河北省文安洼湿地晚全新世环境变迁的孢粉记录

通过对河北省文安洼湿地沉积物孢粉组合特征、粒度的综合分析,重建了该地区晚全新世以来气候环境变化过程。研究结果表明,该地区晚全新世以来气候总体由凉湿转变为冷干,具体可以分为3个阶段:3 200-2 010cal.a B.P.以湿润气候为主;2 010-1 280cal.a B.P.气候偏冷干;1 280cal.a B.P.以来气候进一步冷干。小冰期以来(556-160cal.a B.P.),中华卷柏孢子持续高含量,伴随粗颗粒物质63μm含量的上升,表明小冰期以来,文安洼流域气候波动较大,雨水、干旱、洪水并存。     

北京地区全新世植被和气候变化研究进展

该文综述了北京地区全新世以来植被演替和气候变化的相关研究资料,这些资料反映了当前阶段对该地区该时段植被与气候环境格局特征的认识。北京地区全新世早期(约12 000–8 000 cal a B.P.)植被为森林草地和/或针叶树占主导的针阔混交林,森林中阔叶树类群逐渐增多,指示了气候由寒冷干燥转为温暖湿润;全新世中期(约8 000–2 000 cal a B.P.前后)植被为暖温带针阔混交林,指示暖湿气候;全新世晚期(约2 000 cal a B.P.以来)转为森林草地和/或针叶树占主导的针阔混交林,气候转向凉干。植被演替反映的湿润度变化与季风区其它地区变化趋势一致。值得注意的是,前人研究揭示北京地区山区与平原中植被类型和类群组成已经出现空间分异。今后如能深入开展定量古气候重建研究,有可能精确描述其气候变化的过程,增进中国不同地理单元同时期气候变化的对比。     

全新世以来长白山区孤山屯泥炭地炭屑记录与古火演化历史

长白山拥有亚洲目前保存较为完好的温带山地森林生态系统,由于近年来无火事件发生而积累了大量可燃物,火灾隐患逐年增加,重建古火历史找出火事件发生规律有助于现代火灾的有效防控。本文以长白山区孤山屯泥炭剖面的68个样品为研究载体,选取炭屑作为主要指标反演了长白山全新世以来的火事件演化历史;并结合前人利用孢粉、植硅体等代用指标重建的古环境、古气候特征,分析了火事件的成因机制。在11 686-10 883 cal aBP、7 336-2 624 cal aBP、2 624-1 189 cal aBP,炭屑浓度较高,古火事件发生频繁,强度较大;在10 883-7 336 cal aBP、1 189 cal aBP至今,炭屑浓度较低,古火事件发生频率较小,强度相对较弱。气候和植被对于火事件的影响贯穿了整个全新世时期,火事件多发生在寒冷干燥气候时期且以区域性火事件为主;近千年以来,人类活动与火山喷发对火事件的影响显著,局域性火事件比例逐渐增多。     

重庆忠县甘蔗丘遗址商周时期以来环境考古研究北大核心CSCD

通过对重庆忠县甘蔗丘遗址自商周时期以来的215cm厚的文化堆积层进行孢粉、炭屑和磁化率指标的综合研究。结果表明,商周时期出土器物丰富,磁化率值和炭屑浓度整体较高,但孢粉浓度很低,表明该地点处于一级阶地上,先人在此生活不仅用水方便,且因当时气候偏干凉,较少受到极端洪水灾害威胁,较高的炭屑表明了古人用火频繁。到唐宋时期中期,出土器物明显减少,孢粉浓度增大,且属种增多,尤其是喜湿植物孢粉浓度明显增大,可能表明该时期环境较为潮湿,居住地有可能受到洪水破坏,农业活动在遗址处开始发展,其炭屑浓度和磁化率值减小的特征也说明人类居住地迁出和土地性质已开始以初级农业活动为主。唐宋后期气候更为暖湿,区域降雨量增大,由于遗址区位于长江干流一级阶地上,易受洪水灾害的威胁,先民在该区的活动进一步减少。明清时期早期,孢粉浓度虽然变化不大,但水稻型禾本科花粉浓度大幅度增加,次生性的松属也相应较高,显示出人类农业活动增强,遗址地可能逐渐演变为农田;到了明清后期,炭屑浓度和磁化率值又逐渐增大并出现峰值,反映遗址区开始受到近代农业活动的强烈影响。     

