The role of climate, forest fires and human population size in Holocene vegetation dynamics in Fennoscandia

Abstract Questions We investigated the changing role of climate, forest fires and human population size in the broad‐scale compositional changes in Holocene vegetation dynamics before and after the onset of farming in Sweden (at 6,000 cal yr BP) and in Finland (at 4,000 cal yr BP). Location Southern...

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Published in:Journal of Vegetation Science
Main Authors: Kuosmanen, Niina, Marquer, Laurent, Tallavaara, Miikka, Molinari, Chiara, Zhang, Yurui, Alenius, Teija, Edinborough, Kevan, Pesonen, Petro, Reitalu, Triin, Renssen, Hans, Trondman, Anna‐Kari, Seppä, Heikki
Other Authors: Giesecke, Thomas, Grantová Agentura České Republiky, Academy of Finland
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018
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Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12601
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spelling crwiley:10.1111/jvs.12601 2024-10-06T13:48:32+00:00 The role of climate, forest fires and human population size in Holocene vegetation dynamics in Fennoscandia Kuosmanen, Niina Marquer, Laurent Tallavaara, Miikka Molinari, Chiara Zhang, Yurui Alenius, Teija Edinborough, Kevan Pesonen, Petro Reitalu, Triin Renssen, Hans Trondman, Anna‐Kari Seppä, Heikki Giesecke, Thomas Grantová Agentura České Republiky Academy of Finland 2018 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12601 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fjvs.12601 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jvs.12601 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Journal of Vegetation Science volume 29, issue 3, page 382-392 ISSN 1100-9233 1654-1103 journal-article 2018 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12601 2024-09-11T04:12:48Z Abstract Questions We investigated the changing role of climate, forest fires and human population size in the broad‐scale compositional changes in Holocene vegetation dynamics before and after the onset of farming in Sweden (at 6,000 cal yr BP) and in Finland (at 4,000 cal yr BP). Location Southern and central Sweden, SW and SE Finland. Methods Holocene regional plant abundances were reconstructed using the REVEALS model on selected fossil pollen records from lakes. The relative importance of climate, fires and human population size on changes in vegetation composition was assessed using variation partitioning. Past climate variable was derived from the LOVECLIM climate model. Fire variable was reconstructed from sedimentary charcoal records. Estimated trend in human population size was based on the temporal distribution of archaeological radiocarbon dates. Results Climate explains the highest proportion of variation in vegetation composition during the whole study period in Sweden (10,000–4,000 cal yr BP) and in Finland (10,000–1,000 cal yr BP), and during the pre‐agricultural period. In general, fires explain a relatively low proportion of variation. Human population size has significant effect on vegetation dynamics after the onset of farming and explains the highest variation in vegetation in S Sweden and SW Finland. Conclusions Mesolithic hunter‐gatherer populations did not significantly affect vegetation composition in Fennoscandia, and climate was the main driver of changes at that time. Agricultural communities, however, had greater effect on vegetation dynamics, and the role of human population size became a more important factor during the late Holocene. Our results demonstrate that climate can be considered the main driver of long‐term vegetation dynamics in Fennoscandia. However, in some regions the influence of human population size on Holocene vegetation changes exceeded that of climate and has a longevity dating to the early Neolithic. Article in Journal/Newspaper Fennoscandia Wiley Online Library Journal of Vegetation Science 29 3 382 392
institution Open Polar
collection Wiley Online Library
op_collection_id crwiley
language English
description Abstract Questions We investigated the changing role of climate, forest fires and human population size in the broad‐scale compositional changes in Holocene vegetation dynamics before and after the onset of farming in Sweden (at 6,000 cal yr BP) and in Finland (at 4,000 cal yr BP). Location Southern and central Sweden, SW and SE Finland. Methods Holocene regional plant abundances were reconstructed using the REVEALS model on selected fossil pollen records from lakes. The relative importance of climate, fires and human population size on changes in vegetation composition was assessed using variation partitioning. Past climate variable was derived from the LOVECLIM climate model. Fire variable was reconstructed from sedimentary charcoal records. Estimated trend in human population size was based on the temporal distribution of archaeological radiocarbon dates. Results Climate explains the highest proportion of variation in vegetation composition during the whole study period in Sweden (10,000–4,000 cal yr BP) and in Finland (10,000–1,000 cal yr BP), and during the pre‐agricultural period. In general, fires explain a relatively low proportion of variation. Human population size has significant effect on vegetation dynamics after the onset of farming and explains the highest variation in vegetation in S Sweden and SW Finland. Conclusions Mesolithic hunter‐gatherer populations did not significantly affect vegetation composition in Fennoscandia, and climate was the main driver of changes at that time. Agricultural communities, however, had greater effect on vegetation dynamics, and the role of human population size became a more important factor during the late Holocene. Our results demonstrate that climate can be considered the main driver of long‐term vegetation dynamics in Fennoscandia. However, in some regions the influence of human population size on Holocene vegetation changes exceeded that of climate and has a longevity dating to the early Neolithic.
author2 Giesecke, Thomas
Grantová Agentura České Republiky
Academy of Finland
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Kuosmanen, Niina
Marquer, Laurent
Tallavaara, Miikka
Molinari, Chiara
Zhang, Yurui
Alenius, Teija
Edinborough, Kevan
Pesonen, Petro
Reitalu, Triin
Renssen, Hans
Trondman, Anna‐Kari
Seppä, Heikki
spellingShingle Kuosmanen, Niina
Marquer, Laurent
Tallavaara, Miikka
Molinari, Chiara
Zhang, Yurui
Alenius, Teija
Edinborough, Kevan
Pesonen, Petro
Reitalu, Triin
Renssen, Hans
Trondman, Anna‐Kari
Seppä, Heikki
The role of climate, forest fires and human population size in Holocene vegetation dynamics in Fennoscandia
author_facet Kuosmanen, Niina
Marquer, Laurent
Tallavaara, Miikka
Molinari, Chiara
Zhang, Yurui
Alenius, Teija
Edinborough, Kevan
Pesonen, Petro
Reitalu, Triin
Renssen, Hans
Trondman, Anna‐Kari
Seppä, Heikki
author_sort Kuosmanen, Niina
title The role of climate, forest fires and human population size in Holocene vegetation dynamics in Fennoscandia
title_short The role of climate, forest fires and human population size in Holocene vegetation dynamics in Fennoscandia
title_full The role of climate, forest fires and human population size in Holocene vegetation dynamics in Fennoscandia
title_fullStr The role of climate, forest fires and human population size in Holocene vegetation dynamics in Fennoscandia
title_full_unstemmed The role of climate, forest fires and human population size in Holocene vegetation dynamics in Fennoscandia
title_sort role of climate, forest fires and human population size in holocene vegetation dynamics in fennoscandia
publisher Wiley
publishDate 2018
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12601
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fjvs.12601
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jvs.12601
genre Fennoscandia
genre_facet Fennoscandia
op_source Journal of Vegetation Science
volume 29, issue 3, page 382-392
ISSN 1100-9233 1654-1103
op_rights http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12601
container_title Journal of Vegetation Science
container_volume 29
container_issue 3
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