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Bakhtiyorov Z, Chen F, Chen Y, Wang S, Zhang H, Hu M, Yue W, Habibulloev S, Kavtaradze G, Rahmonov O, Dolgova E, Gurskaya M, Agafonov L, Khan A, Tao H. Tree-ring blue-intensity reconstruction of the April-September maximum temperature in the Greater Caucasus region of Georgia since 1780 CE. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2025:10.1007/s00484-025-02930-7. [PMID: 40307583 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-025-02930-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2025] [Accepted: 04/17/2025] [Indexed: 05/02/2025]
Abstract
The April-September maximum temperature in the Greater Caucasus region of Georgia has undergone notable changes, yet extended reconstructions remain scarce. We collected 40 Pinus sylvestris cores from Bakuriani and extracted their blue-intensity (BI) signals, which capture latewood density closely linked to high-season temperature. After chemical treatment and high-resolution scanning, we employed correlation analyses to identify the seasonal temperature signal in BI. Then, we used a linear regression model-validated by local instrumental records from 1950-2020-to reconstruct April-September temperatures back to 1780 CE. Additional superposed epoch analysis tested the reconstruction's responsiveness to significant volcanic eruptions and solar variability. Our reconstruction strongly correlates with observed data (r = 0.72, p < 0.001), revealing significant warming trends alongside cooling events linked to volcanic aerosols and low solar activity in recent decades. Spatial analyses confirm that the BI-derived temperature variations align well with broader regional climate patterns. Furthermore, CMIP6-based projections under high-emission scenarios suggest possible warming of up to 8.75°C by 2100, highlighting the severity of future climate risks in the region. By integrating BI data, linear regression techniques, and superposed epoch analysis, this research demonstrates the effectiveness of tree-ring proxies in capturing both anthropogenic and natural drivers of climate variability. The resulting 240-year temperature record provides valuable insights into historical climate dynamics, refines model predictions, and underscores the importance of localised, high-resolution data for adaptation planning in the Greater Caucasus region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zulfiyor Bakhtiyorov
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China
- Tree Ring Unit, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, UK
- Khujand Science Center, National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Khujand, 735714, Tajikistan
| | - Feng Chen
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China.
- Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming, 650500, China.
- Key Laboratory of Tree-Ring Physical and Chemical Research of the Chinese Meteorological Administration/Xinjiang Laboratory of Tree-Ring Ecology, Institute of Desert Meteorology, Chinese Meteorological Administration, Urumqi, 830002, China.
| | - Youping Chen
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Shijie Wang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Heli Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
- Key Laboratory of Tree-Ring Physical and Chemical Research of the Chinese Meteorological Administration/Xinjiang Laboratory of Tree-Ring Ecology, Institute of Desert Meteorology, Chinese Meteorological Administration, Urumqi, 830002, China
| | - Mao Hu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
- Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Weipeng Yue
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Sharifjon Habibulloev
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China
- Khujand Science Center, National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Khujand, 735714, Tajikistan
| | - Giorgi Kavtaradze
- Vasil Gulisashvili Forest Institute, Agricultural University of Georgia, 0159, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Oimahmad Rahmonov
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 41-200, Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Ekaterina Dolgova
- Department of Glaciology, Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119017, Russia
| | - Marina Gurskaya
- Laboratory of Dendrochronology, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, 620144, Russia
| | - Leonid Agafonov
- Laboratory of Dendrochronology, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, 620144, Russia
| | - Adam Khan
- Department of Botany, University of Lakki Marwat, Lakki Marwat, 28420, Pakistan
| | - Hui Tao
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China
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2
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Norman C, Schwinden L, Krusic P, Rzepecki A, Bebchuk T, Büntgen U. Droughts and conflicts during the late Roman period. CLIMATIC CHANGE 2025; 178:87. [PMID: 40255968 PMCID: PMC12003598 DOI: 10.1007/s10584-025-03925-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2025] [Indexed: 04/22/2025]
Abstract
Despite continuous investigation, reasons for both the abandonment of Roman Britain around 410 CE, and the separate collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE remain unclear. Here, we use tree ring-based climate reconstructions and written documentary sources to show that a sequence of severe summer droughts from 364 to 366 CE not only contributed to prolonged harvest failures and food shortages, but also played a role in the 'Barbarian Conspiracy', a catastrophic military defeat for Roman Britain in 367 CE. In line with contemporary reports from the historian Ammianus Marcellinus, this pivotal event in pre-modern history coincided with anomalous coin hoarding, and a gradual depopulation of Roman villas and towns. Expanding our climate-conflict analysis from Roman Britain as a case study to the entire Roman Empire and the period 350-476 CE reveals clear linkages between years in which battles occurred and preceding warm and dry summers. Based on these findings, we develop a mechanistic model to explain the vulnerability of agrarian societies to climate variability, whereby prolonged droughts cause harvest failures and food shortages (dependant on societal resilience) that lead to systematic pressure, societal instability, and eventually outright conflict. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10584-025-03925-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Norman
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN UK
| | - Lothar Schwinden
- Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe Rheinland-Pfalz, Direktion Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier, 54290 Trier, Germany
| | - Paul Krusic
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN UK
| | - Andreas Rzepecki
- Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe Rheinland-Pfalz, Direktion Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier, 54290 Trier, Germany
| | - Tatiana Bebchuk
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN UK
| | - Ulf Büntgen
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN UK
- Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, 603 00 Czech Republic
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 611 37 Czech Republic
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3
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Arosio T, Leuenberger M, Nicolussi K, Esper J, Krusic PJ, Bebchuk T, Tegel W, Hafner A, Kirdyanov A, Schlüchter C, Reinig F, Muschitiello F, Büntgen U. Tree-ring stable isotopes from the European Alps reveal long-term summer drying over the Holocene. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2025; 11:eadr4161. [PMID: 40184451 PMCID: PMC11970467 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr4161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2025] [Indexed: 04/06/2025]
Abstract
Here, we use 7437 stable oxygen (δ18O) isotope ratios extracted from 192 living and relict Alpine trees to reconstruct trends and extremes in European summer hydroclimate from 8980 before the present to 2014 Common Era. Our continuous tree-ring δ18O record reveals a significant long-term drying trend over much of the Holocene (P < 0.001), which is in line with orbital forcing and independent evidence from proxy reconstructions and model simulations. Wetter conditions in the early-to-mid Holocene coincide with the African Humid Period, whereas the most severe summer droughts of the past 9000 years are found during the Little Ice Age in the 18th and 19th centuries Common Era. We suggest that much of Europe was not only warmer but also wetter during most of the preindustrial Holocene, which implies a close relationship between insolation changes and long-term hydroclimate trends that likely affected natural and societal systems across a wide range of spatiotemporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tito Arosio
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EN, UK
- Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Markus Leuenberger
- Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Kurt Nicolussi
- Department of Geography, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Jan Esper
- Department of Geography, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- Global Change Research Centre (CzechGlobe), 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Paul J. Krusic
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EN, UK
| | - Tatiana Bebchuk
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EN, UK
| | - Willy Tegel
- Institute of Forest Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Amt für Archäologie, Kanton Thurgau, Frauenfeld, Switzerland
| | - Albert Hafner
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse 43, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Kirdyanov
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EN, UK
- Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation
| | | | - Frederick Reinig
- Department of Geography, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Ulf Büntgen
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EN, UK
- Global Change Research Centre (CzechGlobe), 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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4
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Brönnimann S, Franke J, Valler V, Hand R, Samakinwa E, Lundstad E, Burgdorf AM, Lipfert L, Pfister L, Imfeld N, Rohrer M. Past hydroclimate extremes in Europe driven by Atlantic jet stream and recurrent weather patterns. NATURE GEOSCIENCE 2025; 18:246-253. [PMID: 40093563 PMCID: PMC11903311 DOI: 10.1038/s41561-025-01654-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2025] [Indexed: 03/19/2025]
Abstract
The jet stream over the Atlantic-European sector is relevant for weather and climate in Europe. It generates temperature extremes and steers moisture and flood-propelling weather systems to Europe or facilitates the development of atmospheric blocks, which can lead to drought. Ongoing climate change may alter the jet characteristics, affecting weather extremes. However, little is known about the past interannual-to-decadal variability of the jet stream. Here we analyse the strength, tilt and latitude of the Atlantic-European jet from 1421 to 2023 in an ensemble of monthly and daily reconstructions of atmospheric fields. We compare the variability of these jet indices with blocking frequency and cyclonic activity data and with drought and flood reconstructions in Europe. Summer drought is enhanced in Central Europe in periods with a poleward-shifted jet. An equatorward-shifted jet associated with decreased blocking leads to frequent floods in Western Europe and the Alps, particularly in winter. Recurrent weather patterns causing floods often characterize an entire season, such that an association between peak discharge and jet indices is seen on seasonal or even annual scales. Jet strength and tilt are significantly influenced by volcanic eruptions. Our 600-year perspective shows that recent changes in the jet indices are within the past variability and cannot be drivers of increasing flood and drought frequency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Brönnimann
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jörg Franke
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Veronika Valler
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ralf Hand
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Eric Samakinwa
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS), Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Elin Lundstad
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Angela-Maria Burgdorf
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Laura Lipfert
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Lucas Pfister
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Noemi Imfeld
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marco Rohrer
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Diodato N, Seftigen K, Bellocchi G. Millennium-Scale Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and Soil Moisture Influence on Western Mediterranean Cloudiness. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2025; 8:0606. [PMID: 40013260 PMCID: PMC11862910 DOI: 10.34133/research.0606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2024] [Revised: 10/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2025] [Indexed: 02/28/2025]
Abstract
Understanding long-term historical changes in cloudiness is essential for elucidating Earth's climate dynamics and variability and its extremes. In this study, we present the first millennial-length reconstruction of the annual total cloud cover (TCC) in the western Mediterranean, covering the period from 969 to 2022 CE. Based on a comprehensive set of hydrological and atmospheric variables, our reconstruction reveals a nuanced pattern of cloudiness evolution over the past millennium. We observe an initial increase in cloudiness until 1600 CE, followed by a substantial decrease in TCC. This shift was driven by a confluence of factors, including the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia in 1815, increased solar forcing, and a positive phase of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. These complex dynamics have brought modern warming cloud patterns closer to those observed during the medieval period before c. 1250, exceeding the background variability of the Little Ice Age (c. 1250 to 1849). In particular, recent decades have witnessed an unprecedented coupling of intense solar activity, high temperatures, and the lowest cloud cover on record. Our results highlight the importance of inter-oceanic-scale relationships between Atlantic forcing mechanisms and the TCC in shaping future trends in western Mediterranean cloudiness. This study provides valuable insights into the long-term dynamics of cloudiness and its implications for regional climate trends in the western Mediterranean and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazzareno Diodato
- Met European Research Observatory—International Affiliates Program of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, 82100 Benevento, Italy
| | - Kristina Seftigen
- Department of Earth Sciences,
University of Gothenburg, 41390 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Gianni Bellocchi
- Met European Research Observatory—International Affiliates Program of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, 82100 Benevento, Italy
- UCA, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UREP, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
