30 research outputs found
Distinguishing pollen grains of cereal from wild grasses in the Sundaland region using size separation
No full textDeutsche Forschungsgemeinschaf
Intertwined effects of climate and land use change on environmental dynamics and carbon accumulation in a mangrove‐fringed coastal lagoon in Java, Indonesia
No full textThe identification and quantification of natural carbon (C) sinks is critical to global climate change mitigation efforts. Tropical coastal wetlands are considered important in this context, yet knowledge of their dynamics and quantitative data are still scarce. In order to quantify the C accumulation rate and understand how it is influenced by land use and climate change, a palaeoecological study was conducted in the mangrove‐fringed Segara Anakan Lagoon (SAL) in Java, Indonesia. A sediment core was age‐dated and analyzed for its pollen and spore, elemental and biogeochemical compositions. The results indicate that environmental dynamics in the SAL and its C accumulation over the past 400 years were controlled mainly by climate oscillations and anthropogenic activities. The interaction of these two factors changed the lagoon's sediment supply and salinity, which consequently altered the organic matter composition and deposition in the lagoon. Four phases with varying climates were identified. While autochthonous mangrove C was a significant contributor to carbon accumulation in SAL sediments throughout all four phases, varying admixtures of terrestrial C from the hinterland also contributed, with natural mixed forest C predominating in the early phases and agriculture soil C predominating in the later phases. In this context, climate‐related precipitation changes are an overarching control, as surface water transport through rivers serves as the “delivery agent” for the outcomes of the anthropogenic impact in the catchment area into the lagoon. Amongst mangrove‐dominated ecosystems globally, the SAL is one of the most effective C sinks due to high mangrove carbon input in combination with a high allochthonous carbon input from anthropogenically enhanced sediment from the hinterland and increased preservation. Given the substantial C sequestration capacity of the SAL and other mangrove‐fringed coastal lagoons, conservation and restoration of these ecosystems is vitally important for climate change mitigation
Late Holocene riparian vegetation dynamics, environmental changes, and human impact in the Harapan forest of Sumatra, Indonesia
No full textRiparian wetland ecosystems provide important ecological services but are also vulnerable to climate change and human activities. To understand the influence of natural factors (e.g. climate change, flooding, drought) and human activities (e.g. agriculture) as well as to support management strategies, reconstructions of past vegetation and environmental changes are needed. To achieve this, we conducted a multi-proxy paleoecological analysis, including pollen and spores, macro-charcoal and radiocarbon dating, on a sediment core taken from a riparian area in the Harapan forest of Sumatra. Three distinct periods were identified: i) AD 1100 – 1400: Upland and swamp forest with riparian and herbaceous vegetation, possibly part of a riparian buffer zone (e.g. riverbank), was present in the study area under a stronger dry season regime; ii) AD 1400 – 1870: freshwater swamps expanded to the study site; iii) later, from AD 1870 to present, upland forests dominated in the study area with a strong dry season. The presence of cereal cultivation from AD 1300 – 1450, and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) since the mid-19th century AD indicates the presence of small-scale agriculture in the study area. This study of riparian vegetation dynamics and environmental changes in the Harapan forest of Sumatra shows the development from a riparian forest to a freshwater swamp and upland forest under the impact of climate change and human activities
Holocene environmental changes inferred from an oxbow lake in a Mauritia palm swamp (aguajal) in the Madre de Dios region, southeastern Peru
No full texthttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659 Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschafthttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004543 China Scholarship Counci
Late Holocene peatland palm swamp (aguajal) development, carbon deposition and environment changes in the Madre de Dios region, southeastern Peru
No full texthttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659 Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschafthttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004543 China Scholarship Counci
Species- and Trait-Based Reconstructions of the Hydrological Regime in a Tropical Peatland (Central Sumatra, Indonesia) during the Holocene Using Testate Amoebae
No full textPaleoecological reconstructions of hydrological regimes in tropical peatlands during the Holocene are important for the estimation of their responses to changing environments. However, the application of some widely used proxies, such as testate amoebae, is hampered by poor knowledge of their morphology and ecological preferences in the region. The aim of this study is to describe the morphospecies composition of sub-fossil testate amoebae in deposits of a tropical peatland in Central Sumatra (Indonesia) during the Holocene and reconstruct the hydrological regime using morphospecies- and functional-trait-based approaches. In total, 48 testate amoeba morphospecies were observed. Based on morphospecies composition, we distinguished three main periods of peatland development (13,400–8000, 8000–2000, 2000 cal yr BP–present). The application of the morphospecies-based transfer function provided a more reliable reconstruction of the water regime in comparison to the functional trait-based one. The weak performance of the latter might be related to the poor preservation of shells and the greater variation in the functional traits in sub-fossil communities as compared to the training set and linear modeling approach. These results call for future studies on the functional and morphospecies composition of testate amoebae in a wider range of tropical peatlands to improve the quality of hydrological reconstructions
Late Holocene ENSO-related fire impact on vegetation, nutrient status and carbon accumulation of peatlands in Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia
No full textFrom ‘Muddy glee’ to muddy reflections on fieldwork and writing
No full text‘Muddy glee’ by Bracken and Mawdsley made an important contribution to highlighting gender discrimination in fieldwork and the heterogeneity of fieldwork experiences. In the past couple of years, the ability of many researchers to engage in fieldwork has also changed dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we reflect on Bracken and Mawdsley's paper and our own experiences and perspectives of fieldwork in recent years. We discuss a previous paper we co-authored (entitled ‘Pushing the limits’: experiences of women in tropical peatland research), and the benefits that these papers (e.g., ‘Muddy glee’ and ‘Pushing the limits’) may provide. We highlight the value of sharing personal experiences in science (which is often seen as an ‘objective’ space), and how writing for ourselves can be an empowering and community-building act
Geochemistry of Sungai Buluh peat core from Sumatra, Indonesia
No full textGeochemistry data of a high-resolution peat core from the Past Global Changes - Carbon in Peat on EArth through Time (PAGES_C-PEAT) Project
Age determination of Sungai Buluh peat core from Sumatra, Indonesia
No full text14C and 210Pb age determination of a high-resolution peat core from the Past Global Changes - Carbon in Peat on EArth through Time (PAGES_C-PEAT) Project
