Climatic and disturbance influences on the temperate rainforests of northwestern Patagonia (40 °S) since ∼14,500 cal yr BP

Abstract

We present a detailed record from Lago Pichilafquén to unravel the vegetation, climate and disturbance history of the lowlands of northwestern Patagonia (40 °S) since 14,500 cal yr BP. The presence of 30 tephras throughout the record attest for the proximity of the site to active volcanic centres and allows assessment of the role of volcanic disturbance on past vegetation and fire regime shifts. We interpret alternations in dominance between North Patagonian and Valdivian rainforests driven by changes in temperature and precipitation of westerly origin at multi-millennial and millennial timescales. These trends were punctuated by centennial-scale changes, most of which were coeval with or immediately followed the deposition of tephras and/or paleofires. We identify departures of the local vegetation from the regional trend between 2400 and 7100 cal yr BP, which we interpret as a response of rainforest vegetation and local fire regimes to the disturbance effect of tephra deposition near Lago Pichilafquén. We also find that volcanic disturbance promoted consistent increases in Eucryphia/Caldcluvia within 30 years and paleofires between 60 and 120 years following tephra deposition. Comparisons with palynological records having similar span, time resolution and age control suggest that regional climate has played a central role on the establishment, composition and maintenance of temperate rainforests. This influence is overprinted by disturbance regimes at the local and landscape level, driving divergences and heterogeneity especially at times of relatively weak climatic forcing.