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6
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Bebchuk T, Moir AK, Arosio T, Kirdyanov AV, Torbenson MCA, Krusic PJ, Hindson TR, Howard H, Buchwal A, Norman CAP, Büntgen U. Taxus tree-ring chronologies from southern England reveal western European hydroclimate changes over the past three centuries. CLIMATE DYNAMICS 2025; 63:108. [PMID: 39896849 PMCID: PMC11782366 DOI: 10.1007/s00382-025-07601-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2025] [Indexed: 02/04/2025]
Abstract
Heatwaves and summer droughts across Europe are likely to intensify under anthropogenic global warming thereby affecting ecological and societal systems. To place modern trends and extremes in the context of past natural variability, annually resolved and absolutely dated climate reconstructions are needed. Here, we present a network of 153 yew (Taxus baccata L.) tree-ring width (TRW) series from 22 sites in southern England that cover the past 310 years. Significant positive correlations were found between TRW chronologies and both April-July precipitation totals (r > 0.7) and July drought indices (r > 0.59) back to 1901 CE (p < 0.05). We used a suite of residual and standard TRW chronologies to reconstruct interannual to multi-decadal spring-summer precipitation and mid-summer drought variability over western Europe, respectively. Our yew hydroclimate reconstructions capture the majority of reported summer droughts and pluvials back to 1710 CE. Clusters of severe drought spells occurred in the second half of the 18th and mid-twentieth century. Our study suggests that the frequency and intensity of recent hydroclimate extremes over western Europe are likely still within the range of past natural variability. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00382-025-07601-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Bebchuk
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN UK
| | - Andy K. Moir
- Institute for the Environment, Brunel University, London, WC1H 0DG UK
- Tree-Ring Services, Oakraven Field Centre, Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire GL17 0EE UK
| | - Tito Arosio
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN UK
| | - Alexander V. Kirdyanov
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN UK
- Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, 660041 Russian Federation
| | - Max C. A. Torbenson
- Department of Geography, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - Paul J. Krusic
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN UK
- Department of History, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Toby R. Hindson
- Tree-Ring Services, Oakraven Field Centre, Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire GL17 0EE UK
| | - Heidi Howard
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN UK
| | - Agata Buchwal
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN UK
- Institute of Geoecology and Geoinformation, Adam Mickiewicz University, B. Krygowskiego 10, 61-680 Poznan, Poland
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, 1215 E. Lowell Street, AZ 85721 Tucson, USA
| | | | - Ulf Büntgen
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN UK
- Czech Globe Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, 60300 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 61137 Brno, Czech Republic
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7
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Abdrakhmanov M, Kempf M, Karaliute R, Guzowski P, Lauzikas R, Depaermentier MLC, Poniat R, Matuzeviciute GM. The shifting of buffer crop repertoires in pre-industrial north-eastern Europe. Sci Rep 2025; 15:3720. [PMID: 39880941 PMCID: PMC11779896 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-87792-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2025] [Indexed: 01/31/2025] Open
Abstract
This study explores how major climatic shifts, together with socioeconomic factors over the past two millennia, influenced buffer crop selection, focusing on five crops: rye, millet, buckwheat, oat, and hemp. For this study, we analyzed archaeobotanical data from 135 archaeological contexts and historical data from 242 manor inventories across the northeastern Baltic region, spanning the period from 100 to 1800 AD. Our findings revealed that rye remained a main staple crop throughout the studied periods reflecting environmental adaptation to northern latitudes. The drought-tolerant and thermophilic millet crop exhibited resilience during the adverse dry climatic conditions of the Medieval Climatic Anomaly while showing a significant decline during the Little Ice Age. During the period of post-1500 AD, a significant shift towards cold-resilient summer crops such as buckwheat and hemp is recorded. This study enhances our understanding of how historical agricultural systems responded to both socioeconomic factors and climatic change in northern latitudes, offering notable potential solutions for modern agricultural practices in the face of future climate variability trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiirzhan Abdrakhmanov
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of History, Vilnius University, Universiteto St. 7, Vilnius, 01513, Lithuania.
| | - Michael Kempf
- Quaternary Geology, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 32, Basel, 4056, Switzerland
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ruta Karaliute
- Lithuanian Institute of History, Tilto St. 17, Vilnius, 01101, Lithuania
| | - Piotr Guzowski
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of History, Vilnius University, Universiteto St. 7, Vilnius, 01513, Lithuania
| | - Rimvydas Lauzikas
- Faculty of Communication, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio ave. 9, Vilnius, 10222, Lithuania
| | - Margaux L C Depaermentier
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of History, Vilnius University, Universiteto St. 7, Vilnius, 01513, Lithuania
| | - Radosław Poniat
- Faculty of History, University of Bialystok, Plac NZS 1, Bialystok, 15-420, Poland
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8
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Lehner A, Philippe D. A time-varying index for agricultural suitability across Europe from 1500-2000. Sci Data 2025; 12:101. [PMID: 39824905 PMCID: PMC11742442 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-04194-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 11/29/2024] [Indexed: 01/20/2025] Open
Abstract
Throughout the last centuries, European climate changed substantially, which affected the potential to plant and grow crops. These changes happened not just over time but also had a spatial dimension. Yet, despite large climatic fluctuations, quantitative historical studies typically rely on static measures for agricultural suitability due to the non-availability of time-varying indices. Relying on recent advances in paleoclimatology, we bridge this gap by constructing a spatio-temporal measure for agricultural suitability across Europe for a period of 500 years. Our gridded index has a 0.5° resolution and is available at a yearly level. It relies on a simple surface energy and water balance model, focusing only on so-called exogenous geographic and climatic features. Our index captures not just long-term trends, such as the Little Ice Age, but also short-term climatic shocks. It will empower researchers to explore the interplay between climatic fluctuations and Europe's agricultural landscape, analyze human responses at a local and regional scale, and foster a deeper understanding of the region's historical dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Lehner
- University of Chicago, Becker Friedman Institute for Economics, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Dylan Philippe
- University of Bern, Wyss Academy for Nature, Bern, 3011, Switzerland
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9
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Camarero JJ, Salinas-Bonillo MJ, Valeriano C, Rubio-Cuadrado Á, Fernández-Cortés Á, Tamudo E, Montes F, Cabello J. Watering the trees for the forest: Drought alleviation in oaks and pines by ancestral ditches. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 950:175353. [PMID: 39116482 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Traditional ditches ("acequias" in Spanish) derive meltwater and infiltrate groundwater providing ecological services downstream in the semi-arid Sierra Nevada range (SE Spain). Therefore, they may act as a nature-based solution by alleviating drought stress in trees growing near ditches by enhancing growth and reducing their intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE). Such a mitigation role of acequias is critical given that some oak (Quercus pyrenaica) and pine (Pinus sylvestris) stands reach their xeric distribution limits in Europe. We compared tree-ring width data and wood δ13C, a proxy of iWUE, in oak and pine stands located near or far (control) from ditches with different infiltration capacity in two watersheds. We assessed how trees responded to climate data, drought stress, and vegetation greenness through correlations and resilience indices. Oak trees located near ditches grew more and responded less to precipitation, soil moisture, a drought index, and greenness than control trees. In pines, we did not find this pattern, and ditch trees grew more than control trees only during an extremely dry year (1995). Climate-growth correlations suggested a longer growing season in ditch pines. Growth of ditch oaks from the "Acequia Nueva" (AN), with high infiltration capacity, responded more to autumn soil moisture and showed the lowest δ13C. Growth was enhanced by cool-wet spring conditions in pines and also by warm-wet conditions in the prior winter in the case of oaks. Control trees showed lower resistance to drought. Control trees presented higher wood δ13C values except for old oaks from the "Acequia Grande" (AG) site which may show long-term acclimation. Traditional ditches alleviate drought stress in oak and pine stands subjected to regional xeric climate conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Julio Camarero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, 50192 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - María J Salinas-Bonillo
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain; Centro Andaluz para el Cambio Global, Hermelindo Castro (ENGLOBA), Universidad de Almería, Almería, Spain.
| | - Cristina Valeriano
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, 50192 Zaragoza, Spain; Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, 1215 E. Lowell Street, Building no. 45, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - Álvaro Rubio-Cuadrado
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, 50192 Zaragoza, Spain; Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería de Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ángel Fernández-Cortés
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain; Centro Andaluz para el Cambio Global, Hermelindo Castro (ENGLOBA), Universidad de Almería, Almería, Spain.
| | - Elisa Tamudo
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, 50192 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Fernando Montes
- Departamento de Dinámica y Gestión Forestal, Instituto de Ciencias Forestales (ICIFOR-INIA), CSIC, Ctra. La Coruña km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Javier Cabello
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain; Centro Andaluz para el Cambio Global, Hermelindo Castro (ENGLOBA), Universidad de Almería, Almería, Spain.
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10
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Xu G, Broadman E, Dorado-Liñán I, Klippel L, Meko M, Büntgen U, De Mil T, Esper J, Gunnarson B, Hartl C, Krusic PJ, Linderholm HW, Ljungqvist FC, Ludlow F, Panayotov M, Seim A, Wilson R, Zamora-Reyes D, Trouet V. Jet stream controls on European climate and agriculture since 1300 CE. Nature 2024; 634:600-608. [PMID: 39322676 PMCID: PMC11485261 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07985-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
The jet stream is an important dynamic driver of climate variability in the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes1-3. Modern variability in the position of summer jet stream latitude in the North Atlantic-European sector (EU JSL) promotes dipole patterns in air pressure, temperature, precipitation and drought between northwestern and southeastern Europe. EU JSL variability and its impacts on regional climatic extremes and societal events are poorly understood, particularly before anthropogenic warming. Based on three temperature-sensitive European tree-ring records, we develop a reconstruction of interannual summer EU JSL variability over the period 1300-2004 CE (R2 = 38.5%) and compare it to independent historical documented climatic and societal records, such as grape harvest, grain prices, plagues and human mortality. Here we show contrasting summer climate extremes associated with EU JSL variability back to 1300 CE as well as biophysical, economic and human demographic impacts, including wildfires and epidemics. In light of projections for altered jet stream behaviour and intensified climate extremes, our findings underscore the importance of considering EU JSL variability when evaluating amplified future climate risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guobao Xu
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ellie Broadman
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Isabel Dorado-Liñán
- Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lara Klippel
- Geschäftsbereich Klima und Umwelt, Deutscher Wetterdienst, Offenbach, Germany
| | - Matthew Meko
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Ulf Büntgen
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences (CzechGlobe), Brno, Czech Republic
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tom De Mil
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Forest Is Life, TERRA Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro Bio-Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Jan Esper
- Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences (CzechGlobe), Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Geography, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Björn Gunnarson
- Stockholm Tree Ring Laboratory, Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Claudia Hartl
- Nature Rings - Environmental Research and Education, Mainz, Germany
- Panel on Planetary Thinking, Justus-Liebig-University, Gießen, Germany
| | - Paul J Krusic
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of History, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hans W Linderholm
- Regional Climate Group, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik C Ljungqvist
- Department of History, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Linneanum, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Francis Ludlow
- Trinity Centre for Environmental Humanities and Department of History, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Andrea Seim
- Chair of Forest Growth and Dendroecology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Rob Wilson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Diana Zamora-Reyes
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Valerie Trouet
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
- Belgian Climate Centre, Uccle, Belgium.
