Complex responses of phototrophic communities to climate warming during the Holocene of northeastern Ontario, Canada

Brett G. Elmslie; Cale A.C. Gushulak; Maxime P. Boreux; Scott F. Lamoureux; Peter R. Leavitt; Brian F. Cumming

doi:10.1177/0959683619883014

Complex responses of phototrophic communities to climate warming during the Holocene of northeastern Ontario, Canada

Brett G. Elmslie
, Cale A.C. Gushulak
, Maxime P. Boreux
, Scott F. Lamoureux
, Peter R. Leavitt
, Brian F. Cumming

Continental Scientific Drilling Facility

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Historical changes in Holocene climate in northeastern Ontario were quantified using analyses of sedimentary pollen, diatoms, and pigments in a small boreal lake. Modern analog reconstructions of average temperature from Holocene pollen assemblages of Charland Lake showed temperature was ~2°C warmer than present conditions ~7800–4500 cal. yr BP, a time period consistent with the Holocene thermal maximum (HTM). Pollen data suggest a two-phase HTM: warm and dry conditions based on the presence of primarily Pinus spp., followed by warm and wet conditions based on increases in cedar. Overall, algal production was low during the HTM, as reflected by low concentrations of pigments and diatoms. In the late HTM, increases in cedar pollen and planktonic diatoms suggest sustained increases in water levels for the remainder of the Holocene. During the Post-HTM Period (~4500–2000 cal. yr BP), a period that was warmer than today but cooler than the HTM, overall pigment production was significantly higher than all other periods. However, changes in diatom species composition suggest this period was not uniform, with variation occurring between diatoms indicative of higher and lower nutrient levels. The last ~2000 cal. yr BP was less productive than the Post-HTM Period but more productive than the HTM with higher production from diatoms and cyanobacteria. This study suggests that the relationship between climate and lake water production can be quite complex, and that changes in temperature, precipitation, light, lake levels, and mixing patterns are among factors that are related to changes in subfossil phototroph assemblages.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	272-288
Number of pages	17
Journal	Holocene
Volume	30
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683619883014
State	Published - Feb 1 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Elmslie Brett G 1 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9780-3886 Gushulak Cale AC 1 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4889-0308 Boreux Maxime P 1 2 Lamoureux Scott F 2 Leavitt Peter R 3 4 Cumming Brian F 1 5 1 Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Canada 2 Department of Geography and Planning, Queen’s University, Canada 3 Institute of Environmental Change and Society, University of Regina, Canada 4 Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast, UK 5 School of Environmental Studies, Queen’s University, Canada Cale AC Gushulak, Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada. Email: [email protected] 11 2019 0959683619883014 11 12 2018 14 8 2019 © The Author(s) 2019 2019 SAGE Publications Historical changes in Holocene climate in northeastern Ontario were quantified using analyses of sedimentary pollen, diatoms, and pigments in a small boreal lake. Modern analog reconstructions of average temperature from Holocene pollen assemblages of Charland Lake showed temperature was ~2°C warmer than present conditions ~7800–4500 cal. yr BP, a time period consistent with the Holocene thermal maximum (HTM). Pollen data suggest a two-phase HTM: warm and dry conditions based on the presence of primarily Pinus spp., followed by warm and wet conditions based on increases in cedar. Overall, algal production was low during the HTM, as reflected by low concentrations of pigments and diatoms. In the late HTM, increases in cedar pollen and planktonic diatoms suggest sustained increases in water levels for the remainder of the Holocene. During the Post-HTM Period (~4500–2000 cal. yr BP), a period that was warmer than today but cooler than the HTM, overall pigment production was significantly higher than all other periods. However, changes in diatom species composition suggest this period was not uniform, with variation occurring between diatoms indicative of higher and lower nutrient levels. The last ~2000 cal. yr BP was less productive than the Post-HTM Period but more productive than the HTM with higher production from diatoms and cyanobacteria. This study suggests that the relationship between climate and lake water production can be quite complex, and that changes in temperature, precipitation, light, lake levels, and mixing patterns are among factors that are related to changes in subfossil phototroph assemblages. diatoms landscape dynamics pollen sedimentary pigments thermal stratification Thuja edited-state corrected-proof The authors thank the LacCore team at the University of Minnesota and Tom Brown at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for sample preparation and carbon dating. They also thank Matthew Peros for his helpful advice on pollen sample preparation and Kathleen Laird for her assistance with diatom processing and taxonomy. They thank Deirdre Bateson at U. Regina for analysis of fossil pigments. They extend their special thanks to Graham Mushet, Cécilia Barouillet, and Gladys Kong for their help in the field. The authors also thank the two anonymous reviewers whose comments greatly improved this manuscript. Funding The author(s) received the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: Funding for this project was provided by an NSERC Discovery Grant to BFC, SFL, and PRL; an NSERC PGS-D scholarship to CACG; and funding from the Canada Research Chair and Canada Foundation for Innovations programs. ORCID iDs Cale AC Gushulak https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9780-3886 Maxime P Boreux https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4889-0308 Supplemental material Supplemental material for this article is available online.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2019.

Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 13 Climate Action

Keywords

diatoms
landscape dynamics
pollen
sedimentary pigments
thermal stratification
Thuja

Publisher link

10.1177/0959683619883014

Find It

Find It at U of M Libraries

Cite this

@article{b94fac8845034b8c92ba2348846a7a8e,

title = "Complex responses of phototrophic communities to climate warming during the Holocene of northeastern Ontario, Canada",

abstract = "Historical changes in Holocene climate in northeastern Ontario were quantified using analyses of sedimentary pollen, diatoms, and pigments in a small boreal lake. Modern analog reconstructions of average temperature from Holocene pollen assemblages of Charland Lake showed temperature was \textasciitilde{}2°C warmer than present conditions \textasciitilde{}7800{\textendash}4500 cal. yr BP, a time period consistent with the Holocene thermal maximum (HTM). Pollen data suggest a two-phase HTM: warm and dry conditions based on the presence of primarily Pinus spp., followed by warm and wet conditions based on increases in cedar. Overall, algal production was low during the HTM, as reflected by low concentrations of pigments and diatoms. In the late HTM, increases in cedar pollen and planktonic diatoms suggest sustained increases in water levels for the remainder of the Holocene. During the Post-HTM Period (\textasciitilde{}4500{\textendash}2000 cal. yr BP), a period that was warmer than today but cooler than the HTM, overall pigment production was significantly higher than all other periods. However, changes in diatom species composition suggest this period was not uniform, with variation occurring between diatoms indicative of higher and lower nutrient levels. The last \textasciitilde{}2000 cal. yr BP was less productive than the Post-HTM Period but more productive than the HTM with higher production from diatoms and cyanobacteria. This study suggests that the relationship between climate and lake water production can be quite complex, and that changes in temperature, precipitation, light, lake levels, and mixing patterns are among factors that are related to changes in subfossil phototroph assemblages.",

keywords = "diatoms, landscape dynamics, pollen, sedimentary pigments, thermal stratification, Thuja",

author = "Elmslie, \{Brett G.\} and Gushulak, \{Cale A.C.\} and Boreux, \{Maxime P.\} and Lamoureux, \{Scott F.\} and Leavitt, \{Peter R.\} and Cumming, \{Brian F.\}",

