Fossil evidence indicates that mangrove species have had their first appearance in the Late Cretaceous(70 65 Ma) and they have evolved around the Tethys seaway after the plate tectonics and the movement of the contine...Fossil evidence indicates that mangrove species have had their first appearance in the Late Cretaceous(70 65 Ma) and they have evolved around the Tethys seaway after the plate tectonics and the movement of the continents when Tethys Sea was fast closing as the massive continental fragments continued to shift and jostle across the globe. The oldest geological record of Acrostichum and Nypa palm offers good examples as these species prefer low-salinity requirements and have wide ecological tolerance. Such environmental and habitat preferences must have been the probable reason for their initial adaptation to mangrove habitat and a wider distribution. The open sea link must have also provided enough coastal areas for the establishment of mangrove ecosystem and subsequent spreading of the mangroves into newer areas by Early to Middle Eocene(ca 50–40 Ma). However, the mangroves started acquiring the present geographical positions towards OligoceneMiddle Miocene period. The fossil record and the modern analogues of Kandelia, Nypa and Pelliciera indicate that their biogeographical preferences have been shifted due to oceanic reorganization wherein the latter is now confined only to Atlantic East Pacific mangrove realm despite it was earlier widespread in the Tethys Sea. Although Rhizophora and Avicennia differ only at the species level and common occurrence of Acrostichum aureum, the present mangrove distribution shows the contrast in the biogeography of many genera due to geomorphic barriers and climatic changes. The Himalayan uplift and establishment of Asian summer monsoon system towards Late Neogene has also affected the coastal dynamics considerably which in turn modified the distribution of mangrove vegetation of the Indian subcontinent. The loss of sensitive habitats, disjunct distribution of a few species and local extinction of significant taxa has affected the overall biogeography of mangroves in South and SE Asia.展开更多
The McMurdoDryValleysofAntarcticaare a unique environment characterized by extreme lows in temperature and precipitation, which supports a low diversity microbial and multicellular fauna and flora. Terrestrial biomass...The McMurdoDryValleysofAntarcticaare a unique environment characterized by extreme lows in temperature and precipitation, which supports a low diversity microbial and multicellular fauna and flora. Terrestrial biomass is largely limited to soil microbes and mosses, while perennially ice-covered lakes host aerobic and anaerobic microbial communities, algae, and a low diversity eukaryotic fauna. This study provides a scanning electron microscope survey of the distribution of siliceous-walled algae in the water columns and surface sediments of fourTaylorValleylakes. No patterns of distribution of algae, chrysophyte cysts and diatoms, are detected, suggesting that cores taken from perennially ice-covered lakes contain basin-wide records, rather than records specific to the lake depth or other lake-specific criteria. Since Taylor Valley lakes became perennially ice-covered, shifts in diatom assemblages in cores are more likely to record changes to sediment and microfossil transport, e.g. the dominance of eolian vs. stream input, rather than other ecological conditions. Basin-wide records are episodically overprinted by lake-specific events, as demonstrated by a marked increase of the stream diatom genus Hantzschia during a period of increased stream flow into East Lake Bonney.展开更多
The fluvial-tidal transition(FTT)is a complex depositional zone,where fluvial flow is modified by tides as rivers approach a receiving marine basin.Variations in the relative importance of tidal versus fluvial process...The fluvial-tidal transition(FTT)is a complex depositional zone,where fluvial flow is modified by tides as rivers approach a receiving marine basin.Variations in the relative importance of tidal versus fluvial processes lead to a distinctive distribution of sediments that accumulate on channel bars.The FTT generally consists of three broad zones:(1)a freshwater-tidal zone;(2)a tidally influenced freshwater to brackish-water transition:and(3)a zone of relatively sustained brackish-water conditions with stronger tides.A very common type of deposit through the fluvial-tidal transition,especially on the margins of migrating channels,is inclined heterolithic stratification(IHS).At present,a detailed account of changes in the character of IHS across the FIT of a paleo-channel system has not been reported,although