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11
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Jonell TN, Jones P, Lucas A, Naylor S. Limited waterpower contributed to rise of steam power in British "Cottonopolis". PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae251. [PMID: 39015550 PMCID: PMC11249955 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
The Industrial Revolution precipitated a pivotal shift from waterpower to coal-fueled steam power in British textile mills. Although it is now widely accepted that steam was chosen to power factories despite the availability of sufficient waterpower resources across most of Britain, the location and suitability of that waterpower during the early 19th century remain underexplored. Here, we employ quantitative fluvial geomorphology alongside historical climate data, factory records, and a catalog of over 26,000 mill sites to reveal that waterpower was abundant for most of early 19th century Britain, except in the central hub of British cotton production: Greater Manchester in the Mersey Basin. Our findings show that surging factory mechanization and overcrowding on key waterways in the Mersey Basin compounded waterpower scarcity arising from a drier 19th century climate. Widespread adoption of coal-fueled steam engines in certain key industrial centers of Britain was a strategy aimed at ameliorating some of the reduced reliability of waterpower. The fact that steam engines were frequently used in water-powered factories in many industrial regions until the third quarter of the 19th century to recirculate water to provide that power, or as a power supplement when waterpower availability was restricted, adds further weight to our argument. Rapid adoption of coal-powered steam engines reshaped the social and structural landscape of industrial work, firmly established Britain's prominence as an industrial powerhouse, and had lasting global industrial and environmental impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara N Jonell
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Peter Jones
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
- Department of History, Heritage and Global Cultures, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK
| | - Adam Lucas
- School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Simon Naylor
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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12
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Trullenque-Blanco V, Beguería S, Vicente-Serrano SM, Peña-Angulo D, González-Hidalgo C. Catalogue of drought events in peninsular Spanish along 1916-2020 period. Sci Data 2024; 11:703. [PMID: 38937480 PMCID: PMC11211438 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03484-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
We leveraged the most extensive and detailed gridded database of monthly precipitation data across the Spanish mainland (MOPREDAScentury), encompassing 1916-2020 time period, to pinpoint the most severe drought events within this timeframe and analyse their spatio-temporal dynamics. To identify these events, we employed the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) at a 12-month timescale. Drought events were identified as periods of at least three months where significantly dry conditions affected 20% or more of the study area, defined as grid cells with SPI values lower than -0.84. Our analysis revealed a total of 40 major drought events. Our catalogue contains detailed information on each episode's spatial extent, duration, severity, and spatio-temporal dynamics. The analysis of the propagation patterns of the events unveils substantial heterogeneity, implying that droughts stem from diverse atmospheric mechanisms, further influenced by complex local topography. The open-licensed drought database serves as a valuable resource. It not only facilitates exploration of drought onset and evolution mechanisms but also aids in assessing drought impact on agricultural and other socio-economic sectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Trullenque-Blanco
- Estación Experimental de Aula Dei, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EEAD-CSIC), 50059, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Santiago Beguería
- Estación Experimental de Aula Dei, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EEAD-CSIC), 50059, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Sergio M Vicente-Serrano
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPE-CSIC), 50059, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Dhais Peña-Angulo
- Departamento de Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio, Universidad de 50009, Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Ambientales (IUCA), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Carlos González-Hidalgo
- Departamento de Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio, Universidad de 50009, Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Ambientales (IUCA), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain
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13
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Antoine E, Marquer L, Muigg B, Tegel W, Bisson U, Bolliger M, Herzig F, Heussner KU, Hofmann J, Kontic R, Kyncl T, Land A, Lechterbeck J, Leuschner HH, Linderholm HW, Neyses-Eiden M, Rösch M, Rzepecki A, Walder F, Weidemüller J, Westphal T, Seim A. Legacy of last millennium timber use on plant cover in Central Europe: Insights from tree rings and pollen. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171157. [PMID: 38412879 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Throughout history, humans have relied on wood for constructions, tool production or as an energy source. How and to what extent these human activities have impacted plant abundance and composition over a long-term perspective is, however, not well known. To address this knowledge gap, we combined 44,239 precisely dated tree-ring samples from economically and ecologically important tree species (spruce, fir, pine, oak) from historical buildings, and pollen-based plant cover estimates using the REVEALS model from 169 records for a total of 34 1° × 1° grid cells for Central Europe. Building activity and REVEALS estimates were compared for the entire study region (4-15°E, 46-51°N), and for low (<500 m asl) and mid/high elevations (≥500 m asl) in 100-year time windows over the period 1150-1850. Spruce and oak were more widely used in wooden constructions, amounting to 35 % and 32 %, respectively, compared to pine and fir. Besides wood properties and species abundance, tree diameters of harvested individuals, being similar for all four species, were found to be the most crucial criterion for timber selection throughout the last millennium. Regarding land use changes, from the 1150-1250's onwards, forest cover generally decreased due to deforestation until 1850, especially at lower elevations, resulting in a more heterogeneous landscape. The period 1650-1750 marks a distinct change in the environmental history of Central Europe; increasing agriculture and intense forest management practices were introduced to meet the high demands of an increasing population and intensifying industrialization, causing a decrease in palynological diversity, especially at low elevations. Likely the characteristic vegetation structure and composition of contemporary landscapes originated from that period. We further show that land use has impacted vegetation composition and diversity at an increasing speed leading to a general homogenization of landscapes through time, highlighting the limited environmental benefits of even-aged plantation forestry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Antoine
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Laurent Marquer
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Bernhard Muigg
- Amt für Archäologie, Kanton Thurgau, Frauenfeld, Switzerland; Forest History, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Willy Tegel
- Amt für Archäologie, Kanton Thurgau, Frauenfeld, Switzerland; Forest Growth and Dendroecology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ugo Bisson
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Matthias Bolliger
- Archaeological Service of Canton Bern, Prehistoric- and Underwaterarchaeology, Dendrochronology, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Franz Herzig
- Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection, Thierhaupten, Germany
| | | | - Jutta Hofmann
- Jahrringlabor Hofmann und Reichle, Nürtingen, Germany
| | | | | | - Alexander Land
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Biology (190a), Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | - Hanns Hubert Leuschner
- Department of Palynology and Climate Dynamics, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hans W Linderholm
- University of Gothenburg, Department of Earth Sciences, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mechthild Neyses-Eiden
- State of Rhineland-Palatinate Museum Trier, Laboratory of Dendrochronology, Trier, Germany
| | - Manfred Rösch
- Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andreas Rzepecki
- State of Rhineland-Palatinate Museum Trier, Laboratory of Dendrochronology, Trier, Germany
| | - Felix Walder
- Competence Center for Underwater Archaeology and Dendrochronology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Julia Weidemüller
- Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection, Thierhaupten, Germany
| | - Thorsten Westphal
- Laboratory of Dendroarchaeology, Department of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, Germany
| | - Andrea Seim
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria; Forest Growth and Dendroecology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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14
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King KE, Cook ER, Anchukaitis KJ, Cook BI, Smerdon JE, Seager R, Harley GL, Spei B. Increasing prevalence of hot drought across western North America since the 16th century. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj4289. [PMID: 38266096 PMCID: PMC10807802 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj4289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Across western North America (WNA), 20th-21st century anthropogenic warming has increased the prevalence and severity of concurrent drought and heat events, also termed hot droughts. However, the lack of independent spatial reconstructions of both soil moisture and temperature limits the potential to identify these events in the past and to place them in a long-term context. We develop the Western North American Temperature Atlas (WNATA), a data-independent 0.5° gridded reconstruction of summer maximum temperatures back to the 16th century. Our evaluation of the WNATA with existing hydroclimate reconstructions reveals an increasing association between maximum temperature and drought severity in recent decades, relative to the past five centuries. The synthesis of these paleo-reconstructions indicates that the amplification of the modern WNA megadrought by increased temperatures and the frequency and spatial extent of compound hot and dry conditions in the 21st century are likely unprecedented since at least the 16th century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E. King
- Department of Geography and Sustainability, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1000 Phillip Fulmer Way, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Edward R. Cook
- Tree Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - Kevin J. Anchukaitis
- Tree Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
- School of Geography, Development, and Environment, University of Arizona, 1064 Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, 1215 E Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Benjamin I. Cook
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 2880 Broadway, New York, NY 10025, USA
- Ocean and Climate Physics Division, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - Jason E. Smerdon
- Ocean and Climate Physics Division, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
- Columbia Climate School, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Richard Seager
- Ocean and Climate Physics Division, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - Grant L. Harley
- Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive MS3021, Moscow, ID 83843, USA
| | - Benjamin Spei
- Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences, University of Idaho, 975 West 6th Street, Moscow, ID 83843, USA
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15
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Valler V, Franke J, Brugnara Y, Samakinwa E, Hand R, Lundstad E, Burgdorf AM, Lipfert L, Friedman AR, Brönnimann S. ModE-RA: a global monthly paleo-reanalysis of the modern era 1421 to 2008. Sci Data 2024; 11:36. [PMID: 38182596 PMCID: PMC10770343 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02733-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The Modern Era Reanalysis (ModE-RA) is a global monthly paleo-reanalysis covering the period between 1421 and 2008. To reconstruct past climate fields an offline data assimilation approach is used, blending together information from an ensemble of transient atmospheric model simulations and observations. In the early period, ModE-RA utilizes natural proxies and documentary data, while from the 17th century onward instrumental measurements are also assimilated. The impact of each observation on the reconstruction is stored in the observation feedback archive, which provides additional information on the input data such as preprocessing steps and the regression-based forward models. The monthly resolved reconstructions include estimates of the most important climate fields. Furthermore, we provide a reconstruction, ModE-RAclim, which together with ModE-RA and the model simulations allows to disentangle the role of observations and model forcings. ModE-RA is best suited to study intra-annual to multi-decadal climate variability and to analyze the causes and mechanisms of past extreme climate events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Valler
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jörg Franke
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Yuri Brugnara
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Eric Samakinwa
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ralf Hand
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Elin Lundstad
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Angela-Maria Burgdorf
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Laura Lipfert
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrew Ronald Friedman
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Brönnimann
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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16
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Raposo VDMB, Costa VAF, Rodrigues AF. A review of recent developments on drought characterization, propagation, and influential factors. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 898:165550. [PMID: 37459986 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Droughts have impacted human society throughout its history. However, the occurrence of severe drought events in the last century and the concerns on the potential effects of climate change have prompted remarkable advances in drought conceptualization and modeling in recent years. This review intends to present the state-of-the-art on drought characterization and propagation, as well as providing insights on how climate dynamics and anthropogenic activities might affect this phenomenon. For this purpose, we first address the distinct concepts of droughts and their relationships. Next, we present two frequently utilized methods based on the run theory for drought characterization and explain the development and recovery stages of droughts. Then, we discuss potential drivers for drought occurrence and propagation, with focus on meteorological factors, catchments' physical characteristics and human activities. Later, we describe how droughts can affect several parameters of water quality. This review also addressed flash droughts, encompassing their definitions, commonly used indices, and potential drivers. Finally, we briefly address the roles of climate change and long-term persistence on future drought scenarios. This review may be useful for researchers and stakeholders for attaining a broader understanding on drought dynamics and impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinícius de Matos Brandão Raposo
- Federal University of Minas Gerais, Sanitation, Environment and Water Resources Postgraduate Program, Antonio Carlos Avenue, 6627, School of Engineering, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Veber Afonso Figueiredo Costa
- Federal University of Minas Gerais, Sanitation, Environment and Water Resources Postgraduate Program, Antonio Carlos Avenue, 6627, School of Engineering, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - André Ferreira Rodrigues
- Federal University of Minas Gerais, Sanitation, Environment and Water Resources Postgraduate Program, Antonio Carlos Avenue, 6627, School of Engineering, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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17
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Jaber SM, Abu-Allaban MM, Sengupta R. Spatial and temporal patterns of indicators of climate change and variability in the Arab world in the past four decades. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15145. [PMID: 37704789 PMCID: PMC10499885 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42499-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive assessment of the spatial and temporal patterns of the most common indicators of climate change and variability in the Arab world in the past four decades was carried out. Monthly maximum and minimum air temperature and precipitation amount data for the period 1980-2018 were obtained from the CHELSA project with a resolution of 1 km2, which is suitable for detecting local geographic variations in climatic patterns. This data was analyzed using a seasonal-Kendall metric, followed by Sen's slope analysis. The findings indicate that almost all areas of the Arab world are getting hotter. Maximum air temperatures increased by magnitudes varying from 0.027 to 0.714 °C/decade with a mean of 0.318 °C/decade while minimum air temperatures increased by magnitudes varying from 0.030 to 0.800 °C/decade with a mean of 0.356 °C/decade. Most of the Arab world did not exhibit clear increasing or decreasing precipitation trends. The remaining areas showed either decreasing or increasing precipitation trends. Decreasing trends varied from -0.001 to -1.825 kg m-2/decade with a mean of -0.163 kg m-2/decade, while increasing trends varied from 0.001 to 4.286 kg m-2/decade with a mean of 0.366 kg m-2/decade. We also analyzed country-wise data and identified areas of most vulnerability in the Arab world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salahuddin M Jaber
- Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A0B9, Canada.
