Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Patricia L. Fall, Peter J. van Hengstum, Lisa Lavold-Foote, Jeffrey P. Donnelly, Nancy A. Albury, Anne E. Tamalavage
Summary: The study confirms the arrival of Lucayans on Great Abaco Island through proxy data, marking a transition in landscape dynamics with increased burning and conversion to pine forests. The landscape on the island underwent significant changes following the arrival of the Lucayans, leading to a decline in pine forests between 1500 and 1670 CE. Any future intensification of hurricane activity in the tropical North Atlantic Ocean poses a threat to the sustainability of modern pine forests in the northern Bahamas.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zoe A. Thomas, Scott Mooney, Haidee Cadd, Andy Baker, Chris Turney, Larissa Schneider, Alan Hogg, Simon Haberle, Ken Green, Laura S. Weyrich, Vilma Perez, Nicole E. Moore, Atun Zawadzki, Sarah J. Kelloway, Stuart J. Khan
Summary: The study reveals a warming trend in the Australian alpine region over the past 3500 years, with a pronounced climate anomaly between 1000 and 1600 cal yrs. BP. Vegetation shifts occurred during this warm period, characterized by a decline in alpine species and an increase in open woodland taxa, along with an increase in regional fire activity.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michal Slowinski, Milena Obremska, Dashtseren Avirmed, Michal Woszczyk, Saruulzaya Adiya, Dominika Lucow, Agnieszka Mroczkowska, Agnieszka Halas, Witold Szczucinski, Andrzej Kruk, Mariusz Lamentowicz, Joanna Stanczak, Natalia Rudaya
Summary: This study investigates the fire history of Northern Mongolia over the past 1000 years using various analysis methods. The results indicate that most fires in the region were likely caused by natural factors, potentially related to prolonged droughts caused by heatwaves. The study also reveals the link between fires and the local climate phenomenon known as "dzud".
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Cecile C. Remy, Gwenael Magne, Normunds Stivrins, Tuomas Aakala, Hugo Asselin, Heikki Seppae, Tomi Luoto, Nauris Jasiunas, Adam A. A. Ali
Summary: Climate change is expected to increase wildfire activity in boreal ecosystems, threatening the carbon stocks of these forests. Understanding fire regimes and their relationship with climate and vegetation is crucial for anticipating the impact of climate change. However, the lack of long-term knowledge hinders this understanding in Fennoscandia.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Maria Ntinou
Summary: The study of well-preserved wood charcoal from cave sites in southeastern Greece reveals changes in vegetation from the late Pleistocene to the early Holocene. Specific markers of vegetation change, such as Olea europaea and Quercus, show variations in response to climate conditions. The anthracological evidence from different caves tracks shifts in vegetation patterns through different climatic periods.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Biology
Majoi N. Nascimento, Britte M. Heijink, Mark B. Bush, William D. Gosling, Crystal N. H. McMichael
Summary: By analyzing lake sediments, we found that the vegetation changes in Amazonia during the early to mid-Holocene were gradual and influenced by human land-use. The timing of human occupation and plant cultivation varied across different regions, highlighting the spatial-temporal heterogeneity of the Amazon.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Monica Ruiz-Alonso, Daniel Abel-Schaad, Jose Antonio Lopez-Saez, Rafael M. Martinez Sanchez, Juan Carlos Vera-Rodriguez, Guillem Perez-Jorda, Leonor Pena-Chocarro, Francisca Alba-Sanchez
Summary: This work presents anthracological and archaeopalynological results obtained from three sites in North Morocco, assessing vegetation composition and human impact on the landscape. The study revealed a progressive retreat of tree cover and extensive spread of grasslands as the main features of vegetation dynamics in the area from the Paleolithic to historic times.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Fengwen Liu, Shanjia Zhang, Hucai Zhang, Guanghui Dong
Summary: The study reveals that in the prehistoric period of the northeast Tibetan Plateau, humans mainly collected needleleaf trees, broadleaved trees, and shrubs around their habitation areas. There was a clear spatial difference in the woody assemblage collected by humans from 3600 to 2300 BP, likely related to the diversity of natural environments in local areas.
