Driftwood Samples Research Articles

Diversity of Microfungi on Wood of the Coastal Zone of Heiss Island (Franz Joseph Land Archipelago)

The material for the study was wood samples that were collected in the summer of 2021 on the coast of Heiss Island in the Franz Josef Land archipelago, in the Arctic Ocean. Heiss Island is located in the central area of the archipelago. The wood was 1) brought by the sea (“drift wood”) and was located on the shore at minor distances from the water line or 2) anthropogenic origin and was an external part of abandoned structures. As a result of investigations, we revealed complexes of microfungi on coniferous and deciduous wood, which include 30 species of microfungi, mainly from the Ascomycota division. Species of the genus Cadophora were found in the greatest number of examined samples. Indicators of species diversity and occurrence of representatives of the Basidio-mycota department were low. The yeast component (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota) accounted for 23% of the identified species. A total of 25 species were found in wood samples of anthropogenic origin and 12 species in drift wood samples. Studies of the enzymatic activity of microfungi showed that ligninolytic activity was noted in 50% of the strains studied, amylazolytic in 62%, and cellulolytic in 85% of the strains studied. A group of psychrotrophic species with high ligninolytic activity, together with cellulolytic and amylase activity, and well adapted to decomposition of wood substrate in the extreme conditions of the Arctic was identified. Activity profiles of different isolates of the same species do not always coincide and expression of individual enzymatic activity factors in many cases has a strain character.

The importance of Arctic driftwood for interdisciplinary global change research (Short Communication / Methodological note)

The Arctic is one of the regions most sensitive to global warming, for which climate and environmental proxy archives are largely insufficient. Arctic driftwood provides a unique resource for research into the circumpolar entanglements of terrestrial, coastal and marine factors and processes – past, present, future. Here, first dendrochronological and wood anatomical insights into 639 Arctic driftwood samples are presented. Samples were collected across northern Norway (n =430) and north-western Iceland (n =209) in 2022. The overall potentials and limitations of Arctic driftwood to improve tree-ring chronologies from the boreal forest, and to reconstruct changes in sea ice extent and ocean current dynamics are discussed. Finally, the role driftwood has possibly played for Arctic settlements in the past hundreds of years is examined.

Predicted sea-ice loss will terminate Iceland's driftwood supply by 2060 CE

Driftwood supply was a pivotal factor for the Norse expansion in medieval times and still exhibits an essential resource for Arctic settlements. The physical causes and societal consequences of long-term changes in the distribution of Arctic driftwood are, however, poorly understood. Here, we use dendrochronology to reconstruct the age and origin of 289 driftwood samples that were collected at remote shorelines in northeast Iceland. Based on 240 reference tree-ring width chronologies from the boreal forest zone, and an overall provenance success of 73%, we show that most of the driftwood is pine and larch from the Yenisei catchment in central Siberia. Our study reveals an abrupt decline in the amount of driftwood reaching Iceland since the 1980s, which is corroborated by the experience of local farmers and fishers. Despite the direct and indirect effects of changes in both, logging activity across Siberia as well as Arctic Ocean currents, the predicted amount of sea-ice loss under anthropogenic global warming is likely to terminate Iceland's driftwood supply by 2060 CE.

Short communication: Driftwood provides reliable chronological markers in Arctic coastal deposits

Abstract. Originating from the boreal forest and often transported over large distances, driftwood characterizes many Arctic coastlines. Here we present a combined assessment of radiocarbon (14C) and dendrochronological (ring width) age estimates of driftwood samples to constrain the progradation of two Holocene beach-ridge systems near the Lena Delta in the Siberian Arctic (Laptev Sea). Our data show that the 14C ages obtained on syndepositional driftwood from beach deposits yield surprisingly coherent chronologies for the coastal evolution of the field sites. The dendrochronological analysis of wood from modern drift lines revealed the origin and recent delivery of the wood from the Lena River catchment. This finding suggests that the duration of transport lies within the uncertainty of state-of-the-art 14C dating and thus substantiates the validity of age indication obtained from driftwood. This observation will help us better understand the response of similar coastal systems to past climate and sea-level changes.

