The palaeoecology of the fen/bog transition during the early- to mid-holocene in Britain
The palaeoecology of the fen/bog transition during the early- to mid-holocene in Britain
The aim of this thesis is to examine the role of autogenic and allogenic forces in determining the development of lowland peatlands, across the fen/bog transition (FBT), by comparing palaeoecological records of mire development from a set of eight paired sites.
One ombrotrophic mire was selected for detailed analyses at the intra-site scale, to provide an assessment of the variability of the early- to mid-Holocene peat stratigraphy associated with the FBT and to establish the degree to which one sample core could represent the main large scale changes in the mire stratigraphy. The remaining seven mires from Cumbria, Wales and Eire were selected to provide comparisons of sites developing in a range of circumstances, including inland and coastal locations and different climatic regimes. One site in Wales was chosen for its proximity to a major river system, to investigate the impact of drainage basin change on a lowland raised mire.
A series of complementary techniques, including Quadrat and Leaf Count Macrofossil Analysis (QLCMA) of vegetative peat components, Abundance Estimate Macrofossil Analysis (AEMA) of propagules, and field stratigraphy, were employed to provide detailed reconstructions of the pathways of mire development leading to the FBT.
Horizons immediately above and below the FBT were radiocarbon dated to examine the continuity of peat accumulation and Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) was performed to investigate the character of the fen/bog gradient.
The results of the detailed palaeoecological analyses suggest that four models of lowland ombrotrophic bog initiation from fens may be recognized in the group of mires studied.
University of Southampton
Hughes, Paul Douglas Michael
63c7e624-12f0-4a2b-ae36-e20165e7b639
1997
Hughes, Paul Douglas Michael
63c7e624-12f0-4a2b-ae36-e20165e7b639
Hughes, Paul Douglas Michael
(1997)
The palaeoecology of the fen/bog transition during the early- to mid-holocene in Britain.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
The aim of this thesis is to examine the role of autogenic and allogenic forces in determining the development of lowland peatlands, across the fen/bog transition (FBT), by comparing palaeoecological records of mire development from a set of eight paired sites.
One ombrotrophic mire was selected for detailed analyses at the intra-site scale, to provide an assessment of the variability of the early- to mid-Holocene peat stratigraphy associated with the FBT and to establish the degree to which one sample core could represent the main large scale changes in the mire stratigraphy. The remaining seven mires from Cumbria, Wales and Eire were selected to provide comparisons of sites developing in a range of circumstances, including inland and coastal locations and different climatic regimes. One site in Wales was chosen for its proximity to a major river system, to investigate the impact of drainage basin change on a lowland raised mire.
A series of complementary techniques, including Quadrat and Leaf Count Macrofossil Analysis (QLCMA) of vegetative peat components, Abundance Estimate Macrofossil Analysis (AEMA) of propagules, and field stratigraphy, were employed to provide detailed reconstructions of the pathways of mire development leading to the FBT.
Horizons immediately above and below the FBT were radiocarbon dated to examine the continuity of peat accumulation and Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) was performed to investigate the character of the fen/bog gradient.
The results of the detailed palaeoecological analyses suggest that four models of lowland ombrotrophic bog initiation from fens may be recognized in the group of mires studied.
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Published date: 1997
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Local EPrints ID: 460272
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/460272
PURE UUID: 8c003b7b-8223-4391-8083-dc85519fba68
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 18:17
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 18:37
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Author:
Paul Douglas Michael Hughes
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