Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T11:55:06.435Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Rapid Climatic Change in Coastal Southern California Inferred from Pollen Analysis of San Joaquin Marsh

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Owen K. Davis
Owen K. Davis*
Affiliation:
Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Pollen analysis and five radiocarbon dates of a 687-cm core provide a detailed chronology of environmental change in a marsh at the head of Newport Bay, Orange County, California. Sediment deposition kept pace with sea-level rise during the early history of the marsh. From ca. 7000 to 4500 yr B.P. the site was a freshwater marsh, trees were more abundant than today, and grassland was the regional vegetation. As sea level rose, salt marsh gradually invaded the site. Brief periods of freshwater marsh 3800, 2800, 2300, and after 560 yr B.P. correlate with episodes of global cooling during the Neoglacial. The historic period is marked by the appearance of exotic species (particularly Erodium cf. cicutarium and Eucalyptus) and the spores of fungi (Sporormiella and Thecaphora). Peak influx of pollen, spores, and charcoal probably reflect greater frequency of flooding and erosion ca. 5000 yr B.P. and during the last 1000 yr.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 37 , Issue 1 , January 1992 , pp. 89 - 100
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adam, D.P., (1967). Late Pleistocene and Recent palynology in the central Sierra Nevada, California Cushing, E.J. Wright, H.E. Jr. Quaternary Paleoecology Yale Univ. Press New Haven, CT 275–301 Google Scholar
Anderson, R.S. Davis, O.K., (1988). Contemporary pollen rain across the central Sierra Nevada. California: The relationship to modern vegetation types Arctic and Alpine Research 20, 448–460 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonny, A.P., (1976). Recruitment of pollen to the seston and sediment of some English Lake District lakes Journal of Ecology 64, 859–887 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bright, R.C., (1966). Pollen and seed stratigraphy of Swan Lake, Southeastern Idaho: Its relation to regional vegetational history and to Lake Bonneville history Tebiwa 9, 1–47 Google Scholar
Bryant, V.M. Jr. Late Quaternary pollen records from the east-central periphery of the Chihuahuan Desert Wauer, R.H. Riskind, D.H., (1978). Symposium on Biological Resources of the Chihuahuan Desert Region, United States and Mexico USDI Transactions and Proceedings 3 3–21 Google Scholar
County of Orange Environmental Management Agency Draft Environmental Impact Report #494 For State Route 73 Extension Between Jamboree Road and Interstate Route 5 Including Ramp Improvements between Birch Street and Jamboree Road (The San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor) (1988). Environmental Management Agency County of Orange, Santa Ana, CA Google Scholar
Curray, J.R., (1965). Late Quaternary history, continental shelves of the United States Wright, H.E. Jr. Frey, D.G. The Quaternary of the United States Princeton Univ. Press 723–735 Google Scholar
Curry, R.R., (1971). Holocene climatic and glacial history of the central Sierra Nevada, California Schuman, S.A. Bradley, W.C. United States Contributions to Quaternary Research Geological Society of America Special Paper 123 1–47 Google Scholar
Damon, P.E. Linick, T.W., (1986). Geomagnetic-heliomagnetic modulation of atmospheric radiocarbon production Radiocarbon 28, 266–278 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, O.K., (1984). Pollen analysis of two archeological sites at El Portal, Yosemite National Park Archeological Investigations in the Merced River Canyon: Report of the 1983 El Portal Archeological Project Riley, L.M. Appendix F. Yosemite Research Center Publication in Anthropology No. 3 Google Scholar
Davis, O.K., (1987). Spores of the dung fungus Sporormiella: Increased abundance in historic sediments and before Pleistocene megafaunal extinction Quaternary Research 28, 290–294 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, O.K., (1990). Pollen analysis of Soda Lake, Carrizo Plain, California Report to The Nature Conservancy 15 San Francisco, CA Google Scholar
Davis, O.K. Kolva, D.A. Mehringer, P.J. Jr. (1977). Pollen analysis of Wildcat Lake, Whitman County, Washington: The last 1000 years Northwest Science 51, 13–30 Google Scholar
Davis, O.K. Sheppard, J.C. Robertson, S., (1986). Contrasting climatic histories for the Snake River Plain resulting from multiple thermal maxima Quaternary Research 26, 321–339 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, O.K. Turner, R.M., (1987). Palynological evidence for the historic expansion of juniper and desert shrubs resulting from human disturbance in Arizona, U.S.A. Review of Palaeobotony and Palynology 49, 177–193 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dickason, F., (1971). The Physical Environment of Orange County Orange County Planning Department Santa Ana, CA Google Scholar
Earth Research Associates Preliminary soils engineering investigation on the preservation of San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh Project Report to the University of California (1977). Office of Physical Planning and Construction Irvine Google Scholar
Faegri, K. Iversen, J., (1975). Textbook of Pollen Analysis Hafner Press New York 295 Google Scholar
