Poleward mangrove expansion in South America coincides with MCA and CWP: A diatom, pollen, and organic geochemistry study

Author(s)

Rodrigues, Erika ; Cohen, Marcelo Cancela Lisboa ; Pessenda, Luiz Carlos R. ; Franca, Marlon Carlos ; Magalhaes, Evandro ; Yao, Qiang

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS; v. 288, p. 12-pg., 2022-06-13.

Abstract

The projected warming trend in the 21st century is likely to alter the global distribution of mangroves. However, the migratory pattern of different mangrove species is still unclear, especially in the subtropical Brazilian littoral. This study utilizes pollen, diatom, and organic geochemistry to document the late Holocene morphological and ecological transformation in Sao Francisco do Sul Bay, the mangrove subrange limit in south Brazil. This multi-proxy dataset indicates the establishment of saltmarshes and mangroves on muddy tidal flats at similar to 1720 and similar to 870 cal yr BP, and Laguncularia, Avicennia, and Rhizophora colonized the study area at similar to 870, similar to 390, and similar to 70 cal yr BP, respectively. This stepwise succession of three mangrove species in Sao Francisco do Sul Bay, and poleward mangrove expansion toward the austral mangrove range limit, indicate that the migratory histories of different mangrove species were not synchronized during the late Holocene, and temperature is the primary climatic factor regulating the mangrove distribution in south Brazil. More importantly, the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Current Warm Period were clearly registered in the pollen record, suggesting that the two climate anomalies likely facilitated the mangroves colonization into higher latitudes in south Brazil. Overall, our dataset indicates that mangrove expansion into more temperate zones will likely accelerate in South America. (C) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 20/13715-1 - Dynamics of American mangroves at austral and boreal limits on secular and decadal scales
• Grantee: Luiz Carlos Ruiz Pessenda
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants