Ontario in the 1920's but it was not until the mid-fifties that the program really expanded into millions of trees.White spruce, black spruce, jack pine, red pine and white pine are the most important species planted for commercial forest products.The advent of new site preparation techniques has made possible the planting of areas that were previously by-passed.Due to the rugged conditions in Northern Ontario, tree planting by machine is still not too prevalent.For the purpose of this paper, Northern Ontario is that portion of the province lying north of the historic fur-trading route of the French and Mattawa Rivers and the Great Lakes. The area is made up entirely of Precambrian shield with many outcrops of rock, sand plains of jack pine, valleys and extensive lowlands of spruce.

Soil chemistry changes after 27 years under four tree species in southern Ontario

1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 1648-1650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Anne France ◽  
Dan Binkley ◽  
David Valentine
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Soil Chemistry ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Acid Neutralization ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Silver Maple ◽  
Paper Birch

After 27 years of stand development, the accumulated forest floor under replicated plots of white pine (Pinusstrobus L.), white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss), paper birch (Betulapapyrifera Marsh.), and silver maple (Acersaccharinum L.) ranged from 240 g/m2 under maple to 3680 g/m2 under white pine. Forest floor pH ranged from a low under maple of 3.7 to a high under white spruce of 5.9. No significant differences were found in pH in 0–15 cm depth mineral soil; however, substantial differences in the acid neutralization capacities were evident among species, with soils under maple showing the lowest capacity to resist further acidification.

Critical period of interspecific competition for four northern conifers: 10-year growth response and associated vegetation dynamics

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (10) ◽  
pp. 2474-2485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G Wagner ◽  
Andrew P Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Competition ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Red Pine ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Conifer Species ◽  
Stand Volume ◽  
Vegetation Control

The influence of the timing and duration of interspecific competition on planted jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.), eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.), and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) was assessed using 10-year growth responses in a northern Ontario experiment. Stand volume was 117%, 208%, 224%, and 343% higher for jack pine, red pine, white pine, and black spruce, respectively, with 5 years of vegetation control than with no vegetation control. Stand volume increased linearly with number of years of vegetation control, and the slope of the relationship varied among conifer species. Change-point regression analysis was used to derive segmented weed-free and weed-infested curves, and to simultaneously estimate key critical-period parameters. Weed-free and weed-infested curves in the 10th year were similar to those derived in year 5, indicating that the patterns established during the first few years after planting were relatively robust for the first decade. The critical-period was 2 and 3 years after planting for jack pine and red pine, respectively, and occupied most of the 5-year period for white pine and black spruce. Principal components analysis of the vegetation community indicated that repeated herbicide applications caused differential shifts in the relative abundance of shrub, fern, and moss species through the 10th year. Species richness, however, was not substantially different between the untreated control and the most intensive treatments. Difference modeling was used to quantify how annual volume increment during the first decade varied with time, conifer species, cover of woody and herbaceous vegetation, and stage of development.

Late Holocene climate-induced forest transformation and peatland establishment in the central Appalachians

2016 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert K. Booth ◽  
Alex W. Ireland ◽  
Katharine LeBoeuf ◽  
Amy Hessl
Keyword(s):  
Late Holocene ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Community Change ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Ecological Change ◽  
Upland Forest ◽  
Developmental Models ◽  
Ecological Changes ◽  
Peatland Development ◽  
Moisture Variability

Understanding the potential for ecosystem transformation and community change in response to climate variability is central to anticipating future ecological changes, and long-term records provide a primary source of information on these dynamics. We investigated the late Holocene history of upland forest and peatland development at Cranesville Swamp, a peatland located along the West Virginia–Maryland border in the USA. Our primary goal was to determine whether establishment of peatland was triggered by moisture variability, similar to recent developmental models derived from depressional peatlands in glaciated regions. Results indicate that the peatland established at about 1200 cal yr BP, and was associated with a dramatic and persistent change in upland forest composition. Furthermore, timing of these upland and wetland ecological changes corresponded with evidence for multidecadal drought and enhanced moisture variability from nearby tree-ring and speleothem climatic reconstructions. Our results add to a growing body of research highlighting the sensitivity of both peatland development and upland forest communities to transient drought and enhanced moisture variability, and suggest that enhanced moisture variability in the future could increase the probability of similarly abrupt and persistent ecological change, even in humid regions like eastern North America.

Isotopic and geochemical composition of marl lake waters and implications for radiocarbon dating of marl lake sediments

1983 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 599-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. V. Turner ◽  
P. Fritz ◽  
P. F. Karrow ◽  
B. G. Warner
Keyword(s):  
Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Geochemical Composition ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Suitable Material ◽  
Geochemical Parameters ◽  
Marl Lake ◽  
Lake Waters

Radiocarbon dates on organic and calcareous fractions of sediment cores from marl lakes may yield anomalous ages due to the assumption of a constant hardwater correction factor along the sediment sequence. A study of eight marl lakes in southern Ontario that are actively precipitating calcium carbonate was conducted in order to assess those isotopic and aqueous geochemical parameters in modern lakes that may be utilized to estimate the history and extent of variations in the hardwater effect along such sediment sequences. Results show an increase in the δ13C composition of lake DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon) as approach to isotopic equilibrium with atmospheric CO2 occurs. Differences in the extent to which this equilibrium is established also appear responsible for observed differences in the 14C activity of DIC between lakes of as much as 20 pmc (percent modern carbon). These variations have been related to the relative residence times of water in each lake by examination of their corresponding seasonal variations in 18O and 2H content. Consequently δ13C and δ18O of marl and molluscs have been used to identify variations in the hardwater effect along the sediment profile. A profile of radiocarbon dates on marl from Little Lake in southern Ontario shows satisfactory agreement with an independently determined pollen chronology. Where certain criteria are met, marl deposits appear to be suitable material for establishing Quaternary chronology.

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