Evaluation of tropical forests sensitivity to past climate changes (FORSENS)

森林经常被描述为“地球的肺”，因为它们在地球的自然系统中扮演着重要的角色。然而，近几十年来，人们对全球森林生态系统的担忧与日俱增，因为它们将如何应对预期的气候变化存在不确定性。在生物多样性、资源管理和碳储存方面，热带森林对地球的运作至关重要。热带生态系统的复杂性意味着它们对预测的未来气候变化的可能反应是高度不确定的。FORSENS项目的目的是提高对热带森林动态的了解。该研究项目是基于对森林动态随时间(最后一次冰川盛期[约21,500年前到现在])在海拔和纬度梯度上的比较。FORSENS项目将检查湖泊沉积物岩心中包含的生物遗骸，以重建过去的环境变化。FORSENS项目将对赤道热带地区过去的环境变化产生两个全新的记录(一个来自安第斯高地，另一个来自东安第斯侧翼的较低海拔)。这两个新地点是：1)巴诺斯湖(厄瓜多尔，00o19.320‘N-78o9.184’W，海拔3816米)和2)在亚马逊低地西部(哥伦比亚，厄瓜多尔)采集到的一种新记录。此外，南半球热带地区过去环境变化的两个已公布记录将得到加强，以创建一个由四个可比较的地点组成的网络，通过这些网络可以评估过去的环境变化。两个强化地点是：1)霍梅尔科恰湖(玻利维亚，17o16.154‘S-65o43.945’W，海拔4153米[1]；2)苏埃洛湖(秘鲁，13o57‘S-68o59’W，海拔1360米[2])。应用的关键技术将是化石花粉(植被变化)、木炭(火灾历史)、不叮咬的蚊子(温度和/或水质)、非花粉孢粉形态(NPP；人类影响)和生物标记物(植物群落变化)。此外，还将考虑非生物成分，以深入了解沉积环境(点火损失、磁化率、颜色)。每个研究地点都将考察人类(作物花粉、木炭或粪便真菌)或气候(非叮咬的蚊子)变化驱动因素的关键指标。过去气候-植被-人类之间相互作用的知识将为未来全球气候变化可能如何影响热带森林提供新的见解。为了能够从所有记录中产生可比较的数据集，将针对已知过去气候变化的具体时间间隔：1)最后一次冰川消融(21,500-11,700年前)，2)全新世干旱事件(8,000-4,000年前)。这些时间间隔的特点是气候发生快速变化(例如，在冰川消融结束期间，平均升温约为4摄氏度/世纪)，相当于为不久的将来提出的变化。对不同生物替代物的分析将使人们能够预测未来植被对预测的气候变化的反应。这项研究将由蒙托亚博士在开放大学(OU)地球、行星、空间和天文研究中心(CEPSAR)的专业知识和设施的协助下进行。具体地说，该项目将在高斯林博士领导的古环境变化研究实验室内主持。蒙托亚将把与NPP相关的新技能带到OU，并将在不咬人的蚊子和生物标记物领域进行培训。FORSENS项目将把蒙托亚和高斯林这两个目前尚未连接的专业网络结合在一起，创建一个真正的全球专家网络。2011年。古地理学、古气候学、古生态学。DOI：10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.10.0012 Bush，MB等人。2004年。科学303,827-829。

Forests are often described as the 'lungs of the Earth' because of the critical role they play within the planet's natural systems. However, concern for global forest ecosystems has been growing over recent decades because of the uncertainty related to how they will respond to the anticipated changes in climate. Tropical forests are critical to the functioning of planet Earth in terms of biodiversity, resource management and carbon storage. The complexity of tropical ecosystems means that their likely response to predicted future climate change is highly uncertain. The FORSENS project is aimed to improve the understanding of tropical forest dynamics. The research project is based on a comparison of forests dynamics through time (Last Glacial Maximum [c. 21,500 years ago] to the present) across an elevation and latitudinal gradient. The FORSENS project will examine biological remains contained within sediments cores from lakes to reconstruct past environmental change. The FORSENS project will develop two entirely new records of past environmental change (one from the Andean highlands and one from lower elevation on the eastern Andean flank) within the equatorial tropics. The two new sites are: 1) Lake Baños (Ecuador, 00o19.320'N-78o9.184'W, 3816 m asl) and, 2) A new record to be collected from W Amazonia lowlands (Colombia, Ecuador). In addition, two published records of past environmental change from the southern hemisphere tropics will be enhanced to create a network of four comparable sites across which past environmental changes can be assessed. The two enhanced sites are: 1) Lake Khomer Kotcha (Bolivia, 17o16.154'S-65o43.945'W, 4153 m asl[1] and, 2) Lake Consuelo (Peru, 13o57'S-68o59'W, 1360 m asl [2]).The examination of multiple proxies will allow different drivers of environmental change to be revealed. Key techniques applied will be fossil pollen (vegetation change), charcoal (fire history), non-biting midges (temperature and/or water quality), non-pollen palynomorphs (NPP; human impact) and biomarkers (plant community change). In addition, the non-biological composition will also be considered to provide insight into the depositional environment (loss-on-ignition, magnetic susceptibility, colour). Key indicators for human (crop pollen, charcoal or dung fungus) or climate (non-biting midges) drivers of change will be examined at each study site.The knowledge of past interactions between climate-vegetation-human will provide new insight into how future global climatic change could affect to tropical forests. To allow a comparable data set to be generated from all the records specific time intervals of known past climate change will be targeted: 1) the last deglaciation (21,500-11,700 years ago) and, 2) the Holocene Dry event (8,000-4,000 years ago). These time intervals have been characterised by the occurrence of rapid climatic shifts (e.g., an average warming around 4oC/century during the end of deglaciation) equivalent to those proposed for the near future. The analyses of the different biological proxies will allow possible future vegetation responses to predicted climatic changes to be anticipated. The research will be carried out by Dr Montoya assisted by expertise and facilities within the Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research (CEPSAR) at The Open University (OU). Specifically the project will be hosted within the Palaeoenvironmental Change Research Laboratory (PCR) lead by Dr Gosling. Montoya will bring new skills related to NPP to The OU and will undertake training in the areas of non-biting midges and biomarkers. The FORSENS project will bring together the two currently unconnected professional networks of Montoya and Gosling to create a truly global network of specialists References1 Williams, JJ et al. 2011. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.10.0012 Bush, MB et al. 2004. Science 303, 827-829.