- Department of Water Management and Environment, Prince El-Hassan bin Talal Faculty for Natural Resources and Environment, The Hashemite University, P.O. Box 330127, Zarqa, 13133, Jordan.
| | - Mahmoud M Abu-Allaban
- Department of Water Management and Environment, Prince El-Hassan bin Talal Faculty for Natural Resources and Environment, The Hashemite University, P.O. Box 330127, Zarqa, 13133, Jordan
| | - Raja Sengupta
- Department of Geography, Bieler School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A0B9, Canada
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18
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Camarero JJ, Valeriano C. Responses of ancient pollarded and pruned oaks to climate and drought: Chronicles from threatened cultural woodlands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 883:163680. [PMID: 37105474 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Humans have shaped open oak forests for centuries through pollarding and grazing. Nowadays, these cultural landscapes face the abandonment of their traditional uses and new threats, including rising temperatures and increasing drought stress, especially in southern Europe. We need precise data on the long-term radial growth changes of these oak woodlands to better characterize and preserve them. To fill this research gap, we compared the growth patterns and responses to climate variables and a drought index of three traditionally pollarded deciduous oaks (Quercus subpyrenaica, Quercus faginea, Quercus pyrenaica) and one previously pruned, evergreen oak (Quercus ilex) in central and northeastern Spain. In the three deciduous oaks, we reconstructed radial growth suppressions which were mainly attributed to past pollarding events. Recent post-pollarding growth improvement was transitory but long-term growth enhancement could be maintained by periodic pollarding. Formerly pollarded oaks were old reaching maximum ages of 313 years in the case of Q. faginea. Formerly pruned Q. ilex trees were also old reaching ages of at least 384 years. Peaks in major growth suppressions of Q. faginea sites corresponded to periods of intense timber demand following abrupt socioeconomic changes (land tenure and land use changes, local population growth, wars) such as the 1820s, 1840s, 1910s and 1940s. However, other growth suppressions corresponded to dry periods such as the 1870s and 1950s. Oak growth was constrained by warm-dry conditions in spring and by short- to long-term summer droughts (4-18 months). Pollarding abandonment and increased aridification threaten the survival of such old pollarded oak stands that preserve unique cultural, ecological and biological values.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Julio Camarero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, 50192 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Cristina Valeriano
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, 50192 Zaragoza, Spain
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19
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Dauphin B, Rellstab C, Wüest RO, Karger DN, Holderegger R, Gugerli F, Manel S. Re-thinking the environment in landscape genomics. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:261-274. [PMID: 36402651 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Detecting the extrinsic selective pressures shaping genomic variation is critical for a better understanding of adaptation and for forecasting evolutionary responses of natural populations to changing environmental conditions. With increasing availability of geo-referenced environmental data, landscape genomics provides unprecedented insights into how genomic variation and underlying gene functions affect traits potentially under selection. Yet, the robustness of genotype-environment associations used in landscape genomics remains tempered due to various limitations, including the characteristics of environmental data used, sampling designs employed, and statistical frameworks applied. Here, we argue that using complementary or new environmental data sources and well-informed sampling designs may help improve the detection of selective pressures underlying patterns of local adaptation in various organisms and environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Dauphin
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
| | | | - Rafael O Wüest
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Dirk N Karger
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Rolf Holderegger
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; Institute of Integrative Biology (IBZ), ETH, Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Felix Gugerli
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Stéphanie Manel
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; CEFE, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, 34000 Montpellier, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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20
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Piilo SR, Väliranta MM, Amesbury MJ, Aquino-López MA, Charman DJ, Gallego-Sala A, Garneau M, Koroleva N, Kärppä M, Laine AM, Sannel ABK, Tuittila ES, Zhang H. Consistent centennial-scale change in European sub-Arctic peatland vegetation toward Sphagnum dominance-Implications for carbon sink capacity. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:1530-1544. [PMID: 36495084 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming is leading to permafrost thaw in northern peatlands, and current predictions suggest that thawing will drive greater surface wetness and an increase in methane emissions. Hydrology largely drives peatland vegetation composition, which is a key element in peatland functioning and thus in carbon dynamics. These processes are expected to change. Peatland carbon accumulation is determined by the balance between plant production and peat decomposition. But both processes are expected to accelerate in northern peatlands due to warming, leading to uncertainty in future peatland carbon budgets. Here, we compile a dataset of vegetation changes and apparent carbon accumulation data reconstructed from 33 peat cores collected from 16 sub-arctic peatlands in Fennoscandia and European Russia. The data cover the past two millennia that has undergone prominent changes in climate and a notable increase in annual temperatures toward present times. We show a pattern where European sub-Arctic peatland microhabitats have undergone a habitat change where currently drier habitats dominated by Sphagnum mosses replaced wetter sedge-dominated vegetation and these new habitats have remained relatively stable over the recent decades. Our results suggest an alternative future pathway where sub-arctic peatlands may at least partly sustain dry vegetation and enhance the carbon sink capacity of northern peatlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanna R Piilo
- Environmental Change Research Unit (ECRU), Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Minna M Väliranta
- Environmental Change Research Unit (ECRU), Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matt J Amesbury
- Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Dan J Charman
- Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Angela Gallego-Sala
- Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michelle Garneau
- Department of Geography, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Geotop and GRIL Research Centers, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Natalia Koroleva
- Kola Sciences Centre of Russian Academy of Science, Apatity, Russia
| | - Mai Kärppä
- Environmental Change Research Unit (ECRU), Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna M Laine
- School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
- Geological Survey of Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - A Britta K Sannel
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Hui Zhang
- Environmental Change Research Unit (ECRU), Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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21
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D'Andrea R, Corona C, Poszwa A, Belingard C, Domínguez-Delmás M, Stoffel M, Crivellaro A, Crouzevialle R, Cerbelaud F, Costa G, Paradis-Grenouillet S. Combining conventional tree-ring measurements with wood anatomy and strontium isotope analyses enables dendroprovenancing at the local scale. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159887. [PMID: 36351500 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Dendroprovenancing provides critical information regarding the origin of wood, allowing further insights into economic exploitation strategies and source regions of timber products. Traditionally, dendroprovenancing relies on pattern-matching of tree rings, but its spatial resolution is limited by the geographical coverage of species-specific chronologies available for crossdating and, in the case of short-distance trades, by scarce environmental variability. Here, we present an approach to provenance timber with high spatial resolution from forested areas that have been exploited intensively throughout history, with the aim to understand the sustainability of the various woodland management practices used to supply timber products. To this end, we combined tree-ring width (TRW), wood anatomical and geochemical analyses in addition to multivariate statistical validation procedures to trace the origin of living oak trees (Quercus robur) sampled in four stands located within a 30-km radius around the city of Limoges (Haute-Vienne, France). We demonstrate that TRW and wood anatomical variables (and in particular cell density) robustly discriminate the eastern from the western site, while failing to trace the origin of trees from the northern and southern sites. Here, strontium isotopic ratios (87Sr/86Sr) and Ca concentrations identify clusters of trees which could not be identified with TRW or wood anatomy. Ultimately, our study demonstrates that the coupling of wood anatomy with geochemical signatures allows to correctly pinpoint the origin of trees. Given the small geographic scale of our study and the limited differences in elevation and climate between study sites, our results are particularly promising for future dendroprovenancing studies. We thus conclude that the combination of multiple approaches will not only increase the accuracy of dendroprovenancing studies at local scales, but could also be implemented at much larger scales to identify trends in historic timber supply throughout Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- R D'Andrea
- GEOLAB, Université de Limoges, Limoges, France.
