A multi-proxy reconstruction of peatland development and regional vegetation changes in subarctic NE Fennoscandia (the Republic of Karelia, Russia) during the Holocene

The Holocene ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 095968362097279
Author(s):  
Kirill V Babeshko ◽  
Anna Shkurko ◽  
Andrey N Tsyganov ◽  
Elena E Severova ◽  
Mariusz Gałka ◽  
...  

A better understanding of past long-term environmental changes in the subarctic region is crucial for mitigation of the possible negative effects of climate warming in this vulnerable region. This study provides a new multi-proxy reconstruction of regional vegetation changes and peatland development for north-eastern Fennoscandia (Russia) during most of the Holocene. To that purpose, we performed plant macrofossil, pollen, testate amoebae, peat humification, loss on ignition and radiocarbon analyses of the peat deposits from a mire around Vodoprovodnoe Lake (the Kindo Peninsula, the Republic of Karelia). Our data indicate that the peat deposits started accumulating before 9147 ± 182 cal. yr. BP. The vegetation cover in the area was mainly typical for the northern taiga zone, except for the period ~7800–5600 cal. yr. BP, when it generally resembled the middle taiga zone. The vegetation cover and peatland were greatly affected by reoccurring fires, which can be partly related to human activity. These events were associated with an increased proportion of birch in the vegetation cover (as a pioneer species) and/or water level decreases. By 600 cal. yr. BP, the peatland and the surrounding vegetation reached its current state and only minor changes had been recorded since that time. Overall, our results suggest a considerable and unexpected role of fires in the postglacial dynamics of subarctic peatlands.

AMBIO ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrey N. Tsyganov ◽  
Evgeny A. Zarov ◽  
Yuri A. Mazei ◽  
Mikhail G. Kulkov ◽  
Kirill V. Babeshko ◽  
...  

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 1104-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Line Couillard ◽  
Serge Payette

The Holocene development of a peat plateau peatland in northern Québec has been reconstructed from present vegetation and buried macrofossil analogues found in peat. This peatland is presently formed by nine morphological units characterized by homogenous site conditions (drainage, topography, and vegetation cover). Seven ombrotrophic and eight minerotrophic vegetation types are found in the peatland, but the ombrotrophic types cover 66% of the peatland surface. Reconstitution of the Holocene peatland development from 3700 BP to present was based on the succession of bryophytes within the morphological units. Between 3200 and 2700 BP, minerotrophic vegetation such as sedge fens, pools, and tamarack woodlands (now locally extinct) dominated the peatland. Peat plateaus and palsas were progressively formed after 2700 BP. The expansion of these units is closely related to several cooling periods that occurred after 2700, 1400, 1100, 700, and 150 BP. Thermokarst pools were created within the peat plateaus around 1100 BP after a burn, and other similar depressions formed around 340 BP and Present because of the recent climatic warming. Plant successions show that long-term vegetation development in the peatland is rather complex and diversified. These successions indicate that peat plateaus gradually developed during the last thousand years in relation with topographical conditions, drainage, vegetation cover, fire, and climate. Palsas were formed more recently than peat plateaus, between 700 and 500 years BP, and around 150 years BP.


The Holocene ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 1288-1300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Burdanowitz ◽  
Lydie Dupont ◽  
Matthias Zabel ◽  
Enno Schefuß

The summer rainfall zone (SRZ) in the South African interior experienced pronounced hydrological and vegetation changes during the Holocene inferred to be driven mainly by shifts in atmospheric and oceanic circulations systems. The exact mechanisms controlling these changes are still debated. To gain better insights into the Holocene environmental changes in the South African SRZ and their driving factors, we analysed compound-specific carbon and hydrogen isotopes of plant wax n-alkanes (δ13Cwax and δDwax) from a marine sediment core covering the last 9900 years. The core has been recovered offshore the mouth of the Orange River, predominantly draining the South African summer rainfall region. Our data indicate a dry early Holocene and a gradual increase of wetter conditions with a higher abundance of C4 vegetation towards the middle Holocene. Wettest conditions occurred around 3900 cal. yr BP. The last 3900 years were characterised by a gradual aridification overlain by variable wetter conditions. During the ‘Little Ice Age’ (LIA: ca. 640–310 cal. yr BP), relatively dry conditions with elevated C4 plant contributions occurred. This opposite behaviour, that is, more C4 plant contribution during drier conditions compared to the remainder of the Holocene, points towards an influence of winter rainfall in the lower Orange River catchment during the late-Holocene and a decline in summer rainfall. We emphasise the importance of changes in the latitudinal insolation gradient (LIG) as a potentially important controlling mechanism for hydrologic and vegetation changes in the SRZ.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alina Kurasova ◽  
Alexandr Konstantinov ◽  
Sergey Loiko ◽  
Sergey Kulizhskiy

