High-resolution palynology reveals the land use history of a Sami renvall in northern Sweden

Abstract

The limited availability of historical and archaeological evidence means that much is still unknown about the development of Sami reindeer herding in Fennoscandia in both the recent and more distant past. To address this problem, high-resolution palynological analyses, 14 C and 210 Pb dating were undertaken on two adjacent (\25 m apart) peat profiles collected at a recently abandoned reindeer gathering pen (renvall) near Jokkmokk (*66.6°N, 19.8°E) in the boreal forest of northern Sweden. The aim was to assess the impact of Sami reindeer herding on the local environment through a study of pollen, coprophilous fungal spores, microscopic charcoal and sedimentology. The samples collected from within an annex to the renvall indicate cycles of use and abandonment of the pen on a multi-decadal timescale between *AD 1800-2008, most obviously in the coprophilous fungal spore archive. The pattern and timing of these cycles confirm events previously known only from oral histories. Although the local pollen assemblage zones associated with the phasing of activity were reproducible in a second peat core beyond the boundary of the renvall, the coprophilous fungal spore signal in this paired profile was much less distinctive, possibly due to the typically shorter dispersal distances for these microfossils in comparison to pollen grains.

Tracking late-Quaternary extinctions in interior Alaska using megaherbivore bone remains and dung fungal spores

“…Even when considering Sporormiella and Sordaria together, however, Ruppert Lake and Woody Bottom Pond did not show the same temporal pattern of abundance. Although appearing counter-intuitive because these two sites are located close together, this result reinforces earlier findings that the dung fungal spore signal can relate to extremely small spatial scales (e.g., Kamerling et al, 2017; Davies, 2019). This may be explained by the observation of Baker et al (2016), who found that shore run-off (within <10 m distance from the water) was the most significant process transporting spores into a series of ponds in the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve in the Netherlands.…”

Contrasting vegetation states do not diverge in soil organic matter storage: evidence from historical sites in tundra

“…Contrasting with current practices with relatively free‐ranging reindeer, the earlier common form of reindeer herding (AD ~1350–1900 in Padjelanta area; Aronsson ) was nomadic and involved tame reindeer herds traveling close to the herders through the mountain landscape during summer (Aronsson , Kamerling et al. ). Along their travel route, herders regularly occupied the exact same locations, which were intentionally selected and constructed for the needs of reindeer herding (e.g., loose stones and shrubs cleared away; Aronsson ).…”

Lake Sedimentary DNA Research on Past Terrestrial and Aquatic Biodiversity: Overview and Recommendations

“…Lake sediments consist of both autochthonous (in-lake) and allochthonous (from the catchment and beyond) organic and inorganic matter. Paleoecological inquiries using biological archives stored in lake sediments have been largely dominated by microscopic analyses of the relatively limited number of aquatic and terrestrial groups that leave wellpreserved and readily identifiable morphological remains in the sediment (e.g., silicified diatoms, calcified nannofossils, organic walled or calcified dinoflagellates, chrysophytes cysts, Cladocera remains, chironomid head capsules, fungal spores, pollen and plant macrofossils) [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9], keeping the remaining biological diversity out of reach. Where these morphological remains are not well preserved or cannot be taxonomically identified to the species level, alternative proxies have been sought to build a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of past biological diversity in a broader range of environments [10,11].…”