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The use of modelling and simulation approach in reconstructing past landscapes from fossil pollen data: a review and results from the POLLANDCAL network

Gaillard, Marie-Jose ; Sugita, Shinya ; Bunting, M. Jane ; Middleton, Richard ; Broström, Anna LU ; Caseldine, Christopher ; Giesecke, Thomas ; Hellman, Sophie E. V. ; Hicks, Sheila and Hjelle, Kari , et al. (2008) In Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 17(5). p.419-443
Abstract
Information on past land cover in terms of absolute areas of different landscape units (forest, open land, pasture land, cultivated land, etc.) at local to regional scales is needed to test hypotheses and answer questions related to climate change (e.g. feedbacks effects of land-cover change), archaeological research, and nature conservancy (e.g. management strategy). The palaeoecological technique best suited to achieve quantitative reconstruction of past vegetation is pollen analysis. A simulation approach developed by Sugita (the computer model POLLSCAPE) which uses models based on the theory of pollen analysis is presented together with examples of application. POLLSCAPE has been adopted as the central tool for POLLANDCAL... (More)
Information on past land cover in terms of absolute areas of different landscape units (forest, open land, pasture land, cultivated land, etc.) at local to regional scales is needed to test hypotheses and answer questions related to climate change (e.g. feedbacks effects of land-cover change), archaeological research, and nature conservancy (e.g. management strategy). The palaeoecological technique best suited to achieve quantitative reconstruction of past vegetation is pollen analysis. A simulation approach developed by Sugita (the computer model POLLSCAPE) which uses models based on the theory of pollen analysis is presented together with examples of application. POLLSCAPE has been adopted as the central tool for POLLANDCAL (POLlen/LANdscape CALibration), an international research network focusing on this topic. The theory behind models of the pollen-vegetation relationship and POLLSCAPE is reviewed. The two model outputs which receive greatest attention in this paper are the relevant source area of pollen (RSAP) and pollen loading in mires and lakes. Six examples of application of POLLSCAPE are presented, each of which explores a possible use of the POLLANDCAL tools and a means of validating or evaluating the models with empirical data. The landscape and vegetation factors influencing the size of the RSAP, the importance of pollen productivity estimates (PPEs) for the model outputs, the detection of small and rare patches of plant taxa in pollen records, and quantitative reconstructions of past vegetation and landscapes are discussed on the basis of these examples. The simulation approach is seen to be useful both for exploring different vegetation/landscape scenarios and for refuting hypotheses. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
reconstructions of past vegetation and landscapes, relevant source area of pollen, deposition, pollen dispersal and, POLLANDCAL network, POLLSCAPE simulation model, quantitative
in
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany
volume
17
issue
5
pages
419 - 443
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000258317500002
  • scopus:49549106422
ISSN
0939-6314
DOI
10.1007/s00334-008-0169-3
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
60e0a57a-39a3-4549-94ed-4a9667565b29 (old id 1252076)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:56:49
date last changed
2022-04-21 18:44:19
@article{60e0a57a-39a3-4549-94ed-4a9667565b29,
  abstract     = {{Information on past land cover in terms of absolute areas of different landscape units (forest, open land, pasture land, cultivated land, etc.) at local to regional scales is needed to test hypotheses and answer questions related to climate change (e.g. feedbacks effects of land-cover change), archaeological research, and nature conservancy (e.g. management strategy). The palaeoecological technique best suited to achieve quantitative reconstruction of past vegetation is pollen analysis. A simulation approach developed by Sugita (the computer model POLLSCAPE) which uses models based on the theory of pollen analysis is presented together with examples of application. POLLSCAPE has been adopted as the central tool for POLLANDCAL (POLlen/LANdscape CALibration), an international research network focusing on this topic. The theory behind models of the pollen-vegetation relationship and POLLSCAPE is reviewed. The two model outputs which receive greatest attention in this paper are the relevant source area of pollen (RSAP) and pollen loading in mires and lakes. Six examples of application of POLLSCAPE are presented, each of which explores a possible use of the POLLANDCAL tools and a means of validating or evaluating the models with empirical data. The landscape and vegetation factors influencing the size of the RSAP, the importance of pollen productivity estimates (PPEs) for the model outputs, the detection of small and rare patches of plant taxa in pollen records, and quantitative reconstructions of past vegetation and landscapes are discussed on the basis of these examples. The simulation approach is seen to be useful both for exploring different vegetation/landscape scenarios and for refuting hypotheses.}},
  author       = {{Gaillard, Marie-Jose and Sugita, Shinya and Bunting, M. Jane and Middleton, Richard and Broström, Anna and Caseldine, Christopher and Giesecke, Thomas and Hellman, Sophie E. V. and Hicks, Sheila and Hjelle, Kari and Langdon, Catherine and Nielsen, Anne-Birgitte and Poska, Anneli and von Stedingk, Henrik and Veski, Sim}},
  issn         = {{0939-6314}},
  keywords     = {{reconstructions of past vegetation and landscapes; relevant source area of pollen; deposition; pollen dispersal and; POLLANDCAL network; POLLSCAPE simulation model; quantitative}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{419--443}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Vegetation History and Archaeobotany}},
  title        = {{The use of modelling and simulation approach in reconstructing past landscapes from fossil pollen data: a review and results from the POLLANDCAL network}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00334-008-0169-3}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00334-008-0169-3}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}