note = "Funding Information: Elmslie Brett G 1 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9780-3886 Gushulak Cale AC 1 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4889-0308 Boreux Maxime P 1 2 Lamoureux Scott F 2 Leavitt Peter R 3 4 Cumming Brian F 1 5 1 Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen{\textquoteright}s University, Canada 2 Department of Geography and Planning, Queen{\textquoteright}s University, Canada 3 Institute of Environmental Change and Society, University of Regina, Canada 4 Institute for Global Food Security, Queen{\textquoteright}s University Belfast, UK 5 School of Environmental Studies, Queen{\textquoteright}s University, Canada Cale AC Gushulak, Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen{\textquoteright}s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada. Email: [email protected] 11 2019 0959683619883014 11 12 2018 14 8 2019 {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2019 2019 SAGE Publications Historical changes in Holocene climate in northeastern Ontario were quantified using analyses of sedimentary pollen, diatoms, and pigments in a small boreal lake. Modern analog reconstructions of average temperature from Holocene pollen assemblages of Charland Lake showed temperature was \textasciitilde{}2°C warmer than present conditions \textasciitilde{}7800{\textendash}4500 cal. yr BP, a time period consistent with the Holocene thermal maximum (HTM). Pollen data suggest a two-phase HTM: warm and dry conditions based on the presence of primarily Pinus spp., followed by warm and wet conditions based on increases in cedar. Overall, algal production was low during the HTM, as reflected by low concentrations of pigments and diatoms. In the late HTM, increases in cedar pollen and planktonic diatoms suggest sustained increases in water levels for the remainder of the Holocene. During the Post-HTM Period (\textasciitilde{}4500{\textendash}2000 cal. yr BP), a period that was warmer than today but cooler than the HTM, overall pigment production was significantly higher than all other periods. However, changes in diatom species composition suggest this period was not uniform, with variation occurring between diatoms indicative of higher and lower nutrient levels. The last \textasciitilde{}2000 cal. yr BP was less productive than the Post-HTM Period but more productive than the HTM with higher production from diatoms and cyanobacteria. This study suggests that the relationship between climate and lake water production can be quite complex, and that changes in temperature, precipitation, light, lake levels, and mixing patterns are among factors that are related to changes in subfossil phototroph assemblages. diatoms landscape dynamics pollen sedimentary pigments thermal stratification Thuja edited-state corrected-proof The authors thank the LacCore team at the University of Minnesota and Tom Brown at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for sample preparation and carbon dating. They also thank Matthew Peros for his helpful advice on pollen sample preparation and Kathleen Laird for her assistance with diatom processing and taxonomy. They thank Deirdre Bateson at U. Regina for analysis of fossil pigments. They extend their special thanks to Graham Mushet, C{\'e}cilia Barouillet, and Gladys Kong for their help in the field. The authors also thank the two anonymous reviewers whose comments greatly improved this manuscript. Funding The author(s) received the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: Funding for this project was provided by an NSERC Discovery Grant to BFC, SFL, and PRL; an NSERC PGS-D scholarship to CACG; and funding from the Canada Research Chair and Canada Foundation for Innovations programs. ORCID iDs Cale AC Gushulak https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9780-3886 Maxime P Boreux https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4889-0308 Supplemental material Supplemental material for this article is available online. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2019. Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

year = "2020",

month = feb,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1177/0959683619883014",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "30",

pages = "272--288",

journal = "Holocene",

issn = "0959-6836",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Complex responses of phototrophic communities to climate warming during the Holocene of northeastern Ontario, Canada

AU - Elmslie, Brett G.

AU - Gushulak, Cale A.C.

AU - Boreux, Maxime P.

AU - Lamoureux, Scott F.

AU - Leavitt, Peter R.

AU - Cumming, Brian F.

N1 - Funding Information: Elmslie Brett G 1 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9780-3886 Gushulak Cale AC 1 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4889-0308 Boreux Maxime P 1 2 Lamoureux Scott F 2 Leavitt Peter R 3 4 Cumming Brian F 1 5 1 Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Canada 2 Department of Geography and Planning, Queen’s University, Canada 3 Institute of Environmental Change and Society, University of Regina, Canada 4 Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast, UK 5 School of Environmental Studies, Queen’s University, Canada Cale AC Gushulak, Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada. Email: [email protected] 11 2019 0959683619883014 11 12 2018 14 8 2019 © The Author(s) 2019 2019 SAGE Publications Historical changes in Holocene climate in northeastern Ontario were quantified using analyses of sedimentary pollen, diatoms, and pigments in a small boreal lake. Modern analog reconstructions of average temperature from Holocene pollen assemblages of Charland Lake showed temperature was ~2°C warmer than present conditions ~7800–4500 cal. yr BP, a time period consistent with the Holocene thermal maximum (HTM). Pollen data suggest a two-phase HTM: warm and dry conditions based on the presence of primarily Pinus spp., followed by warm and wet conditions based on increases in cedar. Overall, algal production was low during the HTM, as reflected by low concentrations of pigments and diatoms. In the late HTM, increases in cedar pollen and planktonic diatoms suggest sustained increases in water levels for the remainder of the Holocene. During the Post-HTM Period (~4500–2000 cal. yr BP), a period that was warmer than today but cooler than the HTM, overall pigment production was significantly higher than all other periods. However, changes in diatom species composition suggest this period was not uniform, with variation occurring between diatoms indicative of higher and lower nutrient levels. The last ~2000 cal. yr BP was less productive than the Post-HTM Period but more productive than the HTM with higher production from diatoms and cyanobacteria. This study suggests that the relationship between climate and lake water production can be quite complex, and that changes in temperature, precipitation, light, lake levels, and mixing patterns are among factors that are related to changes in subfossil phototroph assemblages. diatoms landscape dynamics pollen sedimentary pigments thermal stratification Thuja edited-state corrected-proof The authors thank the LacCore team at the University of Minnesota and Tom Brown at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for sample preparation and carbon dating. They also thank Matthew Peros for his helpful advice on pollen sample preparation and Kathleen Laird for her assistance with diatom processing and taxonomy. They thank Deirdre Bateson at U. Regina for analysis of fossil pigments. They extend their special thanks to Graham Mushet, Cécilia Barouillet, and Gladys Kong for their help in the field. The authors also thank the two anonymous reviewers whose comments greatly improved this manuscript. Funding The author(s) received the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: Funding for this project was provided by an NSERC Discovery Grant to BFC, SFL, and PRL; an NSERC PGS-D scholarship to CACG; and funding from the Canada Research Chair and Canada Foundation for Innovations programs. ORCID iDs Cale AC Gushulak https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9780-3886 Maxime P Boreux https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4889-0308 Supplemental material Supplemental material for this article is available online. Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2019. Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/2/1

