Paleoclimatic interpretations of montane meadow sediment, pollen and macrofossil stratigraphies from California
Anderson SR. 1992. Paleoclimatic interpretations of montane meadow sediment, pollen and macrofossil stratigraphies from California. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 73(2):97-98
Pollen and macrofossil data have become standard tools in interpreting paleoenvironmental change. Paleobotanical studies from high elevation lakes in the Sierra Nevada suggest that effective precipitation was less than today during the early Holocene. Pine forests predominated over the modern mixed conifer forests, while montane chaparral shrubs predominated in larger forest openings. However, after ca. 6500 - 5500 yr BP, effective precipitation increased, accelerating after ca. 4500 yr BP. Below the elevation where lakes are common, montane meadows are important in preserving paleoenvironmental information. Sediment deposited in these meadows during the early Holocene is sandier and contains more charcoal than during the late Holocene, where peats predominate. The sedimentary observations corroborate interpretations of the paleobotanical record at all elevations , suggesting t hat meadow stratigraphies can be useful also for paleoclimatic interpretations.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Anderson, Scott
- Units
- DENA
- Keywords
- IAR, macrofossil, medow, paleoclimatic, Pollen, Sediment, Sedimentology/Stratigraphy