Evolution of North American Ecosystems over the past 20,000 years

过去2万年北美生态系统的演变

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-06125
• 负责人: Gajewski, Konrad
• 金额: $ 2.4万
• 依托单位: University of Ottawa
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=614489
• 关键词: Evolution; North; American; Ecosystems; over

This research program uses a paleoenvironmental approach to understand climate variability and climate change impacts on terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. The purpose of the research program is to study the scales and mechanisms of climate variability and to quantify terrestrial and freshwater ecosystem interactions and response to long-term climate variability. The role of human impacts, on a continuum from the first arrival of humans on the continent as the Ice Age was ending, to the introduction of agriculture, the arrival of Europeans and rapid industrialization is a key aspect of the research program In this project the entire period can be studied uniformly and comparably using new data collected for this purpose, but especially through the study of extensive databases of paleoenvironmental data that are rapidly being developed. In the short-term, this is done through four interrelated projects. First, we are developing new paleoclimate reconstructions from Arctic sites to better understand the natural variability of the Arctic and to place current warming in context. This uses the early Holocene (5000-9000 years ago), when the Canadian Arctic was quite warm, as an analogue of the future and will study in the detail the Medieval period (another relatively warm time) in comparison to today. As the Arctic is changing due to global warming and regional impacts due to resource extraction are increasing, this study will provide insight into what will be these effects in the coming century. These results are put in a global context by a second component of the research program reconstructing climate changes of the past 20000 years in the Northern Hemisphere and the world. By better quantifying past climate variability, it will enable climate scientists to place current climate variability in context. New data from the Gatineau Hills will determine how forests respond to long term climate change and to disturbances such as fire, extensive logging and agriculture. These results can be used in forest management, as the timescales of our study is decades to centuries, as is the impact of current activities. In addition, we are studying how lake ecosystems of the region have varied in the past, in relation to the major climate changes, and also by changes in forest composition and land use. A study of the interactions of humans and the environment over the past 15000 in North America will enable us to better understand the impact of European colonization on the landscape. By studying in more detail the nature of the vegetation before the arrival of Europeans, and determining how Native Americans impacted the environment, and were impacted by climate changes of the past, we can better understand how current activities are changing the global carbon balance, as we need a correct baseline on the nature of the forests before the extensive impacts of the industrial age.

该研究计划使用古环境方法来了解气候变化和气候变化对陆地和淡水生态系统的影响。该研究计划的目的是研究气候变率的尺度和机制，并量化陆地和淡水生态系统的相互作用和对长期气候变率的反应。 人类影响的作用，从冰河时代结束时人类第一次到达大陆，到农业的引入，欧洲人的到来和快速工业化的连续性，是研究计划的一个关键方面。但特别是通过研究正在迅速发展的广泛的古环境数据库。在短期内，这是通过四个相互关联的项目来实现的。 首先，我们正在开发新的古气候重建从北极网站，以更好地了解北极的自然变化，并把目前的变暖的背景。这使用全新世早期（5000-9000年前），当加拿大北极相当温暖时，作为未来的模拟，并将详细研究中世纪时期（另一个相对温暖的时期）与今天的比较。随着北极因全球变暖而发生变化，资源开采对区域的影响也在增加，这项研究将深入了解未来世纪这些影响将是什么。这些结果被放在全球范围内的第二个组成部分的研究计划重建气候变化的过去20000年在北方和世界。通过更好地量化过去的气候变率，它将使气候科学家能够将当前的气候变率置于背景中。 来自加蒂诺山的新数据将确定森林如何应对长期气候变化以及火灾、大规模伐木和农业等干扰。这些结果可以用于森林管理，因为我们研究的时间尺度是几十年到几个世纪，当前活动的影响也是如此。此外，我们正在研究该地区的湖泊生态系统在过去如何与主要气候变化以及森林组成和土地使用的变化有关。 对北美过去15000年人类与环境相互作用的研究将使我们能够更好地了解欧洲殖民对景观的影响。通过更详细地研究欧洲人到来之前的植被性质，并确定美洲原住民如何影响环境，以及如何受到过去气候变化的影响，我们可以更好地了解目前的活动如何改变全球碳平衡，因为我们需要在工业时代的广泛影响之前对森林的性质进行正确的基线。