ALBERT

Description: Here, we provide the raw pollen data archived in three Siberian lake sediment cores spanning the mid-Holocene to the present (7.6-0 cal ka BP), from northern typical tundra to southern open larch forest in the Omoloy region. There are three cores: 1. 14-OM-20B, Lat. / °: 70.53, Lon. / °: 132.91, Ele. / m a.s.l.: 52, Modern vegetation: open larch forest, Lake area / km2: 0.26, Maximal depth / m: 3.4 2. 14-OM-02B, Lat. / °: 70.72, Lon. / °: 132.67, Ele. / m a.s.l.: 58, Modern vegetation: forest tundra, Lake area / km2: 0.08, Maximal depth / m: 3.5 3. 14-OM-12A, Lat. / °: 70.96, Lon. / °: 132.57, Ele. / m a.s.l.: 60, Modern vegetation: tundra, Lake area / km2: 0.09, Maximal depth / m: 4.5 Three lake sediment cores, 14OM12A (33 cm long), 14OM02B (49.5 cm long) and 14OM20B (86 cm long), were recovered from three sites using a UWITEC gravity corer (6 cm internal diameter) equipped with a hammer tool in July 2014. From the three cores, 16 bulk organic carbon samples were selected because of the lack of macrofossil remains and radiocarbon dated using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) at Poznań radiocarbon laboratory of Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland. In addition, 30 freeze-dried samples per core at 0.25 or 0.5 cm intervals between 0 and 15 cm were analysed for 210Pb/137Cs at the Liverpool University Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory. In this project, we analyse pollen and sedaDNA (Liu et al., 2020; doi:10.5061/dryad.69p8cz900) from three lake sediment cores from the Omoloy region in north-eastern Siberia (northern Yakutia), which are currently surrounded by different vegetation types ranging from typical tundra to open larch forest. First, our aim is to compare sedaDNA with the pollen data to see whether both methods track the same pattern with respect to compositional changes and diversity changes across the northern Russian treeline zone or are complementary to each other. Second, we reconstruct the mid- to late-Holocene changes of vegetation composition along a north–south transect. Third, we use the sedaDNA data to reconstruct variations in species richness and relate this to vegetation and climate change.

Description: Understanding the resilience of African savannas to global change requires quantitative information on long-term vegetation dynamics. Here we present a reconstruction of past vegetation cover of the northern Namibian savanna obtained after applying the REVEALS model to fossil pollen data from Lake Otjikoto. We also present modern pollen and vegetation data used to calculate pollen productivity estimates for the major Namibian savanna taxa Acacia (Senegalia, Vachellia), Combretaceae, Dichrostachys, Grewia and Poaceae. Data were collected at 10 sites along a rainfall gradient in north central Namibia. Modern pollen was extracted from soil samples collected from plots at the different sites. Vegetation data were extracted from satellite images covering a 1.5 km radius from the plots where pollen was collected. The mean cover of the studied taxa was calculated by 100 m rings.

Description: Arctic treelines are facing a strong temperature increase as a result of recent global warming, causing possible changes in forest extent, which will alter vegetation-climate feedbacks. However, the mode and strength of the response is rather unclear, as potential changes are happening in areas that are very remote and difficult to access, and empirical data are still largely lacking. Here, we assessed the current population structure and genetic differentiation of Larix Mill. tree stands within the northernmost latitudinal treeline reaching ~72° N in the southern lowlands of the Taymyr Peninsula (~100° E). We sampled 743 individuals belonging to different height classes (seedlings, saplings, trees) at eleven locations along a gradient from 'single tree' tundra over 'forest line' to 'dense forest' stands and conducted investigations applying eight highly polymorphic nuclear microsatellites. Results suggest a high diversity within subpopulations (HE=0.826-0.893), coupled, however, with heterozygote deficits in all subpopulations, but pronounced in 'forest line' stands. Overall, genetic differentiation of subpopulations is low (FST=0.005), indicating a region-wide high gene flow, although 'forest line' stands harbour few rare and private alleles, likely indicating greater local reproduction. 'Single tree' stands, located beyond the northern forest line, are currently not involved in treeline expansion, but show signs of a long-term refuge, namely asexual reproduction and change of growth-form from erect to creeping growth, possibly having persisted for thousands of years. The lack of differentiation between the subpopulations points to a sufficiently high dispersal potential, and thus a rapid northward migration of the Siberian arctic treeline under recent global warming seems potentially unconstrained, but observations show it to be unexpectedly slow.

Description: Siberian boreal forests are expected to expand northwards in the course of global warming. However, processes of the treeline ecotone transition, as well astiming and related climate feedbacks are still not understood. Here, we present 'Larix Vegetation Simulator' LAVESI, an individual-based spatially-explicit model that can simulate Larix gmelinii (RUPR.) RUPR. stand dynamics in an attempt to improve our understanding about past and future treeline movements under changing climates. The relevant processes (growth, seed production and dispersal, establishment and mortality) are incorporated and adjusted to observation data mainly gained from the literature. Results of a local sensitivity analysis support the robustness of the model's parameterization by giving relatively small sensitivity values. We tested the model by simulating tree stands under modern climate across the whole Taymyr Peninsula, north-central Siberia (c. 64-80° N; 92-119° E). We find tree densities similar to observed forests in the northern to mid-treeline areas, but densities are overestimated in the southern parts of the simulated region. Finally, from a temperature-forcing experiment, we detect that the responses of tree stands lag the hypothetical warming by several decades, until the end of 21st century. With our simulation experiments we demonstrate that the newly-developed model captures the dynamics of the Siberian latitudinal treeline.

Description: In total 16 branches of three individuals were cut in the field into 10 cm-long pieces and dried. Samples were sanded using sandpaper and decreasing grain size until the surface was even and the tree rings clearly visible and then scanned at 4800 dpi on a flatbed scanner. Tree rings were counted in Coorecorder (Cybis Elektronik & Data AB) at the oldest part and the middle pieces, and for the longest branch at four positions.

Description: In the Dataset four land-cover maps are included. Each map represents an area in central Chukotka along a vegetation gradient from treeless mountainous tundra (16-KP-04, Lake Rauchuagytgyn area), via the tundra–taiga transition (16-KP-01, Lake Ilirney area; 16-KP-03, Nutenvut lakes area) to the northern taiga (16-KP-02, Bolshoy Anyuy river area). Each map contains data on four land-cover classes, which are describing the following vegetation types of central Chukotka: larch closed-canopy forest, forest tundra and shrub tundra, graminoid tundra and prostrate herb tundra and barren areas. Land-cover classes were established field data /foliage projective cover of different taxa) and Landsat satellite data. Data format: Geo-Tiff, Projection: UTM WGS84, Pixel size: 30 x 30 m.