Application of palaeoecology for peatland conservation at Mossdale Moor, UK

McCarroll, Julia; Chambers, Frank M.; Webb, Julia C; Thom, Tim

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2014.12.068

Cited by 25 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…At the same time, there was sharp rise in Poaceae, Cyperaceae, and Potentilla. Sphagnum moss also disappeared at this point, suggesting drier conditions (McCarroll et al, 2015). The hiatus in woodland spanned a period of 15cm (from a total 30cm) in the sediment record younger than 600 Cal.…”

Section: Interrupted Woodland: Awi Resiliencementioning

confidence: 89%

Questioning the reliability of “ancient” woodland indicators: Resilience to interruptions and persistence following deforestation

Webb

Goodenough

2018

Ecological Indicators

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Indicator species can provide invaluable insights into environmental conditions but robust empirical testing of their effectiveness is essential. Ancient woodland indicators (AWIs) are plant species considered indicative of sites that have been continuously wooded for a long period by virtue of poor dispersal ability and intolerance of nonwoodland habitats. Many countries now utilise AWI species lists to classify ancient woodlands. Here we use a metastudy approach to test resilience of AWIs to interruptions and persistence following deforestation-and thus the robustness of using AWI lists-using a novel approach. We compare current AWI assemblage with woodland history based on pollen evidence at nine sites across the UK with a robustly-dated and spatially-precise palynological profile. Sites were split into: (1) proven continuous woodland; (2) previously interrupted woodland; and (3) previously but not currently wooded. Vegetation history was >1000 years at most sites. Assessment of ancientness using AWIs agreed with palynologically-proven ancient woodland at two sites, including a species-poor woodland of previously-uncertain age. However, four interrupted woodland sites and three clear-felled sites supported extensive AWI floristic communities. This suggests AWIs are resilient to interruptions, possibly by remaining in the seed bank longer than expected, and persistent following deforestation. Persistence might be due to other species (e.g. heathland plants) acting as pseudo-canopy or because some AWIs are more tolerant of nonwoodland locations than previously thought. We conclude that use of floristic AWIs alone in defining ancient woodland should be reviewed, especially where status links to planning policy and conservation prioritisation. We suggest species on AWI lists be reviewed under expert and local guidance and a system of weighting species based on their strict or strong affinity solely with ancient woodland be developed. The use of multi-taxa indicators is recommended to allow stakeholders globally to make informed decisions about ancient woodland status.

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Section: Interrupted Woodland: Awi Resiliencementioning

confidence: 89%

Questioning the reliability of “ancient” woodland indicators: Resilience to interruptions and persistence following deforestation

Webb

Goodenough

2018

Ecological Indicators

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“…The study of pollen grains by palynologists is, therefore, widely used to reconstruct past landscapes and quantify environmental change (e.g. McCarroll et al, 2015;Webb et al, 2017). In addition to fossilised pollen being used to understand historical temporal change of specific sites, pollen profiling can also be used to answer contemporary spatial questions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential retention of pollen grains on clothing and the effectiveness of laboratory retrieval methods in forensic settings

Webb

Brown

Toms

et al. 2018

Forensic Science International

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Forensic palynology has been important in criminal investigation since the 1950s and often provides evidence that is vital in identifying suspects and securing convictions. However, for such evidence to be used appropriately, it is necessary to understand the factors affecting taphonomic variability (i.e. the variability in the fate of pollen grains before they are found during forensic examination). Here, we test the relative amount of pollen retained on clothing after a period of simulated light or heavy wear based on pollen and fabric characteristics. We also test the efficiency of forensic laboratory protocols for retrieving pollen from fabrics for analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in retention of fresh or dried pollen on any fabric type. There was a substantial difference in pollen retention according to wear intensity, with considerably more pollen being retained after light wear than after heavy wear. Pollen from insect-pollinated species was retained at higher concentrations than pollen from wind-pollinated species. This pattern was consistent regardless of wear intensity but pollination type explained more of the variability in pollen retention after light wear. Fabric type was significantly related to pollen retention, but interacted strongly with plant species such that patterns were both complex and highly species-specific. The efficiency of removing pollen with the standard washing protocol differed substantially according to plant species, fabric type, and the interaction between these factors. The average efficiency was 67.7% but this ranged from 21% to 93%, demonstrating that previous assumptions on the reliability of the technique providing a representative sample for forensic use should be reviewed. This paper highlights the importance of understanding pollen and fabric characteristics when creating a pollen profile in criminal investigations and to ensure that evidence used in testimony is accurate and robust.

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“…Being very sensitive ecosystems, they are very vulnerable to any disturbances and extremely difficult to restore especially in the present climatic scenario. The better the knowledge about their past dynamics, the better the restoration strategy will be (McCarroll et al, 2015). However, the common notion exists that the neo-ecological approach is enough to appropriately manage with the future of peatlands.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resilience of plant and testate amoeba communities after climatic and anthropogenic disturbances in a Baltic bog in Northern Poland: Implications for ecological restoration

et al. 2016

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This study explores the history of the development of Sphagnum communities in an ombrotrophic peatland -Bagno Kusowo -over the past 650 years, based on high-resolution plant macrofossil and testate amoebae analysis. Our research provided information related to the length of peatland existence and the characteristics of its natural/pristine state before the most recent human impacts. Changes in the Sphagnum communities before human impact could have resulted from climate cooling during the 'Little Ice Age' (LIA). In this cold and unstable hydrological period, among vascular plants, Eriophorum vaginatum and Baeothryon caespitosum dominated in the peatland vegetation. Peat-forming Sphagnum communities survived the drainage conducted during the 20th century at the Bagno Kusowo bog. We provide three important messages through this study: (1) testate amoebae reflect similar hydrological trends in two peat cores despite considerable microhabitat variability, (2) average long-term water level 10 cm below the surface should be a target for active bog conservation and (3) sites like Bagno Kusowo are extremely important to preserve the remains of pristine biodiversity (including genetic diversity of plants and protists) that was completely removed from most of the raised bogs in Europe due to human activities, for example, drainage.

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Application of palaeoecology for peatland conservation at Mossdale Moor, UK

Cited by 25 publications

References 37 publications

Questioning the reliability of “ancient” woodland indicators: Resilience to interruptions and persistence following deforestation

Questioning the reliability of “ancient” woodland indicators: Resilience to interruptions and persistence following deforestation

Differential retention of pollen grains on clothing and the effectiveness of laboratory retrieval methods in forensic settings

Resilience of plant and testate amoeba communities after climatic and anthropogenic disturbances in a Baltic bog in Northern Poland: Implications for ecological restoration

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