云南发现的猴类化石及其地层意义——附一新种 Macaca jiangchuanensis sp.nov.记述

本文记述的云南江川、保山发现的三种猕猴类:江川猕猴(Macaca jiangchuanensis sp.nov.),早更新世;保山塘子沟的短尾猴(M.arctoides)和菲氏叶猴(Presbytis cf.phayrei),早全新世,经~(14)C年代测定约7000年B.P.。江川猕猴是联系西瓦立克地区和华北地区的早期猕猴类型,为南方早更新世猕猴种的首次记录。保山菲氏叶猴的发现意义则是在更新世一全新世时期猴科的地史和地理分布上增加了新的成员。     

太湖平原西北部全新世以来植被与环境变化

太湖平原西北部卜弋桥Zk01孔上部8m地层孢粉资料显示该地区自全新世以来植被与气候主要经历了三个阶段:1)11000—9500cal.aB.P.,地带性植被为壳斗科为主的亚热带常绿落叶针阔混交林。森林成分以栎属(Quercus)、青冈属(Cyclobalanopsis)、栗属(Castanea)、栲属(Castanopsis)/石栎属(Lithocarpus)和松属(Pinus)为主,同时混生有少量的枫香属(Liquidambar)、冬青属(Ilex)、水青冈属(Fagus)、桦属(Betula)、榆属(Ulmus)等乔灌木。本阶段孢粉浓度较高,气候较温暖湿润,为早全新世升温期;2)9500—3900cal.aB.P.,植被演替为中亚热带性质的常绿阔叶林。此阶段特别是8000cal.aB.P.以来,植被以青冈属为主的常绿分子获得大发展为特点。当时森林繁茂,气候暖湿且较为稳定,对应于中全新世大暖期(适宜期);3)3900cal.aB.P.以来,森林植被表现为次生性质的亚热带针阔混交林。青冈属、栎属骤减,松属、禾本科(Poaceae)及水龙骨科(Polypodiaceae)含量明显增升。本阶段孢粉浓度减为最低,据研究区周边的孢粉资料推测此时期气候温凉湿润。本阶段晚期森林植被受到人类的干扰,与人类活动密切相关的农作物如禾本科(35—45μm)、十字花科和菊科等花粉类型含量持续增多,表明研究区自全新世晚期以来出现了明显的人类活动的迹象。Zk01钻孔点位处古河道,磁化率和粒度证据揭示了研究点沉积环境全新世早期为河流相,水动力较强,中期水动力条件显著增强,晚期减弱。最后,结合孢粉资料和沉积环境简述了植被变化与沉积环境之间的关联。     

科尔沁沙地麦里地区晚全新世植被演化

根据一个泥炭剖面高分辨率花粉资料序列,初步重建了科尔沁沙地麦里地区晚全新世的植被演化过程。在3100 a BP以前,该地以固定沙丘上生长的蒙古栎(Quercus mongolica Fisch.)等阔叶疏林为主;以后随着半固定沙丘和流动沙丘增多,蒿属(Artemisia L.)和藜科等草本植物逐渐增加,而固定沙丘上的阔叶树则趋于减少。在1000～660 a BP期间,麦里地区几乎所有沙丘植物都经历了繁盛生长,蒙古栎种群的扩大尤其显著。3100 a BP以来植被和沙丘的演化可能同人类活动影响有直接关系,而1000～660 a BP期间的植物繁盛则由生长季雨量增加引起。花粉统计分析还表明,在森林草原等生态过渡带,花粉浓度和花粉沉积率比花粉百分比更好地指示了植被演化过程。     