Y1 - 2020/2/1

N2 - Historical changes in Holocene climate in northeastern Ontario were quantified using analyses of sedimentary pollen, diatoms, and pigments in a small boreal lake. Modern analog reconstructions of average temperature from Holocene pollen assemblages of Charland Lake showed temperature was ~2°C warmer than present conditions ~7800–4500 cal. yr BP, a time period consistent with the Holocene thermal maximum (HTM). Pollen data suggest a two-phase HTM: warm and dry conditions based on the presence of primarily Pinus spp., followed by warm and wet conditions based on increases in cedar. Overall, algal production was low during the HTM, as reflected by low concentrations of pigments and diatoms. In the late HTM, increases in cedar pollen and planktonic diatoms suggest sustained increases in water levels for the remainder of the Holocene. During the Post-HTM Period (~4500–2000 cal. yr BP), a period that was warmer than today but cooler than the HTM, overall pigment production was significantly higher than all other periods. However, changes in diatom species composition suggest this period was not uniform, with variation occurring between diatoms indicative of higher and lower nutrient levels. The last ~2000 cal. yr BP was less productive than the Post-HTM Period but more productive than the HTM with higher production from diatoms and cyanobacteria. This study suggests that the relationship between climate and lake water production can be quite complex, and that changes in temperature, precipitation, light, lake levels, and mixing patterns are among factors that are related to changes in subfossil phototroph assemblages.

AB - Historical changes in Holocene climate in northeastern Ontario were quantified using analyses of sedimentary pollen, diatoms, and pigments in a small boreal lake. Modern analog reconstructions of average temperature from Holocene pollen assemblages of Charland Lake showed temperature was ~2°C warmer than present conditions ~7800–4500 cal. yr BP, a time period consistent with the Holocene thermal maximum (HTM). Pollen data suggest a two-phase HTM: warm and dry conditions based on the presence of primarily Pinus spp., followed by warm and wet conditions based on increases in cedar. Overall, algal production was low during the HTM, as reflected by low concentrations of pigments and diatoms. In the late HTM, increases in cedar pollen and planktonic diatoms suggest sustained increases in water levels for the remainder of the Holocene. During the Post-HTM Period (~4500–2000 cal. yr BP), a period that was warmer than today but cooler than the HTM, overall pigment production was significantly higher than all other periods. However, changes in diatom species composition suggest this period was not uniform, with variation occurring between diatoms indicative of higher and lower nutrient levels. The last ~2000 cal. yr BP was less productive than the Post-HTM Period but more productive than the HTM with higher production from diatoms and cyanobacteria. This study suggests that the relationship between climate and lake water production can be quite complex, and that changes in temperature, precipitation, light, lake levels, and mixing patterns are among factors that are related to changes in subfossil phototroph assemblages.

KW - diatoms

KW - landscape dynamics

KW - pollen

KW - sedimentary pigments

KW - thermal stratification

KW - Thuja

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85074861004

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85074861004#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1177/0959683619883014

DO - 10.1177/0959683619883014

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85074861004

SN - 0959-6836

VL - 30

SP - 272

EP - 288

JO - Holocene

JF - Holocene

IS - 2

ER -

Complex responses of phototrophic communities to climate warming during the Holocene of northeastern Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

Publisher link

Find It

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this