Medieval Warming, Little Ice Age, and European impact on the environment during the last millennium in the lower Hudson Valley, New York, USA by Pederson, D.C., Peteet, D.M., Kurdyla, D., and Gilderson, T.
Quaternary Research 63 (2005) 238– 249 |
AbstractEstablishing natural climate variability becomes particularly important in large urban areas in anticipation of droughts. We present a well dated
bi-decadal record of vegetation, climate, land use, and fire frequency from a tidal marsh in the Hudson River Estuary. The classic
Medieval Warm Period is evident through striking increases in charcoal and Pinus dominance from ~800–1300 A.D., paralleling
paleorecords southward along the Atlantic seaboard. Higher inputs of inorganic sediment during this interval suggest increased watershed
erosion during drought conditions. The presence of the Little Ice Age ensues with increases in Picea and Tsuga, coupled with increasing
organic percentages due to cooler, moister conditions. European impact is manifested by a decline in arboreal pollen due to land clearance,
increased weedy plant cover (i.e., Ambrosia, Plantago, and Rumex), and an increase in inorganic particles to the watershed. Access |