哈尔滨黄土炭屑记录的中晚更新世以来古火活动及其驱动机制

炭屑是探索古火活动和人类用火及其驱动机制的重要指标,为研究古环境和古气候的演变提供了一种新的途径。我国东北地区的炭屑研究较为薄弱,仅有的少数研究集中在全新世,缺少更长时间的沉积记录。为此,我们对哈尔滨黄土炭屑和总有机碳(TOC)进行分析,以重建中晚更新世以来松嫩平原东部的古火活动与古植被-古气候间的关系,并进一步探讨古火活动的驱动机制。结果表明,哈尔滨黄土炭屑形态揭示研究区主要以木本植物为主,炭屑粒度特征记录本地区为区域性古火事件。哈尔滨黄土-古土壤炭屑浓度曲线与TOC曲线比较吻合,古土壤炭屑浓度高,在弱古土壤层L1S1呈现出逐渐增加的趋势,表明温度的上升和生物量增多导致古火活动较为增强,揭示出古火活动主要受控于生物量。通过与Rb/Sr比值、全球CO_2S浓度以及深海氧同位素的对比,发现古火还受温度条件的限制。温度作为触发因素,对植物的生长和古火的发生起到了积极的作用,即温度影响木本植物生长,较高的温度导致更密集的蒸发,较低的温度会导致较高的有效湿度,从而对火灾的发生和植物的生长产生影响,这也指示了古火-植被-气候之间的复杂性。     

孢粉、炭屑揭示的黔西高原MIS3b期间古植被、古气候演变

将孢粉与炭屑结合应用于贵州盘县坪地晚更新世剖面,对比高分辨率的NGRIPδ18O、石笋记录分析,用以揭示黔西高原MIS3b期古植被、古气候演变。结果显示:45.16—44.44 ka BP期间,孢粉缺失,炭屑少,说明此时植被稀少,气候寒冷,可能指示H5事件。44.44—44.04 ka BP期间,以禾本科、百合科为主的草本及喜冷湿的蕨类占优势,乔、灌木稀少。炭屑浓度低,但末期出现峰值,说明气候开始由冷湿向温干过渡。44.04—42.5 ka BP期间,禾本科草类继续增加,成为草原植物的主要成分;乔木种类增加,但含量不高。炭屑浓度高,峰值频繁出现,指示气侯温干。42.5—41.29 ka BP期间,草原萎缩,森林面积扩展。针叶、常绿及落叶阔叶林迅速扩展。炭屑浓度总体偏低稳定,指示该时期气候温凉湿润。总之,MIS3b整体较冷,干湿交替出现。     

全新世的中国犀类及其地理分布

全新世的中国犀类有苏门犀和爪哇犀两种,它们的分布区在全新世早期随气候的转暖而向北推进,到最为温暖的全新世中期,其北界达至黄河下游地区,在全新世的晚期犀类分布区又因抉的不断变冷而向南退缩,加之后期人类开发活动的影响,更使其分布区的退缩速度加剧。     

Human influences superseded climate to disrupt the 20th century fire regime in Jasper National Park,Canada

To enhance understanding of how climate and humans influenced historical fire occurrence in the montane forests of Jasper National Park, we crossdated fire-scar and tree age samples from 172 plots. We tested effects of drought and climatic variation driven by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific North American (PNA) pattern on fire occurrence. We also tested whether local droughts were associated with ENSO, PNA, Pacific Decadal Oscillation and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. We used a combination of instrumental and proxy-climate records to test whether climatic variation explained the absence of fire scars in our study area during the 20th century. From 1646 to 1915, 18 fires burned mainly during drier than average years. Drought years, but not fire years, were associated with positive ENSO and PNA indices, corresponding to warmer conditions with reduced snowpacks. Fire frequency varied through time, although no fire scars have formed since 1915. Potential recording trees present at all plots and climate conducive to fire over multiple years provide evidence that human influences superseded climatic variation to explain the lack of fire scars during the 20th century. Fire suppression significantly altered the fire regime after the formation of Jasper National Park, justifying the ongoing mechanical fuel treatments, prescribed and managed wildfires to improve forest resilience to climate change.     

