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The performance of single- and multi-proxy transfer functions (testate amoebae, bryophytes, vascular plants) for reconstructing mire surface wetness and pH

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Edward A.D. Mitchell ,
Richard J. Payne ,
Willem O. van der Knaap ,
Łukasz Lamentowicz ,
Maciej Gąbka  and
Mariusz Lamentowicz
Edward A.D. Mitchell*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Soil Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, CH‐2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Ecosystem Boundaries Research Unit, Wetlands Research Group, Station 2, CH‐1015 Lausanne, Switzerland Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratoire des Systèmes Ecologiques, Station 2, CH‐1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Richard J. Payne
Affiliation:
School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester Street, Manchester M1 5GD, UK
Willem O. van der Knaap
Affiliation:
Institute of Plant Sciences and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, CH‐3013 Bern, Switzerland
Łukasz Lamentowicz
Affiliation:
Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Dzięgielowa 27, 61‐680 Poznań, Poland
Maciej Gąbka
Affiliation:
Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Dzięgielowa 27, 61‐680 Poznań, Poland
Mariusz Lamentowicz
Affiliation:
Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Ecosystem Boundaries Research Unit, Wetlands Research Group, Station 2, CH‐1015 Lausanne, Switzerland Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratoire des Systèmes Ecologiques, Station 2, CH‐1015 Lausanne, Switzerland Department of Biogeography and Palaeoecology, Faculty of Geosciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, Dzięgielowa 27, 61‐680 Poznań, Poland
*
*Corresponding author at: Laboratory of Soil Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, CH–2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Fax: + 41 32 718 3001. E-mail address:[email protected] (E.A.D. Mitchell).
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Abstract

Peatlands are widely exploited archives of paleoenvironmental change. We developed and compared multiple transfer functions to infer peatland depth to the water table (DWT) and pH based on testate amoeba (percentages, or presence/absence), bryophyte presence/absence, and vascular plant presence/absence data from sub-alpine peatlands in the SE Swiss Alps in order to 1) compare the performance of single-proxy vs. multi-proxy models and 2) assess the performance of presence/absence models. Bootstrapping cross-validation showing the best performing single-proxy transfer functions for both DWT and pH were those based on bryophytes. The best performing transfer functions overall for DWT were those based on combined testate amoebae percentages, bryophytes and vascular plants; and for pH, those based on testate amoebae and bryophytes. The comparison of DWT and pH inferred from testate amoeba percentages and presence/absence data showed similar general patterns but differences in the magnitude and timing of some shifts. These results show new directions for paleoenvironmental research, 1) suggesting that it is possible to build good-performing transfer functions using presence/absence data, although with some loss of accuracy, and 2) supporting the idea that multi-proxy inference models may improve paleoecological reconstruction. The performance of multi-proxy and single-proxy transfer functions should be further compared in paleoecological data.

Keywords

PeatlandsBryophytesVascular plantsTestate amoebaeTransfer functionQuantitative paleoecologyMonitoringWater table depthpH
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 79 , Issue 1 , January 2013 , pp. 6 - 13
Copyright
University of Washington

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