<p>The activities of ancient population strongly affected the development of landscapes and soils in Western Siberia during the late Holocene. It should be noted that studies devoted to the processes of natural and anthropogenic evolution within this vast territory are extremely irregular. Thus, the significant proportion of the materials on the dynamic of Siberian landscapes in the Holocene, related to the studies of various natural archives and archeological monuments, falls on the southern part of region. On the one hand, this situation is due to the relatively recent development of Western Siberia in relation to the development of hydrocarbon deposits, on the other hand, on the peculiarities of the relief and landscapes prevailing in the central and northern parts of the West Siberian Plain. A significant part of the territory under consideration is characterized by low, poorly dissected relief, which largely contributes to its bogging and widespread distribution of organogenic peat soils. It is not surprising that the deposits of lakes and peat bogs are the main natural archives that provide information on the dynamics of the natural environment within the central parts of Western Siberia and, first of all, the taiga zone, while the potential of mineral soils and sediments from this point of view is insignificant, compared to other regions. At the same time the boreal zone of Western Siberia is very large and includes regions with more complex geomorphological conditions.</p><p>To assess the possibility of using buried soils and colluvial layers in the middle taiga of Western Siberia for reconstruction of the Holocene landscape’s dynamics, we carried out research on two key sites with rather contrast relief and high frequency of archeological sites: in the middle Yugan River Basin and in the North of the Kondinskaya Lowland. Buried soils and colluvial sediments in a number of sections characterizing foots of the steep slopes on the border with peat bogs were selected as objects for our study. Based on the obtained radiocarbon dates it is possible to preliminarily identify several stages of the activation of erosional processes. For the north of the Kondinskaya lowland three remarkable phases of erosional activity were identified, while for the Yugan River Basin the number of phases was larger - 6. It is interesting to note that the obtained results make it possible to correlate these two regions. The presence of a larger number of recorded erosion-pyrogenic events for the Yugan River basin reflects a longer permanent human presence in the area under consideration, which is also consistent with archaeological data.</p><p>The study was funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and was performed as a part of project FEWZ-2020-0007 “Fundamentals of the natural environment history of the south of Western Siberia and Turgay in the Cenozoic: sequence sedimentology, abiotic geological events and the evolution of the Paleobiosphere“. The studies were carried out using the equipment of the Center for Collective Use "Bioinert Systems of the Cryosphere", Tyumen Scientific Center, SB RAS and RFBR, project number 20-04-00836.</p>


Author(s):  
V. Fedorov ◽  
E. Sleptsov ◽  
K. Plemyashov

A growth in the number of deer and an increase in their productivity are closely related to the solution of the complex problem of reproduction and rational use of deer females. Significant damage to reindeer husbandry is caused by the barrenness of northern domestic deer, the level of which has been quite high in recent years. So, in the Republic of Sakha, on 01.01.2020, the number of domesticated reindeer was 152,068, of which female deer and heifers — 71,818, offspring per 100 females — 59, business yield amounted to 52 fawns per 100 females. The causes of infertility are very diverse, as the natural and climatic conditions of the breeding zones have a significant influence on the reproductive function of reindeer. In Yakutia, the main population of northern domestic deer is bred in mountain taiga and tundra natural-climatic zones, so there are about 55 thousand deer in the mountain taiga zone and more than 65 thousand deer in the tundra zone. In this regard, the study of the peculiarities of the postpartum period course in domestic reindeer females, its morphophysiology, and behavioral reactions depending on the natural and climatic conditions of breeding is of great importance.


2013 ◽  
pp. 32-47
Author(s):  
S. V. Osipov

Geobotanical mapping of the territory in riverheads Bureya of 4500 sq.km is carried out and the map of a actual vegetation cover of scale 1 : 200 000 is prepared. The legend of the map is presented in the form of the text with three-level hierarchy of classes. At the heart of structure of a legend of the map such regularities of a vegetation cover, as its latitudinal zonality / altitudinal belts, situation in a relief and dynamic series lie. The largest divisions of the legend reflect, first, change of large classes of mesocombinations of vegetation at the level of belts and, secondly, distinction in a boreal - forestry belt between a vegetation cover of tops and slopes of mountains, on the one hand, and the bottoms of river valleys, with another. Divisions of the legend of the second level reflect, first, vegetation changes in the form of high-rise and barrier changes of subbelts, secondly, distinctions of a vegetation cover in different geomorphological conditions (small and average river valleys, northern slopes, etc.). Divisions of the legend of the second level correspond to dynamic series of units of the third level. Essential addition to it are block diagrams of dynamics of a vegetation cover.


