Late Holocene vegetation dynamics on an Atlantic–Mediterranean mountain in NW Iberia

Morales‐Molino, César; Antón, Mercedes Garcı́a; Morla, Carlos

doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.01.020

Cited by 33 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Heathland taxa are positively correlated with charcoal in the Candieira record overall, whereas woodland taxa are negatively correlated, suggesting a strong link between Holocene fire activity, forest decline and heathland development in the Serra da Estrela. Similar relationships are observed in other mountain ranges of the Iberian Peninsula (Carrión et al, 2007;Morales-Molino et al, 2011).…”

Section: Fire's Impact On the Vegetationsupporting

confidence: 84%

A long-term perspective on biomass burning in the Serra da Estrela, Portugal

Connor

Araújo

Knaap

et al. 2012

Quaternary Science Reviews

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Fire is currently perceived as a major threat to ecosystems and biodiversity in the mountains of the Mediterranean region. Portugal's highest mountain range, the Serra da Estrela, is one of the country's most important protected areas and also the most fireprone. We present a ~14000-year fire history based on microscopic charred particles in an infilled glacial lake to better understand the antiquity of biomass burning and its effects on Mediterranean vegetation at the Atlantic margin. Results indicate the continuous occurrence of fire in the Serra da Estrela over the period of the record. Two periods of increased fire activity-around 12000-11000 calendar years before the present (cal. a BP) and 3500-2500 cal. a BP-were accompanied by major vegetation changes and followed by long periods of vegetation stabilisation. Cross-correlation analyses reveal that post-fire succession consistently began with herbaceous vegetation, followed by forest and shrubland stages. Past successional trends were often markedly different to those observed at present. Holocene climatic changes, including shifts in the North Atlantic Oscillation, played a pivotal role in the vegetation development and fire history of the Serra da Estrela. In the late Holocene, human use of fire became a major agent of vegetation change, accelerating the Holocene decline of forests.

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Section: Fire's Impact On the Vegetationsupporting

confidence: 84%

A long-term perspective on biomass burning in the Serra da Estrela, Portugal

Connor

Araújo

Knaap

et al. 2012

Quaternary Science Reviews

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“…Relating to the process of forest clearance, a strong significant relationship exists between the percentage of herbaceous pollen and palynological richness ( Goring et al, 2013 ; Meltsov et al, 2013 ; Morales-Molino et al, 2011 ). Increasing openness provides habitats for more species than completely forested landscapes do ( Honnay et al, 2003 ; Meltsov et al, 2013 ; Söderström et al, 2001 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land use, settlement, and plant diversity in Iron Age Northwest France

2017

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Various studies using pollen stratigraphies have demonstrated significant correlations between Holocene plant diversity, climate, and human activities. Studies that have analyzed longer Holocene timescales tend to discuss cultural data very superficially. This is remarkable because detailed insights into past human activities may be key to gain an understanding of the observed trends in biodiversity. This study aims to reconstruct and explain spatio-temporal trends in past plant diversity (alpha, temporal, and spatial beta diversity) by integrating data on vegetation dynamics, human subsistence economy, and land-use patterns. The landscape of Northwest France during the greater part of the Iron Age and the start of the Roman period (600 BC–AD 100) is selected as a case study. In total, 30 high-quality pollen-stratigraphical sequences allow for the reconstruction of the main long-term trends in plant diversity and more generally of the changing fabric of the landscape. Additionally, increasingly detailed images of the Iron Age rural landscape are available because of a steep increase in archaeological data (aerial photography, surveys, and excavations). These different types of data are integrated and used as input for a wider discussion on the relation between human activities and plant diversity. In general, the taxonomic richness increases steadily during the period under study. Some spatio-temporal differences are observed. The increasing richness values correspond with the growing impact of human activities on the landscape. Archaeologically documented land-use changes on smaller timescales are less clearly reflected in the richness values and vegetation dynamics, which might result from the (large-scale) research design.

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“…Ayoó (this study), 2. Xan de Llamas (Morales-Molino et al, 2011), 3. La Roya (Allen et al, 1996;Muñoz Sobrino et al, 2013), 4.…”

Section: Study Areaunclassified

“…It is important to determine whether there were rapid biotic responses to these climatic changes in inland Spain, similar to those recorded in central and northern Europe (Birks and Ammann, 2000;Ammann et al, 2000Ammann et al, , 2012. Finally, fire history remains poorly studied in the westernmost sector of the Mediterranean Basin (e.g., Morales-Molino et al, 2011Vannière et al, 2011;Connor et al, 2012), despite the enormous importance that fire has in the functioning of Mediterranean ecosystems (Pausas et al, 2008;Colombaroli et al, 2009;Gil-Romera et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vegetation and fire history since the last glacial maximum in an inland area of the western Mediterranean Basin (Northern Iberian Plateau, NW Spain)

Morales‐Molino

García-Antón

2014

Quat. res.

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We reconstructed vegetation responses to climate oscillations, fire and human activities since the last glacial maximum in inland NW Iberia, where previous paleoecological research is scarce. Extremely sparse and open vegetation composed of steppic grasslands and heathlands with scattered pioneer trees suggests very cold and dry conditions during the Oldest Dryas, unsuitable for tree survival in the surroundings of the study site. Slight woodland expansion during the Bolling/Allerod was interrupted by the Younger Dryas cooling. Pinewoods dominated for most of the early Holocene, when a marked increase in fire activity occurred. Deciduous trees expanded later reaching their maximum representation during the mid-Holocene. Enhanced fire activity and the presence of coprophilous fungi around 6400-6000 cal yr BP suggest an early human occupation around the site. However, extensive deforestation only started at 4500 calyr BP, when fire was used to clear the tree canopy. Final replacement of woodlands with heathlands, grasslands and cereal crops occurred from 2700 cal yr BP onwards due to land-use intensification. Our paleoecological record can help efforts aimed at restoring the natural vegetation by indicating which communities were dominant at the onset of heavy human impact, thus promoting the recovery of currently rare oak and alder stands.

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Late Holocene vegetation dynamics on an Atlantic–Mediterranean mountain in NW Iberia

Cited by 33 publications

References 64 publications

A long-term perspective on biomass burning in the Serra da Estrela, Portugal

A long-term perspective on biomass burning in the Serra da Estrela, Portugal

Land use, settlement, and plant diversity in Iron Age Northwest France

Vegetation and fire history since the last glacial maximum in an inland area of the western Mediterranean Basin (Northern Iberian Plateau, NW Spain)

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