| | - C Corona
- GEOLAB, UMR 6042 CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Climate Change Impacts and Risks in the Anthropocene, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Department F.A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - A Poszwa
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Environnements Continentaux, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - C Belingard
- GEOLAB, Université de Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - M Domínguez-Delmás
- Amsterdam School for Heritage and Memory Studies, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M Stoffel
- Climate Change Impacts and Risks in the Anthropocene, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Department F.A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - A Crivellaro
- Forest Biometrics Laboratory, Faculty of Forestry, University of Suceava, Suceava, Ukraine; Éveha, Bureau d'étude archéologique, Limoges, France
| | | | - F Cerbelaud
- GEOLAB, Université de Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - G Costa
- Laboratoire PEIRENE, Université de Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - S Paradis-Grenouillet
- GEOLAB, Université de Limoges, Limoges, France; Éveha, Bureau d'étude archéologique, Limoges, France
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22
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Manning SW, Kocik C, Lorentzen B, Sparks JP. Severe multi-year drought coincident with Hittite collapse around 1198-1196 BC. Nature 2023; 614:719-724. [PMID: 36755095 PMCID: PMC9946833 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05693-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
The potential of climate change to substantially alter human history is a pressing concern, but the specific effects of different types of climate change remain unknown. This question can be addressed using palaeoclimatic and archaeological data. For instance, a 300-year, low-frequency shift to drier, cooler climate conditions around 1200 BC is frequently associated with the collapse of several ancient civilizations in the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East1-4. However, the precise details of synchronized climate and human-history-scale associations are lacking. The archaeological-historical record contains multiple instances of human societies successfully adapting to low-frequency climate change5-7. It is likely that consecutive multi-year occurrences of rare, unexpected extreme climatic events may push a population beyond adaptation and centuries-old resilience practices5,7-10. Here we examine the collapse of the Hittite Empire around 1200 BC. The Hittites were one of the great powers in the ancient world across five centuries11-14, with an empire centred in a semi-arid region in Anatolia with political and socioeconomic interconnections throughout the ancient Near East and Eastern Mediterranean, which for a long time proved resilient despite facing regular and intersecting sociopolitical, economic and environmental challenges. Examination of ring width and stable isotope records obtained from contemporary juniper trees in central Anatolia provides a high-resolution dryness record. This analysis identifies an unusually severe continuous dry period from around 1198 to 1196 (±3) BC, potentially indicating a tipping point, and signals the type of episode that can overwhelm contemporary risk-buffering practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sturt W Manning
- Cornell Tree-Ring Laboratory, Department of Classics and Cornell Institute of Archaeology and Material Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | - Cindy Kocik
- Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, USA
| | - Brita Lorentzen
- Cornell Tree-Ring Laboratory, Department of Classics and Cornell Institute of Archaeology and Material Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jed P Sparks
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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23
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Kempf M, Depaermentier MLC. Scales of transformations-Modelling settlement and land-use dynamics in late antique and early medieval Basel, Switzerland. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280321. [PMID: 36724164 PMCID: PMC9891536 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Multicomponent environmental models have increasingly found their way into archaeological research. Mostly, these models aim to understand human patterns as a result of past climatic and environmental conditions over long-term periods. However, major limitations are the low spatial and temporal resolution of the environmental data, and hence the rather static model output. Particular challenges are thus the number of chosen variables, the comprehensiveness of the explanatory parameters, and the integration of socio-cultural decision-making into the model. Here, we present a novel approach to generate annually resolved landcover variability using a broad variety of climatic, geological, hydrological, topographical, and dendrochronological data composites (Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI)). We analyze land-use and settlement capacity and vulnerability to estimate the socio-cultural transformation processes at Basel (Switzerland) during the Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Our results highlight the potential of the PDSI to predict local river run-off behavior from catchment analyses. The model enables to trace landcover as well as socio-cultural response to climatic variability and subsequent adaptation to trends in environmental vulnerability. This approach further helps to understand population dynamics in the periphery of the Roman administrative boundaries and to revise traditional archaeological narratives of large-scale population replacements during the so-called Migration Period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kempf
- Department of Geography, Physical Geography—Landscape Ecology and Geoinformation, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- CRC1266—Scales of Transformation, Project A2 ’Integrative Modelling of Socio-Environmental Dynamics’, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Archaeology and Museology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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24
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Marquer L, Seim A, Kuosmanen N, Reitalu T, Solomina O, Tallavaara M. Editorial: Past interactions between climate, land use, and vegetation. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1116756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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25
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Szép E, Trubenová B, Csilléry K. Using gridCoal to assess whether standard population genetic theory holds in the presence of spatio-temporal heterogeneity in population size. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:2941-2955. [PMID: 35765749 PMCID: PMC9796524 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Spatially explicit population genetic models have long been developed, yet have rarely been used to test hypotheses about the spatial distribution of genetic diversity or the genetic divergence between populations. Here, we use spatially explicit coalescence simulations to explore the properties of the island and the two-dimensional stepping stone models under a wide range of scenarios with spatio-temporal variation in deme size. We avoid the simulation of genetic data, using the fact that under the studied models, summary statistics of genetic diversity and divergence can be approximated from coalescence times. We perform the simulations using gridCoal, a flexible spatial wrapper for the software msprime (Kelleher et al., 2016, Theoretical Population Biology, 95, 13) developed herein. In gridCoal, deme sizes can change arbitrarily across space and time, as well as migration rates between individual demes. We identify different factors that can cause a deviation from theoretical expectations, such as the simulation time in comparison to the effective deme size and the spatio-temporal autocorrelation across the grid. Our results highlight that FST , a measure of the strength of population structure, principally depends on recent demography, which makes it robust to temporal variation in deme size. In contrast, the amount of genetic diversity is dependent on the distant past when Ne is large, therefore longer run times are needed to estimate Ne than FST . Finally, we illustrate the use of gridCoal on a real-world example, the range expansion of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) since the last glacial maximum, using different degrees of spatio-temporal variation in deme size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enikő Szép
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria)KlosterneuburgAustria
| | - Barbora Trubenová
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria)KlosterneuburgAustria,Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Katalin Csilléry
- Biodiversity and Conservation BiologySwiss Federal Research Institute WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
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26
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Is There Spatial and Temporal Variability in the Response of Plant Canopy and Trunk Growth to Climate Change in a Typical River Basin of Arid Areas. WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14101573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The response of plants to climate change has become a topical issue. However, there is no consensus on the synergistic processes of the canopy and trunk growth within different vegetation types, or on the consistency of the response of the canopy and trunk to climate change. This paper is based on Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), tree-ring width index (TRW) and climate data from the Irtysh River basin, a sensitive area for climate change in Central Asia. Spatial statistical methods and correlation analysis were used to analyze the spatial and temporal trends of plants and climate, and to reveal the differences in the canopy and trunk response mechanisms to climate within different vegetation types. The results show a warming and humidifying trend between 1982 and 2015 in the study area, and NDVI and TRW increases in different vegetation type zones. On an interannual scale, temperature is the main driver of the canopy growth in alpine areas and precipitation is the main limiting factor for the canopy growth in lower altitude valley and desert areas. The degree of response of the trunk to climatic factors decreases with increasing altitude, and TRW is significantly correlated with mean annual temperature, precipitation and SPEI in desert areas. On a monthly scale, the earlier and longer growing season due to the accumulation of temperature and precipitation in the early spring and late autumn periods contributes to two highly significant trends of increase in the canopy from March to May and August to October. Climatic conditions during the growing season are the main limiting factor for the growth of the trunk, but there is considerable variation in the driving of the trunk in different vegetation type zones. The canopy growth is mainly influenced by climatic factors in the current month, while there is a 1–2-month lag effect in the response of the trunk to climatic factors. In addition, the synergy between the canopy and the trunk is gradually weakened with increasing altitude (correlation coefficient is 0.371 in alpine areas, 0.413 in valley areas and 0.583 in desert areas). These findings help to enrich the understanding of the response mechanisms to climate change in different vegetation type zones and provide a scientific basis for the development of climate change response measures in Central Asia.
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Responses to Climate Change of Maximum Latewood Density from Larix speciosa Cheng et Law and Abies delavayi Franch. in the Northwest of Yunnan Province, China. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13050720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Tree-ring density has been used for climate-response analysis and climate reconstruction for many species. However, our knowledge of wood density for the responses of different species to climate remains very limited and inconclusive. To determine the relationship between maximum latewood density (MXD) and climate for deciduous and evergreen coniferous species, MXD chronologies were developed from Larix speciosa Cheng et Law and Abies delavayi Franch. growing at 3200–3300 m a.s.l. in Gongshan county, northwestern Yunnan, in China. Significant positive correlations with late summer mean temperature were found for the MXD chronologies of both species. However, the highest correlation occurred in August–September for L. speciosa (r = 0.551, p < 0.01) and in September–October for A. delavayi (r = 0.575, p < 0.01), which may be associated with the physiological habits of trees. Linear model can describe relationships between late-summer temperature and MXD index for L. speciosa (MXD = 0.0506T8–9 − 0.0509, R2 = 30.3%) and A. delavay (MXD = 0.0317T9–10 + 0.4066, R2 = 33.0%). The composite chronology from the two species can reveal a late summer temperature (August−October) signal with the explained variance 32.2% for its response model. However, in dry areas and or at high altitudes close to upper tree line, the responses of wood densities to climate require further investigation for deciduous and evergreen coniferous species.
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28
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Precipitation and Streamflow Reconstructions from Tree Rings for the Lower Kızılırmak River Basin, Turkey. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13040501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Kızılırmak River is the longest inland river, has the second-largest basin, and is one of the most important water sources of Turkey. On the other hand, flow data in the basin are too short-term and discordant, with too many gaps to provide reliable information regarding variations in river runoff. In this research, we reconstructed the April–July total precipitation and mean April–August streamflow of Gökırmak River at one gauge in the lower Kızılırmak River Basin using seven regional tree-ring chronologies. Tree-ring chronologies were highly correlated with the precipitation from April to July and with the streamflow from April to August. Both reconstructions successfully explained total variance in instrumental records with 0.36 (precipitation) and 0.35 (streamflow) R2 values. We provided 210 years (1794–2003) of precipitation and streamflow reconstructions, which largely overlapped. Five extreme dry (1840, 1842, 1873, 1887, and 1947) and four extreme wet years (1829, 1837, 1814 and 1881) were determined. The longest consecutive drought and wet events were three years long, for the periods of 1926–1928 and 1835–1837, respectively. The 13-year low-pass filter values highlighted a 30-year-long (from 1843 to 1872) stationary period of April–August mean streamflow.
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29
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Multi–Proxy Reconstruction of Drought Variability in China during the Past Two Millennia. WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14060858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Drought imposes serious challenges to ecosystems and societies and has plagued mankind throughout the ages. To understand the long-term trend of drought in China, a series of annual self-calibrating Palmer drought severity indexes (scPDSI), which is a semi-physical drought index based on the land surface water balance, were reconstructed during AD 56~2000. Multi-proxy records of tree-ring width and stalagmite oxygen isotope δ18O were used for this reconstruction, along with random forest regression. The spatiotemporal characteristics of the reconstruction results were analyzed, and comparisons were made with previous studies. Results showed that (1) China witnessed a drought-based state during the past 2000 years (mean value of scPDSI was −0.3151), with an average annual drought area of 85,000 km2; 4 wetting periods, i.e., the Han Dynasty (AD 56~220), the Tang Dynasty (AD 618~907), the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368~1644), and the Qing Dynasty (AD 1644~1912); and 2 drying periods, i.e., the Era of Disunity (AD 221~580) and the Song Dynasty (AD 960~1279). (2) Three different alternating fluctuation dry-wet modes (i.e., interannual, multidecadal, and centennial scales) in China were all significantly (p-value < 0.001) correlated with the amplitude and frequency of temperature in the Northern Hemisphere. (3) According to the spatial models disassembled from the rotated empirical orthogonal function, China was divided into nine dry-wet regions: northwestern China, Xinjiang, southwestern China, southeastern China, the Loess plateau, central China, southwestern Tibet, eastern China, and northeastern China. (4) The random forest (RF) was found to be accurate and stable for the reconstruction of drought variability in China compared with linear regression.
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30
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Abstract
Human evolution was strongly related to environmental factors. Woodlands and their products played a key role in the production of tools and weapons, and provided unique resources for constructions and fuel. Therefore wooden finds are essential in gaining insights into climatic and land use changes but also societal development during the Holocene. Dendroarchaeological investigations, based on tree rings, wood anatomy and techno-morphological characteristics are of great importance for a better understanding of past chronological processes as well as human-environment-interactions. Here we present an overview of the sources, methods, and concepts of this interdisciplinary field of dendroarchaeology focusing on Europe, where several tree-ring chronologies span most of the Holocene. We describe research examples from different periods of human history and discuss the current state of field. The long settlement history in Europe provides a myriad of wooden archeological samples not only for dating but also offer exciting new findings at the interface of natural and social sciences and the humanities.
