Reconstruction and semi-quantification of human impact in the Dijle catchment, central Belgium: a palynological and statistical approach

Broothaerts, Nils; Verstraeten, Gert; Kasse, C.; Bohncke, S.J.P.; Notebaert, Bastiaan; Vandenberghe, Jef

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2014.08.006

Cited by 38 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 43 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Furthermore, to illustrate compositional differences and ecological trends in Seam 1, and to visualize the level of similarity between samples, non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) with the standardized raw data values and the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity [ 68 , 74 ] has been performed for each of the three studied sections as well as for the complete data set using the software PAST 3.26 [ 73 ]. NMDS is the most robust unconstrained ordination method in ecology [ 75 ] and has been successfully applied to palynological data in previous studies (e.g., [ 66 , 72 , 76 – 78 ]. It avoids the assumption of a linear or unimodal response model between the palynomorph taxa and the underlying environmental gradients as well as the requirement of normal distributed data.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Greenhouse conditions in lower Eocene coastal wetlands?—Lessons from Schöningen, Northern Germany

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Paleogene succession of the Helmstedt Lignite Mining District in Northern Germany includes coastal peat mire records from the latest Paleocene to the middle Eocene at the southern edge of the Proto-North Sea. Therefore, it covers the different long- and short-term climate perturbations of the Paleogene greenhouse. 56 samples from three individual sections of a lower Eocene seam in the record capture the typical succession of the vegetation in a coastal wetland during a period that was not affected by climate perturbation. This allows facies-dependent vegetational changes to be distinguished from those that were climate induced. Cluster analyses and NMDS of well-preserved palynomorph assemblages reveal four successional stages in the vegetation during peat accumulation: (1) a coastal vegetation, (2) an initial mire, (3) a transitional mire, and (4) a terminal mire. Biodiversity measures show that plant diversity decreased significantly in the successive stages. The highly diverse vegetation at the coast and in the adjacent initial mire was replaced by low diversity communities adapted to wet acidic environments and nutrient deficiency. The palynomorph assemblages are dominated by elements such as Alnus (Betulaceae) or Sphagnum (Sphagnaceae). Typical tropical elements which are characteristic for the middle Eocene part of the succession are missing. This indicates that a more warm-temperate climate prevailed in northwestern Germany during the early lower Eocene.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Greenhouse conditions in lower Eocene coastal wetlands?—Lessons from Schöningen, Northern Germany

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To reveal compositional differences between the different coal seams and interbeds, nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS; Shepard, 1962a, b;Kruskal, 1964) was performed for the pollen and spore dataset excluding algae. NMDS is the most robust unconstrained ordination method in ecology (Minchin, 1987) and has been successfully applied to palynological data in previous studies (e.g., Oswald et al, 2007;Jardine and Harrington, 2008;Mander et al, 2010;Ghilardi and O'Connell, 2013;Broothaerts et al, 2014;Lenz and Wilde, 2018). The method avoids the assumption of a linear response model or a unimodal response model between the palynomorph taxa and the underlying environmental gradients and avoids the requirement of normality of data.…”

Section: Palynological Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paleoenvironmental response of midlatitudinal wetlands to Paleocene–early Eocene climate change (Schöningen lignite deposits, Germany)

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. The early Paleogene is marked by multiple negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) that reflect massive short-term carbon cycle perturbations that coincide with significant warming during a high-pCO2 world, affecting both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Records of such hyperthermals from the marine–terrestrial interface (e.g., estuarine swamps and mire deposits) are therefore of great interest as their present-day counterparts are highly vulnerable to future climate and sea level change. Here, we assess paleoenvironmental changes of midlatitudinal late Paleocene–early Eocene peat mire records along the paleo-North Sea coast. We provide carbon isotope data of bulk organic matter (δ13CTOC), organic carbon content (%TOC), and palynological data from an extensive peat mire deposited at a midlatitudinal (ca. 41∘ N) coastal site (Schöningen, Germany). The δ13CTOC data show a carbon isotope excursion of −1.3 ‰ (mean decrease in δ13CTOC; −1.7 ‰ at the onset of CIE) coeval with a conspicuous Apectodinium acme. Due to the exceptionally large stratigraphic thickness of the CIE at Schöningen (10 m of section) we established a detailed palynological record that indicates only minor changes in paleovegetation leading into and during this event. Instead, paleovegetation changes mostly follow natural successions in response to changes along the marine–terrestrial interface. The available age constraints for the Schöningen Formation hamper a solid assignment of the detected CIE to a particular hyperthermal such as the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) or any succeeding hyperthermal event such as the Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 (ETM2). Compared to other nearby peat mire records (Cobham, UK; Vasterival, F) it appears that wetland deposits around the Paleogene North Sea have a consistent CIE magnitude of ca. −1.3 ‰ in δ13CTOC. Moreover, the Schöningen record shares major characteristics with the Cobham Lignite PETM record, including evidence for increased fire activity prior to the CIE, minor plant species change during the hyperthermal, a reduced CIE in δ13CTOC, and drowning of the mire (marine ingressions) during much of the Schöningen CIE event. This suggests that either the Schöningen CIE reflects the PETM or that early Paleogene hyperthermals similarly affected paleoenvironmental conditions of a major segment of the paleo-North Sea coast.