2007 ◽  
pp. 13-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. K. Yurkovskaya

I have focused only on some features of structure in the taiga vegetation cover. In conclusion I would like to tell some words about the causes of complicated space structure of the taiga and tundra vegetation cover. The causes of latitudinal differentiation are climatic undoubtedly, but heterogeneity of vegetation cover within the limits of tundra and taiga subzones is accounted for different factors. In tundra abiogenic factors prevail, first of all the permafrost processes. That is the reason why tundra vegetation cover is so sensible to any disturbances and so hard regenerates after various transformations. In taiga the space structure is mostly the result of self-regulation and self- restoration of biota. The abiotic factors, certainly, play significant role, but they recede to the second plan. So we showed that in the north and middle taiga the structure of vegetation cover, during the Holocene up to present time, is determined in many respects by the increasing role of mires. Suffice it to look at the map of distribution of mires in order to estimate their role in vegetation cover of the easteuropean taiga (Yurkovskaya, 1980). So, the increase of mire area on the Russian Plain in m2/year per 1000 ha varies between 200 and 700, the average increas is ca 300—400 m2/year (Elina et all., 2000). The mires favour peniplenization and unite the separate areas of forest communities into the whole by means of forming the buffer paludificated territories (various hydrophilous variants of forest communities). But if mires, at all their stability, after destroying practically don't restore, the forests even after continuous cuttings restore their structure and composition through the series of successional stages unless an ecotope is damaged completely. Hence the space structure of taiga is the result, first of all, self development and self regulation of its vegetation cover. But, as it is known, at present time the process of destruction of natural biota has gone too far that the question arises not only about supporting its state and structure but also about the survival of the mankind itself. In this regard the vegetation map of Europe is the invaluable basis, which gives the starting point for all conservational, ecological and economical measures. But it is important to learn reading and using the map. And this is one of our actual goals.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 824
Author(s):  
Egor Dyukarev ◽  
Evgeny Zarov ◽  
Pavel Alekseychik ◽  
Jelmer Nijp ◽  
Nina Filippova ◽  
...  

The peatlands of the West Siberian Lowlands, comprising the largest pristine peatland area of the world, have not previously been covered by continuous measurement and monitoring programs. The response of peatlands to climate change occurs over several decades. This paper summarizes the results of peatland carbon balance studies collected over ten years at the Mukhrino field station (Mukhrino FS, MFS) operating in the Middle Taiga Zone of Western Siberia. A multiscale approach was applied for the investigations of peatland carbon cycling. Carbon dioxide fluxes at the local scale studied using the chamber method showed net accumulation with rates from 110, to 57.8 gC m−2 at the Sphagnum hollow site. Net CO2 fluxes at the pine-dwarf shrubs-Sphagnum ridge varied from negative (−32.1 gC m−2 in 2019) to positive (13.4 gC m−2 in 2017). The cumulative May-August net ecosystem exchange (NEE) from eddy-covariance (EC) measurements at the ecosystem scale was −202 gC m−2 in 2015, due to the impact of photosynthesis of pine trees which was not registered by the chamber method. The net annual accumulation of carbon in the live part of mosses was estimated at 24–190 gC m−2 depending on the Sphagnum moss species. Long-term carbon accumulation rates obtained by radiocarbon analysis ranged from 28.5 to 57.2 gC m−2 yr−1, with local extremes of up to 176.2 gC m−2 yr−1. The obtained estimates of various carbon fluxes using EC and chamber methods, the accounting for Sphagnum growth and decomposition, and long-term peat accumulation provided information about the functioning of the peatland ecosystems at different spatial and temporal scales. Multiscale carbon flux monitoring reveals useful new information for forecasting the response of northern peatland carbon cycles to climatic changes.


The Holocene ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 095968362110032
Author(s):  
Halinka Di Lorenzo ◽  
Pietro Aucelli ◽  
Giuseppe Corrado ◽  
Mario De Iorio ◽  
Marcello Schiattarella ◽  
...  

The Garigliano alluvial-coastal plain, at the Latium-Campania border (Italy), witnessed a long-lasting history of human-environment interactions, as demonstrated by the rich archaeological knowledge. With the aim of reconstructing the evolution of the landscape and its interaction with human activity during the last millennia, new pollen results from the coastal sector of the Garigliano Plain were compared with the available pollen data from other nearby sites. The use of pollen data from both the coastal and marine environment allowed integrating the local vegetation dynamics within a wider regional context spanning the last 8000 years. The new pollen data presented in this study derive from the analysis of a core, drilled in the coastal sector, which intercepted the lagoon-marshy environments that occurred in the plain as a response to the Holocene transgression and subsequent coastal progradation. Three radiocarbon ages indicate that the chronology of the analyzed core interval ranges from c. 7200 to c. 2000 cal yr BP. The whole data indicate that a dense forest cover characterized the landscape all along the Prehistoric period, when a few signs of human activity are recorded in the spectra, such as cereal crops, pasture activity and fires. The main environmental changes, forced by natural processes (coastal progradation) but probably enhanced by reclamation works, started from the Graeco-Roman period and led to the reduction of swampy areas that favoured the colonisation of the outer plain.


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