Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Serge Payette, Pierre-Luc Couillard, Mathieu Fregeau, Jason Laflamme, Martin Lavoie
Summary: The Earth's climate has been rapidly warming since the beginning of the industrial era, leading to the need for terrestrial organisms to adapt. Migration is an effective method for survival and growth, but the rate at which tree species migrate due to climate change remains uncertain. This study used radiocarbon-dated macrofossils to examine the past migration velocity of jack pine and black spruce in North American boreal forest. The results showed that the migration velocity of jack pine varied based on different climatic conditions, while black spruce migrated at a faster rate.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
S. Yoshi Maezumi, William D. Gosling, Judith Kirschner, Manuel Chevalier, Henk L. Cornelissen, Thilo Heinecke, Crystal N. H. McMichael
Summary: This study extended the modern reference dataset of charcoal spectra and applied an analogue matching model to successfully estimate the pyrolysis temperature and the type of plant material burned, providing a new method for a better understanding of past fire regimes.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Elena Yu Novenko, Natalia G. Mazei, Dmitry A. Kupriyanov, Kirill Babeshko, Maria Kusilman, Inna S. Zyuganova, Andrey N. Tsyganov, Yuri A. Mazei, Leanne N. Phelps, Basil A. S. Davis
Summary: This paper presents a reconstruction of natural environmental dynamics, wildfires and vegetation change in northwest Putorana Plateau during the last 1300 years. The study reveals the main phases of regional paleoenvironmental change and recent increase in fire frequency.
Article
Forestry
Kristen L. Shive, Amarina Wuenschel, Linnea J. Hardlund, Sonia Morris, Marc D. Meyer, Sharon M. Hood
Summary: Ancient giant sequoias, highly valued for their size and longevity, are facing significant mortality due to increasing high-intensity wildfires caused by climate change and fire exclusion-caused fuel build-up. The study shows that fire damage to the lower tree bole and crown, as well as lower elevations, are linked to the mortality of large sequoias. Immediate action is needed to protect these irreplaceable resources and prioritize management actions that create fire resilience in unburned groves.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nan Zhang, Yawen Ge, Yuecong Li, Bing Li, Ruchun Zhang, Zhen Zhang, Baoshuo Fan, Wensheng Zhang, Guoqiang Ding
Summary: The study evaluated the pollen-vegetation relationships in the Taihang Mountains of North China, finding that the pollen spectra reliably reflect the vegetation landscape of different altitudinal zones. The estimated RSAP in the Taihang Mountains is approximately 600 meters, with the RPPs of dominant plant taxa ordered as Pinus > Hippophae > Caryophyllaceae > Betula > Quercus > Rhododendron > Artemisia > Asteraceae > Cyperaceae when using Poaceae as a reference taxon (RPP = 1). These results highlight the importance and complexity of RPP estimates in the Taihang Mountains, providing valuable implications for improving the accuracy of land-cover change reconstructions in the North China Plain.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Tyler Kukla, Anders Ahlstrom, S. Yoshi Maezumi, Manuel Chevalier, Zhengyao Lu, Matthew J. Winnick, C. Page Chamberlain
Summary: The Amazon forest has shown resilience to drying conditions in the mid-Holocene, likely due to weak feedbacks that amplify tree cover loss with drying. Modern tree cover is likely similarly resilient to mid-Holocene levels of aridification under limited human interference. Human-driven fire and deforestation pose a greater threat to the future of Amazon ecosystems than drying alone.
GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Ricardo M. Holdo, Jason E. Donaldson, Deusdedith M. Rugemalila, T. Michael Anderson
Summary: This study investigates the formation and growth of tree cover in the Serengeti National Park savanna. The results show that the distribution of tree cover discontinuities is influenced by local spatial processes rather than soil and climate factors. The formation of tree cover is influenced by growth rate and disturbance factors. The study also reveals that although trees can establish and grow in open grassland without tree cover, slow growth rate prevents them from escaping disturbance traps.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Kirill Babeshko, Anna Shkurko, Andrey N. Tsyganov, Elena E. Severova, Mariusz Galka, Richard J. Payne, Dmitri Mauquoy, Natalia G. Mazei, Yulia A. Fatynina, Elena D. Krasnova, Damir A. Saldaev, Dmitry A. Voronov, Elya Zazovskaya, Yuri A. Mazei
Summary: This study provides a new multi-proxy reconstruction of regional vegetation changes and peatland development in northeastern Fennoscandia during most of the Holocene. The research indicates that the vegetation cover in the area mainly resembled the northern taiga zone, with significant impact from recurring fires. Since 600 cal. yr. BP, the peatland and surrounding vegetation have reached a relatively stable state with minor changes.