The origin of driftwood on eastern and south-western Svalbard

The Arctic is one of the regions where the effect of global change is most evident. Associated with warming are changes in snow, sea ice and hydroclimate, all which have significant impacts on environments and society. However, due to short observational records, it is difficult to set the current climate in a long-term context. Arctic driftwood (DW), available throughout the Holocene, is a paleoclimate resource that may shed information on past sea-ice, ocean current and atmospheric conditions because it is transported by sea ice across the Arctic. Moreover, DW tree-ring data can be used to interpret climate in the boreal forests where the trees grew. Here we present a study of 380 DW samples collected on eastern and south-western Svalbard. Combining species identification and dendrochronology, it was found that the DW mainly consisted of Pinus sylvestris, Picea sp. and Larix sp. (87% of all samples), mainly originating from northern Russia. In total, 60% of the DW could be dated and their provenance determined, and four tree-ring width chronologies representing Yenisei and Dvina-Pechora were constructed, facilitating extension and improvement of the existing chronologies representing those regions. Moreover, DW from relict beaches that can be subjected to dendrochronological analyses, provides possibilities to extend pan-Arctic tree-ring data even further back in time. Because there are several processes governing the temporal patterns of wood deposition in the Arctic, using DW as an indicator of sea-ice variations needs further investigation.

Out of the woods: Driftwood insights into Holocene pan‐Arctic sea ice dynamics

AbstractThe collation of 913 driftwood samples from across the western Arctic, with spatiotemporal distribution and available provenance data, enabled the production of a high‐resolution proxy‐based reconstruction of Holocene Arctic Ocean surface current and sea ice dynamics. Regionally bounded, driftwood‐based sea ice reconstructions studies suggest spatiotemporally complex past Arctic sea ice extent and movement; however, a large‐scale compilation of Holocene Arctic driftwood has not previously been developed. Sparse driftwood in the early Holocene (≥8.2 cal ka B.P.) deglacial period was followed by increased driftwood deposition in the warmer mid‐Holocene (8.2–4.2 cal ka B.P.); characterized by an enhanced Transpolar Drift (TPD) ∼7 cal ka B.P., leading to sea ice loss through the Fram Strait. Driftwood incursion peaks show spatial E‐W progression from the Eurasian Archipelagos to Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, suggesting a progressive shift in the orientation of the TPD on centennial‐millennial time scales and intermediate phases in the Arctic Oscillation. Late Holocene cooling (≤4.2 cal ka B.P.) is indicated by increased influx of probably North American Picea via a strengthened Beaufort Gyre (BG) which enhanced sea ice recirculation, starting in the western Arctic and progressing eastward. In recent millennia (<2 cal ka B.P.), a more variable driftwood record alternates between BG and TPD dominance on centennial time scales. To further constrain a spatiotemporal reconstruction of variations in Holocene ocean current and sea ice dynamics, a more definitive determination of driftwood provenance is recommended to build upon the current framework, such as through radiogenic isotope tracing and aDNA analysis.

Dendro-provenancing of Arctic driftwood

Arctic driftwood may represent a cross-disciplinary proxy archive at the interface of marine and terrestrial environments, which will likely gain in importance under future global climate change. Circumpolar network analyses that systematically consider species-specific boreal origin areas, transport routes and deposition characteristics of Arctic driftwood, are, however, missing. Here, we present tree-ring width (TRW) measurements of 2412 pine, larch and spruce driftwood samples from Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, the Faroe Islands, and the Lena Delta in northeastern Siberia. Representing the largest Arctic driftwood TRW compilation, these data are compared against 495 TRW reference chronologies from the boreal forests of Eurasia and North America. The southern Yenisei region is the main source for recent pine driftwood at all Arctic sampling sites, whereas spruce mainly originates in western Russia and central Siberia, as well as in northern North America. Larch driftwood is, for the first time, dendro-provenanced to central and eastern Siberia. A new larch driftwood chronology extends the middle Lena River reference chronology back to 1203 CE. Annually resolved radiocarbon measurements further date six larch driftwood chronologies between 1294 and 2013 CE. Although being highly replicated, our study emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary research efforts including radiocarbon dating, isotopic tracing and aDNA processing for improving Arctic driftwood provenancing in space and time. If successful, Arctic driftwood studies will contribute to the reconstruction of past boreal summer temperature variations and ocean current dynamics, as well as changes in sea ice extent and relative sea level over the last centuries to millennia.