a number of modern examples have been documented.To fill this gap,we quantitatively assess the sedimentology and ichnology of IHS from seven cored intervals in three geographic areas situated within the youngest paleovalley("A"Valley)in the Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation of Alberta.Canada.We compare the data to trends defined along the FTT in the present-day Fraser River in British Columbia.Canada to interpret paleo-depositional position in the ancient fluvial-tidal channels.Analysis determined that the mean mudstone thickness is 8.2 cm in the southern study area(SA).Mean thickness increases to 11 cm in the central study area(CA),and decreases again to 4.4 cm in the northern study area(NA).The proportion of mudstone is 31%in SA,44%in CA,and 27%in NA.Thicknessweighted mean bioturbation intensity in sands varied from 0.29 in SA and CA.to 0.28 in NA.On the other hand,thickness-weighted mean bioturbation intensity(Bl)in mudstone increases from 1.46 in SA.to 1.77 in CA.and is 1.94 in NA.The ichnological diversity also increased from south to north.Sedimentological results show sinilar trends to those of the Fraser River,enabling the identification of a freshwater to brackish-water transition zone with tidal in展开更多
Reconstructions of past climate based on pollen data have formed a robust approach and produced a great of products in time scales from a millennium to ten millenniums. However, it is an attempt for reconstruction of ...Reconstructions of past climate based on pollen data have formed a robust approach and produced a great of products in time scales from a millennium to ten millenniums. However, it is an attempt for reconstruction of the past decade-century climate in the Global Change field. This note reports a reconstruction of the past 1000-a temperature in a 50-a scale in Canada based on pollen data. Because there were little human activities during the last 1000 years in North America, the climate in the period mainly responded to natural changes. The reconstruction of a natural-forcing change in the climate can provide a basis to recognize the climate changes impacted from human activities in China. The technique of modern analogue can be implemented to reconstruct the past millennium climate in China.展开更多
Based on high-resolution pollen records from lake cores in central Canada, the present study instructed pollen taxa assignations in ecosystem groups and modern analogue technique, reported major results of quantitativ...Based on high-resolution pollen records from lake cores in central Canada, the present study instructed pollen taxa assignations in ecosystem groups and modern analogue technique, reported major results of quantitative reconstructions of vegetation histor展开更多
文摘Fossil evidence indicates that mangrove species have had their first appearance in the Late Cretaceous(70 65 Ma) and they have evolved around the Tethys seaway after the plate tectonics and the movement of the continents when Tethys Sea was fast closing as the massive continental fragments continued to shift and jostle across the globe. The oldest geological record of Acrostichum and Nypa palm offers good examples as these species prefer low-salinity requirements and have wide ecological tolerance. Such environmental and habitat preferences must have been the probable reason for their initial adaptation to mangrove habitat and a wider distribution. The open sea link must have also provided enough coastal areas for the establishment of mangrove ecosystem and subsequent spreading of the mangroves into newer areas by Early to Middle Eocene(ca 50–40 Ma). However, the mangroves started acquiring the present geographical positions towards OligoceneMiddle Miocene period. The fossil record and the modern analogues of Kandelia, Nypa and Pelliciera indicate that their biogeographical preferences have been shifted due to oceanic reorganization wherein the latter is now confined only to Atlantic East Pacific mangrove realm despite it was earlier widespread in the Tethys Sea. Although Rhizophora and Avicennia differ only at the species level and common occurrence of Acrostichum aureum, the present mangrove distribution shows the contrast in the biogeography of many genera due to geomorphic barriers and climatic changes. The Himalayan uplift and establishment of Asian summer monsoon system towards Late Neogene has also affected the coastal dynamics considerably which in turn modified the distribution of mangrove vegetation of the Indian subcontinent. The loss of sensitive habitats, disjunct distribution of a few species and local extinction of significant taxa has affected the overall biogeography of mangroves in South and SE Asia.
