Vegetation-pollen-climate relationships for the arcto-boreal region of North America and Greenland

We examine modern pollen, vegetation and climate relationships for the arcto-boreal region of North America using isopollen maps, scatter diagrams and response surfaces. These analyses are based on an array of 1119 modern pollen sites extending from Alaska to Greenland (excluding the Pacific-Cordill...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of biogeography 1991-09, Vol.18 (5), p.565-582
Main Authors: Anderson, P.M, Bartlein, P.J, Brubaker, L.B, Gajewski, K, Ritchie, J.C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ambient temperature
Boreal forests
Climate change
Climate models
forest ecology
Paleoclimatology
Plant and Pollen Patterns
plant communities
Pollen
Prairies
precipitation
Scatter diagrams
summer
Surface temperature
Taxa
Vegetation
winter
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We examine modern pollen, vegetation and climate relationships for the arcto-boreal region of North America using isopollen maps, scatter diagrams and response surfaces. These analyses are based on an array of 1119 modern pollen sites extending from Alaska to Greenland (excluding the Pacific-Cordillera region of western North America) and north of 42circN latitude. The pollen sum consists of thirty-one taxa selected for their abundance on the modern landscape or significance as indicators of particular vegetation types. Response surfaces were calculated using a locally weighted-average procedure in order to display the percentages of the various taxa as a function of one to three climate variables. The isopoll maps accurately reflect taxa abundance and range limits, although the actual percentage at these limits may vary. Pollen of the major boreal taxa have optima at 10-20circC and dry (Pinus), moist (Abies) and intermediate (Picea) values of precipitation. Monospecific pollen taxa and those where the species have similar ecologies show a simple climate optimum, whereas pollen taxa with several species, such as Betula, show multiple optima. Each boreal taxon, even those with similar ranges, has a unique surface, suggesting that community level responses to climatic change, whether past or future, are likely to be complex and variable throughout North America.
ISSN:0305-0270
1365-2699
DOI:10.2307/2845692