Spatiotemporal Variations of Fire Frequency in Central Boreal Forest

Determination of the direct causal factors controlling wildfires is key to understanding wildfire–vegetation–climate dynamics in a changing climate and for developing sustainable management strategies for biodiversity conservation and maintenance of long-term forest productivity. In this study, we sought to understand how the fire frequency of a large mixedwood forest in the central boreal shield varies as a result of temporal and spatial factors. We reconstructed the fire history of an 11,600-km² area located in the northwestern boreal forest of Ontario, using archival data of large fires occurring since 1921 and dendrochronological dating for fires prior to 1921. The fire cycle decreased from 295 years for the period of 1820–1920 to approximately 100 years for the period of 1921–2008. Spatially, fire frequency increased with latitude, attributable to higher human activities that have increased fragmentation and fire suppression in the southern portion of the study area. Fire frequency also increased with distance to waterbodies, and was higher on Podzols that were strongly correlated with moderate drainage and coniferous vegetation. The temporal increase of fire frequency in the central region, unlike western and eastern boreal forests where fire frequency has decreased, may be a result of increased warm and dry conditions associated with climate change in central North America, suggesting that the response of wildfire to global climate change may be regionally individualistic. The significant spatial factors we found in this study are in agreement with other wildfire studies, indicating the commonality of the influences by physiographic features and human activities on regional fire regimes across the boreal forest. Overall, wildfire in the central boreal shield is more frequent than that in the wetter eastern boreal region and less frequent than that in the drier western boreal region, confirming a climatic top-down control on the fire activities of the entire North American boreal forest.     

Forest fire dynamics during the early and middle Holocene along the southern North Sea basin as shown by charcoal evidence from burnt ant nests

Based on a dataset of 434 radiocarbon dates and charcoal data from burnt abandoned ant nests which were formerly interpreted as Mesolithic hearth-pits, the correlation between short periods of abrupt climatic cooling and increased forest fires during the early and middle Holocene is studied. Despite dating calibration limits, the results indicate a clear synchronicity between the 9.3 ka event and widespread and repeated forest fires which occurred in a coniferous woodland environment dominated by Pinus sylvestris (pine). It is argued that the cold and dry climatic conditions resulted in an overall desiccation of pines, which became prone to wildfires. A similar correlation is tentatively suggested for the 8.2 ka event, though changing climate first affected vegetation by reintroducing pines followed by increased wildfires. Indications of forest fires possibly caused by humans only appear around 6,400/6,200 uncal bp, corresponding to the final stage of hunter-gatherers along the southern North Sea basin.     

云贵高原抚仙湖近13300年的花粉/炭屑记录*

抚仙湖是云贵高原著名的断陷深水湖,其沉积物蕴藏着流域地质历史时期丰富的环境信息。对钻取自该湖的900cm 湖泊沉积物岩芯进行花粉/炭屑分析及花粉数据的主成分分析表明,抚仙湖流域的植被、气候与火灾在过去的13 300年经历了5个阶段的变化：(1)13 300—10 400cal．a BP,植被以松林为主,伴有山地暗针叶林和常绿阔叶林,表明该时期气候较为冷湿,森林火灾多发,在后期随着温度和湿度的降低,森林火灾愈加频繁。(2)10 400—5 700cal．a BP,松林收缩,常绿阔叶林扩张,出现一定数量的落叶阔叶林,显示该时期气候偏暖偏干;此阶段早期随着气候变暖变干森林火灾的发生延续上阶段高发的状态,直到9 500cal．a BP后随着湿度的增加森林火灾明显减少。(3)5 700—1 800cal．a BP,松林变化较小,常绿/落叶阔叶林比重增大,首次出现了暖热性的枫香林,显示该时期暖湿的气候特征,火灾发生频率低。(4)1 800—500cal．a BP,松林扩张,阔叶林收缩,本阶段后期草本植被比重开始增加,显示该时期气候相对冷干,森林火灾发生频率较高。(5)500cal．a BP至今,松林收缩,落叶阔叶树种增多,草本植物花粉明显增多,显示该时期气候温凉偏干,森林火灾发生频率降低。     

