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Holocene changes in climate and land use drove shifts in the diversity of testate amoebae in a subalpine pond

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Abstract

Testate amoebae that inhabit peat are sensitive indicators of water table position. In this study, we used testate amoebae in sediments from a mire in the western Alps (Lac du Thyl) to: (1) reconstruct the hydrology of the site over the last 7,000 years, (2) determine how hydrological changes affected testate amoebae diversity and (3) infer past trophic state shifts. The study site is located in one of the driest valleys of the Alps and is thus very sensitive to hydrological changes. Our study revealed that the water table depth increased (dry conditions) between 5,800 and 4,000 cal year BP. This triggered establishment of a Sphagnum-type peat and acidic conditions from 5,700 to 4,000 cal year BP. These processes were independent of ongoing transformations of the terrestrial vegetation and soil in the catchment area. After 1,690 cal year BP, the depth to the water table decreased (wetter conditions) and a minerotrophic fen developed. At the same time, the diversity of testate amoebae increased, probably as a result of deforestation that supported the expansion of grassland. Climate and land use were apparently more important factors controlling the lake hydrology than were changes in vegetation and soil in the catchment. Testate amoebae diversity was linked to land cover. Changes in pH were controlled indirectly by external forcing (climate), but more directly by fluctuations in the level of the water table (internal forcing) and autogenous expansion of Sphagnum.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support to CC was provided by the Institut National des Sciences de l’Univers (INSU-CNRS, France), through the ECCO National Program. Funding to AG came from the University of Montpellier 2, to BM from the University of Savoie, to OB from the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes and to ML from the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP, Outgoing Fellowship KOLUMB and Reintegration grant). We are grateful to Sandrine Subitani for her help during the laboratory work and Michelle Garneau for her helpful comments about the manuscript. We thank Mark Brenner and two anonymous reviewers. FO, CC and ML wrote the paper. FO collected the testate amoebae data. The modeling, using the transfer function was conducted by ML. AAA and LB co-supervised the Master’s thesis of FO. Other authors contributed to the data and commented on the interpretation of the results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Bio-Archeology and Ecology (UMR5059 CNRS), Institut de Botanique, Université Montpellier 2, 163 Rue Broussonet, 34090, Montpellier, France

    France Oris, Adam A. Ali, Laurent Bremond & Christopher Carcaillet

  2. Paleoenvironnements and Chronoecology (PALECO, EPHE), Institut de Botanique, 163 Rue Broussonet, 34090, Montpellier, France

    Olivier Blarquez, Laurent Bremond & Christopher Carcaillet

  3. Department of Biogeography and Palaeoecology, Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, Dzięgielowa 27, 61-680, Poznań, Poland

    Mariusz Lamentowicz

  4. Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Wetlands Research Group, Station 2, CH 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Mariusz Lamentowicz

  5. Laboratoire des Systèmes Ecologiques, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland

    Mariusz Lamentowicz

  6. Laboratory of Soil Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, CH 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Mariusz Lamentowicz

  7. Center for Forest Research and NSERC-UQAT-UQÀM Industrial Chair in Sustainable Forest Management, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, C. P. 8888, Succursale centre-ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada

    Aurélie Genries, Olivier Blarquez & Christopher Carcaillet

  8. Université de Lyon, UMR5023 Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Université Lyon 1, ENTPE, CNRS, 3, rue Maurice Audin, 69518, Vaulx-en-Velin, France

    Brice Mourier

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  1. France Oris
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  2. Mariusz Lamentowicz
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  3. Aurélie Genries
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  4. Brice Mourier
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  5. Olivier Blarquez
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Correspondence to France Oris.

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Oris, F., Lamentowicz, M., Genries, A. et al. Holocene changes in climate and land use drove shifts in the diversity of testate amoebae in a subalpine pond. J Paleolimnol 49, 633–646 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-013-9680-3

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