Pollen, biomarker and stable isotope evidence of late Quaternary environmental change at Lake McKenzie, southeast Queensland

Atahan, Pia; Heijnis, Henk; Dodson, John; Grice, Kliti; Métayer, Pierre Le; Taffs, Kathryn H; Hembrow, Sarah C; Woltering, Martijn; Zawadzki, Atun

doi:10.1007/s10933-014-9813-3

Cited by 43 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 52 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Samples were chemically processed following the methods described in Atahan et al (2015) and analysed by alpha spectrometry to determine unsupported 210 Pb activities on 13 subsamples from core LKN1 (0-51.5 cm) and the 42-92 cm LKN2 sequence. A CIC (constant initial concentration) model was used to calculate the ages of the sediment samples (Appleby, 2001).…”

Section: Datingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blooms of cyanobacteria in a temperate Australian lagoon system post and prior to European settlement

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Blooms of noxious N 2 fixing cyanobacteria such as Nodularia spumigena are a recurring problem in some estuaries; however, the historic occurrence of such blooms in unclear in many cases. Here we report the results of a palaeoecological study on a temperate Australian lagoon system (the Gippsland Lakes) where we used stable isotopes and pigment biomarkers in dated cores as proxies for eutrophication and blooms of cyanobacteria. Pigment proxies show a clear signal, with an increase in cyanobacterial pigments (echinenone, canthaxanthin and zeaxanthin) in the period coinciding with recent blooms. Another excursion in these proxies was observed prior to the opening of an artificial entrance to the lakes in 1889, which markedly increased the salinity of the Gippsland Lakes. A coincident increase in the sediment organic-carbon content in the period prior to the opening of the artificial entrance suggests that the bottom waters of the lakes were more stratified and hypoxic, which would have led to an increase in the recycling of phosphorus. After the opening of the artificial entrance, there was a ∼ 60-year period with low values for the cyanobacterial proxies as well as a low sediment organic-carbon content suggesting a period of low bloom activity associated with the increased salinity of the lakes. During the 1940s, the current period of re-eutrophication commenced, as indicated by a steadily increasing sediment organic-carbon content and cyanobacterial pigments. We suggest that increasing nitrogen inputs from the catchment led to the return of hypoxia and increased phosphorus release from the sediment, which drove the reemergence of cyanobacterial blooms.

show abstract

Section: Datingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blooms of cyanobacteria in a temperate Australian lagoon system post and prior to European settlement

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The discussion by Atahan et al (2015) of the floral species observed in the Lake McKenzie cores lacks the level of detail provided by Donders et al (2006) for Lake Allom, and does not offer any comment on the implications of the variations between species at the sites for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions on Fraser Island on a broader level. An arid period is considered to be the reason for a hiatus in sedimentation from c18300 -14000 cal BP and it is speculated (Atahan et al 2015:152) that the lake became perennially or intermittently dry.…”

Section: Pollen Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Atahan et al 2015;Donders et al 2006;Donders et al 2007;Gontz et al 2014;Hembrow et al 2014;Krull et al 2004;Longmore 1997;Longmore and Heijnis 1999;Moss et al 2015;Woltering et al 2014) and North Stradbroke Island (e.g. Barr et al 2013;Boyd 1993;McGowan et al 2008;Mettam et al 2011;Moss et al 2011;Moss et al 2013;Petherick et al 2008aPetherick et al , 2008bPetherick et al , 2011.…”

Section: Palaeoenvironmental Reconstructionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lake McKenzie, also a perched lake, was the focus of studies on diatoms and stable isotope ratios (Hembrow et al 2014), pollens (Atahan et al 2015), and calculations of mean average air temperature (MAAT) based on branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) lipids from allocthonous soil-borne bacteria (Woltering et al 2014) based on cores from the lake bed. The lake sits at c90m ASL within a dune system reaching 150m in elevation, covers an area of approximately 130ha, and has a maximum depth of 8.5m (Atahan et al 2015;Hembrow et al 2014;Woltering et al 2014).…”

Section: Lake Mckenziementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The lake sits at c90m ASL within a dune system reaching 150m in elevation, covers an area of approximately 130ha, and has a maximum depth of 8.5m (Atahan et al 2015;Hembrow et al 2014;Woltering et al 2014). The lake is a closed system and is therefore dependent on, and reflective of, levels of effective precipitation.…”

Section: Lake Mckenziementioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Archaeological expressions of Holocene cultural and environmental change in coastal Southeast Queensland