Effects of Boreal Timber Rafting on the Composition of Arctic Driftwood

Wood from the boreal forest represents an important resource for paper production and sawmill processing. Due to poor infrastructure and high transportation costs on land, timbers are often transported over long distances along large river systems. Industrial river rafting activities started at the end of the 19th century and were intensified in western Russia and central Siberia from the 1920s to the 1980s. After initial single stem rafting, timber is today mostly floated in ship-guided rafts. Lost wood can be transported further to the Arctic Ocean, where it may drift within sea ice over several years and thousands of kilometers before being deposited along (sub-)Arctic coastlines. Here, we introduce dendro-dated tree-ring width series of 383 driftwood samples from logged timber that were collected along different driftwood-recipient coastlines in Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard. The majority of driftwood is Pinus sylvestris from the southern Yenisei region in central Siberia, whereas Larix sp. and Picea sp. from western Russia and eastern Siberia are rare. Although our results are based on a small sample collection, they clearly show the importance of timber rafting on species, age and origin of Arctic driftwood and indicate the immense loss of material during wood industrial river floating.

Driftwood Biomass in Italy: Estimation and Characterization

In Italy, the accumulation of driftwood along the shore is a significant issue, especially for the coastal municipalities of the Central and Northern regions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the distribution and availability of the coastal driftwood in Italy and its impacts, as well as analyzing its chemical–physical properties to evaluate possible employment in combustion applications. On the basis of a data gathering campaign for the period 2010–2014, about 60,000 tons of driftwood are reported to accumulate along the Italian shores every year. The two regions hardest-hit were Liguria and Veneto, with about 15,000 tons and 12,000 tons, respectively. Three sites were selected for driftwood sampling. The main issue deriving from chemical characterization was the high chlorine content (up to 2% on dry basis) and metal oxides in the ashes. Driftwood samples were then subjected to a natural washing cycle for 1 month; results revealed a significant drop in chlorine and metal oxides contents (up to 80%) and a low decrease of the lower heating value (about 20%). Furthermore, the percolated water was analyzed in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), showing values (up to 1100 mg O2/L) above the Italian limits for discharges into surface waters.

Timber Logging in Central Siberia is the Main Source for Recent Arctic Driftwood

Recent findings indicated spruce from North America and larch from eastern Siberia to be the dominating tree species of Arctic driftwood throughout the Holocene. However, changes in source region forest and river characteristics, as well as ocean current dynamics and sea ice extent likely influence its spatiotemporal composition. Here, we present 2556 driftwood samples from Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, and the Faroe Islands. A total of 498 out of 969 Pinus sylvestris ring width series were cross-dated at the catchment level against a network of Eurasian boreal reference chronologies. The central Siberian Yenisei and Angara Rivers account for 91% of all dated pines, with their outermost rings dating between 1804 and 1999. Intensified logging and timber rafting along the Yenisei and Angara in the mid-20th century, together with high discharge rates, explain the vast quantity of material from this region and its temporal peak ca. 1960. Based on the combined application of wood-anatomical and dendrochronological techniques on a well-replicated data set, our results question the assumption that Arctic driftwood mainly consists of millennial-old larch and spruce. Nevertheless, data from other species and regions, together with longer boreal reference chronologies, are needed for generating reliable proxy archives at the interface of marine and terrestrial environments.

Marine fungi of Saudi Arabia

Abstract This study extends our knowledge of the diversity of marine fungi from Saudi Arabia, which is virtually unknown. Thirty-seven fungi (28 ascomycetes, eight asexual fungi, and one basidiomycete) were recorded from 457 samples of driftwood and intertidal decayed wood of Avicennia marina collected from three sites along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. The three sites include two mangrove sites, namely: Yanbu and Farasan Island, while the third site is a sandy shore nearby Yanbu city. Thirty-one fungi were new records for Saudi Arabia. Swampomyces triseptatus is the only species common to the three sites. The recorded marine fungi were latitudinally distributed with fungi recorded from Yanbu (subtropical site) largely different from those at Farasan Island mangrove (tropical site) with only six common fungi recorded. Amarenographium solium was the most common fungus at Yanbu mangrove, while Lineolata rhizophorae dominated the fungal community at Farasan Island mangrove. Swampomyces armeniacus was commonly recorded at the two mangrove sites. Torpedospora radiata was the most common species recorded from driftwood samples collected at Yanbu beach. A new collection of Diatrypasimilis australiensis enabled us to make a detailed morphological study of the fungus. Mycelia with chlamydospores were isolated from the samples and subsequently sequenced, and they grouped in the Corollospora clade with various degrees of confidence, but did not sporulate on natural material or in culture.

Tracing the origin of Arctic driftwood

Tracking the origin of driftwood samples could help scientists to reconstruct past currents in the Arctic Ocean, a new study suggests. Arctic currents are likely to be affected by changing climate, but there are few observations that provide evidence on past ocean current dynamics.

