Mid- and late-Holocene vegetation history, climate and human impact in the forest-steppe ecotone of European Russia: new data and a regional synthesis

Novenko, Elena; Tsyganov, Andrey N.; Rudenko, O.; Volkova, E. M.; Zuyganova, Inna S.; Babeshko, Kirill V.; Olchev, Alexander; Losbenev, Nikolai I.; Payne, Richard J.; Mazei, Yuri A.

doi:10.1007/s10531-016-1051-8

Cited by 37 publications

(20 citation statements)

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“…Klukva and Istochek show generally high values, while we interpreted the peaks in Selikhovo as an indication of disturbance, possibly in connection with slash‐and‐burn agriculture. These high values at Selikhovo coincide with high charcoal concentrations (Appendix ; Novenko, Tsyganov, Rudenko, et al., ). Extrapolating this association to the other sites would suggest that Klukva and Istochek experienced frequent disturbance, possibly through fire.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…However, many palaeoecological studies have been carried out in this region during the last decades (Alexandrovskiy & Chichagova, 1998;Chendev et al, 2016Chendev et al, , 2017Khotinsky, 1993;Klimanov & Serebryannaya, 1986;Novenko, Eremeeva, & Chepurnaya, 2014;Novenko, Glasko, & Burova, 2009;Novenko, Volkova, Glasko, & Zuganova, 2012;Novenko, Tsyganov, Rudenko, et al, 2016;Serebryannaya, 1981;Spiridonova, 1991).…”

Section: Lowlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies focusing on at the structure and position of the Eastern European forest‐steppe ecotone are hitherto not available. However, many palaeoecological studies have been carried out in this region during the last decades (Alexandrovskiy & Chichagova, ; Chendev et al., , ; Khotinsky, ; Klimanov & Serebryannaya, ; Novenko, Eremeeva, & Chepurnaya, ; Novenko, Glasko, & Burova, ; Novenko, Volkova, Glasko, & Zuganova, ; Novenko, Tsyganov, Rudenko, et al., ; Novenko, et al., ; Serebryannaya, ; Spiridonova, ). Although, most of these studies focussed on climate and environmental change at individual sites, not considering the dynamics of the forest‐steppe ecotone.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long‐term dynamics of the East European forest‐steppe ecotone

Shumilovskikh

Novenko

Giesecke

2017

J Vegetation Science

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Question The European forest‐steppe ecotone extends over 6,000 km from the Carpathian to the Ural Mountains. It is extensively used for agriculture with very few patches of semi‐natural vegetation. Little is known about the history of the forest‐steppe ecotone in Eastern Europe and here we examine its Holocene dynamics and stability and investigate when it was transformed to the modern agro‐pastoral landscapes. Location Mid‐Russian Upland. Methods We summarize the information from five pollen diagrams for the last 7,000 years and estimate forest cover using the best modern analogue technique. We use the PCA and principal curve analysis to evaluate compositional changes. Results The pollen data suggest that the East European forest‐steppe boundary was located 50–70 km further northwest from the presumed present position during the period 7,000–4,500 cal yr BP. After 4,500 cal year BP, it moved approximately 100–130 km to the southeast. Since 2,000 cal year BP land use affected the boundary, while a total forest clearance and transformation to agricultural landscapes took place in the last 400 years. Pollen data indicate a NW–SE direction of the forest‐steppe vegetation gradient. Prior to clearance, open lime–pedunculate oak forests existed in the NW, while the south was characterized by pine woodlands with an admixture of oak and lime with 20%–40% forest cover. Conclusions The East European forest‐steppe ecotone is sensitive to climate change. The Late Holocene expansion of forest cover is in agreement with evidence suggesting an increase in moisture availability during this time. The rapid recovery to a similar composition after human disturbance indicates a high resilience of woodland in the ecotone, which may be connected to a naturally high disturbance regime, possibly through fire. The information revealed on the position of the gradient and natural composition of the forest is currently not depicted in maps of the potential natural vegetation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Lowlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long‐term dynamics of the East European forest‐steppe ecotone