Smith¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This thesis is concerned with the relationship between Holocene environmental changes and human behaviour in coastal southeast Queensland. The study region covers an area stretching from Fraser Island in the north to the border of northern New South Wales in the south, and possesses the best documented and intensively scrutinised coastal archaeological record in Australia. The archaeology of the area was a major focus from the late 1970s when the Moreton Regional Archaeological Project, a long-term multi-stage regional project, was established to coordinate archaeological investigations in southeast Queensland. The Cooloola Region Archaeological Project was established in the mid-1980s to explore the archaeology north of the Noosa River. These initial studies provided the basis for a regional chronology, as well as models of settlement and subsistence based on the exploitation of the area's rich marine resources.In the time since the original work was conducted the research foci for coastal archaeology, both in Australia and internationally, have moved toward more complex issues such as assessing the impact of humans on marine ecosystems, the identification of patterns in resource exploitation strategies, and the use of molluscs as proxy evidence in local and regional environmental reconstructions.Additionally, regionally-specific models of Holocene environmental change have been developed, in line with greater emphasis being placed on the ecology and biology of the constituent species in middens in addressing questions of spatial and chronological variations in site patterning.In view of these developments, midden deposits from five sites from differing locations in southeast Queensland were re-analysed, and a literature review of two further sites was also undertaken, with the aim of assessing human behavioural variability during the mid to late Holocene through the Publications during candidature No publications Publications included in this thesis No publications included. vi Contributions by others to the thesisNo contributions by others. Statement of parts of the thesis submitted to qualify for the award of another degreeNone.vii Acknowledgements Researching and writing a PhD thesis is never a straightforward endeavour, although it seems to be a good idea at the time. The project has taken a long time to come to fruition, delayed by a combination of protracted and ultimately fruitless negotiations with stakeholders, illness, and bereavement. There are many people to thank for helping me to eventually get over the line. Chris was an undergraduate student in one of the University of Queensland Field Archaeology viii classes on Bribie Island in the early 1990s. Even then his knowledge of lithics was scary. Chris kindly stepped in as my principal advisor when Pat moved to Sydney. I must confess some disappointment that the artefact assemblages in my study were not more exciting for him but, as he does most things, he has calmly taken it in his stride.

show abstract

Geochemical analyses reveal the importance of environmental history for blue carbon sequestration

Kelleway

Saintilan

Macreadie

et al. 2017

J. Geophys. Res. Biogeosci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Coastal habitats including saltmarshes and mangrove forests can accumulate and store significant blue carbon stocks, which may persist for millennia. Despite this implied stability, the distribution and structure of intertidal‐supratidal wetlands are known to respond to changes imposed by geomorphic evolution, climatic, sea level, and anthropogenic influences. In this study, we reconstruct environmental histories and biogeochemical conditions in four wetlands of similar contemporary vegetation in SE Australia. The objective is to assess the importance of historic factors to contemporary organic carbon (C) stocks and accumulation rates. Results from the four cores—two collected from marine‐influenced saltmarshes (Wapengo marine site (WAP‐M) and Port Stephens marine site (POR‐M)) and two from fluvial influenced saltmarshes (Wapengo fluvial site (WAP‐F) and Port Stephens fluvial site (POR‐F))—highlight different environmental histories and preservation conditions. High C stocks are associated with the presence of a mangrove phase below the contemporary saltmarsh sediments in the POR‐M and POR‐F cores. 13C nuclear magnetic resonance analyses show this historic mangrove root C to be remarkably stable in its molecular composition despite its age, consistent with its position in deep sediments. WAP‐M and WAP‐F cores did not contain mangrove root C; however, significant preservation of char C (up to 46% of C in some depths) in WAP‐F reveals the importance of historic catchment processes to this site. Together, these results highlight the importance of integrating historic ecosystem and catchment factors into attempts to upscale C accounting to broader spatial scales.

show abstract

Pollen, biomarker and stable isotope evidence of late Quaternary environmental change at Lake McKenzie, southeast Queensland

Cited by 43 publications

References 52 publications

Blooms of cyanobacteria in a temperate Australian lagoon system post and prior to European settlement

Blooms of cyanobacteria in a temperate Australian lagoon system post and prior to European settlement

Archaeological expressions of Holocene cultural and environmental change in coastal Southeast Queensland

Geochemical analyses reveal the importance of environmental history for blue carbon sequestration

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About