Disentangling Holocene Climate Change and Human Impact from Palaeoenvironmental Records from the Scottish West Coast
Phases of rapid climate change throughout the early to mid Holocene coincide with regional human population expansion in Scotland and North-West Europe. Palaeoenvironmental signals of climate and anthropogenically driven vegetation changes can therefore be difficult to separate. To identify whether...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Quaternary |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-550X/6/1/2 |
| _version_ | 1827747892881784832 |
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| author | Katherine A. Selby Jane Wheeler Sally Derrett |
| author_facet | Katherine A. Selby Jane Wheeler Sally Derrett |
| author_sort | Katherine A. Selby |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Phases of rapid climate change throughout the early to mid Holocene coincide with regional human population expansion in Scotland and North-West Europe. Palaeoenvironmental signals of climate and anthropogenically driven vegetation changes can therefore be difficult to separate. To identify whether it is possible to distinguish potential signatures of anthropogenic clearance and agricultural activities from climatic drivers of landscape change in the early to mid Holocene in the region, two topographically contrasting sites on the Isle of Skye and the Isle of Bute were investigated. A multiproxy approach including pollen, spore, microcharcoal, loss on ignition and particle size analyses was adopted to investigate changes in vegetation and climate. There are subtle indications that the 8200 cal BP climate event had an effect on the vegetation composition at both sites. Signals of anthropogenic woodland clearance are apparent early in the sequence at Peat Hill (Bute), indicated by a peak in Poaceae (grass) cereal-type (7–14%) at 8592–8793 cal BP, alongside a decrease in arboreal pollen, which could not be associated with a regional episode of climate change. Early to mid Holocene vegetation changes at Lyndale House (Skye) occur alongside regional changes in precipitation and sea level and therefore cannot be readily separated. Continuous declines in arboreal pollen from ca. 5000 cal BP at Lyndale House indicates the onset of widespread clearance on Skye via felling and sustained grazing pressures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:58:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d7f7c6d8cb6647848a4ee5424352393d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2571-550X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:58:41Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Quaternary |
| spelling | doaj.art-d7f7c6d8cb6647848a4ee5424352393d2023-11-17T13:34:50ZengMDPI AGQuaternary2571-550X2023-01-0161210.3390/quat6010002Disentangling Holocene Climate Change and Human Impact from Palaeoenvironmental Records from the Scottish West CoastKatherine A. Selby0Jane Wheeler1Sally Derrett2Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5NG, UKPre-construct Archaeology Ltd., Endwell Road, Brockley, London SE4 2PD, UKDepartment of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, Minalloy House, 10-16 Regent Street, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S1 3NJ, UKPhases of rapid climate change throughout the early to mid Holocene coincide with regional human population expansion in Scotland and North-West Europe. Palaeoenvironmental signals of climate and anthropogenically driven vegetation changes can therefore be difficult to separate. To identify whether it is possible to distinguish potential signatures of anthropogenic clearance and agricultural activities from climatic drivers of landscape change in the early to mid Holocene in the region, two topographically contrasting sites on the Isle of Skye and the Isle of Bute were investigated. A multiproxy approach including pollen, spore, microcharcoal, loss on ignition and particle size analyses was adopted to investigate changes in vegetation and climate. There are subtle indications that the 8200 cal BP climate event had an effect on the vegetation composition at both sites. Signals of anthropogenic woodland clearance are apparent early in the sequence at Peat Hill (Bute), indicated by a peak in Poaceae (grass) cereal-type (7–14%) at 8592–8793 cal BP, alongside a decrease in arboreal pollen, which could not be associated with a regional episode of climate change. Early to mid Holocene vegetation changes at Lyndale House (Skye) occur alongside regional changes in precipitation and sea level and therefore cannot be readily separated. Continuous declines in arboreal pollen from ca. 5000 cal BP at Lyndale House indicates the onset of widespread clearance on Skye via felling and sustained grazing pressures.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-550X/6/1/2pollen analysismicrocharcoalvegetationHoloceneclimateanthropogenic |
| spellingShingle | Katherine A. Selby Jane Wheeler Sally Derrett Disentangling Holocene Climate Change and Human Impact from Palaeoenvironmental Records from the Scottish West Coast Quaternary pollen analysis microcharcoal vegetation Holocene climate anthropogenic |
| title | Disentangling Holocene Climate Change and Human Impact from Palaeoenvironmental Records from the Scottish West Coast |
| title_full | Disentangling Holocene Climate Change and Human Impact from Palaeoenvironmental Records from the Scottish West Coast |
| title_fullStr | Disentangling Holocene Climate Change and Human Impact from Palaeoenvironmental Records from the Scottish West Coast |
| title_full_unstemmed | Disentangling Holocene Climate Change and Human Impact from Palaeoenvironmental Records from the Scottish West Coast |
| title_short | Disentangling Holocene Climate Change and Human Impact from Palaeoenvironmental Records from the Scottish West Coast |
| title_sort | disentangling holocene climate change and human impact from palaeoenvironmental records from the scottish west coast |
| topic | pollen analysis microcharcoal vegetation Holocene climate anthropogenic |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-550X/6/1/2 |
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