- Which are the most important natural archives of Quaternary palaeoecology?
Most important natural archives of Quaternary palaeoecology
are: Lake sediments, glaciers, ice sheets, peat bogs, soils, tree rings.
- What is a peat bog?
A peat bog is an area of wet peaty substrate rich
in organic debris but low in mineral nutrients, with a vegetation of
sedges, mosses and ericaceous shrubs. A peat bog should have a minimum
thickness of stratum of 30 cm. Two main groups are distinguished:
a) topogenous bogs (depending from underground water)
b) ombrogenous bogs or raised bogs (depending from precipitations)
- Why are lakes ideal for palaeoclimatic studies in general?
Continuous, long-term environmental record (thousands
to million of years)
High temporal resolution varves (annual layers) can even provide a seasonal
resolution.
High sensitivity to climate change: Lakes record changes in their environment
in the sediments.
Wide geographic and environmental distribution including alpine zones
over all latitudes
Variety of information: Lake sediments often record information in a
variety of components that indirectly represent the atmosphere, the
terrestrial ecosystem or the aqueous system
Comparability over time: Lacustrine sediments can often be compared
to their modern counterparts in the same lake, which in turn can be
compared to historical and instrumental records for the calibration
of climate signals.
- What are relictic soils?
Relictic soils were formed under different climatic
conditions in the past, but are not or only slightly covered by younger
sediments. Therefore, they are still influenced by modern weathering
processes. Many surface soils in alpine regions are relictic soils.
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