Quaternary Science Reviews最新文献

{"title":"Slow growing juniper shrubs from northern Iceland record summer temperature changes over the last 800 years","authors":"Magdalena Opała-Owczarek ,&nbsp;Paweł Wąsowicz ,&nbsp;Piotr Owczarek ,&nbsp;Carina Damm ,&nbsp;Ólafur Eggertsson ,&nbsp;Jacek Skurzyński ,&nbsp;Piotr Kenis ,&nbsp;Ulf Büntgen","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109441","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109441","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Iceland's unique environment is particularly sensitive to the effects of anthropogenic warming. Contextualising recent trends and extremes against past ranges is, however, limited by a lack of high-resolution temperature reconstructions. Here, we present ring widths measurements and wood anatomical observations from 68 living and relict juniper shrubs from northern Iceland. The preservation of these junipers is linked to a complex of favourable abiotic and anthropogenic factors. The combined dendrochronological and wood anatomical assessment of Iceland's oldest living organisms resulted in a continuous chronology back to 1159 CE, which is the longest of its kind for the Arctic. Our new summer temperature reconstruction provides evidence for the late Medieval Warm Period (circa 1260s–1370s) and various Little Ice Age Type Events (between circa 1380s and 1810s). The recent warming over northern Iceland is comparable to pre-industrial warm phases during the first half of the 18th century and the 1550s–1590s. Our wood anatomical investigation reveals reductions in cell wall lignification (i.e. Blue Rings) following volcanic eruptions, such as 1597, 1755, 1783, 1815, 1823, 1829, 1882–83, 1906.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"363 ","pages":"Article 109441"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144168620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Landsnail shell δ18O records in periglacial loess deposits: New transfer functions for precipitation δ18O and temperature in dry continental settings","authors":"C. Richter ,&nbsp;F. Walther ,&nbsp;S. Meng ,&nbsp;H. Reip ,&nbsp;M. Schneider ,&nbsp;M.M. Joachimski ,&nbsp;M. Horsák","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109440","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109440","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Our knowledge about climate change is based on the availability of climate data from both the present and the past. Accurate reference data are essential for improving Earth System Models, which help us to analyse and predict climatic developments with greater accuracy. In this context, subfossil landsnail shells and their stable isotope compositions are valuable climatic proxies. They are used to derive past precipitation isotopy (δ¹⁸O_{precipitation}), which represents an important reference parametre for climate reconstruction. However, the interpretability of δ¹⁸O shell isotopes in periglacial loess deposits has been questioned, due to the complexity of the hydrological cycle in these environments. Calibration studies investigating the relationship between δ¹⁸O_shell and δ¹⁸O_{precipitation} under continental dry conditions are still lacking. To close this gap, we collected two genera commonly found in European loess deposits (<em>Vallonia</em> and <em>Pupilla)</em> at modern dry periglacial sites in continental Inner Asia. Our results confirm a strong positive relationship between δ¹⁸O_shell and δ¹⁸O_{precipitation} of the growing season period (adjR² = 0.53, p ≪ 0.001). When only <em>Vallonia</em> samples were considered, the relationship was even stronger (adjR² = 0.60, p ≪ 0.001) indicating a genus-specific response. Our results support the suitability of landsnail shells as proxy for δ¹⁸O_{precipitation} in dry continental settings. Furthermore, we provide an empirically derived transfer function to reconstruct δ¹⁸O_{precipitation} from δ¹⁸O_shell for periglacial loess archives as well as a transfer function for temperature approximation. This study demonstrates the high potential of shell isotopes as a quantitative climate proxy also for dry continental environments. However, future studies should focus on the resolution of shell isotope data as well as the synchroneity of calibration data, to increase data precision.