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New data on glacier fluctuations during the climatic transition at ~4,000 cal. year BP from a buried log in the Forni Glacier forefield (Italian Alps)

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Abstract

Glacier history can be reconstructed thanks to geomorphological documentation of previous advances, dating of glacial deposits, and investigation of buried soils and included organic material, which may be linked to vegetation dynamics. A buried log was retrieved at 2,385 m a.s.l. on the northeast-facing slope of the upper Forni Valley (Italian Alps), where the homonymous valley glacier is located. The glacier forefield is currently facing an early successional forest expansion after the ongoing tongue retreat, mainly dominated by young Picea abies Karst. and Larix decidua Mill. specimens. From dendrochronological and radiocarbon analyses on the retrieved log, coupled with sedimentological and geopedological data, the past environmental and glacier conditions were reconstructed. The log belongs to the Stone pine species (Pinus cembra L.), it has 283 tree rings and became buried in the deposit in the Subboreal, after 4,201–4,032 cal. year BP, age of the outermost tree ring. The retrieved log reveals that during the Subboreal in the Forni Valley, likely much older specimens of Stone pine were present on the slopes, in strong contrast to present-day conditions. The log’s tree-ring growth rates were similar to those presented during the Little Ice Age peak by Stone pine trees of comparable age growing nowadays at the treeline.

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Acknowledgments

This study has been developed within the SHARE-Stelvio Project, funded by the Lombardy Region Government, managed by FLA (Lombardy Foundation for the Environment) and EvK2CNR Committee, and led by G. Diolaiuti. Data analysis was also supported by PRIN 2010–2011 (Grant Number 2010AYKTAB_006), local leader Prof. C. Smiraglia and national leader Prof. C. Baroni. We thank the Stelvio National Park-Lombardy sector, F. Meraldi and V. Garavaglia for their support in field activities.

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  1. ‘A. Desio’ Department of Earth Sciences, University of Milan, Via Mangiagalli 34, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Manuela Pelfini, Giovanni Leonelli, Luca Trombino, Andrea Zerboni, Irene Bollati, Aurora Merlini, Claudio Smiraglia & Guglielmina Diolaiuti

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  1. Manuela Pelfini
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  2. Giovanni Leonelli
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Correspondence to Manuela Pelfini.

Appendix: description of the horizons of the pedosedimentary sequence

Appendix: description of the horizons of the pedosedimentary sequence

A (0–5 cm): very wet; pale olive (5Y 6/4) dry, and olive (5Y 4/3) moist; sandy loam with subangular medium gravel, slightly weathered; medium granular structure, weak; common macropores; few fine roots; gradual to diffuse, smooth boundary to AC1.

AC1 (5–20 cm): moist; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) dry, and olive (5Y 4/4) moist; sandy loam, with common subangular medium gravel and few subangular coarse gravel, both slightly weathered; fine granular structure, weak; common macropores; few fine roots; gradual to diffuse, smooth boundary to AC2.

AC2 (20–35 cm): moist; olive (5Y 5/4) dry, and olive (5Y 4/3) moist; sandy loam with dominant subangular coarse gravel, weathered; fine granular structure, weak; few macropores; few fine roots; gradual to diffuse, irregular boundary to 2AB.

2AB (35–37 cm): moist; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry, and olive (5Y 4/4) moist; silt loam with many subrounded medium gravels weathered; fine granular loose structure, weak; common macropores; few fine roots; gradual to diffuse, smooth boundary to 2CI.

2C1 (37–61 cm): moist; pale olive (5Y 6/3) dry, and olive (5Y 4/4) moist; sandy loam with common subrounded coarse gravels weathered; fine granular structure, weak; few macropores; few fine roots; gradual to diffuse, smooth boundary to 2C2.

2C2 (61–91 + cm); moist; pale olive (5Y 6/4) dry, and olive (5Y 4/4) moist; sandy loam with many subrounded coarse gravels weathered; fine granular structure, weak; few macropores; few fine roots; lower boundary not exposed.

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Pelfini, M., Leonelli, G., Trombino, L. et al. New data on glacier fluctuations during the climatic transition at ~4,000 cal. year BP from a buried log in the Forni Glacier forefield (Italian Alps). Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 25, 427–437 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-014-0346-5

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