Holocene environmental changes in the coastal Tavoliere Plain (Apulia, southern Italy): A multiproxy approach

2011 ◽  
Vol 310 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 139-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Di Rita ◽  
Oronzo Simone ◽  
Massimo Caldara ◽  
W. Roland Gehrels ◽  
Donatella Magri
Keyword(s):  
Southern Italy ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Multiproxy Approach

scholarly journals Hominin responses to environmental changes during the Middle Pleistocene in central and southern Italy

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 687-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Orain ◽  
V. Lebreton ◽  
E. Russo Ermolli ◽  
A.-M. Sémah ◽  
S. Nomade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Middle Pleistocene ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Vegetation Dynamic ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Global Climate Changes

Abstract. The palaeobotanical record of early Palaeolithic sites from Western Europe indicates that hominins settled in different kinds of environments. During the "mid-Pleistocene transition (MPT)", from about 1 to 0.6 Ma, the transition from 41- to 100-ka dominant climatic oscillations, occurring within a long-term cooling trend, was associated with an aridity crisis which strongly modified the ecosystems. Starting from the MPT the more favourable climate of central and southern Italy provided propitious environmental conditions for long-term human occupations even during the glacial times. In fact, the human strategy of territory occupation was certainly driven by the availabilities of resources. Prehistoric sites such as Notarchirico (ca. 680–600 ka), La Pineta (ca. 600–620 ka), Guado San Nicola (ca. 380–350 ka) or Ceprano (ca. 345–355 ka) testify to a preferential occupation of the central and southern Apennines valleys during interglacial phases, while later interglacial occupations were oriented towards the coastal plains, as attested by the numerous settlements of the Roma Basin (ca. 300 ka). Faunal remains indicate that human subsistence behaviours benefited from a diversity of exploitable ecosystems, from semi-open to closed environments. In central and southern Italy, several palynological records have already illustrated the regional- and local-scale vegetation dynamic trends. During the Middle Pleistocene climate cycles, mixed mesophytic forests developed during the interglacial periods and withdrew in response to increasing aridity during the glacial episodes. New pollen data from the Boiano Basin (Molise, Italy) attest to the evolution of vegetation and climate between MIS 13 and 9 (ca. 500 to 300 ka). In this basin the persistence of high edaphic humidity, even during the glacial phases, could have favoured the establishment of a refuge area for the arboreal flora and provided subsistence resources for the animal and hominin communities during the Middle Pleistocene. This could have constrained human groups to migrate into such a propitious area. Regarding the local climate evolution during the glacial episodes, the supposed displacement from these sites could be linked to the environmental dynamics solely due to the aridity increase, rather than directly to the global climate changes.

scholarly journals A multiproxy approach to reconstruct the environmental changes along the Eurasian continental margin over the last 150 000 years

2000 ◽  
Vol 163 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 317-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jochen Knies ◽  
Norbert Nowaczyk ◽  
Claudia Müller ◽  
Christoph Vogt ◽  
Ruediger Stein
Keyword(s):  
Continental Margin ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Multiproxy Approach

scholarly journals Clues to the identification of a seismogenic source from environmental effects: the case of the 1905 Calabria (Southern Italy) earthquake

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1787-1803 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Tertulliani ◽  
L. Cucci
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Source Parameters ◽  
Normal Fault ◽  
Rock Falls ◽  
Offshore Area ◽  
Hydrological Changes ◽  
Seismogenic Source ◽  
Ground Effects

Abstract. The 8 September 1905 Calabria (Southern Italy) earthquake belongs to a peculiar family of highly destructive (I0=XI) seismic events, occurred at the dawning of the instrumental seismology, for which the location, geometry and size of the causative source are still substantially unconstrained. During the century elapsed since the earthquake, previous Authors identified three different epicenters that are more than 50 km apart and proposed magnitudes ranging from M≤6.2 to M=7.9. Even larger uncertainties were found when the geometry of the earthquake source was estimated. In this study, we constrain the magnitude, location and kinematics of the 1905 earthquake through the analysis of the remarkable environmental effects produced by the event (117 reviewed observations at 73 different localities throughout Calabria). The data used in our analysis include ground effects (landslides, rock falls and lateral spreads) and hydrological changes (streamflow variations, liquefaction, rise of water temperature and turbidity). To better define the magnitude of the event we use a number of empirical relations between seismic source parameters and distribution of ground effects and hydrological changes. In order to provide constraints to the location of the event and to the geometry of the source, we reproduce the coseismic static strain associated with different possible 1905 causative faults and compare its pattern to the documented streamflow changes. From the analysis of the seismically-induced environmental changes we find that: 1) the 1905 earthquake had a minimum magnitude M=6.7; 2) the event occurred in an offshore area west of the epicenters proposed by the historical seismic Catalogs; 3) it most likely occurred along a 100° N oriented normal fault with a left-lateral component, consistently with the seismotectonic setting of the area.