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"363 ","pages":"Article 109440"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144139732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A 2000-year record of hydroclimate variability inferred from oxygen isotopes in lake sediments on Kangaroo Island (Karti/Karta), South Australia","authors":"Mahfuzur Rahman ,&nbsp;Lucinda Duxbury ,&nbsp;Haidee Cadd ,&nbsp;Robert Klaebe ,&nbsp;Geraldine Jacobsen ,&nbsp;John Tibby ,&nbsp;Jonathan Tyler","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109443","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109443","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding past hydroclimate variability through high-resolution records is key to assessing the recurrence of extreme climatic events, including prolonged droughts and floods and for sustainable environmental and economic planning. This study presents a sub-decadal-scale hydroclimate reconstruction based on oxygen isotope analysis of ostracod valves, extracted from the sediments of Lashmars Lagoon, Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Sediment dating was based on 19 accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon (¹⁴C) dates from pollen and plant macrofossils, alongside lead-210 and plutonium concentration analyses. Spanning the last ∼2000 years, the oxygen isotopes record a series of multi-decadal wet and dry periods, manifest in the relative precipitation-evaporation balance of the lake. Of note, the record implies periods of prolonged declines in water balance, tentatively interpreted as droughts, from ∼525 to 575 CE, ∼770–790 CE, ∼825–850 CE, and ∼980–1020 CE. By contrast, the periods from ∼150 to 450 CE and ∼600–750 CE were relatively wet. Unfortunately, ostracods were absent within the sediments deposited between ∼1250 and 1590 CE and as a result, no hydroclimatic pattern could be determined for this time period. The period from ∼1590 to 1800 CE appears to have been notably dry, prior to an increase in effective moisture during the last 200 years. The Lashmars Lagoon record exhibits similar trends to a record from Blue Lake, Mt. Gambier, approx. 500 km to the southeast. However, these records contrast with other hydroclimate records from further east, implying a complex relationship with regional climate drivers. Comparison with instrumental period rainfall data, and reconstructed indices for major ocean–atmosphere interactions suggests that periods of increased moisture balance on Kangaroo Island were influenced by a combination of Southern Ocean and Indian Ocean derived climate drivers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"363 ","pages":"Article 109443"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early Holocene sea-level changes along the western Bohai Sea coast: Far-field response to meltwater pulses","authors":"Lizhu Tian ,&nbsp;Bert L. Vermeersen ,&nbsp;Jianfen Li ,&nbsp;Hong Wang ,&nbsp;Fu Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109430","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109430","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Meltwater Pulses (MWPs) from the last deglaciation are highly relevant today. Studying their timing and characteristics offers valuable insights into past periods of accelerated sea-level response under intense climate forcing and provides an analog for potential future scenarios. The western Bohai Sea coast (WBSC), located deep within the Asian continent and far from major glaciation centers and subduction zones, exhibits sensitive relative sea level (RSL) responses to any high latitude ice-sheet meltwater influx, offering valuable data to refine the chronology and magnitude of MWPs. This paper presents 25 high-confidence early Holocene sea-level index points (SLIPs) from high marsh vegetation samples, generated through analysis of sediments, microfossil foraminifera, and radiocarbon dating of 14 cores from the WBSC. The altitudes of SLIPs were adjusted for factors such as self-compaction, long-term tectonic subsidence, and ground lowering due to water extraction. The early Holocene RSL history in the WBSC reflects a rapid rise in sea level during ∼9800–6900 cal a BP, occurring within the global context of global sea-level rise. During ∼9800–8100 cal a BP, the RSL rise was faster, averaging 7–8 mm/a, characterized by two distinct stepwise increases. A rapid sea-level rise event before 9500 cal a BP was shown by a sharp RSL rise of at least 5.4 ± 0.63 m, within the narrow timeframe of 9603 ± 288 cal a BP (1σ). The second MWP took place during 8500–8100 cal a BP, adding a total rise of 2.92 ± 0.93 m on the top of background RSL rise, with a two-phase structure where the main phase produced 2.55 ± 0.69 m within a narrow window around 8505 ± 135 cal BP (1σ). Although the rate of RSL rise decreased rapidly to 5.0 mm/a by 7000 cal a BP after ∼8100 cal a BP, sea-level data from the WBSC still show an additional rise of 1.45 ± 0.64 m during 7593 ± 78 cal a BP (1σ). These three distinct sea-level jump events, happened before 9500, ∼8500, and ∼7600 cal a BP, respectively, provide indications of three episodes of enhanced meltwater discharge in the early Holocene, with the latter two closely linked to the decaying history of the Laurentide Ice Sheet.