Reconstructing Holocene vegetation on the island of Gran Canaria before and after human colonization

We provide the first fossil pollen and charcoal analysis from the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands). The pollen record obtained from Laguna de Valleseco (870 m a.s.l.) spans the late Holocene (c. 4500–1500 cal. yr BP) and thereby captures the impact of human colonization. During the earliest p...

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Authors: Nascimento Reyes, Lea de, Nogué, Sandra, Criado Hernández, Constantino, Ravazzi, Cesare, Whittaker, Robert J., Willis, Kathy J., Fernández-Palacios, José María
Format: article
Status:Versión aceptada para publicación
Publication Date:2015
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de La Laguna (ULL)
Repository:RIULL. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de La Laguna
OAI Identifier:oai:riull.ull.es:915/17695
Online Access:http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/17695
Access Level:Embargoed access
Keyword:Canary Islands
fire history
human impact
palaeoecology
pollen analysis
thermophilous vegetation
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spelling Reconstructing Holocene vegetation on the island of Gran Canaria before and after human colonizationNascimento Reyes, Lea deNogué, SandraCriado Hernández, ConstantinoRavazzi, CesareWhittaker, Robert J.Willis, Kathy J.Fernández-Palacios, José MaríaCanary Islandsfire historyhuman impactpalaeoecologypollen analysisthermophilous vegetationWe provide the first fossil pollen and charcoal analysis from the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands). The pollen record obtained from Laguna de Valleseco (870 m a.s.l.) spans the late Holocene (c. 4500–1500 cal. yr BP) and thereby captures the impact of human colonization. During the earliest period, pollen composition resembled contemporary thermophilous communities, with palms (Phoenix canariensis) and junipers (Juniperus cf. turbinata) being the dominant trees, suggesting that these elements were more widespread in the past. Vegetation in Valleseco began to change at around 2300 cal. yr BP, 400 years before the earliest archaeological evidence of human presence in the island (c. 1900 cal. yr BP). Our data show an increased frequency of fires at that time, coinciding with the decline of palms and the increase of grasses, indicating that humans were present and were transforming vegetation, thus showing that the demise of Gran Canaria’s forest began at an early point in the prehistoric occupation of the island. In the following centuries, there were no signs of forest recovery. Pollen from cultivated cereals became significant, implying the introduction of agriculture in the site, by 1800 cal. yr BP. The next shift in vegetation (c. 1600 cal. yr BP) involved the decrease of grasses in favour of shrubs and trees like Morella faya, suggesting that agriculture was abandoned at the site.201920192015info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersionhttp://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/17695reponame:RIULL. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de La Lagunainstname:Universidad de La Laguna (ULL)InglésThe Holocene;Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internacionalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccessoai:riull.ull.es:915/176952026-06-22T13:13:57Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Reconstructing Holocene vegetation on the island of Gran Canaria before and after human colonization
title Reconstructing Holocene vegetation on the island of Gran Canaria before and after human colonization
spellingShingle Reconstructing Holocene vegetation on the island of Gran Canaria before and after human colonization
Nascimento Reyes, Lea de
Canary Islands
fire history
human impact
palaeoecology
pollen analysis
thermophilous vegetation
title_short Reconstructing Holocene vegetation on the island of Gran Canaria before and after human colonization
title_full Reconstructing Holocene vegetation on the island of Gran Canaria before and after human colonization
title_fullStr Reconstructing Holocene vegetation on the island of Gran Canaria before and after human colonization
title_full_unstemmed Reconstructing Holocene vegetation on the island of Gran Canaria before and after human colonization
title_sort Reconstructing Holocene vegetation on the island of Gran Canaria before and after human colonization
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Nascimento Reyes, Lea de
Nogué, Sandra
Criado Hernández, Constantino
Ravazzi, Cesare
Whittaker, Robert J.
Willis, Kathy J.
Fernández-Palacios, José María
author Nascimento Reyes, Lea de
author_facet Nascimento Reyes, Lea de
Nogué, Sandra
Criado Hernández, Constantino
Ravazzi, Cesare
Whittaker, Robert J.
Willis, Kathy J.
Fernández-Palacios, José María
author_role author
author2 Nogué, Sandra
Criado Hernández, Constantino
Ravazzi, Cesare
Whittaker, Robert J.
Willis, Kathy J.
Fernández-Palacios, José María
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Canary Islands
fire history
human impact
palaeoecology
pollen analysis
thermophilous vegetation
topic Canary Islands
fire history
human impact
palaeoecology
pollen analysis
thermophilous vegetation
description We provide the first fossil pollen and charcoal analysis from the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands). The pollen record obtained from Laguna de Valleseco (870 m a.s.l.) spans the late Holocene (c. 4500–1500 cal. yr BP) and thereby captures the impact of human colonization. During the earliest period, pollen composition resembled contemporary thermophilous communities, with palms (Phoenix canariensis) and junipers (Juniperus cf. turbinata) being the dominant trees, suggesting that these elements were more widespread in the past. Vegetation in Valleseco began to change at around 2300 cal. yr BP, 400 years before the earliest archaeological evidence of human presence in the island (c. 1900 cal. yr BP). Our data show an increased frequency of fires at that time, coinciding with the decline of palms and the increase of grasses, indicating that humans were present and were transforming vegetation, thus showing that the demise of Gran Canaria’s forest began at an early point in the prehistoric occupation of the island. In the following centuries, there were no signs of forest recovery. Pollen from cultivated cereals became significant, implying the introduction of agriculture in the site, by 1800 cal. yr BP. The next shift in vegetation (c. 1600 cal. yr BP) involved the decrease of grasses in favour of shrubs and trees like Morella faya, suggesting that agriculture was abandoned at the site.
publishDate 2015
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2015
2019
2019
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
format article
status_str acceptedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/17695
url http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/17695
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv The Holocene;
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internacional
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internacional
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv embargoedAccess
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:RIULL. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de La Laguna
instname:Universidad de La Laguna (ULL)
instname_str Universidad de La Laguna (ULL)
reponame_str RIULL. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de La Laguna
collection RIULL. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de La Laguna
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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