Marine fungi from Sarushima Island, Japan, with a phylogenetic evaluation of the genus Naufragella

Twenty-seven fungi (18 ascomycetes, 9 anamorphic fungi) were recorded from 91 driftwood samples collected from Sarushima Island, Japan. Ceriosporopsis halima, Corollospora maritima, and Halosphaeria appendiculata occurred most frequently in the fungal community. Other common fungi include: Remispora maritima, Tirispora sp., Monotosporella sp., Phoma sp., and Trichocladium achrasporum. Among the 27 fungi collected, 7 are possibly new to science. Nemania maritima and Panorbis viscosus are new records for Japan. Phylogenetic analyses of LSU rDNA sequences placed Naufragella delmarensis with Nohea umiumi in a highly supported clade. Both Naufragella and Nohea have similar morphological characters that, in combination with the molecular data, support their placement in a single genus. The new combinations Nohea delmarensis and N. spinibarbata are proposed. The anamorph–teleomorph connection of Trichocladium achrasporum – Halosphaeriopsis mediosetigera was supported with molecular data for the first time.

Marine fungi from two sandy Mediterranean beaches on the Egyptian north coast

Abstract I surveyed marine fungi collected from the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. A total of 31 taxa, including 19 ascomycetes and 12 anamorphic fungi, were identified from 100 submerged driftwood samples collected randomly along two sandy beaches. The most frequent fungus was Corollospora maritima. Other common fungi include C. portsaidica, Leptosphaeria oraemaris, Cumulospora marina and Periconia prolifica. Among the 31 taxa identified during this study, 21 are new records for the Mediterranean Sea, bringing the total number of Mediterranean marine fungi to 79. Seven new fungi were recorded during the course of this study, of which two new species of Corollospora and one anamorph have been described, and work is in progress to describe the remaining four. An unknown species of Didymosphaeria is illustrated in this paper, but not formally described because there was insufficient material available for further study of the species.

Deciphering the impact of change on the driftwood cycle: contribution to the study of human use of wood in the Arctic

Driftwood that originates in the Siberian and North American boreal forest is the major source of wood to people in the treeless Arctic. It archives various kinds of data about climate, river flow, ocean and ice circulation, and other critical environmental and cultural characteristics in the north. Unlike wood in most other regions, it is often well preserved in arctic archaeological sites. The existence and renewal of driftwood are closely linked to specific climatic and ecological conditions that have changed through time (e.g., floods, river banks, storms, prevailing currents and winds, sea-ice circulation, etc.). These conditions differently affect the fall, circulation and delivery of driftwood to the coast, resulting in changes in abundance, distribution and intrinsic properties of the wood. Based on a review of existing literature supplemented by new data from Alaska, this paper details factors underlying the “dynamic of driftwood production” in terms of driftwood abundance and quality, and indigenous people's use of the resource. Oral history interviews in coastal and river communities of Alaska recorded knowledge on driftwood use and ecology. Driftwood samples were collected from accumulations along the northwest coast of Alaska and the south of the Chukotka Peninsula. Results show that the timing of treefall and river transport are crucial to the subsequent ocean circulation and may determine the size and quality of the wood. Ultimately, it conditions what coastal people could build or manufacture.

Invertebrate biodeterioration of marine timbers above mean sea level along the coastlines of England and Wales

During 1998 and 1999, fixed structural timbers above mean sea level and driftwood along the coastline of England (South from Lancaster and Middlesborough) and Wales were surveyed for invertebrate colonisers. The cossonine Pselactus spadix was the most common coloniser, present in 63% of timbers surveyed, including hardwoods and softwoods, with moisture contents ranging from 17% to 256%, in the mid intertidal to splash zones. Microscopic examination of wood adjacent to P. spadix tunnels showed that soft rot decay was normally present, although there was no evidence of decay in 15% of the Pselactus colonised timbers. Other Coleoptera colonising timbers above mean sea level included Nacerdes melanura (13%), tunnelling softwoods in the high intertidal to splash zones and anobiids (8%), tunnelling hardwoods and softwoods above the mid intertidal zone. Limnoria spp. (Isopoda) were present in 7% of the timbers surveyed, colonising hardwoods and softwoods below the mid intertidal zone. Driftwood was colonised by marine Mollusca and Crustacea, and terrestrial Arthropoda (Coleoptera and Myriapoda). The presence of terrestrial species in 61% of the driftwood samples suggests this may be a common dispersal mechanism.