New palaeoecological evidence for the potential role of fire in the Gran Sabana, Venezuelan Guayana, and implications for early human occupation

The neotropical Gran Sabana region of Venezuela is dominated by apparently anomalous vegetation types, treeless savannas and savanna-forest mosaics, considering the present-day warm and wet bioclimatic conditions. Past climatic changes and fire have been proposed as the more probable causes. Recent palynological studies show that savanna vegetation has been present since the beginning of the Holocene, but the earliest fires recorded so far only go back to 3,800 cal years b.p. This paper uses pollen and charcoal analyses to show the existence of early Holocene regional fires in the Gran Sabana, and to show the intimate connection between the proxies for fire (charcoal) and savanna vegetation (pollen) throughout the Holocene. Although the cause of such fires is not yet known, the possibility of early Holocene human occupation of the Gran Sabana is suggested.     

Charcoal‐inferred Holocene fire and vegetation history linked to drought periods in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The impact of Holocene drought events on the presumably stable Central African rainforest remains largely unexplored, in particular the significance of fire. High‐quality sedimentary archives are scarce, and palynological records mostly integrate over large regional scales subject to different fire regimes. Here, we demonstrate a direct temporal link between Holocene droughts, palaeofire and vegetation change within present‐day Central African rainforest, using records of identified charcoal fragments extracted from soil in the southern Mayumbe forest (Democratic Republic of Congo). We find three distinct periods of local palaeofire occurrence: 7.8–6.8 ka BP, 2.3–1.5 ka BP, 0.8 ka BP – present. These periods are linked to well‐known Holocene drought anomalies: the 8.2 ka BP event, the 3rd millennium BP rainforest crisis and the Mediaeval Climate Anomaly. During and after these Holocene droughts, the Central African rainforest landscape was characterized by a fragmented pattern with fire‐prone open patches. Some fires occurred during the drought anomalies although most fires seem to lag behind them, which suggests that the open patches remained fire‐prone after the actual climate anomalies. Charcoal identifications indicate that mature rainforest patches did persist through the Early to Mid‐Holocene climatic transition, the subsequent Holocene thermal optimum and the third millennium BP rainforest crisis, until 0.8 ka BP. However, disturbance and fragmentation were probably more prominent near the boundary of the southern Mayumbe forest. Furthermore, the dominance of pioneer and woodland savanna taxa in younger charcoal assemblages indicates that rainforest regeneration was hampered by increasingly severe drought conditions after 0.8 ka BP. These results support the notion of a dynamic forest ecosystem at multicentury time scales across the Central African rainforest.     

Holocene global warming and the origin of the Neotropical Gran Sabana in the Venezuelan Guayana

Aim The assumedly anomalous occurrence of savannas and forest–savanna mosaics in the Gran Sabana – a neotropical region under a climate more suitable for tropical rain forests – has been attributed to a variety of historical, climatic, and anthropogenic factors. This paper describes a previously undocumented shift in vegetation and climate that occurred during the early Holocene, and evaluates its significance for the understanding of the origin of the Gran Sabana vegetation. Location A treeless savanna locality of the Gran Sabana (4°30′–6°45′ N and 60°34′–62°50′ W), in the Venezuelan Guayana of northern South America, at the headwaters of the Caroní river, one of the major tributaries of the Orinoco river. Methods Pollen and charcoal analysis of a previously dated peat section spanning from about the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary until the present. Results Mesothermic cloud forests dominated by Catostemma (Bombacaceae) occupied the site around the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary. During the early Holocene, a progressive but relatively rapid trend towards savanna vegetation occurred, and eventually the former cloud forests were replaced by a treeless savanna. Some time after the establishment of savannas, a marked increase in charcoal particles indicates the occurrence of the first local fires. Main conclusions The occurrence of cloud forests at the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary contradicts the historical hypothesis according to which the Gran Sabana is a relict of the hypothetical widespread savannas that have been assumed to have dominated the region during the last glaciation. The first local fires recorded in the Holocene were on savanna vegetation, which is against the hypothesis of fire as the triggering factor for the establishment of these savannas. Climate change, in the form of global warming and a persistently drier climate, emerges as the most probable cause for the forest–savanna turnover.     