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31
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Ljungqvist FC, Seim A, Tegel W, Krusic PJ, Baittinger C, Belingard C, Bernabei M, Bonde N, Borghaerts P, Couturier Y, Crone A, van Daalen S, Daly A, Doeve P, Domínguez-Delmás M, Edouard JL, Frank T, Ginzler C, Grabner M, Gschwind FM, Haneca K, Hansson A, Herzig F, Heussner KU, Hofmann J, Houbrechts D, Kaczka RJ, Kolář T, Kontic R, Kyncl T, Labbas V, Lagerås P, Le Digol Y, Le Roy M, Leuschner HH, Linderson H, Ludlow F, Marais A, Mills CM, Neyses-Eiden M, Nicolussi K, Perrault C, Pfeifer K, Rybníček M, Rzepecki A, Schmidhalter M, Seifert M, Shindo L, Spyt B, Susperregi J, Svarva HL, Thun T, Walder F, Ważny T, Werthe E, Westphal T, Wilson R, Büntgen U. Regional Patterns of Late Medieval and Early Modern European Building Activity Revealed by Felling Dates. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.825751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although variations in building activity are a useful indicator of societal well-being and demographic development, historical datasets for larger regions and longer periods are still rare. Here, we present 54,045 annually precise dendrochronological felling dates from historical construction timber from across most of Europe between 1250 and 1699 CE to infer variations in building activity. We use geostatistical techniques to compare spatiotemporal dynamics in past European building activity against independent demographic, economic, social and climatic data. We show that the felling dates capture major geographical patterns of demographic trends, especially in regions with dense data coverage. A particularly strong negative association is found between grain prices and the number of felling dates. In addition, a significant positive association is found between the number of felling dates and mining activity. These strong associations, with well-known macro-economic indicators from pre-industrial Europe, corroborate the use of felling dates as an independent source for exploring large-scale fluctuations of societal well-being and demographic development. Three prominent examples are the building boom in the Hanseatic League region of northeastern Germany during the 13th century, the onset of the Late Medieval Crisis in much of Europe c. 1300, and the cessation of building activity in large parts of central Europe during armed conflicts such as the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648 CE). Despite new insights gained from our European-wide felling date inventory, further studies are needed to investigate changes in construction activity of high versus low status buildings, and of urban versus rural buildings, and to compare those results with a variety of historical documentary sources and natural proxy archives.
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32
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Saleh D, Chen J, Leplé J, Leroy T, Truffaut L, Dencausse B, Lalanne C, Labadie K, Lesur I, Bert D, Lagane F, Morneau F, Aury J, Plomion C, Lascoux M, Kremer A. Genome-wide evolutionary response of European oaks during the Anthropocene. Evol Lett 2022; 6:4-20. [PMID: 35127134 PMCID: PMC8802238 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The pace of tree microevolution during Anthropocene warming is largely unknown. We used a retrospective approach to monitor genomic changes in oak trees since the Little Ice Age (LIA). Allelic frequency changes were assessed from whole-genome pooled sequences for four age-structured cohorts of sessile oak (Quercus petraea) dating back to 1680, in each of three different oak forests in France. The genetic covariances of allelic frequency changes increased between successive time periods, highlighting genome-wide effects of linked selection. We found imprints of parallel linked selection in the three forests during the late LIA, and a shift of selection during more recent time periods of the Anthropocene. The changes in allelic covariances within and between forests mirrored the documented changes in the occurrence of extreme events (droughts and frosts) over the last 300 years. The genomic regions with the highest covariances were enriched in genes involved in plant responses to pathogens and abiotic stresses (temperature and drought). These responses are consistent with the reported sequence of frost (or drought) and disease damage ultimately leading to the oak dieback after extreme events. They provide support for adaptive evolution of long-lived species during recent climatic changes. Although we acknowledge that other sources (e.g., gene flow, generation overlap) may have contributed to temporal covariances of allelic frequency changes, the consistent and correlated response across the three forests lends support to the existence of a systematic driving force such as natural selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dounia Saleh
- UMR BIOGECO, INRAEUniversité de BordeauxCestas33612France
| | - Jun Chen
- College of Life SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | | | - Thibault Leroy
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of ViennaVienna1010Austria
| | - Laura Truffaut
- UMR BIOGECO, INRAEUniversité de BordeauxCestas33612France
| | | | - Céline Lalanne
- UMR BIOGECO, INRAEUniversité de BordeauxCestas33612France
| | - Karine Labadie
- Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Commissariat à l’énergie atomique (CEA)Université de Paris‐SaclayEvry91057France
| | | | - Didier Bert
- UMR BIOGECO, INRAEUniversité de BordeauxCestas33612France
| | | | - François Morneau
- Département Recherche Développement InnovationOffice National des ForêtsBoigny‐Sur‐Bionne45760France,Current Address: Service de l'Information Statistique Forestière et EnvironnementaleInstitut National de l'Information géographique et ForestièreNogent‐sur‐Vernisson45290France
| | - Jean‐Marc Aury
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRSUniv Evry, Université Paris‐SaclayEvry91057France
| | | | - Martin Lascoux
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology CentreUppsala UniversityUppsalaSE‐75236Sweden
| | - Antoine Kremer
- UMR BIOGECO, INRAEUniversité de BordeauxCestas33612France
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Treml V, Mašek J, Tumajer J, Rydval M, Čada V, Ledvinka O, Svoboda M. Trends in climatically driven extreme growth reductions of Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris in Central Europe. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:557-570. [PMID: 34610189 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Extreme tree growth reductions represent events of abrupt forest productivity decline and carbon sequestration reduction. An increase in their magnitude can represent an early warning signal of impending tree mortality. Yet the long-term trends in extreme growth reductions remain largely unknown. We analyzed the trends in the proportion of trees exhibiting extreme growth reductions in two Central-European conifer species-Pinus sylvestris (PISY) and Picea abies (PCAB)-between 1901 and 2018. We used a novel approach for extreme growth reduction quantification by relating their size to their mean recurrence interval. Twenty-eight sites throughout Czechia and Slovakia with 1120 ring width series representing high- and low-elevation forests were inspected for extreme growth reductions with recurrence intervals of 15 and 50 years along with their link to climatic drivers. Our results show the greatest growth reductions at low-elevation PCAB sites, indicating high vulnerability of PCAB to drought. The proportions of trees exhibiting extreme growth reductions increased over time at low-elevation PCAB, decreased recently following an abrupt increase in the 1970-1980s at high-elevation PCAB, and showed nonsignificant trends in high- and low-elevation PISY. Climatic drivers of extreme growth reductions, however, shifted over time for all site categories as the proportion of low-temperature-induced extreme growth reductions declined since the 1990s, whereas events caused by drought consistently increased in frequency during the same period. We observed higher growth volatility at the lower range of distribution compared with the upper range margin of PISY and PCAB. This will undoubtedly considerably impact tree growth and vitality as temperatures and incidence of drought in Central Europe are expected to further increase with ongoing climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Václav Treml
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jiří Mašek
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jan Tumajer
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Miloš Rydval
- Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Science, Czech University of Life Science, Prague, Czechia
| | - Vojtěch Čada
- Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Science, Czech University of Life Science, Prague, Czechia
| | | | - Miroslav Svoboda
- Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Science, Czech University of Life Science, Prague, Czechia
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Streamflow Reconstructions Using Tree-Ring Based Paleo Proxies for the Upper Adige River Basin (Italy). HYDROLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/hydrology9010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Adige River Basin (ARB) provides a vital water supply source for varying demands including agriculture (wine production), energy (hydropower) and municipal water supply. Given the importance of this river system, information about past (paleo) drought and pluvial (wet) periods would quantity risk to water managers and planners. Annual streamflow data were obtained for four gauges that were spatially located within the upper ARB. The Old World Drought Atlas (OWDA) provides an annual June–July–August (JJA) self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI) derived from 106 tree-ring chronologies for 5414 grid points across Europe from 0 to 2012 AD. In lieu of tree-ring chronologies, the OWDA dataset was used as a proxy to reconstruct both individual gauge and ARB regional streamflow from 0 to 2012. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the four ARB streamflow gauges to generate one representative vector of regional streamflow. This regional streamflow vector was highly correlated with the four individual gauges, as coefficient of determination (R2) values ranged from 85% to 96%. Prescreening methods included correlating annual streamflow and scPDSI cells (within a 450 km radius) in which significant (p ≤ 0.01 or 99% significance) scPDSI cells were identified. The significant scPDSI cells were then evaluated for temporal stability to ensure practical and reliable reconstructions. Statistically significant and temporally stable scPDSI cells were used as predictors (independent variables) to reconstruct streamflow (predictand or dependent variable) for both individual gauges and at the regional scale. This resulted in highly skillful reconstructions of upper ARB streamflow from 0 to 2012 AD. Multiple drought and pluvial periods were identified in the paleo record that exceed those observed in the recent, historic record. Moreover, this study concurred with streamflow reconstructions in nearby European watersheds.
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Schneider C, Neuwirth B, Schneider S, Balanzategui D, Elsholz S, Fenner D, Meier F, Heinrich I. Using the dendro-climatological signal of urban trees as a measure of urbanization and urban heat island. Urban Ecosyst 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-021-01196-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractUsing dendroclimatological techniques this study investigates whether inner city tree-ring width (TRW) chronologies from eight tree species (ash, beech, fir, larch, lime, sessile and pedunculate oak, and pine) are suitable to examine the urban heat island of Berlin, Germany. Climate-growth relationships were analyzed for 18 sites along a gradient of increasing urbanization covering Berlin and surrounding rural areas. As a proxy for defining urban heat island intensities at each site, we applied urbanization parameters such as building fraction, impervious surfaces, and green areas. The response of TRW to monthly and seasonal air temperature, precipitation, aridity, and daily air-temperature ranges were used to identify climate-growth relationships. Trees from urban sites were found to be more sensitive to climate compared to trees in the surrounding hinterland. Ring width of the deciduous species, especially ash, beech, and oak, showed a high sensitivity to summer heat and drought at urban locations (summer signal), whereas conifer species were found suitable for the analysis of the urban heat island in late winter and early spring (winter signal).The summer and winter signals were strongest in tree-ring chronologies when the urban heat island intensities were based on an area of about 200 m to 3000 m centered over the tree locations, and thus reflect the urban climate at the scale of city quarters. For the summer signal, the sensitivity of deciduous tree species to climate increased with urbanity.These results indicate that urban trees can be used for climate response analyses and open new pathways to trace the evolution of urban climate change and more specifically the urban heat island, both in time and space.
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Single-year radiocarbon dating anchors Viking Age trade cycles in time. Nature 2021; 601:392-396. [PMID: 34937937 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04240-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Recent discoveries of rapid changes in the atmospheric 14C concentration linked to solar particle events have spurred the construction of new radiocarbon annual calibration datasets1-13. With these datasets, radiocarbon dating becomes relevant for urban sites, which require dates at higher resolution than previous calibration datasets could offer. Here we use a single-year radiocarbon calibration curve to anchor the archaeological stratigraphy of a Viking Age trade centre in time. We present absolutely dated evidence for artefact finds charting the expansion of long-distance trade from as far away as Arctic Norway and the Middle East, which we linked to the beginning of the Viking Age at AD 790 ± 10. The methods developed here enable human interactions and cultural, climatic and environmental changes to be compared in archaeological stratigraphies worldwide.
