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HOLOCENE CLIMATE-VEGETATION-FIRE LINKAGES ALONG THE PATAGONIAN FOREST/STEPPE ECOTONE (41 – 43˚S) by Virginia Iglesias A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ecology and Environmental Sciences MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY Bozeman, Montana January 2013 ©COPYRIGHT by Virginia Iglesias 2013 All Rights Reserved ii APPROVAL of a dissertation submitted by Virginia Iglesias This dissertation has been read by each member of the dissertation committee and has been found to be satisfactory regarding content, English usage, format, citation, bibliographic style, and consistency and is ready for submission to The Graduate School. Dr. Cathy Whitlock Approved for the Department of Earth Sciences Dr. David Mogk Approved for The Graduate School Dr. Ronald W. Larsen iii STATEMENT OF PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a doctoral degree at Montana State University, I agree that the Library shall make it available to borrowers under rules of the Library. I further agree that copying of this dissertation is allowable only for scholarly purposes, consistent with “fair use” as prescribed in the U.S. Copyright Law. Requests for extensive copying or reproduction of this dissertation should be referred to ProQuest Information and Learning, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106, to whom I have granted “the exclusive right to reproduce and distribute my dissertation in and from microform along with the non- exclusive right to reproduce and distribute my abstract in any format in whole or in part.” Virginia Iglesias January 2013 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deep gratitude and appreciation to my advisor and committee chair, Dr. Cathy Whitlock, for her guidance, advice and thoughtful critique throughout all stages of this project. Her support, understanding and encouragement proved to be invaluable. I would like to extend special thanks to Dr. Mark Greenwood, Dr. Bruce Maxwell, Dr. Shannon Moreaux and Dr. Ken Pierce for their valuable and constructive suggestions and for serving as members on my committee. I owe sincere thankfulness to the members of the Paleoecology research group and Bob Gresswell, Vera Markgraf, María Martha Bianchi, Gustavo Villarosa, Valeria Outes, Thomas Kitzberger and Diego Navarro for their friendship and assistance. Finally, I would like to thank my family and Sep Mulder-Rosi, who provided me with moral support, encouragement, motivation and inspiration throughout the course of my study. v TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION TO DISSERTATION ………………………………..………..…..………. 1 Objectives ………………………………………………………………………..…………..……….. 4 Overview of Dissertation …………….…...………...……………………….....………..………… 8 References ……….……...………………………………...………..……………………..………… 12 2. HOLOCENE CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY AT THE PATAGOANIAN FOREST/STEPPE ECOTONE: LAGO MOSQUITO AND LAGUNA DEL CONDOR …………………………..……..……………………..……………. 16 Contribution of Authors and Co-Authors ……………………..…………...…………………. 16 Manuscript Information Page ………………………………..………………………………….. 17 Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………....…… 18 Introduction ……………………...………………………………………………………………….. 19 Modern Setting ……………………………………………………………..………………………. 21 Methods ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 24 Results ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 31 Lithology …………………………………………..……………………………………….….. 31 The Pollen and Charcoal Records ………………………………..………………….…… 33 Discussion ……………………………………...…………………………………………………… 38 Early Holocene (>9000 cal yr BP) ………………………………..……………………... 39 Middle Holocene (9000 - 5250 cal yr BP) ……......……………………………………. 40 Late Holocene (5250 cal yr BP - Present) …………….……….…………...…………... 43 Conclusions ………...…....………………………………………………………...……………….. 45 Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………………………….. 47 References …………………………………...……………………………………………………… 48 3. CLIMATIC AND LOCAL CONTROLS OF LONG-TERM VEGETATION DYNAMICS IN NORTHERN PATAGONIA (LAT. 41°S) ………..………………………………………….....…………………..……………... 56 Contribution of Authors and Co-Authors ……………..……………………………………… 56 Manuscript Information Page …………………………………..……………………………….. 57 Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 58 Introduction …………………………………………...…….……………...……………………….. 58 Study Area ……………..……………………………………………………………………………. 60 Methods ……………………………………………………………….…………...….…....………… 62 Results ……………………………...………………………………………….…………………….. 67 Lithology ………………………………………..…………………………………………….. 67 L. Huala Hué ………………………….............………………...…………………………… 67 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS – CONTINUED L. Padre Laguna …………………..………………………………………………...… 68 The Pollen and Charcoal Records ………………..……………………………………… 69 L. Huala Hué …………………………...……………………………………………… 69 L. Padre Laguna …………….