Is palynology a credible climate proxy in the Subantarctic?
(2012) In The Holocene 22(10). p.1113-1121- Abstract
- Pollen and spore analysis is the most successfully used palaeobotanical discipline for reconstructing Holocene vegetation and climate history throughout
the world. Subantarctic islands are very specific areas. They are located in the circum-Antarctic Southern Ocean in latitudes that are under strong
influence of the southern westerly winds, and are characterised by a treeless, phanerogam-poor flora. Palynological research on many of these islands has
resulted in diverging conclusions about how to infer climate history from pollen data. In this study we compare pollen data with macrofossil data on the
one hand, and the palaeoenvironmental history based on a multiproxy record on the other hand, of two peat... (More) - Pollen and spore analysis is the most successfully used palaeobotanical discipline for reconstructing Holocene vegetation and climate history throughout
the world. Subantarctic islands are very specific areas. They are located in the circum-Antarctic Southern Ocean in latitudes that are under strong
influence of the southern westerly winds, and are characterised by a treeless, phanerogam-poor flora. Palynological research on many of these islands has
resulted in diverging conclusions about how to infer climate history from pollen data. In this study we compare pollen data with macrofossil data on the
one hand, and the palaeoenvironmental history based on a multiproxy record on the other hand, of two peat sequences from two different subantarctic
islands, South Georgia and Île de la Possession (Îles Crozet). We conclude that palynology must be used with caution as a proxy for climate change
on these islands, especially when no other proxy data are available. The upland–lowland principle, as it has been applied in pollen studies in the South
Indian Ocean islands, results in erroneous conclusions about climate change on Île de la Possession. More palaeoclimatic multiproxy and pollen studies,
in combination with pollen–vegetation relationship studies, can, however, contribute to a more reliable model of how to interpret pollen data in the
Subantarctic. We want to stress that our conclusions are only based on Holocene records. Consequently, the question remains if palynology can be used
as a palaeoclimatic proxy when climatic changes were more pronounced such as during the last glacial–interglacial transition. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/2796827
- author
- Van der Putten, Nathalie LU ; Verbruggen, Cyriel ; Björck, Svante LU ; de Beaulieu, Jacques-Louis ; Barrow, Chris J. and Frenot, Yves
- organization
- publishing date
- 2012
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Holocene, Îles Crozet, palynology, plant macrofossil analysis, South Georgia, Subantarctic
- in
- The Holocene
- volume
- 22
- issue
- 10
- pages
- 1113 - 1121
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000308883300004
- scopus:84866562551
- ISSN
- 0959-6836
- DOI
- 10.1177/0959683612441804
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- bd90bc7f-efbc-45d4-b3d8-26e57c14f2e5 (old id 2796827)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 11:02:29
- date last changed
- 2022-03-20 02:17:08
@article{bd90bc7f-efbc-45d4-b3d8-26e57c14f2e5,
abstract = {{Pollen and spore analysis is the most successfully used palaeobotanical discipline for reconstructing Holocene vegetation and climate history throughout<br/><br>
the world. Subantarctic islands are very specific areas. They are located in the circum-Antarctic Southern Ocean in latitudes that are under strong<br/><br>
influence of the southern westerly winds, and are characterised by a treeless, phanerogam-poor flora. Palynological research on many of these islands has<br/><br>
resulted in diverging conclusions about how to infer climate history from pollen data. In this study we compare pollen data with macrofossil data on the<br/><br>
one hand, and the palaeoenvironmental history based on a multiproxy record on the other hand, of two peat sequences from two different subantarctic<br/><br>
islands, South Georgia and Île de la Possession (Îles Crozet). We conclude that palynology must be used with caution as a proxy for climate change<br/><br>
on these islands, especially when no other proxy data are available. The upland–lowland principle, as it has been applied in pollen studies in the South<br/><br>
Indian Ocean islands, results in erroneous conclusions about climate change on Île de la Possession. More palaeoclimatic multiproxy and pollen studies,<br/><br>
in combination with pollen–vegetation relationship studies, can, however, contribute to a more reliable model of how to interpret pollen data in the<br/><br>
Subantarctic. We want to stress that our conclusions are only based on Holocene records. Consequently, the question remains if palynology can be used<br/><br>
as a palaeoclimatic proxy when climatic changes were more pronounced such as during the last glacial–interglacial transition.}},
author = {{Van der Putten, Nathalie and Verbruggen, Cyriel and Björck, Svante and de Beaulieu, Jacques-Louis and Barrow, Chris J. and Frenot, Yves}},
issn = {{0959-6836}},
keywords = {{Holocene; Îles Crozet; palynology; plant macrofossil analysis; South Georgia; Subantarctic}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{10}},
pages = {{1113--1121}},
publisher = {{SAGE Publications}},
series = {{The Holocene}},
title = {{Is palynology a credible climate proxy in the Subantarctic?}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683612441804}},
doi = {{10.1177/0959683612441804}},
volume = {{22}},
year = {{2012}},
}