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"362 ","pages":"Article 109430"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144134483","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhanced East Asian summer monsoon circulation during the Early to Middle Bronze Age","authors":"Jiawei Jiang ,&nbsp;Yancheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Deming Kong ,&nbsp;Hongxuan Lu ,&nbsp;Huanye Wang ,&nbsp;Yu Liang ,&nbsp;Charlotte Wing Man Lee ,&nbsp;Hongwei Liu ,&nbsp;Bowen Meng ,&nbsp;Zhouqing Xie ,&nbsp;Hong Yan ,&nbsp;Weiguo Liu ,&nbsp;Zhonghui Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109439","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109439","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Holocene East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) evolution has been extensively investigated, yet proxy records show inconsistent variations during the Bronze Age, and spatial patterns of hydroclimatic conditions remain controversial, limiting our understanding of monsoonal behavior and its potential association with culture development. Here we present multiple biomarker records from the northern coast of the South China Sea, which document the strength of monsoon-induced upwelling/mixing effect, to infer Holocene EASM variability. Our multiple biomarker records consistently indicate enhanced EASM circulation during ∼6000–9000 cal a BP and ∼3300–4500 cal a BP, superimposed on the long-term weakening trend. The enhanced EASM circulation during the Early to Middle Bronze Age challenges the presumed cool/dry climate background and lends support to a tripole pattern of hydroclimatic variability over East China during this period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"363 ","pages":"Article 109439"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144135046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A radiometrically-constrained reference record of Last Interglacial climate and vegetation changes from the Fucino Basin, Central Italy","authors":"C.A. Roberts ,&nbsp;G. Zanchetta ,&nbsp;B. Giaccio ,&nbsp;S. Nomade ,&nbsp;G. Mannella ,&nbsp;L. Sadori ,&nbsp;R. Drysdale ,&nbsp;M.A. Maslin ,&nbsp;P.G. Albert ,&nbsp;C. Smidt ,&nbsp;V.C. Smith ,&nbsp;M. Flynn ,&nbsp;G. Sottili ,&nbsp;B. Wagner ,&nbsp;P.C. Tzedakis","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109377","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109377","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Last Interglacial (LIG) was characterised by a global mean temperature ∼1 °C warmer than the pre-industrial, a pronounced Arctic warming and an elevated sea level. Exploring the nature of LIG environmental changes in local contexts can improve understanding of regional responses to a warmer background state. However, a lack of high-resolution palaeoclimatic archives underpinned by an independent and robust chronological framework remains a primary limitation in investigating climate variability and relating it to changes in other records. This paper presents a detailed palynological, charcoal and bulk carbonate oxygen isotope record of a thick lacustrine sedimentary sequence retrieved from the Fucino Basin, central Italy, covering the period ∼139 to 107 ka at sub-centennial to centennial resolution. A key aspect of the record is its independent chronology based on direct ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating and geochemical fingerprinting of several tephra layers. The highly-resolved multiproxy record reveals substantial environmental variability on long- and short-term timescales. The pollen sequence documents a succession of arboreal phases interrupted by centennial-to millennial-scale contractions in temperate vegetation. Comparisons between δ¹⁸O records from the Fucino Basin and a speleothem stack from Corchia Cave (northern Italy) suggest a strong hydrological seasonal contrast during the early LIG, corroborated by increased Mediterranean taxa abundance and elevated fire activity. The early LIG in Italy emerges as a time of high seasonality with arid summers and enhanced winter precipitation driven by strong Northern Hemisphere summer insolation. The detection of high-frequency interglacial climate variability points to an interconnected North Atlantic and Mediterranean climate regime.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"363 ","pages":"Article 109377"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144139744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lacustrine shallow biogenic gas production linked to climatically forced increase in organic matter burial following the Mid-Pleistocene Transition","authors":"Mingxuan Zhang ,&nbsp;Detian Yan ,&nbsp;Peter M.J. Douglas ,&nbsp;Wanle Liang ,&nbsp;Jikang Wang ,&nbsp;Dong Ni ,&nbsp;Suhe Yun","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109446","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109446","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sediments in the Hetao Basin of North China during the Quaternary are dominated by fluvial-lacustrine deposition, with widespread development of biogenic gas. However, the controlling factors of organic matter (OM) accumulation and preservation in biogenic gas source rocks remain unclear, and their potential influence by the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT) requires further investigation. This study analyzed gamma ray (GR), Rubidium strontium ratio (Rb/Sr), mean grain size, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and organic carbon stable isotopes (δ¹³C_org), along with optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and electron spin resonance (ESR) dating, to establish a two million-year astronomical timescale and explore the impact of the MPT on accumulation and preservation of OM. The results indicate that: 1) The MPT at ca. 1.1 to 0.75 Ma is well recorded in the GR, Rb/Sr and mean grain size data of the lake sediments, and is characterized by a shift in the dominant cyclicity from ∼41-kyr obliquity to ∼100-kyr eccentricity cycle; 2) The sedimentary cycles of the Hetao Basin lakes were primarily controlled by astronomical forcing through dynamic feedbacks within the ice sheet–climate system. These cycles represent the indirect climatic effects of orbital variations via their modulation of ice volume and monsoon intensity; 3). After the MPT, increased input of terrestrial organic matter during interglacial periods, favorable depositional environments and the extension of glacial-interglacial cycles created favorable conditions for the accumulation and preservation of organic matter in source rocks, thereby providing the inputs required for biogenic gas formation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"363 ","pages":"Article 109446"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144139745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New paleoecological insights for the Late Pleistocene Neanderthal mountain occurrence at Buena Pinta Cave (Iberian Central System, Pinilla-del-Valle, Madrid, Spain)","authors":"Hugues-Alexandre Blain ,&nbsp;César Laplana ,&nbsp;Christian Sánchez-Bandera ,&nbsp;Clara Mielgo ,&nbsp;Ángel Blanco-Lapaz ,&nbsp;Rafael Marquina-Blasco ,&nbsp;Ana Fagoaga ,&nbsp;Josep Francesc Bisbal-Chinesta ,&nbsp;David Manuel Martín-Perea ,&nbsp;Christophe Falguères ,&nbsp;Tom Higham ,&nbsp;Maria Blanca Ruiz Zapata ,&nbsp;Maria José Gil García ,&nbsp;Paloma Sevilla ,&nbsp;Rosa Huguet ,&nbsp;Belen Márquez ,&nbsp;Alfredo Pérez-González ,&nbsp;Juan Luis Arsuaga ,&nbsp;Enrique Baquedano","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109355","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109355","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Late Pleistocene sequence from the archaeological site of the Buena Pinta Cave (Pinilla del Valle, Madrid) has furnished the following ectothermic vertebrates: <em>Salmo trutta</em>, <em>Alytes</em> gr. <em>A. obstetricans-almogavarii</em>, <em>Pelobates cultripes</em>, <em>Bufo spinosus</em>, <em>Epidalea calamita</em>, <em>Pelophylax perezi</em>, <em>Rana iberica</em>, Testudines indet., <em>Timon lepidus</em>, Lacertidae indet. (large- and medium-sized), <em>Anguis fragilis</em>, <em>Natrix maura</em>, <em>Coronella</em> cf. <em>C. austriaca</em>, Colubridae/Psammophiidae indet., and <em>Vipera</em> cf. <em>V. latastei</em>. All these taxa are currently present in central Iberian Peninsula, with representation in the Lozoya Valley or its closest surrounding areas. The amphibians and reptiles suggest a quite similar to a much warmer climate (from +1.0 to +3.5 °C) than the present one, with a higher difference about modern values during the coldest month than during the warmest month. Annual rainfall was more abundant (from +9 to +397 mm) than today. Reconstructed landscapes suggest the predominance of humid environments throughout the sequence, primarily composed by open humid habitats (mainly comprised between 35.2 and 45.5 %) and woodland environments including medium scrublands to forest formations (27.3–40.0 %). Aquatic and peri-aquatic areas (9.5–20.5 %), such as rivers or ponds with riverside vegetation are also quite well represented, in accordance with one of the few fossil records of a water frog (<em>P. perezi</em>) in the Pinilla del Valle localities, and the very hypothetical occurrence of a terrapin in the Layer 2. In addition, the presence of brown trout (<em>Salmo trutta</em>) also supports the presence of a mature river characterized by cold/temperate and running waters. All these data suggest that the whole Late Pleistocene sequence of the Buena Pinta Cave may have occurred during a temperate to warm and humid period, more probably during the beginning of the Marine Isotope Stage 3 rather than during the end of the Marine Isotope Stage 4, as formerly suggested.