文摘The McMurdoDryValleysofAntarcticaare a unique environment characterized by extreme lows in temperature and precipitation, which supports a low diversity microbial and multicellular fauna and flora. Terrestrial biomass is largely limited to soil microbes and mosses, while perennially ice-covered lakes host aerobic and anaerobic microbial communities, algae, and a low diversity eukaryotic fauna. This study provides a scanning electron microscope survey of the distribution of siliceous-walled algae in the water columns and surface sediments of fourTaylorValleylakes. No patterns of distribution of algae, chrysophyte cysts and diatoms, are detected, suggesting that cores taken from perennially ice-covered lakes contain basin-wide records, rather than records specific to the lake depth or other lake-specific criteria. Since Taylor Valley lakes became perennially ice-covered, shifts in diatom assemblages in cores are more likely to record changes to sediment and microfossil transport, e.g. the dominance of eolian vs. stream input, rather than other ecological conditions. Basin-wide records are episodically overprinted by lake-specific events, as demonstrated by a marked increase of the stream diatom genus Hantzschia during a period of increased stream flow into East Lake Bonney.
基金The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Carbon Management Canada funded the rock record portion of this study
文摘The fluvial-tidal transition(FTT)is a complex depositional zone,where fluvial flow is modified by tides as rivers approach a receiving marine basin.Variations in the relative importance of tidal versus fluvial processes lead to a distinctive distribution of sediments that accumulate on channel bars.The FTT generally consists of three broad zones:(1)a freshwater-tidal zone;(2)a tidally influenced freshwater to brackish-water transition:and(3)a zone of relatively sustained brackish-water conditions with stronger tides.A very common type of deposit through the fluvial-tidal transition,especially on the margins of migrating channels,is inclined heterolithic stratification(IHS).At present,a detailed account of changes in the character of IHS across the FIT of a paleo-channel system has not been reported,although a number of modern examples have been documented.To fill this gap,we quantitatively assess the sedimentology and ichnology of IHS from seven cored intervals in three geographic areas situated within the youngest paleovalley("A"Valley)in the Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation of Alberta.Canada.We compare the data to trends defined along the FTT in the present-day Fraser River in British Columbia.Canada to interpret paleo-depositional position in the ancient fluvial-tidal channels.Analysis determined that the mean mudstone thickness is 8.2 cm in the southern study area(SA).Mean thickness increases to 11 cm in the central study area(CA),and decreases again to 4.4 cm in the northern study area(NA).The proportion of mudstone is 31%in SA,44%in CA,and 27%in NA.Thicknessweighted mean bioturbation intensity in sands varied from 0.29 in SA and CA.to 0.28 in NA.On the other hand,thickness-weighted mean bioturbation intensity(Bl)in mudstone increases from 1.46 in SA.to 1.77 in CA.and is 1.94 in NA.The ichnological diversity also increased from south to north.Sedimentological results show sinilar trends to those of the Fraser River,enabling the identification of a freshwater to brackish-water transition zone with tidal in
基金This work was supported by the Climate Research Branch of Environment Canada (Grant No. KM040-0-2233)the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant Nos. KZCX2-SW-118 and KZCX2-108).
文摘Reconstructions of past climate based on pollen data have formed a robust approach and produced a great of products in time scales from a millennium to ten millenniums. However, it is an attempt for reconstruction of the past decade-century climate in the Global Change field. This note reports a reconstruction of the past 1000-a temperature in a 50-a scale in Canada based on pollen data. Because there were little human activities during the last 1000 years in North America, the climate in the period mainly responded to natural changes. The reconstruction of a natural-forcing change in the climate can provide a basis to recognize the climate changes impacted from human activities in China. The technique of modern analogue can be implemented to reconstruct the past millennium climate in China.
基金the Major Special-Program of National Science and Technology of China (Grant No. 2008ZX02002-001)Programs of Vulnerability of Grass-land-Forest Transition to Climate Change from Environment Canada
文摘Based on high-resolution pollen records from lake cores in central Canada, the present study instructed pollen taxa assignations in ecosystem groups and modern analogue technique, reported major results of quantitative reconstructions of vegetation histor