Shumilovskikh

Novenko

Giesecke

2017

J Vegetation Science

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“…They highlight that the potential importance of grazing is that it mediates the competition for multiple resources in the ecosystems they studied, which should be carefully analysed in the planning of sustainable land use. Novenko et al (2016) developed a novel view on land use and management in the European forest-steppe zone, based on detailed reconstructions of Mid and Late Holocene vegetation and climate dynamics. They showed that the current forest cover in the form of small patches is a result of high anthropogenic pressures in the past four centuries.…”

Section: Land-use Change and Land Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Across the Siberian and Central Asian steppes, the Virgin Lands Campaign of the Soviet Union led to Fig. 1 Simplified map of the Palaearctic steppe biome (with main steppe ecoregions after Wesche et al 2016) with localisation of the studies included in this Special Issue: (1) Kuzemko et al (2016); (2) Polyakova et al (2016); (3) Sutcliffe et al (2016); (4) Dembicz et al (2016); (5) Kajtoch et al (2016); (6) Weking et al (2016); (7) Mathar et al (2016); (8) Lameris et al (2016); (9) Wang and Wesche (2016); (10) Addison and Greiner (2016); (11) Niu et al (2016); (12) Novenko et al (2016); (13) Deák et al (2016); (14) Ambarlı et al (2016); (15) Kamp et al (2016); (16) Brinkert et al (2016); (17) Kämpf et al (2016). Reviews summarising data across countries are indicated by large asterisks (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Step(pe) up! Raising the profile of the Palaearctic natural grasslands

Török¹,

Ambarlı

Kamp

et al. 2016

Biodivers Conserv

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Palaearctic steppes are primary grasslands dominating the landscape of the Eurasian Grassland Belt from Central and Eastern Europe to Northern China across the temperate zone of Eurasia. We also include structurally and floristically similar habitats in North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran. The biota of the steppes are diverse, including many endemic species. As a result of the high rate of anthropogenic conversion and widespread degradation, the Palaearctic steppes have become one of the most endangered terrestrial biomes of the world. These facts underline the importance of sustaining landscape-scale biodiversity in steppes and stress the necessity of their conservation and restoration. Literature about the ecology, biodiversity, and conservation of Palaearctic steppes is not easily accessible for an international audience. Therefore, summarising the current state of knowledge as well as knowledge gaps is very timely. This Special Issue on ''Palaearctic steppes: ecology, biodiversity and conservation'', comprises 17 research papers from many different regions throughout the biome, as well as a broad review synthesising current knowledge.

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Demographic Changes, Trade Routes, and the Formation of Anthropogenic Landscapes in the Middle Volga Region in the Past 2500 Years

Vyazov

Ershova

Ponomarenko

et al. 2019

Socio-Environmental Dynamics Along the Historical Silk Road

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The development of landscapes of the central part of the Middle-Volga region in the last 2500 years was a discontinuous process of the explosive growth of population and land utilization alternating with stages of depopulation and desolation. The periods of depopulation and transitions of cultures occurred at similar times to climate changes. Some cultures were associated with distinct climatic episodes, such as the association of the Dark Ages Cold Period with Hun, post Hun, Heraldic, and Khasarian times, and the Medival Warm Period with the time of Volga Bulgaria. A combination of archaeological and paleoecological analyses allowed us to reconstruct a sequence of landscape and land use changes in relation to the historical development of the region. The first millennium CE was a time of major changes in population, agricultural technologies, social structure, and settlement patterns in the forest-steppe zone. The MiddleVolga region underwent a transition from a non-populated, mainlyforested landscape of first centuries CE to a highly deforested agricultural landscape of the Volga Bulgarian state by the 11th century CE. Within several centuries, the landscape was transformed by shifting cultivation, wood and ore extraction, and the formation and expansion of pastures and road networks. The process of deforestation in the region was facilitated by the relatively warm climates of the Medieval Warm Period.

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Mid- and late-Holocene vegetation history, climate and human impact in the forest-steppe ecotone of European Russia: new data and a regional synthesis

Cited by 37 publications

References 37 publications

Long‐term dynamics of the East European forest‐steppe ecotone

Long‐term dynamics of the East European forest‐steppe ecotone

Step(pe) up! Raising the profile of the Palaearctic natural grasslands

Demographic Changes, Trade Routes, and the Formation of Anthropogenic Landscapes in the Middle Volga Region in the Past 2500 Years

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