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The reconstruction of past forest dynamics over the last 13,500 years in SW Sweden

Hannon, Gina E. ; Halsall, Karen ; Molinari, Chiara LU orcid ; Boyle, John and Bradshaw, Richard LU (2018) In The Holocene 28(11). p.1791-1800
Abstract
Evidence for unbroken continuity of tree taxa over the last c. 13,500 years is presented from a biodiversity ‘hotspot’ nature reserve in south-west Sweden.
Forest composition, continuity, fire and disturbance events are reconstructed using palaeoecological methods. A lake record reveals that Pinus sylvestris,
Betula spp., Salix spp., Populus tremula and Hippophae rhamnoides were the initial trees scattered in a semi-open, steppe environment. This developed
into forest with Pinus, Betula, Corylus, Alnus, Ulmus and Populus with evidence for frequent fires. Deciduous trees became more significant as fires became
less frequent and Quercus, Fraxinus and Tilia expanded. Fire frequencies increased again in the Bronze Age probably... (More)
Evidence for unbroken continuity of tree taxa over the last c. 13,500 years is presented from a biodiversity ‘hotspot’ nature reserve in south-west Sweden.
Forest composition, continuity, fire and disturbance events are reconstructed using palaeoecological methods. A lake record reveals that Pinus sylvestris,
Betula spp., Salix spp., Populus tremula and Hippophae rhamnoides were the initial trees scattered in a semi-open, steppe environment. This developed
into forest with Pinus, Betula, Corylus, Alnus, Ulmus and Populus with evidence for frequent fires. Deciduous trees became more significant as fires became
less frequent and Quercus, Fraxinus and Tilia expanded. Fire frequencies increased again in the Bronze Age probably associated with anthropogenic use
of the forest, and the first Fagus sylvatica pollen was recorded. Burning continued through the Iron Age, but charcoal is briefly absent for a period often
referred to as the ‘Late Iron Age Lull’. The forest re-expanded with successions involving Juniperus, but with an altered composition from the earlier mixed
deciduous community, to one dominated by Fagus. This is coincident with the first pollen records for Picea abies. The early Holocene mixed forest with
frequent low-intensity fires is potentially associated with the greatest diversity of red-listed insect species. Forest continuity and the fragmented reservoir
populations of old deciduous trees in the Fagus-dominated forest today are likely to have been critical in preserving the present-day, species-rich, rare
epiphytic flora, wood-inhabiting fungi and invertebrate communities. As many of these forest fragments may become more vulnerable with future climate
change, tree diversity with some disturbance may become essential for survival of the endangered saproxylic species. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
biodiversity hotspot, fire, forest, long timescales, pollen, Scandinavia
in
The Holocene
volume
28
issue
11
pages
1791 - 1800
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85052577524
ISSN
0959-6836
DOI
10.1177/0959683618788669
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bc5445cc-7e8b-4ece-a51f-7816df9f5784
date added to LUP
2018-08-29 15:18:31
date last changed
2022-04-25 08:55:48
@article{bc5445cc-7e8b-4ece-a51f-7816df9f5784,
  abstract     = {{Evidence for unbroken continuity of tree taxa over the last c. 13,500 years is presented from a biodiversity ‘hotspot’ nature reserve in south-west Sweden.<br/>Forest composition, continuity, fire and disturbance events are reconstructed using palaeoecological methods. A lake record reveals that Pinus sylvestris,<br/>Betula spp., Salix spp., Populus tremula and Hippophae rhamnoides were the initial trees scattered in a semi-open, steppe environment. This developed<br/>into forest with Pinus, Betula, Corylus, Alnus, Ulmus and Populus with evidence for frequent fires. Deciduous trees became more significant as fires became<br/>less frequent and Quercus, Fraxinus and Tilia expanded. Fire frequencies increased again in the Bronze Age probably associated with anthropogenic use<br/>of the forest, and the first Fagus sylvatica pollen was recorded. Burning continued through the Iron Age, but charcoal is briefly absent for a period often<br/>referred to as the ‘Late Iron Age Lull’. The forest re-expanded with successions involving Juniperus, but with an altered composition from the earlier mixed<br/>deciduous community, to one dominated by Fagus. This is coincident with the first pollen records for Picea abies. The early Holocene mixed forest with<br/>frequent low-intensity fires is potentially associated with the greatest diversity of red-listed insect species. Forest continuity and the fragmented reservoir<br/>populations of old deciduous trees in the Fagus-dominated forest today are likely to have been critical in preserving the present-day, species-rich, rare<br/>epiphytic flora, wood-inhabiting fungi and invertebrate communities. As many of these forest fragments may become more vulnerable with future climate<br/>change, tree diversity with some disturbance may become essential for survival of the endangered saproxylic species.}},
  author       = {{Hannon, Gina E. and Halsall, Karen and Molinari, Chiara and Boyle, John and Bradshaw, Richard}},
  issn         = {{0959-6836}},
  keywords     = {{biodiversity hotspot, fire, forest, long timescales, pollen, Scandinavia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{11}},
  pages        = {{1791--1800}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{The Holocene}},
  title        = {{The reconstruction of past forest dynamics over the last 13,500 years in SW Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683618788669}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/0959683618788669}},
  volume       = {{28}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}