Fairbanks, R.G., (1989). A 17,000-year glacio-eustatic sea level record: Influence of glacial melting rates on the Younger Dryas event and deep-ocean circulation Nature 342, 637–642 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fletcher, C.H. III Knebel, H.J. Kraft, J.C., (1990). Holocene evolution of an estuarine coast and tidal wetlands Geological Society of America Bulletin 102, 283–297 2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gustafson, S., (1984). San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh Reserve University of California Natural Reserve System Brochure Google Scholar
Hendry, G.W., (1931). The adobe brick as a historical source Agriculture History 5, 110–127 Google Scholar
Heusser, L., (1978). Pollen in Santa Barbara Basin, California: A 12,000-yr record Geological Society of America Bulletin 89, 673–678 2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hope, G.S. Peterson, J.A., (1975). Glaciation and vegetation in the high New Guinea Mountains Suggate, R.P. Cresswell, M.M. Quaternary Studies Royal Society New Zealand 155–162 Google Scholar
Hunt, R.D. Sanchez, N.V., (1929). A Short History of California Thomas Crowell Co New York Google Scholar
Jelgersma, S., (1966). Sea-level changes during the last 10,000 years Proceedings, International Symposium on World Climates from 8000 B.C. to 0 B.C. Royal Meteorological Society London 54–71 Google Scholar
Koerper, H.C., (1981). Prehistoric Subsistence and Settlement in the Newport Bay Area and Environs, Orange County, California Ph.D. dissertation University of California Riverside Google Scholar
Koerper, H.C. Killingley, J.S. Taylor, R.E., (1985). The Little Ice Age and coastal southern California human economy Journal California Great Basin Anthropology 7, 99–103 Google Scholar
Kraft, J.C. Belknap, D.F. Demarest, J.M., (1987). Prediction of the effects of sea-level change from paralic and inner shelf stratigraphic sequences Rampino, M.R. Sanders, J.E. Newman, W.S. Konigsson, L.K. Climate History, Periodicity and Predictability Van Nostrand Reinhold New York 166–192 Google Scholar
LaMarche, V.C. Jr. Tree-ring evidence of past climatic variability Nature 276, (1978). 334–338 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Landscheidt, T., (1987). Long-range forecasts of solar cycles and climate change Rampino, M.R. Sanders, J.E. Newman, W.S. Konigsson, L.K. Climate History, Periodicity, and Predictability Van Nostrand Reinhold New York 421–445 Google Scholar
Mehringer, P.J. Jr. Late Quaternary pollen records from the interior Pacific Northwest and Northern Great Basin of the United States Bryant, V.M. Holloway, R.G., (1985). Pollen Records of Late-Quaternary North American Sediments AASP Foundation 167–189 Google Scholar
Mehringer, P.J. Jr. Wigand, P.E., (1986). Western Juniper in the Holocene Westwide Pinyon-Juniper Conference Everett, R.L. U.S. Forest Service General Technical Report INT-215 Google Scholar
Mudie, P.J. Byrne, R., (1980). Pollen evidence for historic sedimentation rates in California coastal marshes Estuarine and Coastal Marine Sciences 10, 305–316 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oviatt, C.G., (1988). Late Pleistocene and Holocene lake fluctuations in the Sevier Lake Basin, Utah, USA Journal Paleolimnology 1, 9–21 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pisias, N.G., (1978). Paleoceanography of the Santa Barbara Basin during the last 8000 years Quaternary Research 10, 366–385 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schlenger, M.E. Mitchell, J.F.B., (1985). Model projections of the equilibrium climatic response to increased carbon dioxide The Potential Effects of Increasing Carbon Dioxide COE/ER-0237 Vol. 4, 81–147 Google Scholar
Schmidt, B. Gruhle, W., (1988). Klima, Radiokohlenstoffgehalt und Dendrochronologie Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau 41, 177–182 Google Scholar
Scuderi, L.A., (1984). A Dendroclimatic and Geomorphic Investigation of Late-Holocene Glaciation, Southern Sierra Nevada, California Ph.D. dissertation Univ. of California Los Angeles 247 Google Scholar
Scuderi, L.A., (1987). Glacier variations in the Sierra Nevada, California, as related to a 1200-year treering chronology Quaternary Research 27, 220–231 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shafer, D.S., (1989). The Timing of Late Quaternary Monsoon Precipitation Maxima in the Southwest United States Ph.D. dissertation University of Arizona Tucson 234 Google Scholar
Stevenson, R.E. Emery, K.O., (1958). Marshlands at Newport Bay, California University of Southern California Occasional Paper 20 Google Scholar
Stuiver, M. Kra, R.S., (1986). Proceedings of the twelfth international radiocarbon conference—Trondheim, Norway Radiocarbon 28, (2B) Google Scholar
Van Geel, B. Mook, W.G., (1989). High-resolution 14C dating of organic deposits using natural atmospheric 14C variations Radiocarbon 31, 151–156 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waters, M.R., (1989). Late Quaternary lacustrine history and paleoclimatic significance of pluvial Lake Cochise, southeastern Arizona Quaternary Research 32, 1–12 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
West, G.J., (1977). Late Holocene Vegetation History of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California Report to Calif. Department of Parks and Recreation, Interagency Agreement B-50173 Google Scholar
West, G.J., (1989). Early historic vegetation change in Alta California: The fossil evidence Thomas, D.H. Columbian Consequences Vol. 1, Smithsonian Institution Press Washington, DC 333–348 Archeological and Historical Perspectives on the Spanish Borderland, West Google Scholar