Pollen and plant macrofossils at Lac de Fully (2135 m a.s.l.): Holocene forest dynamics on a highland plateau in the Valais, Switzerland
We use pollen, stomata and plant-macrofossil records to infer Holocene timberline fluctuations and changes in forest composition at Lac Supérieur de Fully (2135 m a.s.l.), a small lake located near the modern regional timberline on a highland plateau in the Central Alps. Our records suggest that dur...
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ftunivutrecht:oai:dspace.library.uu.nl:1874/31260 2023-07-23T04:19:02+02:00 Pollen and plant macrofossils at Lac de Fully (2135 m a.s.l.): Holocene forest dynamics on a highland plateau in the Valais, Switzerland Finsinger, W. Tinner, W. 2007 image/pdf https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/31260 en eng 0959-6836 https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/31260 info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess Biologie Timberline tree line abrupt climate change Alps pollen plant macrofossils Holocene Valais Switzerland Article 2007 ftunivutrecht 2023-07-01T23:31:42Z We use pollen, stomata and plant-macrofossil records to infer Holocene timberline fluctuations and changes in forest composition at Lac Supérieur de Fully (2135 m a.s.l.), a small lake located near the modern regional timberline on a highland plateau in the Central Alps. Our records suggest that during the early Holocene vegetation was rather open on the plateau (eg, heaths of Dryas octopetala, Juniperus nana). The only tree that was able to build major stands was Betula. Other timberline trees (eg, Pinus cembra and Larix) expanded in the catchment of the lake after 8200 cal. BP, when Abies alba expanded at lower elevation. The late appearance of these timberline trees contrasts with previous plant-macrofossil records in the region, which show that the timberline had reached elevations up to at least 2350 m already at 11000 cal. BP. We suggest that local climatic conditions may have delayed the expansion of closed stands of coniferous trees in the catchment of Lac de Fully until c. 8200 cal. BP, when climate shifted to more humid and less continental conditions. After c . 4600 cal. BP vegetation around the lake primarily responded to human impact, which caused a local lowering of the timberline by at least 150 m. Article in Journal/Newspaper Dryas octopetala Utrecht University Repository |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Utrecht University Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftunivutrecht |
language |
English |
topic |
Biologie Timberline tree line abrupt climate change Alps pollen plant macrofossils Holocene Valais Switzerland |
spellingShingle |
Biologie Timberline tree line abrupt climate change Alps pollen plant macrofossils Holocene Valais Switzerland Finsinger, W. Tinner, W. Pollen and plant macrofossils at Lac de Fully (2135 m a.s.l.): Holocene forest dynamics on a highland plateau in the Valais, Switzerland |
topic_facet |
Biologie Timberline tree line abrupt climate change Alps pollen plant macrofossils Holocene Valais Switzerland |
description |
We use pollen, stomata and plant-macrofossil records to infer Holocene timberline fluctuations and changes in forest composition at Lac Supérieur de Fully (2135 m a.s.l.), a small lake located near the modern regional timberline on a highland plateau in the Central Alps. Our records suggest that during the early Holocene vegetation was rather open on the plateau (eg, heaths of Dryas octopetala, Juniperus nana). The only tree that was able to build major stands was Betula. Other timberline trees (eg, Pinus cembra and Larix) expanded in the catchment of the lake after 8200 cal. BP, when Abies alba expanded at lower elevation. The late appearance of these timberline trees contrasts with previous plant-macrofossil records in the region, which show that the timberline had reached elevations up to at least 2350 m already at 11000 cal. BP. We suggest that local climatic conditions may have delayed the expansion of closed stands of coniferous trees in the catchment of Lac de Fully until c. 8200 cal. BP, when climate shifted to more humid and less continental conditions. After c . 4600 cal. BP vegetation around the lake primarily responded to human impact, which caused a local lowering of the timberline by at least 150 m. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Finsinger, W. Tinner, W. |
author_facet |
Finsinger, W. Tinner, W. |
author_sort |
Finsinger, W. |
title |
Pollen and plant macrofossils at Lac de Fully (2135 m a.s.l.): Holocene forest dynamics on a highland plateau in the Valais, Switzerland |
title_short |
Pollen and plant macrofossils at Lac de Fully (2135 m a.s.l.): Holocene forest dynamics on a highland plateau in the Valais, Switzerland |
title_full |
Pollen and plant macrofossils at Lac de Fully (2135 m a.s.l.): Holocene forest dynamics on a highland plateau in the Valais, Switzerland |
title_fullStr |
Pollen and plant macrofossils at Lac de Fully (2135 m a.s.l.): Holocene forest dynamics on a highland plateau in the Valais, Switzerland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Pollen and plant macrofossils at Lac de Fully (2135 m a.s.l.): Holocene forest dynamics on a highland plateau in the Valais, Switzerland |
title_sort |
pollen and plant macrofossils at lac de fully (2135 m a.s.l.): holocene forest dynamics on a highland plateau in the valais, switzerland |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/31260 |
genre |
Dryas octopetala |
genre_facet |
Dryas octopetala |
op_relation |
0959-6836 https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/31260 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
_version_ |
1772181811482329088 |