Detecting the environmental impact of the Baltic Crusades on a late-medieval (13th-15th century) frontier landscape: palynological analysis from Malbork Castle and hinterland, Northern Poland

Palaeoecological analysis of peat deposits from a small bog, combined with pollen analysis of sediments infilling the moat of the nearby Teutonic Order castle at Malbork, have been used to examine the ecological impact of the Crusades on the late-medieval landscape of Northern Poland. Studies of the environmental impact of the Crusades have been almost exclusively informed by written sources; this study is the first of its type to directly investigate the environmental context of Crusading as a force of ecological transformation on the late-medieval Baltic landscape. The pollen evidence from Malbork Castle and its hinterland demonstrate that the 12th/13th–15th centuries coincide with a marked transformation in vegetation and land-use, characterized by clearance of broadleaved woodland and subsequent agricultural intensification, particularly during the 14th/15th centuries. These changes are ascribed to landscape transformations associated with the Teutonic Order’s control of the landscape from the mid-13th century. Human activity identified in the pollen record prior to this is argued to reflect the activities of Pomeranian settlers in the area. This paper also discusses the broader palaeoecological evidence for medieval landscape change across Northern Poland.

(Data S1) Palynological analysis of IODP and ODP sediment cores around the Antarctic margin

The circum-Antarctic Southern Ocean is an important region for global marine food webs and carbon cycling because of sea-ice formation and its unique plankton ecosystem. However, the mechanisms underlying the installation of this distinct ecosystem and the geological timing of its development remain unknown. Here, we show, on the basis of fossil marine dinoflagellate cyst records, that a major restructuring of the Southern Ocean plankton ecosystem occurred abruptly and concomitant with the first major Antarctic glaciation in the earliest Oligocene (~33.6 million years ago). This turnover marks a regime shift in zooplankton-phytoplankton interactions and community structure, which indicates the appearance of eutrophic and seasonally productive environments on the Antarctic margin. We conclude that earliest Oligocene cooling, ice-sheet expansion, and subsequent sea-ice formation were important drivers of biotic evolution in the Southern Ocean.

Sedimentological and palynological analysis of sediment cores from the northeastern Vietnamese Mekong River Delta

Three radiocarbon-dated sediment cores from the northeastern Vietnamese Mekong River Delta have been analysed with a multiproxy approach (grain size, pollen and spores, macro-charcoal, carbon content) to unravel the palaeoenvironmental history of the region since the mid Holocene. During the mid-Holocene sea-level highstand a diverse, zoned and widespread mangrove belt (dominated by Rhizophora) covered the extended tidal flats. The subsequent regression and coeval delta progradation led to the rapid development of a back-mangrove community dominated by Ceriops and Bruguiera but also represented locally by e.g. Kandelia, Excoecaria and Phoenix. Along rivers this community seems to have endured even when the adjoining floodplain had already shifted to freshwater vegetation. Generally this freshwater vegetation has a strong swamp signature but locally Arecaceae, Fabaceae, Moraceae/Urticaceae and Myrsinaceae are important and mirror the geomorphological diversity of the delta plain. The macro-charcoal record implies that natural burning of vegetation occurred throughout the records, however, the occurrence of the highest amounts of macro-charcoal particles is linked with modern human activity.

新生代孢粉分析与古气候定量重建的研究

定量重建地球生态系统的气候参数是当前国际古气候研究的目标之一. 自20世纪70年代以来, 尤其是在海洋学研究领域, 新技术的不断应用使得定量的古气候研究蓬勃发展. 相比之下陆地古气候参数的重建要困难得多, 陆地植物作为对环境的良好记录，一直备受重视. 近数十年来, 国际上广泛开展了利用植物材料定量研究气候的探索, 大量新的方法层出不穷. 德国科学家Mosbrugger和Utescher在1997年倡导的共存分析法(The Coexistence Approach)就是其中之一, 它依据现存最近亲缘类群原理以及植物分布与气候的关系原理, 找到化石植物群中各类群的现存最近亲缘类群对各气候参数的耐受范围; 并将各亲缘类群对同一气候参数的耐受范围叠加一起, 获得对该气候参数的共存区间, 用该区间作为对古气候参数的精确估测. 本文首先阐述在原文位于展开讨论的共存分析的理论基础——探讨植物分布与气候之间关系的耐受性理论. 并以此为指导, 对在该方法中气候台站的选用方法作了改进, 气象台站的选择应以植物的标本记录点为基础: 即使在某一特定的植物分布区内部也应该查看气象台站所在县级行政区域是否有该植物的标本采集信息, 并以此为依据来决定是否选用该气象台站的记录; 选用的气象台站的数量多寡应该以植物分布点的多少来决定. 以此为基础, 我们采用中国的植物分布与气象记录数据, 利用孢粉学的研究结果，定量重建了我国新生代三个地点的古气候参数, 结果如下: 1.内蒙古呼伦湖地区全新世初期气候 MAT: 4.4~10.2℃; MWMT: 22.9~24.1℃; MCMT: -18~-9.1℃; DT: 33.5~40.9℃; MAP: 354.3~686.7mm; MMaP: 103.8~191.9mm; MMiP: 2.7~7.3mm. 我们以扎赉诺尔地区的孢粉学研究为基础, 依据孢粉和盘星藻(Pediastrum Meyen)提供的环境信息并结合前人工作, 恢复了全新世初升温期的植被变化; 定量重建了10.4~10.2kaB.P.时的气候, 为全面理解呼伦湖地区的气候变化以及东亚的夏季风变化提供新的依据. 2.云南洱源上新世气候 MAT: 13.3~18.6℃; MWMT: 24.6~27.5℃; MCMT: 1.9~12.1℃; DT: 14.2~16.6℃; MAP: 619.9~1484.3mm; MMaP: 143.8~245.6mm; MMiP: 12.7~16.4mm. 该结果与羊邑、龙陵上新世古气候及三地的现代气候分析对比表明, 在上新世, 三地年均温符合纬向变化, 而降水量则基本一致. 在现代，洱源与羊邑在气候与植被上很相近, 且与上新世相差不大; 而龙陵地区则发生了显著的变化, 年均温比上新世低, 而降水量则大幅增加. 该变化指示了上新世以来作为青藏高原东部边缘的龙陵地区可能出现了地形的抬升. 3.吉林珲春始新世和中新世气候 始新世: MAT: 14.3~14.9℃; MWMT: 25~26.3℃; MCMT: 1.9~3.7℃; DT: 21.7~23℃; MAP: 797.5~1344mm; MMaP: 185.3~209.8mm; MMiP: 14.2~16.4mm. 中新世: MAT: 14.3~14.9℃; MWMT: 24.3~25.4℃; MCMT: 2.1~3.7℃; DT: 21.7~22.7℃; MAP: 658.7~817.7mm; MMaP: 158.9~174.6mm; MMiP: 7.4~7.6mm. 通过对两个时段的气候参数对比, 始新世时, 吉林珲春地区的气候属于北亚热带气候; 中新世时气候发生了改变, 归属于暖温带南部的气候, 改变了前人关于中新世也归属于被亚热带的认识, 这反映了我国东北部地区与全球新生代降温总趋势具有一定的同步性.

