A Late Holocene Environmental History of a Bat Guano Deposit from Romania: An Isotopic, Pollen and Microcharcoal Study

Ferenc L. Forray; Bogdan P Onac; Ioan Tanţău; Jonathan G. Wynn; Tudor Tămaş; Ioan Coroiu; Alexandra M. Giurgiu

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.05.022

A Late Holocene Environmental History of a Bat Guano Deposit from Romania: An Isotopic, Pollen and Microcharcoal Study

Ferenc L. Forray, Bogdan P Onac, Ioan Tanţău, Jonathan G. Wynn, Tudor Tămaş, Ioan Coroiu, Alexandra M. Giurgiu

University of South Florida

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A 1.5-m-long core from a bat guano deposit in Zidit&abreve; Cave (western Romania) has provided a 900-year record of environmental change. Shifts in δ 13 C values of bulk guano (between −22.6 and −27.5&permil;) combined with guano-sourced pollen and microcharcoal information show significant changes in the structure of vegetation and plant biomass. Cave guano δ 13 C values reflect the dietary preferences of bats which are controlled by local vegetation dynamics, which in turn depend on local climatic conditions. Neither δ 13 C values nor pollen association in guano changed strikingly over the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and Little Ice Age (LIA) transition. Instead, an overall decreasing trend of δ 13 C values between ca. AD 1200 and 1870–1900 defines the duration of LIA. A shift toward cooler and wetter conditions at ca. AD 1500 noticed in the pollen record by an increase in Fagus sylvatica and Alnus and the decrease of Carpinus betulus , may indicate the first major change at the beginning of the LIA. Evidence for two major cold spells occurring around AD 1500 and ca. AD 1870 comes from both δ 13 C and pollen record. In between these events, the cave region experienced a warmer and drier climate but colder and wetter than the MWP, favouring the expansion of Quercus , Fraxinus and Tilia simultaneously with the decrease of F. sylvatica and Poaceae. Human impact in the studied area is mainly related to agriculture, grazing and deforestation. The effects are most pronounced after AD 1845 when the pollen of cereals increases and Zea is recorded (AD 1845). Higher percentages of microcharcoal particles in the guano sequence are generally correlated with agricultural activities like land cleaning via controlled fires.

Original language	American English
Journal	Quaternary Science Reviews
Volume	127
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.05.022
State	Published - Nov 1 2015

Keywords

Cave guano
Carbon isotopes
Pollen
Microcharcoal
Environmental history
Late Holocene
Little Ice Age
Romania

Disciplines

Earth Sciences

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10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.05.022License: CC BY

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.05.022

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title = "A Late Holocene Environmental History of a Bat Guano Deposit from Romania: An Isotopic, Pollen and Microcharcoal Study",

abstract = " A 1.5-m-long core from a bat guano deposit in Zidit&abreve; Cave (western Romania) has provided a 900-year record of environmental change. Shifts in δ 13 C values of bulk guano (between −22.6 and −27.5&permil;) combined with guano-sourced pollen and microcharcoal information show significant changes in the structure of vegetation and plant biomass. Cave guano δ 13 C values reflect the dietary preferences of bats which are controlled by local vegetation dynamics, which in turn depend on local climatic conditions. Neither δ 13 C values nor pollen association in guano changed strikingly over the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and Little Ice Age (LIA) transition. Instead, an overall decreasing trend of δ 13 C values between ca. AD 1200 and 1870–1900 defines the duration of LIA. A shift toward cooler and wetter conditions at ca. AD 1500 noticed in the pollen record by an increase in Fagus sylvatica and Alnus and the decrease of Carpinus betulus , may indicate the first major change at the beginning of the LIA. Evidence for two major cold spells occurring around AD 1500 and ca. AD 1870 comes from both δ 13 C and pollen record. In between these events, the cave region experienced a warmer and drier climate but colder and wetter than the MWP, favouring the expansion of Quercus , Fraxinus and Tilia simultaneously with the decrease of F. sylvatica and Poaceae. Human impact in the studied area is mainly related to agriculture, grazing and deforestation. The effects are most pronounced after AD 1845 when the pollen of cereals increases and Zea is recorded (AD 1845). Higher percentages of microcharcoal particles in the guano sequence are generally correlated with agricultural activities like land cleaning via controlled fires.",

keywords = "Cave guano, Carbon isotopes, Pollen, Microcharcoal, Environmental history, Late Holocene, Little Ice Age, Romania",

author = "Forray, {Ferenc L.} and Onac, {Bogdan P} and Ioan Tan{\c t}{\u a}u and Wynn, {Jonathan G.} and Tudor T{\u a}ma{\c s} and Ioan Coroiu and Giurgiu, {Alexandra M.}",

year = "2015",

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doi = "10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.05.022",

language = "American English",

volume = "127",

journal = "Quaternary Science Reviews",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - A Late Holocene Environmental History of a Bat Guano Deposit from Romania: An Isotopic, Pollen and Microcharcoal Study

AU - Forray, Ferenc L.