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A palaeoclimate proxy database for water security planning in Queensland Australia. Sci Data 2021; 8:292. [PMID: 34728623 PMCID: PMC8564541 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-021-01074-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Palaeoclimate data relating to hydroclimate variability over the past millennia have a vital contribution to make to the water sector globally. The water industry faces considerable challenges accessing climate data sets that extend beyond that of historical gauging stations. Without this, variability around the extremes of floods and droughts is unknown and stress-testing infrastructure design and water demands is challenging. User-friendly access to relevant palaeoclimate data is now essential, and importantly, an efficient process to determine which proxies are most relevant to a planning scenario, and geographic area of interest. This paper presents PalaeoWISE (Palaeoclimate Data for Water Industry and Security Planning) a fully integrated, and quality-assured database of proxy data extracted from data repositories and publications collated in Linked Paleo Data (LiPD) format. We demonstrate the application of the database in Queensland, one of Australia’s most hydrologically extreme states. The database and resultant hydroclimate correlations provides both the scientific community, and water resource managers, with a valuable resource to better manage for future climate changes. Measurement(s) | climate | Technology Type(s) | digital curation | Factor Type(s) | proxy type • geographic location • temporal interval • environmental material | Sample Characteristic - Environment | climate system | Sample Characteristic - Location | Earth (planet) |
Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.16607162
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Recent increases in tropical cyclone precipitation extremes over the US east coast. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2105636118. [PMID: 34607948 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2105636118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The impacts of inland flooding caused by tropical cyclones (TCs), including loss of life, infrastructure disruption, and alteration of natural landscapes, have increased over recent decades. While these impacts are well documented, changes in TC precipitation extremes-the proximate cause of such inland flooding-have been more difficult to detect. Here, we present a latewood tree-ring-based record of seasonal (June 1 through October 15) TC precipitation sums (ΣTCP) from the region in North America that receives the most ΣTCP: coastal North and South Carolina. Our 319-y-long ΣTCP reconstruction reveals that ΣTCP extremes (≥0.95 quantile) have increased by 2 to 4 mm/decade since 1700 CE, with most of the increase occurring in the last 60 y. Consistent with the hypothesis that TCs are moving slower under anthropogenic climate change, we show that seasonal ΣTCP along the US East Coast are positively related to seasonal average TC duration and TC translation speed.
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Skiadaresis G, Muigg B, Tegel W. Historical Forest Management Practices Influence Tree-Ring Based Climate Reconstructions. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.727651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tree-ring widths (TRW) of historical and archeological wood provide crucial proxies, frequently used for high-resolution multi-millennial paleoclimate reconstructions. Former growing conditions of the utilized trees, however, are largely unknown. Potential influences of historical forest management practices on climatic information, derived from TRW variability need to be considered but have not been assessed so far. Here, we examined the suitability of TRW series from traditionally managed oak forests (Quercus spp.) for climate reconstructions. We compared the climate signal in TRW chronologies of trees originating from high forests and coppice-with-standards (CWS) forests, a silvicultural management practice widely used in Europe for most of the common era. We expected a less distinct climate control in CWS due to management-induced growth patterns, yet an improved climate-growth relationship with TRW data from conventionally managed high forests. CWS tree rings showed considerably weaker correlations with hydroclimatic variables than non-CWS trees. The greatest potential for hydroclimate reconstructions was found for a large dataset containing both CWS and non-CWS trees, randomly collected from lumber yards, resembling the randomness in sources of historical material. Our results imply that growth patterns induced by management interventions can dampen climate signals in TRW chronologies. However, their impact can be minimized in well replicated, randomly sampled regional chronologies.
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How Cultural Heritage Studies Based on Dendrochronology Can Be Improved through Two-Way Communication. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12081047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A significant part of our cultural heritage consists of wood. Research on historical wooden structures and artefacts thereby provides knowledge of people’s daily lives and the society in which they lived. Dendrochronology is a well-established dating method of wood that can also provide valuable knowledge about climate dynamics, environmental changes, silviculture, and cultural transformations. However, dendrochronology comes with some limitations that end users in cultural heritage sciences must be aware of, otherwise their surveys may not be ultimately performed. We have drawn attention to studies in which dendrochronological results have been misinterpreted, over-interpreted, or not fully utilized. On the other hand, a rigorous dendrochronological survey may not respond to the request of information in practice. To bridge this rigour-relevance gap, this article has considered and reviewed both the dendrochronology’s science-perspective and the practitioner’s and end user’s call for context appropriate studies. The material for this study consists of (i) interviews with researchers in dendrochronology and end users represented by cultural heritage researchers with focus on building conservation and building history in Sweden, and (ii) a review of dendrochronological reports and the literature where results from the reports have been interpreted. From these sources we can conclude that a continuous two-way communication between the dendrochronologists and end users often would have resulted in improved cultural heritage studies. The communication can take place in several steps. Firstly, the design of a sampling plan, which according to the current standard for sampling of cultural materials often is required, is an excellent common starting point for communication. Secondly, the survey reports could be developed with a more extensive general outline of the method and guidance in how to interpret the results. Thirdly, the potential contribution from dendrochronology is often underused, foreseeing historical information on local climate, silviculture, and choice of quality of the wooden resource, as the focus most often is the chronological dating. Finally, the interpretation of the results should consider all the available sources where dendrochronology is one stake for a conciliant conclusion.
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Reduced Temperature Sensitivity of Maximum Latewood Density Formation in High-Elevation Corsican Pines under Recent Warming. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12070804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Maximum latewood density (MXD) measurements from long-lived Black pines (Pinus nigra spp. laricio) growing at the upper treeline in Corsica are one of the few archives to reconstruct southern European summer temperatures at annual resolution back into medieval times. Here, we present a compilation of five MXD chronologies from Corsican pines that contain high-to-low frequency variability between 1168 and 2016 CE and correlate significantly (p < 0.01) with the instrumental April–July and September–October mean temperatures from 1901 to 1980 CE (r = 0.52−0.64). The growth–climate correlations, however, dropped to −0.13 to 0.02 afterward, and scaling the MXD data resulted in a divergence of >1.5 °C between the colder reconstructed and warmer measured temperatures in the early-21st century. Our findings suggest a warming-induced shift from initially temperature-controlled to drought-prone MXD formation, and therefore question the suitability of using Corsican pine MXD data for climate reconstruction.
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Global hydroclimatic response to tropical volcanic eruptions over the last millennium. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2019145118. [PMID: 33798096 PMCID: PMC8000584 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2019145118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Future large tropical volcanic eruptions will induce global hydroclimatic changes, superimposed on anthropogenic climate change. Understanding how volcanic eruptions affect global hydroclimate is therefore critically important. Tejedor et al. use a new paleoclimatic product, which combines information from high-resolution proxies and climate models, to estimate volcanic impacts on hydroclimate over the last millennium. They find that past eruptions caused severe drying in tropical Africa and across Central Asia and the Middle East and significantly wetter conditions over Oceania and the South American monsoon region, some of which persisted for a decade or longer. These proxy-based findings suggest that, relative to estimates from a state-of-the-art climate model, much larger and persistent hydroclimatic changes are possible across regions of important socioeconomic activity. Large tropical volcanic eruptions can affect the climate of many regions on Earth, yet it is uncertain how the largest eruptions over the past millennium may have altered Earth’s hydroclimate. Here, we analyze the global hydroclimatic response to all the tropical volcanic eruptions over the past millennium that were larger than the Mount Pinatubo eruption of 1991. Using the Paleo Hydrodynamics Data Assimilation product (PHYDA), we find that these large volcanic eruptions tended to produce dry conditions over tropical Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East and wet conditions over much of Oceania and the South American monsoon region. These anomalies are statistically significant, and they persisted for more than a decade in some regions. The persistence of the anomalies is associated with southward shifts in the Intertropical Convergence Zone and sea surface temperature changes in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. We compare the PHYDA results with the stand-alone model response of the Community Earth System Model (CESM)-Last Millennium Ensemble. We find that the proxy-constrained PHYDA estimates are larger and more persistent than the responses simulated by CESM. Understanding which of these estimates is more realistic is critical for accurately characterizing the hydroclimate risks of future volcanic eruptions.
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The European Heat Wave 2018: The Dendroecological Response of Oak and Spruce in Western Germany. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12030283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The European heat wave of 2018 was characterized by extraordinarily dry and hot spring and summer conditions in many central and northern European countries. The average temperatures from June to August 2018 were the second highest since 1881. Accordingly, many plants, especially trees, were pushed to their physiological limits. However, while the drought and heat response of field crops and younger trees have been well investigated in laboratory experiments, little is known regarding the drought and heat response of mature forest trees. In this study, we compared the response of a coniferous and a deciduous tree species, located in western and central–western Germany, to the extreme environmental conditions during the European heat wave of 2018. Combining classic dendroecological techniques (tree–ring analysis) with measurements of the intra–annual stem expansion (dendrometers) and tree water uptake (sap flow sensors), we found contrasting responses of spruce and oak trees. While spruce trees developed a narrow tree ring in 2018 combined with decreasing correlations of daily sap flow and dendrometer parameters to the climatic parameters, oak trees developed a ring with above–average tree–ring width combined with increasing correlations between the daily climatic parameters and the parameters derived from sap flow and the dendrometer sensors. In conclusion, spruce trees reacted to the 2018 heat wave with the early completion of their growth activities, whereas oaks appeared to intensify their activities based on the water content in their tree stems.
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Helama S, Stoffel M, Hall RJ, Jones PD, Arppe L, Matskovsky VV, Timonen M, Nöjd P, Mielikäinen K, Oinonen M. Recurrent transitions to Little Ice Age-like climatic regimes over the Holocene. CLIMATE DYNAMICS 2021; 56:3817-3833. [PMID: 34776646 PMCID: PMC8550666 DOI: 10.1007/s00382-021-05669-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Holocene climate variability is punctuated by episodic climatic events such as the Little Ice Age (LIA) predating the industrial-era warming. Their dating and forcing mechanisms have however remained controversial. Even more crucially, it is uncertain whether earlier events represent climatic regimes similar to the LIA. Here we produce and analyse a new 7500-year long palaeoclimate record tailored to detect LIA-like climatic regimes from northern European tree-ring data. In addition to the actual LIA, we identify LIA-like ca. 100-800 year periods with cold temperatures combined with clear sky conditions from 540 CE, 1670 BCE, 3240 BCE and 5450 BCE onwards, these LIA-like regimes covering 20% of the study period. Consistent with climate modelling, the LIA-like regimes originate from a coupled atmosphere-ocean-sea ice North Atlantic-Arctic system and were amplified by volcanic activity (multiple eruptions closely spaced in time), tree-ring evidence pointing to similarly enhanced LIA-like regimes starting after the eruptions recorded in 1627 BCE, 536/540 CE and 1809/1815 CE. Conversely, the ongoing decline in Arctic sea-ice extent is mirrored in our data which shows reversal of the LIA-like conditions since the late nineteenth century, our record also correlating highly with the instrumentally recorded Northern Hemisphere and global temperatures over the same period. Our results bridge the gaps between low- and high-resolution, precisely dated proxies and demonstrate the efficacy of slow and fast components of the climate system to generate LIA-like climate regimes. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00382-021-05669-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuli Helama
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Ounasjoentie 6, 96200 Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Markus Stoffel
- Climate Change Impacts and Risks in the Anthropocene (C-CIA), Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- dendrolab.Ch, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Richard J. Hall
- School of Geography and Lincoln Centre for Water and Planetary Health, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
| | - Phil D. Jones
- Climatic Research Unit, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Laura Arppe
- Laboratory of Chronology, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Gustaf Hällströmin Katu 2, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Mauri Timonen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Ounasjoentie 6, 96200 Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Pekka Nöjd
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Tietotie 2, 02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Kari Mielikäinen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Tietotie 2, 02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Markku Oinonen
- Laboratory of Chronology, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Gustaf Hällströmin Katu 2, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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The Role of Samalas Mega Volcanic Eruption in European Summer Hydroclimate Change. ATMOSPHERE 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos11111182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In this study, the role of AD 1258 Samalas mega volcanic eruption in the summer hydroclimate change over Europe and the corresponding mechanisms are investigated through multi-member ensemble climate simulation experiments based on the Community Earth System Model (CESM). The results show that the CESM simulations are consistent with the reconstructed Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) and the historical records of European climate. Europe experiences significant summer cooling in the first three years after the Samalas mega volcanic eruption, peaking at −3.61 °C, −4.02 °C, and −3.21 °C in year 1 over the whole Europe, Southern Europe, and Northern Europe, respectively. The summer surface air temperature (SAT, °C) changes over the European continent are mainly due to the direct weakening of shortwave solar radiation induced by volcanic aerosol. The summer precipitation over the European continent shows an obvious dipole distribution characteristic of north-south reverse phase. The precipitation increases up to 0.42 mm/d in year 1 over Southern Europe, while it decreases by −0.28 mm/d in year 1 over Northern Europe, respectively. Both simulations and reconstructions show that the centers with the strongest increase in precipitation have always been located in the Balkans and Apennine peninsulas along the Mediterranean coast over Southern Europe, and the centers with the strongest precipitation reduction are mainly located in the British Isles and Scandinavia over northwestern Europe. The negative response of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) with significant positive sea level pressure (SLP) anomaly in the north and negative SLP anomaly in the south is excited in summer. The low tropospheric wind anomaly caused by the negative phase of NAO in summer affects the water vapor transport to Europe, resulting in the distribution pattern of summer precipitation in Europe, which is drying in the north and wetting in the south. The knowledge gained from this study is crucial to better understand and predict the potential impacts of single mega volcanic eruption on the future summer hydroclimate change in Europe.
