scholarly journals Towards a history of Holocene P dynamics for the Northern Hemisphere using lake sediment geochemical records

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (20) ◽  
pp. 5609-5638
Author(s):  
Madeleine Moyle ◽  
John F. Boyle ◽  
Richard C. Chiverrell
Keyword(s):  
Lake Sediment ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Lake Water ◽  
Landscape Development ◽  
Development History ◽  
P Cycling ◽  
Sediment Records ◽  
History Of ◽  
P Supply

Abstract. Present-day lake water phosphorus (P) enrichment and accelerated P cycling are changes superimposed on a dynamic Holocene history of landscape development following glaciation, changes in climate, and long-term low-intensity human activity. Knowledge of the history of long-term P dynamics is essential for understanding present-day landscape P export and for managing both terrestrial and aquatic environments. This study is the first attempt to constrain the timing and magnitude of terrestrial changes in Holocene P dynamics across the Northern Hemisphere using lake sediment records. Here we reconstruct trajectories in terrestrial Holocene P dynamics for the Northern Hemisphere. We apply a simple process model to published lake sediment geochemical P records from 24 sites, producing records of landscape P yield and reconstructing lake water total phosphorus (TP) concentrations. Individual site trajectories of landscape P yield and lake water TP vary systematically, with differences attributable to local landscape development history. Three distinct traits are apparent. Mountain sites with minimal direct human impact show falling P supply and conform to conceptual models of natural soil development (Trait 1). Lowland sites where substantial (pre-)historic agriculture was present show progressively increasing P supply (Trait 2). Lowland sites may also show a rapid acceleration in P supply over the last few centuries, where high-intensity land use, including settlements and farming, is present (Trait 3). Where data availability permitted comparison, our reconstructed TP records agree well with monitored lake water TP data, and our sediment-inferred P yields are comparable to reported catchment export coefficients. Comparison with diatom-inferred TP reveals good agreement for recent records. Our reconstructions form the first systematic assessment of average terrestrial P export for the Northern Hemisphere over the Holocene and provide the empirical data needed for constraining long-term landscape P cycling models and values for terrestrial P export that could be used for ocean P cycling models. The long-term perspective provided by our sediment-inferred TP can be used to identify pre-disturbance baselines for lake water quality, information essential to target-driven lake management. We find the first detectable anthropogenic impacts on P cycling ca. 6000 BP, with more substantial impacts as early as 3000 BP. Consequently, to characterize pre-disturbance lake P conditions at Trait 2 and Trait 3 sites, it is necessary to consider time periods before the arrival of early farmers. Our use of trait classifications has a predictive power for sites without sediment records, allowing prediction of TP baselines and P trajectories based on regional landscape development history.

scholarly journals Towards a history of Holocene P dynamics for the northern hemisphere using lake sediment geochemical records

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeleine Moyle ◽  
John Francis Boyle ◽  
Richard Christopher Chiverrell
Keyword(s):  
Lake Sediment ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Lake Water ◽  
Landscape Development ◽  
Development History ◽  
P Cycling ◽  
Sediment Records ◽  
History Of ◽  
P Supply

Abstract. Present day lake water phosphorus (P) enrichment and accelerated P cycling are changes superimposed on a dynamic Holocene history of landscape recovery from glaciation, changes in climate, and long-term low-intensity human activity. Knowledge of the history of long-term P dynamics is essential for understanding present-day landscape P export and for managing both terrestrial and aquatic environments. This study is the first attempt to constrain the timing and magnitude of terrestrial changes in Holocene P dynamics across the Northern Hemisphere using lake sediment records. Here we reconstruct trajectories in terrestrial Holocene P dynamics for the Northern Hemisphere. We apply a simple process model to published lake sediment geochemical P records from 24 sites, producing records of landscape P yield and reconstructing lake water total phosphorus (TP) concentrations. Individual site trajectories of landscape P yield and lake water TP vary systematically, with differences attributable to local landscape development history. Three distinct traits are apparent. Mountain sites with minimal direct human impact show falling P supply and conform to conceptual models of natural soil development (Trait 1). Lowland sites where substantial (pre-)historic agriculture was present show progressively increasing P supply (Trait 2). Lowland sites may also show a rapid acceleration in P supply over the last few centuries, where high intensity land use, including settlements and farming, are present (Trait 3). Where data availability permitted comparison, our reconstructed TP records agree well with both monitored lake water TP data and diatom inferred TP, and our sediment inferred P yields are comparable to reported catchment export coefficients. Our reconstructions form the first systematic assessment of average terrestrial P export for the Northern Hemisphere over the Holocene and provide the empirical data needed for constraining long-term landscape P cycling models and values for terrestrial P export that could be used for ocean P cycling models. The long-term perspective provided by our sediment-inferred TP can be used to identify pre-disturbance baselines for lake water quality, information essential to target-driven lake management. We find the first detectable anthropogenic impacts on P cycling ca. 6000 BP, with more substantial impacts as early as 3000 BP. Consequently, to characterise pre-disturbance lake P conditions at Trait 2 and Trait 3 sites it is necessary to consider time periods before the arrival of early farmers. Our use of trait classifications has a predictive power for sites without sediment records, allowing prediction of TP baselines and P trajectories based on regional landscape development history.