Early Holocene vegetation, human activity and climate from Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo

A 40mcore from Loagan Bunut,Malaysian Borneo, yielded a high-resolution early Holocene (11.3e6.75 ka) sequence of marginal-marine deposits. Palynological analysis showed relatively stable fire-regulated lowland forest through this time, with the local development and regression of mangrove vegetation. A general trend of rising rainfall and thus strengthening North East monsoonal circulation linked to the migration of the mean position of the ICTZ was interrupted by what may be episodes of drier climate and weakening monsoonal activity at 9250-8890, 7900 and 7600-7545 cal. BP. Magnetic susceptibility peaks suggestmarked short-term ENSO-style activity superimposed upon this record. Repeated markers for openand disturbed habitats, plus occasional imported and probably-cultivated taxa, point towards human impact from the earliest Holocene on the wet tropical forest at Loagan Bunut.

Análise polinica de argilas de Lagoa Negra

Palynological analysis of black shales from Lagoa Negra (Cantanhede) shows the presence of Cathaya and Keteleeria, Myrica and Engelhardtia being scarce. Comparison with other localities suggest an Upper Pliocene or Lower Pleistocene age for this association.

Postglacial paleoecology and effects of European settlement on the environment of Lake Hunger and Lake Lisgar, Southwestern Ontario /

This investigation has three purposes I to make a comparative chemical study on sediment cores collected for Lake Lisgar (man-made lake in an urban center) and Lake Hunger (natural basin in a rural community) encompassing the time since European settlement I to determine the postglacial chemical history of Lake Hunger, and to determine the vegetational history of the Lake Hunger area from postglacial time to the present. The minus 80 mesh fraction of 108 soil samples and 18 stream sediment samples collected in the vicinity of Lakes' Lisgar and Hunger were analyzed for cold hydrochloric acid soluble lead, zinc, nickel, cobalt, copper, aluminum, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese. Lacustrine sediments from 5 boreholes in the Lake Lisgar basin were collected. Boreholes 1, 2, 3, and 4 were analyzed for palynological and chemical information and Borehole 5 was subjected to pollen and ostracode analysis. Lacustrine sediments from 6 boreholes in the Lake Hunger basin were collected. Palyno- -logical and chemical analysis were performed on Boreholes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 and Borehole 5 was analyzed for pollen. In addition, radiocarbon dates were obtained on sediment samples from Boreholes 4 and 5. A total of 8 surface samples were collected from the margins of the Lake Hunger basin and these were chemically analyzed in the laboratory. All of the lacustrine sediments were ashed and analyzed for cold hydrochloric acid soluble lead, zinc, nickel, cobalt, copper, aluminum, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese using a Perkin Elmer 40) Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer. The results . obtained for the 12 elements were expressed as parts per million in dry sediments. It was found that man's influence on the element distribution patterns in the sediments of Lake Lisgar appeared to be related to his urbanizing developments within the lake vicinity, whereas, the rural developments in the vicinity of lake Hunger appeared to have had little effect on the element distribution patterns in the lake sediments. The distribution patterns of lead, zinc, nickel, cobalt, aluminum, magnesium, sodium and potassium are similar to the % ash curve throughout postglacial time indicating that the rate of erosion in the drainage basin is the main factor which controls the concentration of these elements in the sediments of Lake Hunger. The vegetational history, from palynological analysis, of Lake Hunger from postglacial time to the present includes the following stages: tundra, open spruce forest, closed boreal forest, deciduous forest and the trend towards the re-establishment of pine following the clearing of land and the subsequent settlement of the Lake Hunger area by European settlers. The concentrations of some elements (cobalt, nickel, iron, manganese, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium) in the sediments of Lake Hunger appears to be higher during pre-cultural compared to post-cultural times. At least one complete postglacial record of the chemical history within a lake basin is necessary in order to accurately assess man's effects on his environment.