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Amazonian pollen assemblages reflect biogeographic gradients and forest cover

Amazonian pollen assemblages reflect biogeographic gradients and forest cover
Amazonian pollen assemblages reflect biogeographic gradients and forest cover
AbstractAimPollen assemblages are commonly used to reconstruct past climates yet have not yet been used to reconstruct past human activities, including deforestation. We aim to assess (i) how pollen assemblages vary across biogeographic and environmental gradients, (ii) the source area of pollen assemblages from lake sediment samples and (iii) which pollen taxa can best be used to quantify deforested landscapes.LocationAmazonia.TaxonPlantae.MethodsPollen assemblages (N = 65) from mud‐water interface samples (representing modern conditions) of lake sediment cores were compared with modern gradients of temperature, precipitation and elevation. Pollen assemblages were also compared with local‐scale estimates of forest cover at 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 40 km buffers around each lake.ResultsOver 250 pollen types were identified in the samples, and pollen assemblages were able to accurately differentiate biogeographic regions across the basin, corresponding with gradients in temperature and precipitation. Poaceae percentages were the best predictor of deforestation, and had a significant negative relationship with forest cover estimates. These relationships were strongest for the 1 km buffer area, weakening as buffer sizes increased.Main conclusionsThe diverse Amazonian pollen assemblages strongly reflect environmental gradients, and percentages of Poaceae best reflect local‐scale variability in forest cover. Our results of modern pollen‐landscape relationships can be used to provide a foundation for quantitative reconstructions of climate and deforestation in Amazonia.
0305-0270
Blaus, A
b1118939-46bc-4331-bd72-9344b87434bc
McMichael, Crystal
326a3d5f-50a2-4e87-bc36-72610e4738a6
Raczka, Marco
d57afed9-59a3-4610-b183-3ddc143a6ec6
Herrick, C
cf107f2f-c424-46aa-b22a-2a04841a0ae4
Palace, M
200e2fb8-9997-4bf4-98ad-feb7134539b3
Witteveen, N H
ba8b11f3-957b-418b-86b2-655b8b1d1ad2
Nascimento, Majoi
40059943-f59a-49b2-8e7e-7b3d3f7f62af
Bush, M B
c4fb0c3d-5f1b-4fe6-86a2-7aa49f0d82b3
Blaus, A
b1118939-46bc-4331-bd72-9344b87434bc
McMichael, Crystal
326a3d5f-50a2-4e87-bc36-72610e4738a6
Raczka, Marco
d57afed9-59a3-4610-b183-3ddc143a6ec6
Herrick, C
cf107f2f-c424-46aa-b22a-2a04841a0ae4
Palace, M
200e2fb8-9997-4bf4-98ad-feb7134539b3
Witteveen, N H
ba8b11f3-957b-418b-86b2-655b8b1d1ad2
Nascimento, Majoi
40059943-f59a-49b2-8e7e-7b3d3f7f62af
Bush, M B
c4fb0c3d-5f1b-4fe6-86a2-7aa49f0d82b3

Blaus, A, McMichael, Crystal, Raczka, Marco, Herrick, C, Palace, M, Witteveen, N H, Nascimento, Majoi and Bush, M B (2023) Amazonian pollen assemblages reflect biogeographic gradients and forest cover. Journal of Biogeography. (doi:10.1111/JBI.14701).

Record type: Article

Abstract

AbstractAimPollen assemblages are commonly used to reconstruct past climates yet have not yet been used to reconstruct past human activities, including deforestation. We aim to assess (i) how pollen assemblages vary across biogeographic and environmental gradients, (ii) the source area of pollen assemblages from lake sediment samples and (iii) which pollen taxa can best be used to quantify deforested landscapes.LocationAmazonia.TaxonPlantae.MethodsPollen assemblages (N = 65) from mud‐water interface samples (representing modern conditions) of lake sediment cores were compared with modern gradients of temperature, precipitation and elevation. Pollen assemblages were also compared with local‐scale estimates of forest cover at 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 40 km buffers around each lake.ResultsOver 250 pollen types were identified in the samples, and pollen assemblages were able to accurately differentiate biogeographic regions across the basin, corresponding with gradients in temperature and precipitation. Poaceae percentages were the best predictor of deforestation, and had a significant negative relationship with forest cover estimates. These relationships were strongest for the 1 km buffer area, weakening as buffer sizes increased.Main conclusionsThe diverse Amazonian pollen assemblages strongly reflect environmental gradients, and percentages of Poaceae best reflect local‐scale variability in forest cover. Our results of modern pollen‐landscape relationships can be used to provide a foundation for quantitative reconstructions of climate and deforestation in Amazonia.

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Published date: 1 November 2023

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Local EPrints ID: 503838
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/503838
ISSN: 0305-0270
PURE UUID: 452dc957-222c-4df9-b6fe-141a63ce1501
ORCID for Majoi Nascimento: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4009-4905

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Date deposited: 14 Aug 2025 16:47
Last modified: 15 Aug 2025 02:14

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Contributors

Author: A Blaus
Author: Crystal McMichael
Author: Marco Raczka
Author: C Herrick
Author: M Palace
Author: N H Witteveen
Author: Majoi Nascimento ORCID iD
Author: M B Bush

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