Vegetational and Climatic History of the Pacific Northwest植被与气候的西北太平洋历史.pptVIP

Vegetational and Climatic History of the Pacific Northwest during the Last 20,000 Years: Implications for Understanding Present-day Biodiversity A Review of Cathy Whitlock’s Paper Kit Fitzsimmons ESS 433 Autumn ‘07 The Last 20,000 Years Worldwide: Glacial State ? Interglaciation (Holocene) Continental ice sheets disappeared Sea level rose worldwide Land and ocean surfaces warmed Moisture became redistributed In the Pacific NW: Retreat of glacial ice created stagnant ice Created meltwater debris in northern Washington, Idaho, and western Montana Colonized by biota surviving in the unglaciated region to the South Questions to Consider What was the nature of the vegetation in the unglaciated region? How did glacial-age communities respond as climates changed and new species entered the region? What environmental controls shaped the subsequent development of modern forests within both the glaciated and unglaciated regions? In what ways have present-day vegetation and plant communities in the pacific NW been influenced by long-term changes in climate, substrate, biological interactions, and natural disturbance? Objective: Describe the vegetational and climatic history of the Pacific NW during the late-Quarternary period from 20 ka to present day. Pacific NW: Suitable Source for Stocked Samples? Yes! Large number of lakes and bogs for paleoecological research. Glacier fed soils contain Holocene sediment rich in pollen and macrofossils. Pollen Samples Extracted from sediment cores at individual sites. Compared with other sites to infer broad changes in regional vegetation and climate Further dated by ash layers found in lake sediment (i.e. Mazama ash appears in nearly every sample site. Took place 6.7-7 ka) Pollen Collection Small-Medium sized lakes (1-50 ha) collect pollen from 100-1,000km2 Stratiographic interval that represents one sample for every 300-1,000 years of sediment accumulation Good for large scale inferences but leaves short-term changes and specifics