Title | A climatic driver for abrupt mid-Holocene vegetation dynamics and the hemlock decline in New England |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2006 |
Authors | Foster D.R, Oswald W.W, Faison E.K, Doughty E.D, Hansen B.C |
Journal | Ecology |
Volume | 87 |
Issue | 12 |
Pagination | 2959-66 |
Date Published | Dec |
ISBN Number | 0012-9658 (Print)0012-9658 (Linking) |
Keywords | *Climate, *Ecosystem, Geologic Sediments, new england, Tsuga/*physiology |
Abstract | The mid-Holocene decline of eastern hemlock is widely viewed as the sole prehistorical example of an insect- or pathogen-mediated collapse of a North American tree species and has been extensively studied for insights into pest-host dynamics and the consequences to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of dominant-species removal. We report paleoecological evidence implicating climate as a major driver of this episode. Data drawn from sites across a gradient in hemlock abundance from dominant to absent demonstrate: a synchronous, dramatic decline in a contrasting taxon (oak); changes in lake sediments and aquatic taxa indicating low water levels; and one or more intervals of intense drought at regional to continental scales. These results, which accord well with emerging climate reconstructions, challenge the interpretation of a biotically driven hemlock decline and highlight the potential for climate change to generate major, abrupt dynamics in forest ecosystems. |
DOI | 10.1890/0012-9658(2006)87[2959:ACDFAM]2.0.CO;2 |