Postglacial Vegetation and Climate Change in the Northern Bristol Bay Region, Southwestern Alaska

Abstract Pollen analysis of sediment cores from Grandfather and Ongivinuk Lakes reveals a record of postglacial vegetation and climate change in the northern Bristol Bay region. The chronology is based on six conventional 14 C dates of bulk organic matter from the Grandfather core. A mesic herb tund...

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Published in:Quaternary Research
Main Authors: Hu, Feng Sheng, Brubaker, Linda B., Anderson, Patricia M.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1995
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/qres.1995.1044
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spelling crcambridgeupr:10.1006/qres.1995.1044 2024-09-15T18:39:40+00:00 Postglacial Vegetation and Climate Change in the Northern Bristol Bay Region, Southwestern Alaska Hu, Feng Sheng Brubaker, Linda B. Anderson, Patricia M. 1995 http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/qres.1995.1044 http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0033589485710447?httpAccept=text/xml http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0033589485710447?httpAccept=text/plain https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033589400038424 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Quaternary Research volume 43, issue 3, page 382-392 ISSN 0033-5894 1096-0287 journal-article 1995 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1006/qres.1995.1044 2024-07-17T04:04:37Z Abstract Pollen analysis of sediment cores from Grandfather and Ongivinuk Lakes reveals a record of postglacial vegetation and climate change in the northern Bristol Bay region. The chronology is based on six conventional 14 C dates of bulk organic matter from the Grandfather core. A mesic herb tundra dominated the landscape 13,000-9800 yr B.P. Betula shrubs probably first appeared in the region 11,300 yr B.P. but were restricted to favorable microhabitats until 9800 yr B.P. The later establishment of Betula shrubs and relatively low Betula pollen abundance in these records compared to other areas of eastern Beringia suggest that postglacial warming in southwestern Alaska was dampened by regional climatic controls, possibly low sea-surface temperatures of the North Pacific Ocean. Between 10,800 and 9800 yr B.P., diminished Betula shrub cover, along with decreased aquatic productivity as recorded by Pediastrum cell nets and biogenic silica, suggest a brief reversion to colder and drier climatic conditions possibly associated with the Younger Dryas event. Around 9800 yr B.P., Betula shrub tundra and meadow communities expanded, probably in response to increased temperature and precipitation. Alnus arrived and formed extensive thickets within the region ca. 7400 yr B.P. The establishment of the modern boreal forest-tundra ecotone is marked by the arrival of Picea glauca at Grandfather Lake ca. 4000 yr B.P. and the subsequent increase to present population densities ca. 2000 yr B.P. The unique features of these pollen records emphasize the spatial complexity of late Quaternary vegetation and climate history in eastern Beringia. Article in Journal/Newspaper Tundra Alaska Beringia Cambridge University Press Quaternary Research 43 3 382 392
institution Open Polar
collection Cambridge University Press
op_collection_id crcambridgeupr
language English
description Abstract Pollen analysis of sediment cores from Grandfather and Ongivinuk Lakes reveals a record of postglacial vegetation and climate change in the northern Bristol Bay region. The chronology is based on six conventional 14 C dates of bulk organic matter from the Grandfather core. A mesic herb tundra dominated the landscape 13,000-9800 yr B.P. Betula shrubs probably first appeared in the region 11,300 yr B.P. but were restricted to favorable microhabitats until 9800 yr B.P. The later establishment of Betula shrubs and relatively low Betula pollen abundance in these records compared to other areas of eastern Beringia suggest that postglacial warming in southwestern Alaska was dampened by regional climatic controls, possibly low sea-surface temperatures of the North Pacific Ocean. Between 10,800 and 9800 yr B.P., diminished Betula shrub cover, along with decreased aquatic productivity as recorded by Pediastrum cell nets and biogenic silica, suggest a brief reversion to colder and drier climatic conditions possibly associated with the Younger Dryas event. Around 9800 yr B.P., Betula shrub tundra and meadow communities expanded, probably in response to increased temperature and precipitation. Alnus arrived and formed extensive thickets within the region ca. 7400 yr B.P. The establishment of the modern boreal forest-tundra ecotone is marked by the arrival of Picea glauca at Grandfather Lake ca. 4000 yr B.P. and the subsequent increase to present population densities ca. 2000 yr B.P. The unique features of these pollen records emphasize the spatial complexity of late Quaternary vegetation and climate history in eastern Beringia.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Hu, Feng Sheng
Brubaker, Linda B.
Anderson, Patricia M.
spellingShingle Hu, Feng Sheng
Brubaker, Linda B.
Anderson, Patricia M.
Postglacial Vegetation and Climate Change in the Northern Bristol Bay Region, Southwestern Alaska
author_facet Hu, Feng Sheng
Brubaker, Linda B.
Anderson, Patricia M.
author_sort Hu, Feng Sheng
title Postglacial Vegetation and Climate Change in the Northern Bristol Bay Region, Southwestern Alaska
title_short Postglacial Vegetation and Climate Change in the Northern Bristol Bay Region, Southwestern Alaska
title_full Postglacial Vegetation and Climate Change in the Northern Bristol Bay Region, Southwestern Alaska
title_fullStr Postglacial Vegetation and Climate Change in the Northern Bristol Bay Region, Southwestern Alaska
title_full_unstemmed Postglacial Vegetation and Climate Change in the Northern Bristol Bay Region, Southwestern Alaska
title_sort postglacial vegetation and climate change in the northern bristol bay region, southwestern alaska
publisher Cambridge University Press (CUP)
publishDate 1995
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/qres.1995.1044
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genre Tundra
Alaska
Beringia
genre_facet Tundra
Alaska
Beringia
op_source Quaternary Research
volume 43, issue 3, page 382-392
ISSN 0033-5894 1096-0287
op_rights https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1006/qres.1995.1044
container_title Quaternary Research
container_volume 43
container_issue 3
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