AU - Onac, Bogdan P

AU - Tanţău, Ioan

AU - Wynn, Jonathan G.

AU - Tămaş, Tudor

AU - Coroiu, Ioan

AU - Giurgiu, Alexandra M.

PY - 2015/11/1

Y1 - 2015/11/1

N2 - A 1.5-m-long core from a bat guano deposit in Zidit&abreve; Cave (western Romania) has provided a 900-year record of environmental change. Shifts in δ 13 C values of bulk guano (between −22.6 and −27.5&permil;) combined with guano-sourced pollen and microcharcoal information show significant changes in the structure of vegetation and plant biomass. Cave guano δ 13 C values reflect the dietary preferences of bats which are controlled by local vegetation dynamics, which in turn depend on local climatic conditions. Neither δ 13 C values nor pollen association in guano changed strikingly over the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and Little Ice Age (LIA) transition. Instead, an overall decreasing trend of δ 13 C values between ca. AD 1200 and 1870–1900 defines the duration of LIA. A shift toward cooler and wetter conditions at ca. AD 1500 noticed in the pollen record by an increase in Fagus sylvatica and Alnus and the decrease of Carpinus betulus , may indicate the first major change at the beginning of the LIA. Evidence for two major cold spells occurring around AD 1500 and ca. AD 1870 comes from both δ 13 C and pollen record. In between these events, the cave region experienced a warmer and drier climate but colder and wetter than the MWP, favouring the expansion of Quercus , Fraxinus and Tilia simultaneously with the decrease of F. sylvatica and Poaceae. Human impact in the studied area is mainly related to agriculture, grazing and deforestation. The effects are most pronounced after AD 1845 when the pollen of cereals increases and Zea is recorded (AD 1845). Higher percentages of microcharcoal particles in the guano sequence are generally correlated with agricultural activities like land cleaning via controlled fires.

AB - A 1.5-m-long core from a bat guano deposit in Zidit&abreve; Cave (western Romania) has provided a 900-year record of environmental change. Shifts in δ 13 C values of bulk guano (between −22.6 and −27.5&permil;) combined with guano-sourced pollen and microcharcoal information show significant changes in the structure of vegetation and plant biomass. Cave guano δ 13 C values reflect the dietary preferences of bats which are controlled by local vegetation dynamics, which in turn depend on local climatic conditions. Neither δ 13 C values nor pollen association in guano changed strikingly over the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and Little Ice Age (LIA) transition. Instead, an overall decreasing trend of δ 13 C values between ca. AD 1200 and 1870–1900 defines the duration of LIA. A shift toward cooler and wetter conditions at ca. AD 1500 noticed in the pollen record by an increase in Fagus sylvatica and Alnus and the decrease of Carpinus betulus , may indicate the first major change at the beginning of the LIA. Evidence for two major cold spells occurring around AD 1500 and ca. AD 1870 comes from both δ 13 C and pollen record. In between these events, the cave region experienced a warmer and drier climate but colder and wetter than the MWP, favouring the expansion of Quercus , Fraxinus and Tilia simultaneously with the decrease of F. sylvatica and Poaceae. Human impact in the studied area is mainly related to agriculture, grazing and deforestation. The effects are most pronounced after AD 1845 when the pollen of cereals increases and Zea is recorded (AD 1845). Higher percentages of microcharcoal particles in the guano sequence are generally correlated with agricultural activities like land cleaning via controlled fires.

KW - Cave guano

KW - Carbon isotopes

KW - Pollen

KW - Microcharcoal

KW - Environmental history

KW - Late Holocene

KW - Little Ice Age

KW - Romania

UR - https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/geo_facpub/1901

UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.05.022

U2 - 10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.05.022

DO - 10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.05.022

M3 - Article

VL - 127

JO - Quaternary Science Reviews

JF - Quaternary Science Reviews

ER -

A Late Holocene Environmental History of a Bat Guano Deposit from Romania: An Isotopic, Pollen and Microcharcoal Study

Abstract

Keywords

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