Testing the effect of relative pollen productivity on the REVEALS model: a validated reconstruction of Europe-wide holocene vegetation

Serge, M.; Mazier, F.; Fyfe, R.; Gaillard, M.-J.; Klein, T.; Lagnoux, A.; ... ; Zernitskaya, V. (2023)

Article / Letter to editor

Reliable quantitative vegetation reconstructions for Europe during the Holocene are crucial
to improving our understanding of landscape dynamics, making it possible to assess the past effects
of environmental variables and land-use change on ecosystems and biodiversity, and mitigating
their effects in the future. We present here the most spatially extensive and temporally continuous
pollen-based reconstructions of plant cover in Europe (at a spatial resolution of 1 1) over the
Holocene (last 11.7 ka BP) using the ‘Regional Estimates of VEgetation Abundance from Large Sites’
(REVEALS) model. This study has three main aims. First, to present the most accurate and reliable
generation of REVEALS reconstructions across Europe so far. This has been achieved by including a
larger number of pollen records compared to former analyses, in particular from the Mediterranean
area. Second, to discuss methodological issues in the quantification of past land cover by using
alternative datasets of relative pollen productivities (RPPs), one of the key input parameters of
REVEALS, to test model sensitivity. Finally, to validate our reconstructions with the global forest
change dataset. The results suggest that the RPPs.st1 (31 taxa) dataset is best suited to producing
regional vegetation cover estimates for Europe. These reconstructions offer a long-term perspective
providing unique possibilities to explore spatial-temporal changes in past land cover and biodiversity.

• Europe
• Quantitative Past Land Cover
• Holocene
• Pollen Data
• REVEALS Model
• Relative Pollen Productivity
• Validation

• All authors: Serge, M.; Mazier, F.; Fyfe, R.; Gaillard, M.-J.; Klein, T.; Lagnoux, A.; Galop, D.; Githumbi, E.; Mindrescu, M.; Nielsen, A.; Trondman, A.-K.; Poska, A.; Sugita, S.; Woodbridge, J.; Abel-Schaad, D.; Åkesson, C.; Alenius, T.; Ammann, B.; Andersen, S.; Anderson, R.; Andrič, M.; Balakauskas, L.; Barnekow, L.; Batalova, V.; Bergman, J.; Birks, H.; Björkman, L.; Bjune, A.; Borisova, O.; Broothaerts, N.; Carrion, J.; Caseldine, C.; Christiansen, J.; Cui, Q.; Currás, A.; Czerwiński, S.; David, R.; Davies, A.; De Jong, R.; Di Rita, F.; Dietre, B.; Dörfler, W.; Doyen, E.; Edwards, K.; Ejarque, A.; Endtmann, E.; Etienne, D.; Faure, E.; Feeser, I.; Feurdean, A.; Fischer, E.; Fletcher, W.; Franco-Múgica, F.; Fredh, E.; Froyd, C.; Garcés-Pastor, S.; García-Moreiras, I.; Gauthier, E.; Gil-Romera, G.; González-Sampériz, P.; Grant, M.; Grindean, R.; Haas, J.; Hannon, G.; Heather, A.-J.; Heikkilä, M.; Hjelle, K.; Jahns, S.; Jasiunas, N.; Jiménez-Moreno, G.; Jouffroy-Bapicot, I.; Kabailienė, M.; Kamerling, I.M.; Kangur, M.; Karpińska-Kołaczek, M.; Kasianova, A.; Kołaczek, P.; Lagerås, P.; Latalowa, M.; Lechterbeck, J.; Leroyer, C.; Leydet, M.; Lindbladh, M.; Lisitsyna, O.; López-Sáez, J.-A.; Lowe, J.; Luelmo-Lautenschlaeger, R.; Lukanina, E.; Macijauskaitė, L.; Magri, D.; Marguerie, D.; Marquer, L.; Martinez-Cortizas, A.; Mehl, I.; Mesa-Fernández, J.; Mighall, T.; Miola, A.; Miras, Y.; Morales-Molino, C.; Mrotzek, A.; Sobrino, C.; Odgaard, B.; Ozola, I.; Pérez-Díaz, S.; Pérez-Obiol, R.; Poggi, C.; Rego, P.; Ramos-Román, M.; Rasmussen, P.; Reille, M.; Rösch, M.; Ruffaldi, P.; Goni, M.; Savukynienė, N.; Schröder, T.; Schult, M.; Segerström, U.; Seppä, H.; Vives, G.; Shumilovskikh, L.; Smettan, H.; Stancikaite, M.; Stevenson, A.; Stivrins, N.; Tantau, I.; Theuerkauf, M.; Tonkov, S.; van der Knaap, W.; van Leeuwen, J.; Vecmane, E.; Verstraeten, G.; Veski, S.; Voigt, R.; von Stedingk, H.; Waller, M.; Wiethold, J.; Willis, K.; Wolters, S.; Zernitskaya, V.
• Date: 2023-04-29
• Journal: Land
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 5
• DOI: doi:10.3390/land12050986