Subfossil diatoms and chironomids along an altitudinal gradient in the High Tatra Mountain lakes: a multi-proxy record of past environmental trends

Abstract

Multi-proxy approach was used to reconstruct the environmental conditions of remote lakes in the High Tatra Mountains (Slovakia) over the past few centuries (approximately 500-1000 years). Short sediment cores (*30 cm) taken from three morphologically similar glacial lakes distributed along altitudinal gradient (subalpine to alpine conditions) were analysed for organic matter content (LOI), diatoms and chironomids. Both descriptive and correlative approaches were used for analysing stratigraphical data. Predictive canonical correspondence analysis and co-correspondence analysis were applied to directly relate physical and biological proxies to each other. The relationship between LOI and biotic proxies was inconsistent across groups and lakes. Concordant patterns in diatom and chironomid composition were found in two non-acidified lakes. Common trends in those assemblages indicated major past environmental events such as the Little Ice Age, air pollution and lake acidification. In contrast, no relationship between the composition of diatom and chironomid assemblages was found in the formerly acidified lake, suggesting different responses of assemblages to acidification. While chironomids showed shifts that are attributable to recovery, diatoms assemblage remained relatively stable throughout the uppermost layers of the sediment record. On the other hand, climatic-driven changes in assemblages detected in the deeper layers were more pronounced in diatoms than in chironomids.

The relationship between vegetation composition, vegetation zones and modern pollen assemblages in Setesdal, southern Norway

“…It allows the direct comparison of two different multivariate compositional data-sets (Ter Braak and Schaffers, 2004; Schaffers et al, 2008). In palaeoecology, it has been used to investigate relationships between long-term changes in environment and diatom and chironomid assemblages (Bitušík et al, 2009), and environment and cladocerans (Davidson et al, 2011). It can be used in both a predictive and a descriptive mode, but only the descriptive mode is used here because the data-sets are not fully independent as pollen assemblages are derived from the surrounding vegetation.…”

Identifying white spots on the roadmap of Late Pleistocene and Holocene palaeolimnology in Slovakia: Review and future directions

“…The most frequently analysed sites in the High Tatra Mts used for paleolimnological investigations were (in order of decreasing frequency) lakes Nižné Terianske pleso, Starolesnianske pleso, Ľadové pleso, Vyšné Temnosmrečinské pleso and Vyšné Wahlenbergovo pleso (Šporka et al 2002;Kubovčík & Bitušík 2006;Bitušík et al 2009). One of the most extensively studied lakes in the Western Carpathians is lake Nižné Terianske pleso, from which as much as eight proxies were analysed and interpreted in multiple papers (e.g., Šporka et al 2002;Appleby & Piliposian 2006;Marková et al 2006;Bitušík et al 2009). Out of the Tatra Mts, most of the paleolimnological studies were focusing on the reconstruction of paleolakes (e.g., Buczkó et al 2009;Pišút el al.…”

Review of dated Late Quaternary palaeolimnological records in the Carpathian Region, east-central Europe

“…In addition, the best studied lake deposit of the Western Carpathians is Nižné Terianske pleso, where altogether eight different proxies were studied, however, on different occasions and sediment cores (Š porka et al, 2002;Appleby & Piliposian, 2006;Marková et al, 2006;Bitušík et al, 2009). The number of radiocarbon dates and time resolution of the various proxies are also the highest at Nižné Terianske pleso (Appleby & Piliposian, 2006;Bitušík et al, 2009). Localities that were studied by multi-proxy methods and obtained useful evidence for hydrological changes are indicated by asterisk on the map (Fig.…”

“…Marciniak & Cieśla, 1983;Szeroczyńska, 1984;Obidowicz, 1996;Š porka et al, 2002;Stuchlík et al, 2002;Jakab et al 2004aJakab et al , b, 2005Schnitchen et al, 2006;Magyari et al, 2006Magyari et al, , 2009aBitušík et al, 2009). Emphasis in this region has traditionally been on pollen analysis (e.g.…”

“…Tatra and Retezat Mts) offering a wide-range of palaeolimnological techniques to be applied on them. Chironomids, cladocerans and testate amoebae are abundant in these deposits, but only recently have become part of multi-proxy studies in this region (Š porka et al, 2002;Marková et al, 2006;Schnitchen et al, 2006;Bitušík et al, 2009;Korponai et al, 2009). As the main objective of the projects, in scope of which most of these recent multi-proxi palaeolimnological analyses were done (AL:PE, MOLAR and EMERGE;…”