show abstract

“…Neolithic occupation was reported on the Aldenhoven loess plateau in the Roer catchment (Kalis & Bunnik, 1990). However, the impact on river systems was still low during the Neolithic, probably because of localised deforestation and limited connectivity of arable fields with the river floodplain as established for the Dijle river by Broothaerts et al (2014a). From the Bronze Age onwards, human impact on the Roer landscape increased (Bunnik, 1999) and increased loam deposition is reported in river valleys in central Belgium (Broothaerts et al, 2014a).…”

Section: Interpretation and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the impact on river systems was still low during the Neolithic, probably because of localised deforestation and limited connectivity of arable fields with the river floodplain as established for the Dijle river by Broothaerts et al (2014a). From the Bronze Age onwards, human impact on the Roer landscape increased (Bunnik, 1999) and increased loam deposition is reported in river valleys in central Belgium (Broothaerts et al, 2014a). Especially during the Roman period and the Middle Ages the impact of man on the landscape was strong, which was reflected by high sedimentation rates in alluvial fans and floodplains in the southern Netherlands and central Belgium (De Moor et al, 2008; Broothaerts et al, 2014b)…”

Section: Interpretation and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate and base-level controlled fluvial system change and incision during the last glacial–interglacial transition, Roer river, the Netherlands – western Germany

Kasse

Balen

Bohncke

et al. 2016

Netherlands Journal of Geosciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The fluvial development of the Roer river in the southeastern Netherlands and western Germany is presented for the Late Pleniglacial, Late-glacial and Early Holocene periods. Reconstruction of fluvial-style changes is based on geomorphological and sedimentological analysis. Time control comes from correlation to the pollen-based biochronostratigraphic framework of the Netherlands combined with independent optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages. At the Pleniglacial to Late-glacial transition a system and channel pattern change occurred from an aggrading braided to an incising meandering system. Rapid rates of meander migration, as established for the Late-glacial by optical dating, were likely related to the sandy nature of the substratum and the Late-glacial incision of the Meuse that resulted in a higher river gradient in the downstream part of the Roer. In the Roer valley the Younger Dryas cooling is not clearly reflected by a fluvial system response, but this may also be related to Holocene erosion of Younger Dryas fluvial forms. An important incision and terrace formation was established at the Younger Dryas to Early Holocene transition, probably related to forest recovery, reduced sediment supply and base-level lowering of the Meuse. The results of this study show a stepwise reduction in the number of channel courses from a multi-channel braided system in the Pleniglacial, to a double meander-belt system in the Late-glacial and a single-channel meandering system in the Early Holocene. The results show that the forcing factors of fluvial-system change in the Roer valley are climate change (precipitation, permafrost and vegetation) and downstream base-level control by the Meuse.

show abstract

Reconstruction and semi-quantification of human impact in the Dijle catchment, central Belgium: a palynological and statistical approach

Cited by 38 publications

References 43 publications

Greenhouse conditions in lower Eocene coastal wetlands?—Lessons from Schöningen, Northern Germany

Greenhouse conditions in lower Eocene coastal wetlands?—Lessons from Schöningen, Northern Germany

Paleoenvironmental response of midlatitudinal wetlands to Paleocene–early Eocene climate change (Schöningen lignite deposits, Germany)

Climate and base-level controlled fluvial system change and incision during the last glacial–interglacial transition, Roer river, the Netherlands – western Germany

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About