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The use of modelling and simulation approach in reconstructing past landscapes from fossil pollen data: a review and results from the POLLANDCAL network

The use of modelling and simulation approach in reconstructing past landscapes from fossil pollen data: a review and results from the POLLANDCAL network
The use of modelling and simulation approach in reconstructing past landscapes from fossil pollen data: a review and results from the POLLANDCAL network
Information on past land cover in terms of absolute areas of different landscape units (forest, open land, pasture land, cultivated land, etc.) at local to regional scales is needed to test hypotheses and answer questions related to climate change (e.g. feedbacks effects of land-cover change), archaeological research, and nature conservancy (e.g. management strategy). The palaeoecological technique best suited to achieve quantitative reconstruction of past vegetation is pollen analysis. A simulation approach developed by Sugita (the computer model POLLSCAPE) which uses models based on the theory of pollen analysis is presented together with examples of application. POLLSCAPE has been adopted as the central tool for POLLANDCAL (POLlen/LANdscape CALibration), an international research network focusing on this topic. The theory behind models of the pollen–vegetation relationship and POLLSCAPE is reviewed. The two model outputs which receive greatest attention in this paper are the relevant source area of pollen (RSAP) and pollen loading in mires and lakes. Six examples of application of POLLSCAPE are presented, each of which explores a possible use of the POLLANDCAL tools and a means of validating or evaluating the models with empirical data. The landscape and vegetation factors influencing the size of the RSAP, the importance of pollen productivity estimates (PPEs) for the model outputs, the detection of small and rare patches of plant taxa in pollen records, and quantitative reconstructions of past vegetation and landscapes are discussed on the basis of these examples. The simulation approach is seen to be useful both for exploring different vegetation/landscape scenarios and for refuting hypotheses.
POLLANDCAL network, POLLSCAPE simulation model, Pollen dispersal and deposition, Relevant source area of pollen, Quantitative reconstructions of past vegetation and landscapes
0939-6314
419-443
Gaillard, Marie-José
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Sugita, Shinya
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Bunting, M. Jane
23938df2-823f-4ce2-8429-c479e15ec268
Middleton, Richard
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Broström, Anna
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Caseldine, Christopher
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Giesecke, Thomas
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Hellman, Sophie E. V.
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Hicks, Sheila
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Hjelle, Kari
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Langdon, Catherine
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Nielsen, Anne-Birgitte
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Poska, Anneli
0c800a1b-9df2-4afc-8907-02cfe900173a
Stedingk, Henrik
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Veski, Sim
ab17c4bf-904a-4397-af02-e46fb76a9619
POLLANDCAL members,
dad6e029-6f19-47b0-99e4-56f5487621b2
Grant, M.J.
56dae074-d54a-4da8-858a-2bf364a5a550
Gaillard, Marie-José
f48814fe-a09b-44c3-98a7-a72c3dd16d96
Sugita, Shinya
d959ef80-682e-4846-ae7a-1293317a398f
Bunting, M. Jane
23938df2-823f-4ce2-8429-c479e15ec268
Middleton, Richard
771f0db2-04d9-432f-9a84-b0f23a9140a1
Broström, Anna
2201607b-5654-41fe-bc2a-913f7fa0a0a5
Caseldine, Christopher
4ea9b39d-e59a-43fe-bfe2-7f78a2d3a220
Giesecke, Thomas
0a7f6712-9b80-42ef-a2e9-05fa9a85ecbb
Hellman, Sophie E. V.
1e8dc6fb-6ece-4d95-877d-39fa27a32e2c
Hicks, Sheila
2744c78a-694a-4abb-9c5b-3ce2792c9f3e
Hjelle, Kari
330f7008-c5ef-44e5-aac7-0b7d50c11140
Langdon, Catherine
628b8ce9-a413-4ebb-924f-fbeb7193a021
Nielsen, Anne-Birgitte
996c0b6e-562b-4a0e-89cc-81f2c0120f8e
Poska, Anneli
0c800a1b-9df2-4afc-8907-02cfe900173a
Stedingk, Henrik
8b083269-05e4-46cc-8bba-6e440d2e34a1
Veski, Sim
ab17c4bf-904a-4397-af02-e46fb76a9619
POLLANDCAL members,
dad6e029-6f19-47b0-99e4-56f5487621b2
Grant, M.J.
56dae074-d54a-4da8-858a-2bf364a5a550

Gaillard, Marie-José, Sugita, Shinya, Bunting, M. Jane, Middleton, Richard, Broström, Anna, Caseldine, Christopher, Giesecke, Thomas, Hellman, Sophie E. V., Hicks, Sheila, Hjelle, Kari, Langdon, Catherine, Nielsen, Anne-Birgitte, Poska, Anneli, Stedingk, Henrik, Veski, Sim, POLLANDCAL members, and Grant, M.J. (2008) The use of modelling and simulation approach in reconstructing past landscapes from fossil pollen data: a review and results from the POLLANDCAL network. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 17 (5), 419-443. (doi:10.1007/s00334-008-0169-3).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Information on past land cover in terms of absolute areas of different landscape units (forest, open land, pasture land, cultivated land, etc.) at local to regional scales is needed to test hypotheses and answer questions related to climate change (e.g. feedbacks effects of land-cover change), archaeological research, and nature conservancy (e.g. management strategy). The palaeoecological technique best suited to achieve quantitative reconstruction of past vegetation is pollen analysis. A simulation approach developed by Sugita (the computer model POLLSCAPE) which uses models based on the theory of pollen analysis is presented together with examples of application. POLLSCAPE has been adopted as the central tool for POLLANDCAL (POLlen/LANdscape CALibration), an international research network focusing on this topic. The theory behind models of the pollen–vegetation relationship and POLLSCAPE is reviewed. The two model outputs which receive greatest attention in this paper are the relevant source area of pollen (RSAP) and pollen loading in mires and lakes. Six examples of application of POLLSCAPE are presented, each of which explores a possible use of the POLLANDCAL tools and a means of validating or evaluating the models with empirical data. The landscape and vegetation factors influencing the size of the RSAP, the importance of pollen productivity estimates (PPEs) for the model outputs, the detection of small and rare patches of plant taxa in pollen records, and quantitative reconstructions of past vegetation and landscapes are discussed on the basis of these examples. The simulation approach is seen to be useful both for exploring different vegetation/landscape scenarios and for refuting hypotheses.

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More information

Published date: September 2008
Keywords: POLLANDCAL network, POLLSCAPE simulation model, Pollen dispersal and deposition, Relevant source area of pollen, Quantitative reconstructions of past vegetation and landscapes
Organisations: Geology & Geophysics

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 355845
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/355845
ISSN: 0939-6314
PURE UUID: 5faafe00-eb43-4b68-92f5-c2f2070ad93a
ORCID for M.J. Grant: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4766-6913

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Date deposited: 15 Aug 2013 10:47
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:49

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Contributors

Author: Marie-José Gaillard
Author: Shinya Sugita
Author: M. Jane Bunting
Author: Richard Middleton
Author: Anna Broström
Author: Christopher Caseldine
Author: Thomas Giesecke
Author: Sophie E. V. Hellman
Author: Sheila Hicks
Author: Kari Hjelle
Author: Anne-Birgitte Nielsen
Author: Anneli Poska
Author: Henrik Stedingk
Author: Sim Veski
Author: POLLANDCAL members
Author: M.J. Grant ORCID iD

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