Inferring sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) population dynamics and water quality changes in a stained nursery lake over the past ∼500 years

2004 ◽  
Vol 61 (7) ◽  
pp. 1235-1246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Gregory-Eaves ◽  
Bruce P Finney ◽  
Marianne SV Douglas ◽  
John P Smol
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Oncorhynchus Nerka ◽  
The Past ◽  
The North ◽  
Salmon Population ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
The North Pacific ◽  
Multiproxy Approach

Historical and paleolimnological studies have demonstrated that environmental changes in the North Pacific can strongly affect sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) abundances. Whether these marine shifts would be influential on sockeye salmon from all lake types, however, has not yet been studied. This study represents the first paleolimnological analysis of past sockeye salmon population dynamics in a stained nursery lake (Packers Lake, Alaska). We adopted a multiproxy approach to determine whether salmon-derived nutrients (inferred from δ15N) would be available for algal uptake (inferred from the diatom species responses) in this stained lake, as high concentrations of humics and iron are known to sequester phosphorus. The strong degree of coherency between δ15N and diatoms, however, suggests that salmon-derived nutrients were bioavailable and enhanced productivity. Overall, our indicators responded to changes in sockeye salmon abundances and volcanic ashfalls over the past ∼500 years. In a section of the core unaffected by tephras (AD ∼1770–1882), our record suggests that the number of sockeye salmon spawners fluctuated widely. Comparison of temporal shifts in inferred sockeye salmon abundances from Packers Lake with other clearwater nursery lakes reveals a broadly consistent pattern, likely influenced by past climatic changes.

scholarly journals Late Glacial organic sediments in palaeogeographical reconstructions (cases from the Łódź region)

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danuta Dzieduszyńska ◽  
Jacek Forysiak
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Younger Dryas ◽  
Late Glacial ◽  
Abiotic Conditions ◽  
Organic Sediments ◽  
Multiproxy Approach ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Resolution Study

Abstract Late Glacial organic succession is recorded at the Żabieniec and Koźmin Las sites, in the Łódź region. A multiproxy approach provides a palaeogeographical assessment and yields a new insight into the old morainic area of the Polish Lowland. Additionally, the key profile Witów contributes in the reconstruction. It is demonstrated that the Late Glacial organic sediments of the Łódź region contain signs of environmental changes, starting from the first warming just after the Weichselian ice-sheet retreat from the Polish territory. Records at Żabieniec, apart from registering biotic and abiotic conditions which influenced functioning of a peatbog, provides information on the permafrost behaviour throughout the Late Glacial. At Koźmin Las, a unique discovery of the in situ riparian forest accompanied by organic sediments led to a high-resolution study of a series of events taking place on the floodplain during the Younger Dryas.

scholarly journals The History of Pastoral Activities in S Italy Inferred from Palynology: A Long-Term Perspective to Support Biodiversity Awareness

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Assunta Florenzano
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Coprophilous Fungi ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Mediterranean Habitats ◽  
15Th Century ◽  
The Impact

The present-day Mediterranean landscape is a result of the long-term human–environment–climate interactions that have driven the ecological dynamics throughout the Holocene. Pastoralism had (and still has) an important role in shaping this landscape, and contributes to maintaining the mosaic patterns of the Mediterranean habitats. Palaeoecological records provide significant multi-proxy data on environmental changes during the Holocene that are linked to human activities. In such research, the palynological approach is especially useful for detailing the complexity of anthropogenically-driven landscape transformations by discriminating past land uses and pastoral/breeding activities. This paper focuses on the palynological evidence for the impact of centuries of grazing on the vegetation of Basilicata, a region of southern Italy where animal breeding and pastoralism have a long tradition. A set of 121 pollen samples from eight archaeological sites (dated from the 6th century BC to the 15th century AD) and five modern surface soil samples were analyzed. The joint record of pollen pasture indicators and spores of coprophilous fungi suggests that continuous and intense pastoral activities have been practiced in the territory and have highly influenced its landscape. The palaeoecological results of this study provide us with better knowledge of the diachronical transformations of the habitats that were exposed to continuous grazing, with a shift toward more open vegetation and increase of sclerophyllous shrubs. The palynological approach gives insights into the vocation and environmental sustainability of this southern Italy region on a long-term basis.