Article
Geography, Physical
Sihan Sun, Yiyin Li
Summary: Reconstructing the history of tree cover and exploring the relationship between forest growth and environmental factors are important for predicting future vegetation changes and guiding ecosystem restoration and protection.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sisi Liu, Kai Li, Weihan Jia, Kathleen Rosmarie Stoof-Leichsenring, Xingqi Liu, Xianyong Cao, Ulrike Herzschuh
Summary: This study evaluates the dissimilarity between modern and fossil plant taxa assemblages in lake sediments from the south-eastern Tibetan Plateau and northern Siberia, revealing that sedDNA is more efficient in finding modern analogues compared to pollen. This suggests that a quantitative vegetation reconstruction based on sedaDNA using MAT is more reliable than pollen-based reconstructions due to the easier relationship between sedDNA assemblages and surrounding vegetation.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Emily Schumacher, Alissa Brown, Martin Williams, Jeanne Romero-Severson, Tannis Beardmore, Sean Hoban
Summary: Range shifts are important for determining species distributions and genetic patterns. This study re-investigates the genetic patterns of Juglans cinerea (butternut) and suggests that both glaciation and modern environmental conditions shape the genetic diversity of the species. The study also provides evidence of cryptic northern refugia for butternut based on pollen records and hindcast species distribution models. Thorough sampling and evaluating multiple lines of evidence are essential for understanding past species movements.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Cassandra Rowe, Emma Rehn, Michael Brand, Lindsay B. B. Hutley, Rainy Comley, Vladimir Levchenko, Costijn Zwart, Christopher M. M. Wurster, Michael I. Bird
Summary: This study explores the plant patterns in the Holocene era in the eucalypt savannas of northern Australia. It reveals that savannas are not homogeneous and are influenced by multiple dimensions of plant changes, such as climate-vegetation relationships and large disturbance events.
JOURNAL OF VEGETATION 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.
Article
Ecology
Megan P. Singleton, Andrea E. Thode, Andrew J. Sanchez Meador, Jose M. Iniguez
Summary: The study found varying regeneration densities among fires in high-severity burn patches, but regeneration in edge and core areas showed no significant differences. Ponderosa pine seedling establishment was more likely at higher elevation mesic sites, while shrub, grass, and Gambel oak cover negatively impacted seedling density.
Article
Geography, Physical
Carolina Senn, Willy Tinner, Vivian A. Felde, Erika Gobet, Jacqueline F. N. van Leeuwen, Cesar Morales-Molino
Summary: Reconstructing past vegetation and biodiversity dynamics using palaeoecological methods can help assess the current biodiversity crisis and predict future risks. Pollen analysis is commonly used to reconstruct vegetation and plant diversity changes over time, but calibration studies in the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot are lacking. Research in northern Greece found a good match between plant and pollen assemblages, with distinct pollen signatures for certain vegetation types and the impact of pine and oak pollen on overall representation.