Regional and local controls on postglacial vegetation and fire in the Siskiyou Mountains, northern California, USA

The Siskiyou Mountains of northwestern California and southwestern Oregon are a floristic hotspot, and the high diversity of conifers there likely results from a combination of geological, ecological, climatological and historical factors. To evaluate how past climate variability has influenced the composition, structure and fire regime of the Siskiyou forests, pollen, charcoal, and lithological evidence was examined from two lakes along a moisture gradient to reconstruct the vegetation, fire and climate history. The late-glacial period was characterized by subalpine parkland and infrequent fire at both sites. During the late-glacial/Early Holocene transition period, subalpine parkland was replaced by a closed forest of Pinus, Cupressaceae, Abies and Pseudotsuga and more frequent fires a 1000 years earlier at the wetter site, and it is likely that reduced Pacific Ocean upwelling created warmer drier conditions at the coast. In the Early Holocene, Pinus, Cupressaceae were less abundant and fire less frequent at the coastal site during a period of increased coastal upwelling and fog production. In the Late Holocene, Abies, Pseudotsuga, Pinus, and Quercus vaccinifolia increased in the forest at both sites suggesting a widespread response to cooling. Fewer fires at the wetter site may account for the abundance of Picea breweriana within the last 1000 years. The comparison of the two records implies that large-scale controls in climate during the last 14,000 cal yr BP have resulted in major changes in vegetation and fire regime. Asynchrony in the ecosystem response of wetter and drier sites arises from small-scale spatial variations in effective moisture and temperature resulting from topographically-influenced microclimates and coastal-to-inland climate gradients.     

Changes in Soil Fungal Communities, Extracellular Enzyme Activities, and Litter Decomposition Across a Fire Chronosequence in Alaskan Boreal Forests

Wildfires are a pervasive disturbance in boreal forests, and the frequency and intensity of boreal wildfires is expected to increase with climate warming. Boreal forests store a large fraction of global soil organic carbon (C), but relatively few studies have documented how wildfires affect soil microbial communities and soil C dynamics. We used a fire chronosequence in upland boreal forests of interior Alaska with sites that were 1, 7, 12, 24, 55, ~90, and ~100 years post-fire to examine the short- and long-term responses of fungal community composition, fungal abundance, extracellular enzyme activity, and litter decomposition to wildfires. We hypothesized that post-fire changes in fungal abundance and community composition would constrain decomposition following fires. We found that wildfires altered the composition of soil fungal communities. The relative abundance of ascomycetes significantly increased following fire whereas basidiomycetes decreased. Post-fire decreases in basidiomycete fungi were likely attributable to declines in ectomycorrhizal fungi. Fungal hyphal lengths in the organic horizon significantly declined in response to wildfire, and they required at least 24 years to return to pre-fire levels. Post-fire reductions in fungal hyphal length were associated with decreased activities of hydrolytic extracellular enzymes. In support of our hypothesis, the decomposition rate of aspen and black spruce litter significantly increased as forests recovered from fire. Our results indicate that post-fire reductions in soil fungal abundance and activity likely inhibit litter decomposition following boreal wildfires. Slower rates of litter decay may lead to decreased heterotrophic respiration from soil following fires and contribute to a negative feedback to climate warming.