scholarly journals Multiproxy evidence of the Neoglacial expansion of Atlantic Water to eastern Svalbard: Does ancient environmental DNA complement sedimentary and microfossil records?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Pawłowska ◽  
Magdalena Łącka ◽  
Małgorzata Kucharska ◽  
Jan Pawlowski ◽  
Marek Zajączkowski
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Environmental Dna ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Ice Cover ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
Ice Coverage ◽  
Ice Conditions ◽  
Multiproxy Approach

Abstract. The main goal of this study was to reconstruct the paleoceanographic development of Storfjorden during the Neoglacial (~ 4 cal ka BP). A multiproxy approach was applied to provide evidence for interactions between the inflow of Atlantic Water (AW) and sea-ice coverage, which are the major drivers of environmental changes in Storfjorden. The sedimentary and microfossil records indicate that a major reorganization of oceanographic conditions in Storfjorden occurred at ~ 2.7 cal ka BP. A general cooling and the less pronounced presence of AW in Storfjorden during the early phase of the Neoglacial are prerequisite conditions for the formation of an extensive sea-ice cover. The period after ~ 2.7 cal ka BP was characterized by alternating short-term cooling and warming intervals. Warming was associated with pulsed inflows of AW and sea-ice melting that stimulated phytoplankton blooms and organic matter supply to the bottom. The cold phases were characterized by heavy and densely packed sea ice resulting in a decrease in productivity. The ancient environmental DNA (aDNA) records of foraminifera and diatoms reveal the timing of the major pulses of AW (~ 2.3 and ~ 1.7 cal ka BP) and the variation in sea-ice cover. The AW inflow was marked by an increase in the percentage of DNA sequences of monothalamous foraminifera associated with the presence of fresh phytodetritus, while cold and less productive intervals were marked by an increased proportion of monothalamous taxa known only from environmental sequencing. The diatom aDNA record indicates that primary production was continuous during the Neoglacial regardless of sea-ice conditions. However, the colder periods were characterized by the presence of diatom taxa associated with sea ice, whereas the present-day diatom assemblage is dominated by open-water taxa.

scholarly journals Hominin responses to environmental changes during the Middle Pleistocene in Central and Southern Italy

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 5181-5207 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Orain ◽  
V. Lebreton ◽  
E. Russo Ermolli ◽  
A.-M. Sémah ◽  
S. Nomade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Middle Pleistocene ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Vegetation Dynamic ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Global Climate Changes

Abstract. The palaeobotanical record of early Palaeolithic sites from Western Europe indicates that hominins settled in different kinds of environments. During the "Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT)", from about 1 to 0.6 Ma, the transition from 41-ka to 100-ka dominant climatic oscillations, occurring within a long-term cooling trend, was associated with an aridity crisis which strongly modified the ecosystems. Starting from the MPT the more favorable climate of central and southern Italy provided propitious environmental conditions for long-term human occupations even during the glacial times. In fact, the human strategy of territory occupation was certainly driven by the availabilities of resources. Prehistoric sites such as Notarchirico (ca. 680–600 ka), La Pineta (ca. 600–620 ka), Gaudo San Nicola (ca. 380–350 ka) or Ceprano (ca. 345–355 ka) testify to a preferential occupation of the central and southern Apennines valleys during interglacial phases, while later interglacial occupations were oriented towards the coastal plains, as attested by the numerous settlements of the Roma basin (ca. 300 ka). Faunal remains indicate that human subsistence behaviors benefited of a diversity of exploitable ecosystems, from semi-open to closed environments. In central and southern Italy, several palynological records have already illustrated the regional and local scale vegetation dynamic trends. During the Middle Pleistocene climate cycles, mixed mesophytic forests developed during the interglacial periods and withdrew in response to increasing aridity during the glacial episodes. New pollen data from the Boiano basin (Molise, Italy), attest to the evolution of vegetation and climate between OIS 13 and 9 (ca. 500 to 300 ka). In this basin, the persistence of high edaphic humidity, even during the glacial phases, could have favored the establishment of a refuge area for the arboreal flora and provided subsistence resources for the animal and hominin communities during the Middle Pleistocene. This could have constrained human groups to migrate into such a propitious area. Regarding to the local climate evolution during the glacial episodes, the supposed displacement from these sites could be linked to the environmental dynamics solely due to the aridity increase rather than directly to the global climate changes.

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