………..…………………………...………………...… 73 Discussion ……………………………………...…………………………………………………… 76 Regional Vegetation and Fire History …………….…………………………….……... 76 Late-Glacial/Early-Holocene Transition (13,500-11,200 cal yr BP) …..…... 76 Early and Middle Holocene (11,200-4900 cal yr BP) ………………...………. 78 Late Holocene (4900 cal yr BP to Present) …………………………………..….. 80 Distal and proximal controls of late-Holocene vegetation history……….………... 83 Conclusions …………………………...…………………………………………………………….. 86 Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………………………….. 87 References ……………………………………...…………………………………………………… 88 4. CLIMATE-VEGETATION-FIRE LINKAGES AT LOCAL TO REGIONAL SCALES ALONG THE PATAGONIAN FOREST-STEPPE ECOTONE (41 – 43˚S) ……………………..………………………….... 89 Contribution of Authors and Co-Authors …………………………..………………………… 93 Manuscript Information Page …………………………………..……………………………….. 93 Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 94 Introduction ………………………………...……………………………………………………….. 95 Study Sites and Regional Setting ………………………..………………….…………………. 96 Climate ……………………………………………..……………..…………………..………. 99 Modern Vegetation ………………………...……………..……………..………..……..… 102 Modern Fire Regime ……………..……………..………………………………..…..…… 104 Methods ……………..………………………………...…….…………………………...………… 106 Sample Collection ………………………...………………………………………………. 107 Lithological Analyses …………..…………………………..………………………..…… 107 Charcoal and Pollen Analyses ………………………..…………………...………..…… 108 Time-Series Analysis …………………..…..………………………………….……..…… 111 Results ………………………………………………………………………………………..…….. 115 Chronologies ……………………………….……………………………………………….. 115 Lithology …………………………………..…………………………………..…………….. 117 L. La Zeta ……………………………………………………………………………... 117 L. Theobald ….………………………………...……………………………………... 120 The Pollen and Charcoal Records ………………..………………………..…………… 122 Time-Series Analysis Results …………………………………………..……………..… 130 Discussion ………………………...…………………………..…………………………………… 134 Vegetation and Fire History of the Forest/Steppe Ecotone ..…….……...….……... 134 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS – CONTINUED Regional Trends in Vegetation and Fire at the Northern Patagonian Forest/Steppe Ecotone …………………...……….…….………………… 142 Vegetation Dynamics along the Forest/Steppe Ecotone ...……...….…… 142 Changes in the Fire Regime since the Last Glacial Maximum ..……..… 147 Fire and Human Activity along the Forest/Steppe Ecotone ……………... 150 Conclusions ………………..…………………………………………………..………………….. 151 Acknowledgements ……..……………………………………………………………………….. 155 References ………………….….……………………...…………………………………………… 156 5. CONCLUSIONS ……………………….……………………….…………………….…………. 167 Postglacial Environmental History along the Forest/Steppe Ecotone ...……...…..…… 168 Biogeography of Austrocedrus chilensis …….………....……….…….…………..….. 171 Climate-Vegetation-Fire Linkages along the Forest/Steppe Ecotone …...….......…..... 173 Vegetation Dynamics since the Last Glacial Maximum …………….……..…….... 173 Changes in the Fire Regime since the Last Glacial Maximum ………...…......….. 177 Final Remarks ……………………….………………………………………....………………… 180 References ………….....……………………………...………………………...…………...…….. 182 REFERENCES CITED ....................................................................................................................... 187 viii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 2.1 Radiocarbon and calibrated radiocarbon dates from Lago Mosquito and Laguna del Condor ……………………...………………….. 39 3.1 Radiocarbon and calibrated radiocarbon dates from L. Huala Hué and L. Padre Laguna …………..……..………………………...…………... 65 4.1 Study site information ………………………..…………………………… 101 4.2 Radiocarbon and calibrated radiocarbon dates from Laguna La Zeta and Lago Theobald ………………..…………………...…………………. 106 4.3 Model selection results ……………………………………………………. 114 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1.1 Study area and location of L. el Trébol, L. Padre Laguna, L. Huala Hué, L. Cóndor, L. Mosquito, L. La Zeta and L. Theobald .……………………..………………………………………………………... 7 2.1 Location of L. Mosquito and L. Cóndor ………………………...……...…………. 21 2.2 Age-depth model for a) L. Mosquito, and b) L. Cóndor ……..……………...…. 28 2.3 Lithologic, MS and LOI data, and sedimentation rates for the LC06A core ……..……………………...…………….……………………………... 32 2.4 a) K2O/Na2O vs SiO2 content of tephra layers (open symbols) in Lago Mosquito (MT) and L. Cóndor (CT-2) sediment cores, road-cuts in Los Alerces National Park (LAT), ashfall from the Chaitén 2008 eruption (CHA 08) and tephras from volcanoes from the study area. b) Chrondrite-normalized REE patterns for selected rhyolitic tephra samples from L. Mosquito and L. Cóndor cores and road-cuts along Los Alerces National Park ………………...……..……….……… 34 2.5 Lithology, selected pollen percentages, PAR, CHAR, background CHAR, local fire episodes and grass-to-total charcoal ratio for L. Mosquito, and L. Cóndor …………….………………..…… 38 2.6 Position of the