Efeitos das mudanças climáticas nos limites austral e boreal dos manguezais americanos durante o Holoceno e Antropoceno

Abstract

During the Holocene, mangrove distributions were primarily controlled by climate change and sea level fluctuations. In particular, low winter temperatures in the subtropical coastal areas limited these ecosystems to expand beyond 30°N and 28°S in the North and South Hemisphere. Therefore, under the continuous warming trend during the Anthropocene, mangroves are expected to migrate to more temperate regions previously occupied by saltmarshes (e.g., Spartina sp.). The purpose of this Thesis is evaluate the effects of climate changes and SLR fluctuations on the distribution of American mangroves along the Holocene and Anthropocene, based on satellite and drone images, sedimentary facies, diatoms, pollen, geochemistry (LOI, XRF, TOC , TN, TS, C: N, C: S, δ13C and δ15N) as well 210Pb and 14C datings .To achieve the aforementioned objectives, studies were conducted on the tropical coast of southeastern Brazil - south of the Espírito Santo State (20°41'S), the subtropical coastal regions located on the north (26°6'S) and south (28°29’ S) coast of Santa Catarina, and Louisiana littoral (29° 09' N). The results of this research are presented in four scientific papers. The first one (see, chapter II) deals with the effects of global warming on the establishment of mangroves in the Louisiana littoral (29° 09’ N) during the Holocene. The second scientific paper (see, chapter III) shows southward migration of the austral limit mangroves in South America, according to the increase in minimum winter temperatures in the Anthropocene (southern Santa Catarina coast, 28°29' S). The third manuscript (see, chapter IV) assesses the impacts of sea level rise on tropical mangroves in southeastern Brazil (southern Espírito Santo coast, 20°41'S) during the Holocene and Anthropocene, using a multi-proxy approach. The fourth scientific paper (see, chapter V) addresses the establishment of mangroves in the São Francisco do Sul Bay (north Santa Catarina coast , 26° 6'S), in response to global warming in the last 1000 years. The results indicated a marine transgression off the southern coast of Santa Catarina (28°29’ S) and the Louisiana littoral (29°09’ N) during early Holocene. This natural process converted a lake into lagoons colonized by herbs adapted to an estuarine environment. On the Brazilian tropical coast, the middle Holocene high sea-level stand (2-5 m above the current level) was decisive for the establishment of mangroves. This comportment was observed in an estuary located on the south coast of Espírito Santo (20°41'S) where a herbaceous plain was gradually replaced by a lagoon surrounded by mangroves between ~6300 cal yr BP and ~4650 cal yr BP. However, between ~ 4650 cal yr BP and 2700 cal yr BP the lagoon colonized by mangroves on its margins was converted to a tidal flat occupied by herbs, palms and trees/shrubs reflecting the reduction of estuarine influence in the late Holocene, according to with the fall and/or stabilization of the RSL. From the last thousand years there has been a significant decrease in the occurrence of mangrove pollen in the sediments of the tidal flats of southern Espirito Santo (390 cal yr BP (1560 AD) and 77 cal yr BP (1873 AD), probably caused by a RSL fall associated with Little Ice Age (LIA). Paleoclimatic studies have indicated temperature fluctuations during LIA (380 to 50 cal yr BP) and MCA – Medieval Warm Period (950 to 750 cal yr BP) in the late Holocene and consequent change in the Brazil southern vegetation. These climatic events probably influenced the appearance of the mangrove genera succession in the São Francisco do Sul Bay (north Santa Catarina coast, 26°6' S). The effects of the sea level fall and/or stabilization during late Holocene were recorded on the southern coast of Santa Catarina (Laguna, 28° 29 ′ S) through changes in coastal geomorphology. In this same period at the Louisiana coastline (29°09 ′ N), sandy sediments (overwash sediments) were deposited in these estuaries reflecting the gradual migration of these sediments towards land likely a result of storm events. The position of RSL on the southern Brazilian coast (Laguna, 28° 29 ′ S) and north american (Louisiana coast, 29° 09 ′ N) from the middle Holocene were the same presenting suitable physicochemical conditions for mangrove development, as occurred on the coast of Espírito Santo (~6300 cal yr BP) and São Francisco do Sul Bay (~1500 cal yr BP). However, no mangrove pollen grains were recorded in the sediments of the current austral (Laguna, 28° 29 ′ S) and boreal (Louisiana coast, 29° 09 ′ N) limit of American mangroves during the Holocene. During this time interval, there was a significant contribution of organic matter of estuarine source in tidal flats occupied by Spartina sp. Regarding to global warming and RSL rise during Anthropocene an increase mangrove pollen of Espírito Santo sedimentary cores (20° 40' S) reflected mangrove migration to topographically higher sandy plains previously dominated by herbaceous vegetation. Regarding Laguna mangroves (current southern limit of the American mangroves, 28° 29 ′ S), pollen analyzes, 14C and 210Pb datings indicated that the mangroves were established under estuarine influence between ~1957 and 1986 AD, represented by Laguncularia sp. trees. Spatio-temporal analyzes based on satellite and drone images indicated that mangroves have been expanding in recent decades with the introduction of new mangrove genera. In our study area in São Francisco do Sul Bay (north coast of Santa Catarina, 26°6' S), palynological analyzes and 14C dating revealed that mangroves were established around ~ 1500 cal yr BP represented by Laguncularia sp. followed by Avicennia sp. (~500 cal yr BP) and Rhizophora sp. in the last century. This mangrove succession genera were likely caused by a warming trend in South America during the late Holocene and Rhizophora sp. by warming during the Anthropocene. In relation to the mangroves located on the Louisiana littoral, historical records indicated the presence of small shrubs of Avicennia sp. at the beginning of the 20th century. Currently, remote sensing studies coordinated by Cohen (2021) indicate a latitudinal expansion of Avicennia sp. colonizing areas that were previously occupied by Spartina sp. after two decades of warm winters. Therefore, mangroves migrated from the tropics to temperate zones as winter minimum temperatures increased during the Holocene. The Laguna and Louisiana mangroves (currently South and North American mangroves limit) were only established in the early and mid-21st century, respectively. Such dynamics were likely caused by the natural global warming of the Holocene and intensified during the Anthropocene. This process also caused a RSL rise which resulted in the migration of mangrove from lowlands to new higher tidal flats.