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Manning SW, Lorentzen B, Welton L, Batiuk S, Harrison TP. Beyond megadrought and collapse in the Northern Levant: The chronology of Tell Tayinat and two historical inflection episodes, around 4.2ka BP, and following 3.2ka BP. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240799. [PMID: 33119717 PMCID: PMC7595433 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been considerable focus on the main, expansionary, and inter-regionally linked or 'globalising' periods in Old World pre- and proto-history, with a focus on identifying, analyzing and dating collapse at the close of these pivotal periods. The end of the Early Bronze Age in the late third millennium BCE and a subsequent 'intermediate' or transitional period before the Middle Bronze Age (~2200-1900 BCE), and the end of the Late Bronze Age in the late second millennium BCE and the ensuing period of transformation during the Early Iron Age (~1200-900 BCE), are key examples. Among other issues, climate change is regularly invoked as a cause or factor in both cases. Recent considerations of "collapse" have emphasized the unpredictability and variability of responses during such periods of reorganization and transformation. Yet, a gap in scholarly attention remains in documenting the responses observed at important sites during these 'transformative' periods in the Old World region. Tell Tayinat in southeastern Turkey, as a major archaeological site occupied during these two major 'in between' periods of transformation, offers a unique case for comparing and contrasting differing responses to change. To enable scholarly assessment of associations between the local trajectory of the site and broader regional narratives, an essential preliminary need is a secure, resolved timeframe for the site. Here we report a large set of radiocarbon data and incorporate the stratigraphic sequence using Bayesian chronological modelling to create a refined timeframe for Tell Tayinat and a secure basis for analysis of the site with respect to its broader regional context and climate history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sturt W. Manning
- Cornell Tree-Ring Laboratory, Department of Classics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Brita Lorentzen
- Cornell Tree-Ring Laboratory, Department of Classics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Lynn Welton
- Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Dawson Building, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Batiuk
- Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Timothy P. Harrison
- Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Luterbacher J, Newfield TP, Xoplaki E, Nowatzki E, Luther N, Zhang M, Khelifi N. Past pandemics and climate variability across the Mediterranean. EURO-MEDITERRANEAN JOURNAL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRATION 2020; 5:46. [PMID: 32984502 PMCID: PMC7500992 DOI: 10.1007/s41207-020-00197-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The influence that meteorological, climatological and environmental factors had on historical disease outbreaks is often speculated upon, but little investigated. Here, we explore potential associations between pandemic disease and climate over the last 2,500 years in Mediterranean history, focusing on ancient disease outbreaks and the Justinianic plague in particular. We underscore variation in the quality, quantity and interpretation of written evidence and proxy information from natural archives, the comlexity of identifying and disentangling past climatological and environmental drivers, and the need to integrate diverse methodologies to discern past climate-disease linkages and leverage historical experiences to prepare for the rapid expansion of novel pathogenic diseases. Although the difficulties entailed in establishing historical climate-pandemic linkages persist to the present, this is a research area as urgent as it is complex and historical perspectives are desperately needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Luterbacher
- Science and Innovation Department, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), 7bis Avenue de la Paix, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - T. P. Newfield
- Department of History, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets NW, ICC, Washington, DC USA
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets NW, ICC, Washington, DC USA
| | - E. Xoplaki
- Department of Geography, Climatology, Climate Dynamics and Climate Change, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Senckenbergstrasse 1, 35390 Giessen, Germany
- Centre of International Development and Environmental Research, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Senckenbergstrasse 3, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - E. Nowatzki
- Department of Geography, Climatology, Climate Dynamics and Climate Change, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Senckenbergstrasse 1, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - N. Luther
- Department of Geography, Climatology, Climate Dynamics and Climate Change, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Senckenbergstrasse 1, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - M. Zhang
- Department of Geography, Climatology, Climate Dynamics and Climate Change, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Senckenbergstrasse 1, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - N. Khelifi
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Editorial Department, Springer, a Part of Springer Nature, Tiergartenstrasse 17, 69121 Heidelberg, Germany
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48
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Klesse S, DeRose RJ, Babst F, Black BA, Anderegg LDL, Axelson J, Ettinger A, Griesbauer H, Guiterman CH, Harley G, Harvey JE, Lo YH, Lynch AM, O'Connor C, Restaino C, Sauchyn D, Shaw JD, Smith DJ, Wood L, Villanueva-Díaz J, Evans MEK. Continental-scale tree-ring-based projection of Douglas-fir growth: Testing the limits of space-for-time substitution. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:5146-5163. [PMID: 32433807 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A central challenge in global change research is the projection of the future behavior of a system based upon past observations. Tree-ring data have been used increasingly over the last decade to project tree growth and forest ecosystem vulnerability under future climate conditions. But how can the response of tree growth to past climate variation predict the future, when the future does not look like the past? Space-for-time substitution (SFTS) is one way to overcome the problem of extrapolation: the response at a given location in a warmer future is assumed to follow the response at a warmer location today. Here we evaluated an SFTS approach to projecting future growth of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), a species that occupies an exceptionally large environmental space in North America. We fit a hierarchical mixed-effects model to capture ring-width variability in response to spatial and temporal variation in climate. We found opposing gradients for productivity and climate sensitivity with highest growth rates and weakest response to interannual climate variation in the mesic coastal part of Douglas-fir's range; narrower rings and stronger climate sensitivity occurred across the semi-arid interior. Ring-width response to spatial versus temporal temperature variation was opposite in sign, suggesting that spatial variation in productivity, caused by local adaptation and other slow processes, cannot be used to anticipate changes in productivity caused by rapid climate change. We thus substituted only climate sensitivities when projecting future tree growth. Growth declines were projected across much of Douglas-fir's distribution, with largest relative decreases in the semiarid U.S. Interior West and smallest in the mesic Pacific Northwest. We further highlight the strengths of mixed-effects modeling for reviving a conceptual cornerstone of dendroecology, Cook's 1987 aggregate growth model, and the great potential to use tree-ring networks and results as a calibration target for next-generation vegetation models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Klesse
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Swiss Forest Protection, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Robert Justin DeRose
- U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis, Ogden, UT, USA
- Department Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Flurin Babst
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Swiss Forest Protection, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Department of Ecology, W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Bryan A Black
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Leander D L Anderegg
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jodi Axelson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Hardy Griesbauer
- Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Prince George, BC, Canada
| | | | - Grant Harley
- Department of Geography, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Jill E Harvey
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Yueh-Hsin Lo
- Department of Science, Universidad Publica de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ann M Lynch
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | | | - Dave Sauchyn
- Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada
| | - John D Shaw
- U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis, Ogden, UT, USA
| | - Dan J Smith
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Lisa Wood
- Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada
| | - Jose Villanueva-Díaz
- Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias, CENID-RASPA, Gomez Palacio, Mexico
| | - Margaret E K Evans
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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49
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Reconstructing Summer Precipitation with MXD Data from Pinus sylvestris Growing in the Stockholm Archipelago. ATMOSPHERE 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos11080790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Maximum latewood density (MXD) chronologies have been widely used to reconstruct summer temperature variations. Precipitation signals inferred from MXD data are, however, rather scarce. In this study, we assess the potential of using MXD data derived from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) growing in the Stockholm archipelago (Sweden) to reconstruct past precipitation variability. In this area, slow-growing pine trees emerge on flat plateaus of bedrock outcrops with thin or absent soil layers and are, therefore, sensitive to moisture variability. A 268-year-long MXD chronology was produced, and climate–growth relationships show a significant and robust correlation with May–July precipitation (PMJJr = 0.64, p < 0.01). The MXD based May–July precipitation reconstruction covers the period 1750–2018 CE and explains 41% of the variance (r2) of the observed precipitation (1985–2018). The reconstruction suggests that the region has experienced more pluvial phases than drought conditions since the 1750s. The latter half of the 18th century was the wettest and the first half of the 19th century the driest. Climate analysis of “light rings” (LR), latewood layers of extreme low-density cells, finds their occurrence often coincides with significantly dry (<41 mm precipitation) and warmer (1–2 °C above average temperature), May–July conditions. Our analysis suggests that these extremes may be triggered by the summer North Atlantic Oscillation (SNAO).
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50
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Six hundred years of South American tree rings reveal an increase in severe hydroclimatic events since mid-20th century. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:16816-16823. [PMID: 32632003 PMCID: PMC7382209 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2002411117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
South American (SA) societies are highly vulnerable to droughts and pluvials, but lack of long-term climate observations severely limits our understanding of the global processes driving climatic variability in the region. The number and quality of SA climate-sensitive tree ring chronologies have significantly increased in recent decades, now providing a robust network of 286 records for characterizing hydroclimate variability since 1400 CE. We combine this network with a self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI) dataset to derive the South American Drought Atlas (SADA) over the continent south of 12°S. The gridded annual reconstruction of austral summer scPDSI is the most spatially complete estimate of SA hydroclimate to date, and well matches past historical dry/wet events. Relating the SADA to the Australia-New Zealand Drought Atlas, sea surface temperatures and atmospheric pressure fields, we determine that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) are strongly associated with spatially extended droughts and pluvials over the SADA domain during the past several centuries. SADA also exhibits more extended severe droughts and extreme pluvials since the mid-20th century. Extensive droughts are consistent with the observed 20th-century trend toward positive SAM anomalies concomitant with the weakening of midlatitude Westerlies, while low-level moisture transport intensified by global warming has favored extreme rainfall across the subtropics. The SADA thus provides a long-term context for observed hydroclimatic changes and for 21st-century Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections that suggest SA will experience more frequent/severe droughts and rainfall events as a consequence of increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
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