Article
Geography, Physical
Elena Yu Novenko, Natalia G. Mazei, Dmitry A. Kupriyanov, Kirill Babeshko, Maria Kusilman, Inna S. Zyuganova, Andrey N. Tsyganov, Yuri A. Mazei, Leanne N. Phelps, Basil A. S. Davis
Summary: This paper presents a reconstruction of natural environmental dynamics, wildfires and vegetation change in northwest Putorana Plateau during the last 1300 years. The study reveals the main phases of regional paleoenvironmental change and recent increase in fire frequency.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jean Claude Ndayishimiye, Yuri Mazei, Kirill Babeshko, Andrey N. Tsyganov, Anatoly Bobrov, Natalia Mazei, Alexey Smirnov, Kexin Ren, Mamun Abdullah Al, Huihuang Chen, Wenping Wang, Damir Saldaev, Aleksandr Ivanovskii, Pascaline Nyirabuhoro, Jun Yang
Summary: Global urbanization has led to habitat fragmentation in cities, impacting microbial diversity and ecological processes. In this study, testate amoeba communities in urban parks in Moscow and Xiamen were compared, revealing differences in species richness and community composition across different biotopes. The importance of stochastic and deterministic processes in shaping microbial communities varied among biotopes.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrey N. Tsyganov, Elena A. Malysheva, Yuri A. Mazei, K. Anggi Hapsari, Hermann Behling, Supiandi Sabiham, Siria Biagioni, Valentyna Krashevska
Summary: This study aims to describe the morphospecies composition of sub-fossil testate amoebae in a tropical peatland in Central Sumatra during the Holocene and reconstruct the hydrological regime using morphospecies- and functional-trait-based approaches. The results show three main periods of peatland development and suggest that the morphospecies-based method provides a more reliable reconstruction compared to the functional trait-based method. Future studies on the functional and morphospecies composition of testate amoebae in a wider range of tropical peatlands are needed to improve the quality of hydrological reconstructions.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaoteng Lu, Xiaowen Yu, Igor Burkovsky, Anton Esaulov, Xiaolei Li, Yong Jiang, Yuri Mazei
Summary: The study investigated interstitial ciliates in the Kandalaksha Gulf of the White Sea and found that the community structure and diversity are becoming more homogeneous due to global climate change.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrey N. N. Tsyganov, Elena S. S. Chertoprud, Natalia G. G. Mazei, Anton S. S. Esaulov, Ivan P. P. Sadchikov, Yuri A. A. Mazei
Summary: Understanding the interactions between functional groups in ecosystems is crucial in ecology. In this study, we investigated the effects of macro- and micro-environmental characteristics as well as vegetation composition on the testate amoeba assemblages in Sphagnum-dominated mires. The results show that the species structure of the testate amoeba assemblages is mainly influenced by the local vegetation, especially bryophytes, while the micro-environmental characteristics have weaker effects.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elena S. Chertoprud, Anna A. Novichkova, Andrey N. Tsyganov, Lada V. Vorobjeva, Anton S. Esaulov, Sergey V. Krylenko, Yuri A. Mazei
Summary: Global climate change may lead to permafrost thaw and the formation of thermokarst landscapes, which release long-term carbon stocks and initiate a positive climate feedback. The role of invertebrates in thermokarst ecosystems is poorly understood. This study investigated the diversity and assemblage structures of various invertebrates in water bodies at different stages of thermokarst lake formation in Central Siberia. It was found that different environmental factors influenced the assemblage structures of different invertebrate groups, and smaller organisms may serve as indicators of ecosystem changes due to climate warming.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yuri A. Mazei, Andrey N. Tsyganov, Ekaterina G. Ershova, Natalia G. Mazei, Valery E. Pimenov, Elizaveta V. Kotlyarova, Natalia V. Kuzmenkova, Mikhail S. Paramonov, Artemii D. Chulei, Anastasiya D. Makarova, Ivan A. Zhirov, Anna A. Tsaregorodtseva, Marina V. Zhuravleva, Andrey V. Kitashov, Ping Ding, Stepan N. Kalmykov
Summary: The ecological restoration of Gorenki peatland began on the remnants of the floating peat in the early 20th century, gradually forming a Sphagnum bog through self-repair. In the last twenty years, agricultural activity has decreased and nearby pine forests have been restored, making the floating mat drier and more oligotrophic, which could lead to the formation of a bog in the absence of significant human impact.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ulrike Herzschuh, Thomas Boehmer, Manuel Chevalier, Raphael Hebert, Anne Dallmeyer, Chenzhi Li, Xianyong Cao, Odile Peyron, Larisa Nazarova, Elena Y. Novenko, Jungjae Park, Natalia A. Rudaya, Frank Schluetz, Lyudmila S. Shumilovskikh, Pavel E. Tarasov, Yongbo Wang, Ruilin Wen, Qinghai Xu, Zhuo Zheng
Summary: A poor spatial coverage of climate reconstructions, especially in Asia, may contribute to the mismatch between model and proxy data in Holocene climate change. This study explores the latitudinal and regional trends in temperature and precipitation based on pollen-based reconstructions, revealing distinct patterns and regional differences.
