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Pollen-based biome reconstructions for Latin America at 0, 6000 and 18 000 radiocarbon years
1The York Institute for Tropical Ecosystem Dynamics (KITE), Environment Department, University of York, York, Heslington, YO10 5DD, UK
2Bristol Research Initiative for the Dynamic Global Environment (BRIDGE), School of Geographical Sciences, University Road, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1SS, UK
3Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94062, 1090 GB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
4INSTAAR, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
5USGS, National Centre, MS 970, Reston, Virginia 22092, USA
6Laboratorio Biogeografía, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Aptdo Postal 70-296, 04510 México D.F., México
7Department of Geography, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812-1018, USA
8Environmental Studies Program, University of Montana, Missoula Montana 59812, USA
9Georg-August-Universität, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institut für Pflanzenwissenschaften, Abteilung Palynologie und Klimadynamik, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
10Department of Geography, University Road, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
11c/o. Geography Building, Drummond Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9XP, UK
12Geological Institute, Univ. of Copenhagen, Øster Volgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen, Denm
13Department of Geography, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-4740, USA
14Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Boulevard, Melbourne, Florida 32905, USA
15Department of Geography, Massey University, Palmerston, New Zealand
16Instituto de Geociencias-DPE, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 11348, São Paulo, SP 05422-970, Brazil
17Geographisches Institut der Universit ät, Winterthürerstrae 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
18Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, CEPSA, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
19Dept. of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash Univ., Clayton, Victoria, Australia
20Fundación Tropenbos Colombia, Carrera 21 #39-35, Santafe de Bogotá, Colombia
21Limnological Research Centre, University of Minnesota, 220 Pillsbury Hall, 310 Pillsbury Drive, Minneapolis, Minneapolis 55455-0219, USA
22Department of Geography, University of Tennessee, 408 G&G Building, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-1420, USA
23El Colegio de la Frontera Sur. ECOSUR-Chetumal, Apartado Postal 424, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, CP 77000, México
24Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
25Equipe Paléoenvironnements, Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution Institut de Recherche pour le Developement, Montpellier, France
26Geography Building, Drummond Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9XP, UK
27Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Geología, Aptdo Postal 70-296, 04510 México D.F., México
28Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile
29Botany Division, D.S.I.R., Private Bag, Christchurch, New Zealand
30Laboratorio de Palinologia, National Universidad Mar del Plata, Departmento de Biologia, Funes 3250, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina
31Instituto de Geociencias, Fundação Universidade do Brazilia, Campus Universitario, Asa Norte, 0910-900, DF Brazilia, Brazil
32Department of Geology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
33Seminar für Geographie, Universität zu Köln, Gronewaldstrasse 2, 50931 Köln, Germany
Abstract. The biomisation method is used to reconstruct Latin American vegetation at 6000±500 and 18 000±1000 radiocarbon years before present (14C yr BP) from pollen data. Tests using modern pollen data from 381 samples derived from 287 locations broadly reproduce potential natural vegetation. The strong temperature gradient associated with the Andes is recorded by a transition from high altitude cool grass/shrubland and cool mixed forest to mid-altitude cool temperate rain forest, to tropical dry, seasonal and rain forest at low altitudes. Reconstructed biomes from a number of sites do not match the potential vegetation due to local factors such as human impact, methodological artefacts and mechanisms of pollen representivity of the parent vegetation.
At 6000±500 14C yr BP 255 samples are analysed from 127 sites. Differences between the modern and the 6000±500 14C yr BP reconstruction are comparatively small. Patterns of change relative to the modern reconstruction are mainly to biomes characteristic of drier climate in the north of the region with a slight more mesic shift in the south. Cool temperate rain forest remains dominant in western South America. In northwestern South America a number of sites record transitions from tropical seasonal forest to tropical dry forest and tropical rain forest to tropical seasonal forest. Sites in Central America also show a change in biome assignment to more mesic vegetation, indicative of greater plant available moisture, e.g. on the Yucatán peninsula sites record warm evergreen forest, replacing tropical dry forest and warm mixed forest presently recorded.
At 18 000±1000 14C yr BP 61 samples from 34 sites record vegetation that reflects a generally cool and dry environment. Cool grass/shrubland prevalent in southeast Brazil, Amazonian sites record tropical dry forest, warm temperate rain forest and tropical seasonal forest. Southernmost South America is dominated by cool grass/shrubland, a single site retains cool temperate rain forest indicating that forest was present at some locations at the LGM. Some sites in Central México and lowland Colombia remain unchanged in their biome assignments, although the affinities that these sites have to different biomes do change between 18 000±1000 14C yr BP and present. The "unresponsive" nature of these sites results from their location and the impact of local edaphic influence.
Discussion Paper (PDF, 4618 KB) Interactive Discussion (Closed, 5 Comments) Final Revised Paper (CP)
Citation: Marchant, R., Harrison, S. P., Hooghiemstra, H., Markgraf, V., van Boxel, J. H., Ager, T., Almeida, L., Anderson, R., Baied, C., Behling, H., Berrio, J. C., Burbridge, R., Björck, S., Byrne, R., Bush, M. B., Cleef, A. M., Duivenvoorden, J. F., Flenley, J. R., De Oliveira, P., van Geel, B., Graf, K. J., Gosling, W. D., Harbele, S., van der Hammen, T., Hansen, B. C. S., Horn, S. P., Islebe, G. A., Kuhry, P., Ledru, M.-P., Mayle, F. E., Leyden, B. W., Lozano-García, S., Melief, A. B. M., Moreno, P., Moar, N. T., Prieto, A., van Reenen, G. B., Salgado-Labouriau, M. L., Schäbitz, F., Schreve-Brinkman, E. J., and Wille, M.: Pollen-based biome reconstructions for Latin America at 0, 6000 and 18 000 radiocarbon years, Clim. Past Discuss., 5, 369-461, 2009. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager
