Influences of sea level changes and volcanic eruptions on Holocene vegetation in Tonga
Strandberg, Nichola A. (University of Southampton)
Edwards, Mary (University of Southampton)
Ellison, Joanna C. (University of Tasmania)
Steinbauer, Manuel J. (University of Bayreuth)
Walentowitz, Anna (University of Bayreuth)
Fall, Patricia L. (University of North Carolina at Charlotte)
Sear, David A. (University of Southampton)
Langdon, Peter G. (University of Southampton)
Cronin, Shane (University of Auckland)
Castilla-Beltrán, Alvaro (University of La Laguna)
Croudace, Ian W. (University of Southampton)
Prebble, Matiu (University of Canterbury)
Gosling, William D. (Universiteit van Amsterdam)
Nogué Bosch, Sandra (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Temporal Ecology and Biogeography Lab

Data:	2023
Resum:	Here, we investigate Mid- to Late-Holocene vegetation changes in low-lying coastal areas in Tonga and how changing sea levels and recurrent volcanic eruptions have influenced vegetation dynamics on four islands of the Tongan archipelago (South Pacific). To investigate past vegetation and environmental change at Ngofe Marsh ('Uta Vava'u), we examined palynomorphs (pollen and spores), charcoal (fire), and sediment characteristics (volcanic activity) from a 6. 7-m-long sediment core. Radiocarbon dating indicated the sediments were deposited over the last 7700 years. We integrated the Ngofe Marsh data with similar previously published data from Avai'o'vuna Swamp on Pangaimotu Island, Lotofoa Swamp on Foa Island, and Finemui Swamp on Ha'afeva Island. Plant taxa were categorized as littoral, mangrove, rainforest, successional/ disturbance, and wetland groups, and linear models were used to examine relationships between vegetation, relative sea level change, and volcanic eruptions (tephra). We found that relative sea level change has impacted vegetation on three of the four islands investigated. Volcanic eruptions were not identified as a driver of vegetation change. Rainforest decline does not appear to be driven by sea level changes or volcanic eruptions. From all sites analyzed, vegetation at Finemui Swamp was most sensitive to changes in relative sea level. While vegetation on low-lying Pacific islands is sensitive to changing sea levels, island characteristics, such as area and elevation, are also likely to be important factors that mediate specific island responses to drivers of change.
Drets:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Llengua:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Matèria:	Anthropogenic impacts ; Human impacts ; Paleoecology ; Pollen analysis ; Polynesia ; Sea level ; Tephra ; Tonga
Publicat a:	Biotropica, Vol. 55, Issue 4 (July 2023) , p. 816-827, ISSN 1744-7429

DOI: 10.1111/btp.13231

12 p, 8.2 MB

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Documents de recerca > Documents dels grups de recerca de la UAB > Centres i grups de recerca (producció científica) > Ciències > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
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