Physical and Environmental Geography Commons^™

Holocene Dynamics Of Temperate Rainforests In West-Central Patagonia, Virginia Iglesias, Simon G. Haberle, Andrés Holz, Cathy Whitlock

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Analyses of long-term ecosystem dynamics offer insights into the conditions that have led to stability vs. rapid change in the past and the importance of disturbance in regulating community composition. In this study, we (1) used lithology, pollen, and charcoal data from Mallín Casanova (47°S) to reconstruct the wetland, vegetation, and fire history of west-central Patagonia; and (2) compared the records with independent paleoenvironmental and archeological information to assess the effects of past climate and human activity on ecosystem dynamics. Pollen data indicate that Nothofagus-Pilgerodendronforests were established by 9,000 cal yr BP. Although the biodiversity of the understory increased …