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"362 ","pages":"Article 109355"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144134482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Late middle Pleistocene malacological evidence of loess deposition in southeastern Poland and western Ukraine","authors":"Witold Paweł Alexandrowicz ,&nbsp;Maria Łanczont ,&nbsp;Roman Dmytruk ,&nbsp;Andriy Bogucki ,&nbsp;Andriy Yatsyshyn ,&nbsp;Olena Tomeniuk ,&nbsp;Paulina Laskowska-Piekoszewska","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109406","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109406","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>About a dozen sites from the Late Middle Pleistocene, including loess attributed to MIS 6 (L2 loess) and MIS 8 (L3 loess), have been described in southeastern Poland and western Ukraine. Mollusc shells were found in thirteen profiles (four sites in Poland and nine in Ukraine). The occurrence of 26 taxa and over 22,500 specimens was recognised. The malacological analysis allowed us to distinguish five types of mollusc assemblages with different taxonomic composition and ecological structure, indicating the variability of depositional conditions of the discussed sediments. The defined assemblages were characterised by the occurrence of open-country taxa representing dry (<em>Pupilla loessica</em>, <em>Pupilla muscorum</em> and <em>Vallonia tenuilabris</em>) or humid (<em>Succinella oblonga elongata</em> and <em>Trochulus hispidus</em>) environments. Fauna typical of habitats with high humidity (with <em>Vertigo genesii</em> and <em>Vertigo parcedentata</em>) and aquatic (with <em>Gyraulus laevis</em> and <em>Galba truncatula</em>) occurred much less frequently. The ecological structure and taxonomic composition of the malacofauna occurring in the L2 and L3 loess showed great similarities. This implies similar climatic and environmental conditions on a sub-continental scale (Central Europe at the northeastern foreland of the Carpathians) during the Late Middle Pleistocene. In this context, the main contributors to the diversity of malacocoenoses are: (i) continental/regional factors (physical-geographical, climatic, i.e. succession of climatic phases: colder, warmer, drier and wetter, during glacial periods and related phases of intensified loess deposition interspersed with periods of increased pedogenesis), (ii) orographic/morphological barriers, and (iii) local conditions prevailing in specific geographical regions or even near the particular profiles (relief and microrelief, insolation, water conditions).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"362 ","pages":"Article 109406"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144134484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vulnerability of montane forests of Cameroon in the face of climate change: Insight from the last glacial-interglacial transition","authors":"Anne-Marie Lézine ,&nbsp;Gaston Achoundong ,&nbsp;Barthélémy Tchiengué","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109410","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109410","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Aim</h3><div>Afromontane forests of Cameroon are part of the West Africa Biodiversity Hotspot. Often located within or on the fringes of densely populated regions, they are currently highly threatened by the combined effect of climate change and of anthropogenic pressure. In order to provide bases for their conservation and management this article aims at studying the turnover of species and in particular the behavior of <em>Podocarpus milanjianus/latifolius</em> during the last glacial-interglacial transition, a period characterized by dramatic shifts in climatic conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Location</h3><div>Cameroon highlands, Lake Bambili, Lake Mbi, Lake Child and Lake Monoun.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Pollen analyses.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The expansion of the post-glacial Afromontane forest took place in two main stages, coinciding with periods of increased precipitation. The first phase of development dates back to 14.5 ka. It was interrupted by the dry event of the Younger Dryas (YD) starting at 12.5 ka. The Afromontane forest then resumed its expansion from 11.5 ka, reaching its optimum between 9.8 and 8.5 ka. This was characterized by the massive expansion of <em>Podocarpus</em> in the northern sector of the Cameroon Volcanic Line (CVL) (Bambili, Mbi, Monoun). In the southern sector, closer to the coast, on the other hand, Afromontane forest elements declined in favor of sub-montane elements during the Holocene (Child).</div></div><div><h3>Main conclusions</h3><div>(i) <em>Podocarpus</em> experienced significant changes in abundance/extent within the current Afromontane forest belt during the post-glacial forest transgression. It was a fast colonizer in open and floristically poorly diverse areas where it benefited from the absence of competitors. In contrast, it has been a weak competitor within the Afromontane forest itself compared to more dynamic and fast dispersing tree taxa. (ii) The forest optimum was reached during the early Holocene, after a long period of gradual forest expansion characterized by a high turnover of species; (iii) Migration and stabilization times of the forest environment can be evaluated in centuries, even millennia, that has important implication for forest management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"363 ","pages":"Article 109410"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144125165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}