{"title":"Treeline history in Northwestern Chukotka during the Last Interglacial and Holocene","authors":"Sergey Vartanyan , Gleb Danilov , Dmtiry Gromyko , Fedor Maksimov , Alexei Oskolski , Diana Solovyeva , Valeriya Tsigankova","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109666","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The fluctuations of the forest/tundra boundary are among the most significant indicators of climate change in the Arctic. The most reliable information regarding the historical position of this boundary is obtained through spatial-temporal analysis of wood remains collected from permafrost deposits. We conducted extensive research in the tundra zone of northwestern Chukotka, aiming to establish a comprehensive collection of fossil wood samples; to identify these samples to the genus/species levels; and to date samples through radiocarbon dating (over 60 dates) and uranium-thorium methods.</div><div>Our findings demonstrate that trees extended into the present tundra zone in the Rauchua-Chaun Lowland at least twice during the Last Interglacial and the Holocene. During the Last Interglacial (MIS-5), larch forests (taiga) interspersed with birch were prevalent in what is now tundra. In the early Holocene (11,000–8700 cal BP), riparian forests featuring willow, сhosenia, and poplar, along with tree birch, thrived in river valleys.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"718 ","pages":"Article 109666"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Quaternary International","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040618225000096","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"GEOGRAPHY, PHYSICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The fluctuations of the forest/tundra boundary are among the most significant indicators of climate change in the Arctic. The most reliable information regarding the historical position of this boundary is obtained through spatial-temporal analysis of wood remains collected from permafrost deposits. We conducted extensive research in the tundra zone of northwestern Chukotka, aiming to establish a comprehensive collection of fossil wood samples; to identify these samples to the genus/species levels; and to date samples through radiocarbon dating (over 60 dates) and uranium-thorium methods.
Our findings demonstrate that trees extended into the present tundra zone in the Rauchua-Chaun Lowland at least twice during the Last Interglacial and the Holocene. During the Last Interglacial (MIS-5), larch forests (taiga) interspersed with birch were prevalent in what is now tundra. In the early Holocene (11,000–8700 cal BP), riparian forests featuring willow, сhosenia, and poplar, along with tree birch, thrived in river valleys.
期刊介绍:
Quaternary International is the official journal of the International Union for Quaternary Research. The objectives are to publish a high quality scientific journal under the auspices of the premier Quaternary association that reflects the interdisciplinary nature of INQUA and records recent advances in Quaternary science that appeal to a wide audience.
This series will encompass all the full spectrum of the physical and natural sciences that are commonly employed in solving Quaternary problems. The policy is to publish peer refereed collected research papers from symposia, workshops and meetings sponsored by INQUA. In addition, other organizations may request publication of their collected works pertaining to the Quaternary.