Abstract
Detailed pollen, charcoal, isotope and magnetic susceptibility data from an alpine lake sediment core from Sierra Nevada, southern Spain record changes in vegetation, fire history and lake sedimentation since ca. 4100. cal. yr BP. The proxies studied record an arid period from ca. 3800 to 3100. cal. yr BP characterized by more xerophytic vegetation and lower lake levels. A humid period is recorded between ca. 3100 and 1850. cal. yr BP, which occurred in two steps: (1) an increase in evergreen Quercus between 3100 and 2500. cal. yr BP, indicating milder conditions than previously and (2) an increase in deciduous Quercus and higher lake levels, between ca. 2500 and 1850. cal. yr BP, indicating a further increase in humidity and reduction in seasonal contrast. Humid maxima occurred during the Roman Humid Period, previously identified in other studies in the Mediterranean region. Intensified fire activity at this time could be related to an increase in fuel load and/or in human disturbance. An arid period subsequently occurred between 1850 and 650. cal. yr BP, though a decrease in Quercus and an increase in xerophytes. The alternation of persistent North Atlantic Oscillation modes probably played an important role in controlling these humid-arid cycles.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 110-122 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Quaternary Research |
| Volume | 79 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2013 |
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Keywords
- Climate
- Fire history
- Late Holocene
- Roman Humid Period
- Sierra Nevada
- Southern Spain
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Earth-Surface Processes
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
- Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
Cite this
Vegetation, fire, climate and human disturbance history in the southwestern Mediterranean area during the late Holocene. / Jiménez-Moreno, Gonzalo; García-Alix, Antonio; Hernández-Corbalán, María Dolores; Anderson, Scott R; Delgado-Huertas, Antonio.
In: Quaternary Research, Vol. 79, No. 2, 03.2013, p. 110-122.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Vegetation, fire, climate and human disturbance history in the southwestern Mediterranean area during the late Holocene
AU - Jiménez-Moreno, Gonzalo
AU - García-Alix, Antonio
AU - Hernández-Corbalán, María Dolores
AU - Anderson, Scott R
AU - Delgado-Huertas, Antonio
PY - 2013/3
Y1 - 2013/3
N2 - Detailed pollen, charcoal, isotope and magnetic susceptibility data from an alpine lake sediment core from Sierra Nevada, southern Spain record changes in vegetation, fire history and lake sedimentation since ca. 4100. cal. yr BP. The proxies studied record an arid period from ca. 3800 to 3100. cal. yr BP characterized by more xerophytic vegetation and lower lake levels. A humid period is recorded between ca. 3100 and 1850. cal. yr BP, which occurred in two steps: (1) an increase in evergreen Quercus between 3100 and 2500. cal. yr BP, indicating milder conditions than previously and (2) an increase in deciduous Quercus and higher lake levels, between ca. 2500 and 1850. cal. yr BP, indicating a further increase in humidity and reduction in seasonal contrast. Humid maxima occurred during the Roman Humid Period, previously identified in other studies in the Mediterranean region. Intensified fire activity at this time could be related to an increase in fuel load and/or in human disturbance. An arid period subsequently occurred between 1850 and 650. cal. yr BP, though a decrease in Quercus and an increase in xerophytes. The alternation of persistent North Atlantic Oscillation modes probably played an important role in controlling these humid-arid cycles.
AB - Detailed pollen, charcoal, isotope and magnetic susceptibility data from an alpine lake sediment core from Sierra Nevada, southern Spain record changes in vegetation, fire history and lake sedimentation since ca. 4100. cal. yr BP. The proxies studied record an arid period from ca. 3800 to 3100. cal. yr BP characterized by more xerophytic vegetation and lower lake levels. A humid period is recorded between ca. 3100 and 1850. cal. yr BP, which occurred in two steps: (1) an increase in evergreen Quercus between 3100 and 2500. cal. yr BP, indicating milder conditions than previously and (2) an increase in deciduous Quercus and higher lake levels, between ca. 2500 and 1850. cal. yr BP, indicating a further increase in humidity and reduction in seasonal contrast. Humid maxima occurred during the Roman Humid Period, previously identified in other studies in the Mediterranean region. Intensified fire activity at this time could be related to an increase in fuel load and/or in human disturbance. An arid period subsequently occurred between 1850 and 650. cal. yr BP, though a decrease in Quercus and an increase in xerophytes. The alternation of persistent North Atlantic Oscillation modes probably played an important role in controlling these humid-arid cycles.
KW - Climate
KW - Fire history
KW - Late Holocene
KW - Roman Humid Period
KW - Sierra Nevada
KW - Southern Spain
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84874243586&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84874243586&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.yqres.2012.11.008
DO - 10.1016/j.yqres.2012.11.008
M3 - Article
VL - 79
SP - 110
EP - 122
JO - Quaternary Research
JF - Quaternary Research
SN - 0033-5894
IS - 2
ER -