Towards a history of Holocene P dynamics for the Northern Hemisphere using lake sediment geochemical records

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeleine Moyle ◽  
John Boyle ◽  
Richard Chiverrell
Keyword(s):  
Human Impact ◽  
Lake Sediment ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Human Activity ◽  
Lake Water ◽  
Process Model ◽  
P Cycling ◽  
History Of ◽  
P Supply

<p>Present day phosphorus (P) enrichment and accelerated P cycling are changes superimposed on a dynamic Holocene history of landscape recovery from glaciation, changes in climate, and long-term low-intensity human activity. Knowledge of the changing role of human activity in driving long-term P dynamics is essential for understanding landscape P export and managing both terrestrial and aquatic environments.</p><p>Here we apply a simple process model to published lake sediment geochemical P records from 24 sites distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, producing Holocene records of landscape P yield and reconstructions of lake water TP concentrations. These records are a first attempt to produce values for average P export for the Northern Hemisphere over the Holocene, which can be used for constraining long-term landscape P cycling models.</p><p>Individual site trajectories of reconstructed Holocene landscape P yield and lake water TP varied systematically, with differences attributable to landscape development history, in turn driven by climate, human impact and other local factors. Three distinct traits are apparent across the records. Mountain sites with minimal direct human impact show falling Holocene P supply, and conform to conceptual models of natural soil development (Trait 1). Lowland sites  where substantial (pre-)historic agriculture was present show progressively increasing Holocene P supply (Trait 2). Lowland sites may also show a rapid acceleration in P supply over the last few centuries, where high intensity land use, including settlements and farming, are present (Trait 3).</p><p>This long-term perspective is pivotal to understanding drivers of change in coupled terrestrial and aquatic P cycling. Our reconstructions of long-term lake water TP are particularly useful for target-driven management of aquatic systems.</p>

Using a lake sediment record to infer the long-term history of cyanobacteria and the recent rise of an anatoxin producing Dolichospermum sp.

Harmful Algae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. 101971
Author(s):  
William O. Hobbs ◽  
Theo W. Dreher ◽  
Edward W. Davis ◽  
Rolf D. Vinebrooke ◽  
Siana Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lake Sediment ◽  
Sediment Record ◽  
History Of

scholarly journals A method for reconstructing past lake water phosphorus concentrations using sediment geochemical records

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeleine Moyle ◽  
John F. Boyle
Keyword(s):  
Lake Water ◽  
Water Quality Monitoring ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Burial Rate ◽  
Steady State Model ◽  
Sediment Records ◽  
Current Water ◽  
Study Sites

AbstractAn existing steady state model of lake phosphorus (P) budgets has been adapted to allow reconstruction of long-term average historic lake water total phosphorus (TP) concentrations using lake sediment records of P burial. This model can be applied without site-specific parameterisation, thus potentially having universal application. In principle, it is applicable at any site where there is both a sediment P burial record and knowledge of the current water budget, although we advise caution applying it to problematic sediment records. Tested at six published case study sites, modelled lake water TP concentrations agree well with water-quality monitoring data, and limited testing finds good agreement with wholly independent diatom inferred lake water TP. Our findings, together with a review of the literature, suggest that well preserved lake sediments can usefully record a long-term average P burial rate from which the long-term mean lake water TP can be reliably estimated. These lake water TP reconstructions can provide meaningful site-specific reference values to support decision making in lake eutrophication management, including establishing targets for lake restoration.

scholarly journals Postglacial Fire Frequency and its Relation to Long-Term Vegetational and Climatic Changes in Yellowstone Park

1993 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 146-152
Author(s):  
Cathy Whitlock
Keyword(s):  
Lake Sediment ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Plant Macrofossils ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Environmental Perturbations ◽  
Human Perturbation ◽  
Long Term Effect ◽  
History Of