CLIMATE OF THE PAST
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ulrike Herzschuh, Thomas Boehmer, Chenzhi Li, Manuel Chevalier, Raphael Hebert, Anne Dallmeyer, Xianyong Cao, Nancy H. Bigelow, Larisa Nazarova, Elena Y. Novenko, Jungjae Park, Odile Peyron, Natalia A. Rudaya, Frank Schluetz, Lyudmila S. Shumilovskikh, Pavel E. Tarasov, Yongbo Wang, Ruilin Wen, Qinghai Xu, Zhuo Zheng
Summary: In this study, LegacyClimate 1.0 dataset is described, which reconstructs the mean July temperature (T-July), mean annual temperature (T-ann), and annual precipitation (P-ann) using 2594 fossil pollen records from the Northern Hemisphere throughout the Holocene period. Two reconstruction methods, the modern analog technique (MAT) and weighted averaging partial least squares regression (WA-PLS), show similar spatial and temporal patterns. To improve the accuracy of the reconstructions, customized reconstructions using modern pollen data are provided to reduce the impact of precipitation on temperature reconstruction, and vice versa. The dataset is useful for synthesis studies, evaluating climate models, and improving the models themselves.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Huyue Song, Shixue Hu, Michael Benton, Dayong Jiang
Summary: This article examines the end Permian to Middle Triassic interval, which witnessed a significant marine mass extinction and delayed recovery. The focus is on Triassic marine sediments in South China, providing unique documentation of the collapse and recovery of marine ecosystems. Several papers analyze different fossils and their ecological significance, while others study biostratigraphy, reconstruct paleoenvironments, and link records to volcanic eruptions.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Mohammad Firoze Quamar, Upasana Swaroop Banerji, Biswajeet Thakur, Ratan Kar
Summary: The Indian Summer Monsoon is a crucial component of the Asian Monsoon System, impacting rainfall, agricultural productivity, and socio-economic growth in India and nearby regions. The central monsoon zone in India is more responsive to strong monsoon phases than weak ones.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Maria Laura Balestrieri, Valerio Olivetti, David Chew, Luca Zurli, Massimiliano Zattin, Foteini Drakou, Gianluca Cornamusini, Matteo Perotti
Summary: This study presents a multidisciplinary provenance study on legacy cores drilled in the central Ross Sea, Antarctica, providing insights into the oscillation of ice flows and advance and retreat phases of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
P. Depuydt, S. Toucanne, C. Barras, S. Le Houedec, M. Mojtahid
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive overview of the dynamics of the upper branch of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in the mid-latitudes of the Northeast Atlantic. It focuses on the European Slope Current (ESC) and its glacial equivalent known as the Glacial Eastern Boundary Current (GEBC). The study reveals significant changes in flow strength and ventilation during the glacial and deglaciation periods, as well as a gradual weakening of the slope current during the Holocene.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Junhee Park, Holly J. Stein, Judith L. Hannah, Svetoslav V. Georgiev, Oyvind Hammer, Snorre Olaussen
Summary: This study reports new Re-Os ages for black shales from Svalbard and evaluates the paleoenvironment during organic-rich shale deposition. The study also proposes correlations of specific Late Jurassic ammonite zones between the Boreal and Tethyan realms.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Guocheng Dong, Weijian Zhou, Feng Xian, Yunchong Fu, Li Zhang, Ling Tang, Pengkai Ding
Summary: The cause of ice-age cycles is still not fully understood, and studying the timing and magnitude of mountain glaciations can provide valuable insights. This study presents new dating results from the Niqingqu Valley in the Tibetan Plateau, showing multiple glacial activities prior to the Penultimate Glacial Maximum. The findings suggest that low atmospheric CO2 content and reduced summer solar insolation/high summer-monsoon precipitation played a role in these glacial fluctuations.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Haoran Dong, Zhitong Chen, Yucheng Wang, Jie Chen, Zhiping Zhang, Zhongwei Shen, Xinwei Yan, Jianbao Liu
