Pollen-based biomes for Beringia 18,000, 6000 and 0 14C yr BP
Journal of Biogeography
By: M. E. Edwards, P. M. Anderson, L.B. Brubaker, T. A. Ager, A.A. Andreev, N.H. Bigelow, L.C. Cwynar, Wendy R. Eisner, S. P. Harrison, F.-S. Hu, D. Jolly, A.V. Lozhkin, G. M. MacDonald, Cary J. Mock, J.C. Ritchie, A.V. Sher, R.W. Spear, J.W. Williams, and G. Yu
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Abstract
The objective biomization method developed by Prentice et al. (1996) for Europe was extended using modern pollen samples from Beringia and then applied to fossil pollen data to reconstruct palaeovegetation patterns at 6000 and 18,000 14C yr BP. The predicted modern distribution of tundra, taiga and cool conifer forests in Alaska and north-western Canada generally corresponds well to actual vegetation patterns, although sites in regions characterized today by a mosaic of forest and tundra vegetation tend to be preferentially assigned to tundra. Siberian larch forests are delimited less well, probably due to the extreme under-representation of Larix in pollen spectra. The biome distribution across Beringia at 6000 14C yr BP was broadly similar to today, with little change in the northern forest limit, except for a possible northward-advance in the Mackenzie delta region. The western forest limit in Alaska was probably east of its modern position. At 18,000 14C yr BP the whole of Beringia was covered by tundra. However, the importance of the various plant functional types varied from site to site, supporting the idea that the vegetation cover was a mosaic of different tundra types.
Suggested Citation
Edwards, M.E., Anderson, P.M., Brubaker, L., Ager, T.A., Andreev, A., Bigelow, N., Cwynar, L., Eisner, W.R., Harrison, S.P., Hu, F., Jolly, D., Lozhkin, A., MacDonald, G.M., Mock, C.J., Ritchie, J., Sher, A., Spear, R., Williams, J., and Yu, G., 2000, Pollen-based biomes for Beringia 18,000, 6000 and 0 14C yr BP: Journal of Biogeography, v. 27, no. 3, p. 521-554, https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2699.2000.00426.x.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Pollen-based biomes for Beringia 18,000, 6000 and 0 14C yr BP |
| Series title | Journal of Biogeography |
| DOI | 10.1046/j.1365-2699.2000.00426.x |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Publication Date | December 24, 2001 |
| Year Published | 2000 |
| Language | English |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Journal of Biogeography |
| First page | 521 |
| Last page | 554 |