Palynological reconstruction of environmental changes in coastal wetlands of the Florida Everglades since the mid-Holocene. Issue 3 (May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yao, Qiang; Liu, Kam-biu; Platt, William J.; Rivera-Monroy, Victor H.
• Is Part Of: Quaternary research. Volume 83:Issue 3(2015)
• Page Start: 449
• Page End: 458
• Publication Date: 2015-05
• Subjects: Shark River Estuary, -- Everglades, -- Florida, -- Mangroves, -- Pollen, -- Short- and long-hydroperiod prairie, -- Wetlands; Geology, Stratigraphic -- Quaternary -- Periodicals; Glacial epoch -- Periodicals; Stratigraphie -- Quaternaire -- Périodiques; Époque glaciaire -- Périodiques; Geology, Stratigraphic; Glacial epoch; Quaternary Geologic Period; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 551.79
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yqres.2015.03.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-5894

Abstract

Abstract : Palynological, loss-on-ignition, and X-ray fluorescence data from a 5.25 m sediment core from a mangrove forest at the mouth of the Shark River Estuary in the southwestern Everglades National Park, Florida were used to reconstruct changes occurring in coastal wetlands since the mid-Holocene. This multi-proxy record contains the longest paleoecological history to date in the southwestern Everglades. The Shark River Estuary basin was formed ~ 5700 cal yr BP in response to increasing precipitation. Initial wetlands were frequently-burned short-hydroperiod prairies, which transitioned into long-hydroperiod prairies with sloughs in which peat deposits began to accumulate continuously about 5250 cal yr BP. Our data suggest that mangrove communities started to appear after ~ 3800 cal yr BP; declines in the abundance of charcoal suggested gradual replacement of fire-dominated wetlands by mangrove forest over the following 2650 yr. By ~ 1150 cal yr BP, a dense Rhizophora mangle dominated mangrove forest had formed at the mouth of the Shark River. The mangrove-dominated coastal ecosystem here was established at least 2000 yr later than has been previously estimated.