Summary: Through sediment records from Lake Nanyi in the lower Yangtze, we found that anthropogenic fire activity played a dominant role in the region, and the temporal pattern of fire activity was asynchronous from east to west. Archaeological evidence suggests an inverse relationship between agricultural and population levels and fire intensity during the mid-Holocene, with fire intensity being influenced by the diversity of landscape types associated with pre-historic subsistence patterns. Overall, changes in regional water-level delayed the transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture in the lower Yangtze region.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Giovanni Coletti, Giulia Bosio, Alberto Collareta, Or Mordecai Bialik, Eleonora Regattieri, Irene Cornacchia, Gianni Insacco, John Buckeridge
Summary: This paper argues that sessile barnacles are an excellent proxy for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. The shells of barnacles consist of diagenetically stable low-magnesium calcite and record short-term variations. Analyses of several Western Mediterranean barnacle-rich deposits demonstrate the utility of barnacles as proxies for water depth, distance from the coastline, and hydrodynamic conditions. Moreover, the stable isotope ratios of barnacle shells can provide detailed palaeoenvironmental information.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Feng Wu, Xinong Xie, Wen Yan, Youhua Zhu, Beichen Chen, Jianuo Chen, Mo Zhou
Summary: This paper describes the Quaternary evolution of Meiji Atoll in the southern South China Sea. The findings show how variations in sea surface temperature, eustatic sea level, and tectonics have influenced the development of the atoll. These findings have broader implications for understanding the Quaternary evolution of similar tropical carbonate atolls in the region.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Ana Mateos, Ericson Hoelzchen, Jesus Rodriguez
Summary: The Epivillafranchian and the transition to the Galerian was a period of environmental fluctuations and faunal turnover. Hominins and giant hyenas could coexist during the Epivillafranchian, but the transition to the Galerian led to a disruption of the scavenging niche, coinciding with the extinction of P. brevirostris.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Tianyu Du, Wensheng Zhang, Bing Li, Linjing Liu, Yuecong Li, Yawen Ge, Shiyong Yu
Summary: This article presents sedimentary evidence for a dramatic channel displacement of the lower Yellow River about 3000-2600 years ago, and explains the impact of this displacement on the geomorphology and human migration.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Johann Mueller, Michael M. Joachimski, Oliver Lehnert, Peep Mannik, Yadong Sun
Summary: The Late Ordovician mass extinction occurred during an ice age, with maximum ice coverage and a substantial drop in global sea level. This led to the exposure or shallowing of shallow tropical shelf environments. The study suggests that the burial rate of nutrient phosphorus (P) on shelves was minimal during this glacial period, leading to excess bioavailable P entering the open ocean and stimulating phytoplankton production, which in turn lowered oxygen concentrations.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Marina Addante, Patrizia Maiorano, Giovanna Scopelliti, Angela Girone, Maria Marino, Samanta Trotta, Antonio Caruso
Summary: This study presents the first high-resolution results on planktonic foraminiferal stable oxygen isotopes and calcareous plankton assemblages, providing insights into the glacial-interglacial variability and North Atlantic climate variability. The research also reveals evidence of the first significant southward migration of the Subarctic Front in the mid-latitudes.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Bing-Cai Liu, Rui-Wen Zong, Kai Wang, Jiao Bai, Yi Wang, Hong-He Xu
Summary: Phytogeography plays a vital role in the evolution of plants. This paper describes a new species of a spore-bearing plant from the upper Silurian period in West Junggar, China. By analyzing global Silurian macrofossil records, the study reveals the spatial-temporal distribution of Silurian plant macrofossils and identifies two phytogeographic realms during the Pridoli Epoch.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Francois Fournier, Thomas Teillet, Alexis Licht, Jean Borgomano, Lucien Montaggioni
Summary: This study investigates the temporal evolution of neritic carbonates in the proto-South China Sea to reconstruct East Asian monsoonal currents and winds during the middle to late Paleogene. The results highlight that many of the features of the summer East Asian Monsoon large-scale circulation are rooted in the middle Paleogene.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)