Midge-inferred Holocene climate history of two subalpine lakes in southern British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

To investigate postglacial environmental changes in both the coastal and interior wet belts of British Columbia, fossil midges were analysed from two subalpine lakes, one adjacent to the lower Fraser canyon (Frozen Lake), and the other in Mount Revelstoke National Park (Eagle Lake). The midge stratigraphy for Frozen Lake revealed an abundance of rheophilous chironomid taxa and Simuliidae larvae, refecting the presence of an inflowing stream. An abundance of Chaoborus mandibles and Microtendipes during the early Holocene (c. 10100–7700 14C years BP, c. 11500–8500 cal. years BP) suggests warmer temperatures. A subsequent decline in the warm indicators and relative increases in cold stenotherms (Heterotrissocladius and Diamesa) indicate cooling until present day. This climate reconstruction is consistent with other quantitative and qualitative evidence for past climatic change in southern British Columbia. At Eagle Lake the warm indicators, Dicrotendipes and Polypedilum, are seen in the early Holocene (c. 8500–6730 14C years BP, c. 9600–7600 cal. years BP), but are absent during the mid-Holocene when cooler temperatures probably prevailed. In the late Holocene (c. 3800 14C years BP to present, c. 4200 cal. years BP to present) there is a resurgence of warm indicators, which contrasts with the evidence of continued cooling typically seen in reconstructions of southern British Columbia summer temperatures. The Eagle Lake record therefore appears to be anomalous. Multiproxy and multisite investigations are needed to reconstruct Holocene climatic changes more reliably.