The Paleoecologic recod provides unique insights into the response of communities to environmental perturbations of different duration and intensity. Climate is a primary agent of environmental change and its long-term effect on the vegetation of the Yellowstone/Grand Teton region is revealed in a network of pollen records (Whitlock, 1993). Fire frequency is controlled by climate, and as climate changes so too does the importance of fire in shaping spatial patterns of vegetation. The prehistoric record of Yellowstone's Northern Range, for example, shows the response of vegetation to the absence of major fires in the last 150 years (Whitlock et al., 1991; Engstrom et al., 1991). In longer records spanning the last 14,000 years, periods of frequent fire are suggested by sediments containing high percentages of fire-adapted trees, including lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir, and high amounts of charcoal (Bamosky et al., 1987; Millspaugh and Whitlock, 1993; Whitlock, 1993). The primary research objective has been to study the vegetational history of Yellowstone and its sensitivity to hanges in climate and fire frequency. This information is necessary to understand better the relative effects of climate, natural disturbance, and human perturbation on the Yellowstone landscape. Fossil pollen and plant macrofossils from dated-lake sediment cores provide information on past vegetation and climate. The frequency of charcoal particles and other fire indicators in dated lake-sediment cores offer evidence of past fires.

Comparing lake sediment records of landscape macronutrient loadings with N14CP model simulations: 200 years of change in British lakes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Boyle ◽  
Ed Tipping ◽  
Jess Davies ◽  
Neil Rose ◽  
Simon Turner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lake Sediment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Mountain Lake ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Empirical Reality ◽  
C Isotopes ◽  
Sediment Records

<p>To fully understand coupling between P and other macronutrients it is necessary to have both long-term data sets and process models, combining empirical reality with numerical simulation of coupling processes. Here, lake sediment records of N and P from four UK lakes are compared with model output from N14CP, a long-term, large-scale model of cycling and export of macronutrients from the landscape. The sediment records at the three lakes that have substantial lowland contributions reveal strongly increasing N and P loading through the late 19<sup>th</sup> century, with steady increases through the twentieth century. Corresponding changes in N and C isotopes are observed. However, the one mountain lake show maximum N and P loadings in the 19<sup>th</sup> century, with declines through the twentieth, consistent with a wholly different land use history. The N14CP model shows N and P increasing from mid 19<sup>th</sup> century for average lowland sites, in agreement with the lowland sediment records. The implications of these results for our knowledge about the history of P and N coupling and leaching from UK soils are discussed.</p>

A 300 year history of lead contamination in northern French Alps reconstructed from distant lake sediment records

2004 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 448-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Arnaud ◽  
M. Revel-Rolland ◽  
D. Bosch ◽  
T. Winiarski ◽  
M. Desmet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lake Sediment ◽  
Lead Contamination ◽  
French Alps ◽  
Sediment Records ◽  
History Of

scholarly journals Postglacial Fire Frequency and its Relation to Long-Term Vegetational and Climatic Changes in Yellowstone Park

1994 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 160-165
Author(s):  
Cathy Whitlock
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Time Scales ◽  
Lake Sediment ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Response Surfaces ◽  
Potential Range ◽  
Final Report ◽  
History Of

The paleoecologic record provides unique insights into the response of communities to environmental perturbations of different duration and intensity. Climate is a primary agent of environmental change and its long-term effect on the vegetation of the Yellowstone/Grand Teton region is revealed in a network of pollen records. Fire frequency is controlled by climate, and as climate changes so too does the importance of fire in shaping spatial patterns of vegetation. The prehistoric record of Yellowstone's Northern Range, for example, shows the response of vegetation to the absence of major fires in the last 150 years (Whitlock et al., 1991; Engstrom et al., 1991, 1994). In longer records spanning the last 14,000 years, periods of frequent fire are suggested by sediments containing high percentages of fire-adapted trees, including lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir, and high amounts of charcoal (Whitlock, 1993; Whitlock and Bartlein, 1993; Whitlock et al., 1995; Millspaugh and Whitlock, 1995). The primary research objective has been to study the vegetational history of the Yellowstone region and examine the sensitivity of vegetation to changes in climate and fire frequency on different time scales. This information is necessary to understand better the relative effects of climate, natural disturbance, and human perturbation in the present and future. Fossil pollen and plant macrofossils from dated-lake sediment cores provide information on past vegetation and climate. The frequency of charcoal particles and other fire indicators in dated lake-sediment cores offer evidence of past fires. Studies of future climate and vegetation in the Yellowstone region were based on climate simulations produced by general circulation models that incorporate a doubling of carbon dioxide and an equilibrium model to project potential range displacement of selected tree taxa. Relations between present distributions of tree taxa and climate were established by the use of response surfaces. The study has been divided into three parts: (1) an investigation of the vegetation history of Yellowstone National Park (YNP), (2) an analysis of charcoal accumulation in lakes following the 1988 fires and a reconstruction of fire history in central YNP on long time scales, and (3) a study of the potential ranges of tree taxa in the future with global increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide. A final report to the UW-NPS Research Center describes the methodology and findings in detail (Whitlock et al., 1994).

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