SCIENCE CHINA-EARTH SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kiran K. Sehra, Douglas C. MacMillan
Summary: The study found that consumers were willing to pay the highest premium for organic rice, followed by rice that conserves target species, especially bird species, and rice produced in traditional Satoyama landscapes. Despite the potential benefits of a WFFSatoyama program for public and rural livelihoods, challenges to widespread adoption include an ageing farming population, lack of business skills and technical capacity, and obstacles from Japanese land use policies.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sergio Augusto Santos Xavier, Francisca Soares de Araujo, Marie Pierre Ledru
Summary: Understanding vegetation dynamics is crucial for interpreting long-term ecological changes in northeastern Brazil. This study analyzed a high-resolution record from the Cerrado landscape and found that vegetation underwent restructuring during dry and wet periods. The study also revealed the impact of historical human activities on vegetation changes, including fires and deforestation.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
S. Gorbarenko, X. Shi, A. Bosin, Y. Liu, A. Artemova, J. Zou, E. Yanchenko, Y. Vasilenko, Y. Wu, L. Hu
Summary: By correlating data from three cores in the Sea of Japan with records from Greenland ice and Chinese cave stalagmites, researchers were able to reconstruct the formation timing and mechanisms of dark layers over the past 40,000 years. This allowed for a deeper understanding of how the sea basin responded to climate and sea level changes during different periods.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Thomas J. Rodengen, Marlow G. Pellatt, Karen E. Kohfeld
Summary: A paleoecological investigation of two montane lakes in southeast British Columbia, Canada, reveals changes in vegetation in response to climate and fire throughout the Holocene. Comparison of the records from Marion Lake and Dog Lake shows unique responses of ecosystems in topographically complex regions. Future warming may result in shifts in vegetation, with the Montane Spruce transitioning to an Interior Douglas Fir dominated landscape and the Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir becoming more forested or developing into a grassland-like landscape.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Paramita Punwong, Sureeporn Promplin, Charinee Lomchantrasilp, Pornuma Soonthornampaipong, Apichaya Englong, Rob Marchant, Katherine Selby, Prae Chirawatkul
Summary: The study reconstructs the environmental changes and human activities in a mangrove ecosystem in Bang Khun Thian, south of Bangkok, Thailand through the analyses of pollen, charcoal, organic carbon, carbonate, particle size, heavy metals and radiocarbon dating. It shows that fluctuating sea levels have played a significant role in supporting mangrove establishment and there have been changes in vegetation and human activities over time.
VEGETATION HISTORY AND ARCHAEOBOTANY
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Canh Tien Trinh Nguyen, Patrick Moss, Robert J. Wasson, Philip Stewart, Alan D. Ziegler
Summary: The study of pollen, microcharcoal, and sediment materials in the Nee Soon Freshwater Swamp Forest in Singapore revealed its over 20,000-year history, including the presence of a savanna corridor during the Last Glacial Maximum, evidence of dryer climate and fires, missing sediments likely due to construction work in the 1950s, sea-level influences, and the swamp not being a peatland. The forest in this protected area of Singapore developed from a grassland-dominated landscape after the Last Glacial Maximum, possibly making it less resilient to long-term drought conditions, and the swamp and stream system show high levels of dynamism.
JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Mariusz Galka, Milena Obremska, Angelica Feurdean
Summary: Long-term ecological studies can provide valuable insights into the resilience of forest ecosystems against past climate change and human disturbances. In this study, a 2200-year-long record of forest development in north-eastern Poland was analyzed using paleobotanical proxies. The findings reveal that the forest remained in a near pristine state until 900 AD, followed by a semi-natural state until 1500 AD. After 1500 AD, coniferous trees became the dominant forest component. The 17th century witnessed massive deforestation and continued human impact, leading to a significant decline in deciduous tree cover. Despite climatic shifts and sustained human activities, Quercus remained a stable forest component until 1500 AD. The study emphasizes the importance of Quercus stability for forest management strategies, as future climate changes are expected to impact forest composition and structure. The results suggest the need for increased abundance of deciduous tree species and reduced conifer cover in the Suwalki region. The study also highlights regional differences in forest development, indicating the influence of local hydrology, geomorphology, and human activity on forest composition.