Montane rainforest dynamics under changes in climate and human impact during the past millennia in northern Madagascar
Although it is well known that humans substantially altered the Malagasy ecosystems, the timing of the human arrival as well as the extension of their environmental impact is yet not well understood. This research aims to study the influence of early human impact and climate change on rainforests an...
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The Royal Society
2024-08-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
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| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230930 |
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| author | Vincent Montade Laurent Bremond Helena Teixeira Thomas Kasper Gerhard Daut Sylvie Rouland Elysée Rasoamanana Perle Ramavovolona Charly Favier Fabien Arnaud Ute Radespiel Hermann Behling |
| author_facet | Vincent Montade Laurent Bremond Helena Teixeira Thomas Kasper Gerhard Daut Sylvie Rouland Elysée Rasoamanana Perle Ramavovolona Charly Favier Fabien Arnaud Ute Radespiel Hermann Behling |
| author_sort | Vincent Montade |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although it is well known that humans substantially altered the Malagasy ecosystems, the timing of the human arrival as well as the extension of their environmental impact is yet not well understood. This research aims to study the influence of early human impact and climate change on rainforests and wildlife in northern Madagascar during the past millennia. Results obtained from the lake sediment in a montane environment showed significant changes in vegetation within the lake catchment associated with a major drought that started approximately 1100 years ago. Human impact, revealed by fires, began at roughly the same time and occurred outside the lake catchment. Although this does not dismiss the impacts that humans had at a regional scale, this result demonstrates that the late Holocene natural drought also significantly impacted the ecosystems independently of anthropogenic activities. At a regional scale, a review of species demographic history revealed a substantial number of population bottlenecks during the last millennia, probably resulting from this combination of human-related impact and natural climate changes. This research highlights the importance of a multi-site and multi-proxy comparison for deciphering the nature and succession of environmental changes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e2bdc312328e403c94837d7b101517d9 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-08-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-e2bdc312328e403c94837d7b101517d92025-08-20T02:10:52ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032024-08-0111810.1098/rsos.230930Montane rainforest dynamics under changes in climate and human impact during the past millennia in northern MadagascarVincent Montade0Laurent Bremond1Helena Teixeira2Thomas Kasper3Gerhard Daut4Sylvie Rouland5Elysée Rasoamanana6Perle Ramavovolona7Charly Favier8Fabien Arnaud9Ute Radespiel10Hermann Behling11Department of Palynology and Climate Dynamics, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen , Göttingen, GermanyISEM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, PSL Research University , Montpellier, FranceUMR ENTROPIE, University of La Réunion, IRD, CNRS, IFREMER, Université de Nouvelle-Calédonie , Ile de La Réunion, FrancePhysical Geography, Institute for Geography and Geology, University of Greifswald , Greifswald, GermanyPhysical Geography, Institute of Geography, Friedrich Schiller University , Jena, GermanyISEM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, PSL Research University , Montpellier, FranceDepartment of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Antananarivo , Antananarivo, MadagascarDepartment of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Antananarivo , Antananarivo, MadagascarISEM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, PSL Research University , Montpellier, FranceEDYTEM, Université de Savoie, CNRS Pôle Montagne , 73376 Le Bourget du Lac, FranceInstitute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17 , 30559 Hannover, GermanyDepartment of Palynology and Climate Dynamics, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen , Göttingen, GermanyAlthough it is well known that humans substantially altered the Malagasy ecosystems, the timing of the human arrival as well as the extension of their environmental impact is yet not well understood. This research aims to study the influence of early human impact and climate change on rainforests and wildlife in northern Madagascar during the past millennia. Results obtained from the lake sediment in a montane environment showed significant changes in vegetation within the lake catchment associated with a major drought that started approximately 1100 years ago. Human impact, revealed by fires, began at roughly the same time and occurred outside the lake catchment. Although this does not dismiss the impacts that humans had at a regional scale, this result demonstrates that the late Holocene natural drought also significantly impacted the ecosystems independently of anthropogenic activities. At a regional scale, a review of species demographic history revealed a substantial number of population bottlenecks during the last millennia, probably resulting from this combination of human-related impact and natural climate changes. This research highlights the importance of a multi-site and multi-proxy comparison for deciphering the nature and succession of environmental changes.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230930palaeoecologylate Holocenedroughtfiredemographybottleneck |
| spellingShingle | Vincent Montade Laurent Bremond Helena Teixeira Thomas Kasper Gerhard Daut Sylvie Rouland Elysée Rasoamanana Perle Ramavovolona Charly Favier Fabien Arnaud Ute Radespiel Hermann Behling Montane rainforest dynamics under changes in climate and human impact during the past millennia in northern Madagascar Royal Society Open Science palaeoecology late Holocene drought fire demography bottleneck |
| title | Montane rainforest dynamics under changes in climate and human impact during the past millennia in northern Madagascar |
| title_full | Montane rainforest dynamics under changes in climate and human impact during the past millennia in northern Madagascar |
| title_fullStr | Montane rainforest dynamics under changes in climate and human impact during the past millennia in northern Madagascar |
| title_full_unstemmed | Montane rainforest dynamics under changes in climate and human impact during the past millennia in northern Madagascar |
| title_short | Montane rainforest dynamics under changes in climate and human impact during the past millennia in northern Madagascar |
| title_sort | montane rainforest dynamics under changes in climate and human impact during the past millennia in northern madagascar |
| topic | palaeoecology late Holocene drought fire demography bottleneck |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230930 |
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