The origin and age of driftwood on Jan Mayen

Analysis of the wood anatomy of 481 driftwood specimens from Jan Mayen shows that Larix spp. constitute approximately 70% of the trees, while sawn logs are dominated by Pinus spp. by approximately 69%. A total of 356 driftwood samples from Jan Mayen and a small number of samples from Bjornoya in the Barents Sea and the Troynoy Island in the Kara Sea were analysed by dendrochronological methods. A driftwood Pinus chronology was dated absolutely using chronologies from living trees of Pinus sylvestris in the lower proximity of the Angara River, a tributary of the Yenisey in Siberia. About 27% of the pine logs measured on Jan Mayen were found to originate in the same region, with end years concentrated in the 1940s and 1950s. A similar source was also found for Pinus driftwood logs on Bjornoya and Troynoy. The results confirm and further delimit the source areas of the Yenisey driftwood established earlier from driftwood logs on Svalbard and Iceland. A subordinate source of both Pinus and Picea logs on Jan Mayen is northwest Russia, from the Kola Peninsula to the Pechora River. The Transpolar Drift Stream is believed to be the main distributor of driftwood from Siberian and northwest Russian sources to Jan Mayen, via the East Greenland Current. Dendrochronological dating reveals a strong, continuous input of ice-rafted driftwood from the Kara Sea. Radiocarbon datings from Jan Mayen show surface deposits of driftwood to be less than 500 years old, due mainly to extensive degradation of older wood and little or no land uplift.

The origin and age of driftwood on Jan Mayen

Analysis of the wood anatomy of 481 driftwood specimens from Jan Mayen shows that Larix spp. constitute approximately 70% of the trees, while sawn logs are dominated by Pinus spp. by approximately 69%. A total of 356 driftwood samples from Jan Mayen and a small number of samples from Bjørnøya in the Barents Sea and the Troynoy Island in the Kara Sea were analysed by dendrochronological methods. A driftwood Pinus chronology was dated absolutely using chronologies from living trees of Pinus sylvestris in the lower proximity of the Angara River, a tributary of the Yenisey in Siberia. About 27% of the pine logs measured on Jan Mayen were found to originate in the same region, with end years concentrated in the 1940s and 1950s. A similar source was also found for Pinus driftwood logs on Bjørnøya and Troynoy. The results confirm and further delimit the source areas of the Yenisey driftwood established earlier from driftwood logs on Svalbard and Iceland. A subordinate source of both Pinus and Picea logs on Jan Mayen is northwest Russia, from the Kola Peninsula to the Pechora River. The Transpolar Drift Stream is believed to be the main distributor of driftwood from Siberian and northwest Russian sources to Jan Mayen, via the East Greenland Current. Dendrochronological dating reveals a strong, continuous input of ice-rafted driftwood from the Kara Sea. Radiocarbon datings from Jan Mayen show surface deposits of driftwood to be less than 500 years old, due mainly to extensive degradation of older wood and little or no land uplift.

A Dendrochronological Study of the Origin of Driftwood in Frobisher Bay, Baffin Island, N.W.T., Canada

Archaeological sites in Frobisher Bay, located far above the treeline, yielded large amounts of wooden remains. Questions were raised about the source of that wood. Forty driftwood samples were collected from the shores and analyzed by dendrochronological and wood-anatomical methods to determine their origins and ages. Four Picea logs are cross-dated via tree-ring chronologies from the Yukon River drainage in Alaska and two Pinus samples are cross-dated with a tree-ring chronology from the Yenisey River in Siberia. The Picea driftwood and some Larix driftwood were eroded naturally from river terraces, while most Pinus and Larix wood escaped logging and floating operations along Russian rivers. We propose that wood on the shores of Frobisher Bay drifted from the Arctic Ocean via Fram Strait, between Greenland and Svalbard, and around the southern tip of Greenland rather than through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

Driftwood as an indicator of relative changes in the influx of Arctic and Atlantic water into the coastal areas of Svalbard

A total of 276 driftwood samples from Wijdefjorden on the northern coast of Spitsbergen were den-drochronologically analysed and compared with results from a similar study on driftwood from Isfjorden. The composition and origin of the driftwood from the two places differ. Whereas Larix is almost absent in the Isfjorden driftwood, it comprises 25% of the Wijdefjorden collection. The Isfjorden driftwood has its main origin in the White Sea region and the dates of the driftwood concentrate around the period from 1950 to 1979, with only a few dates from the period 1910 to 1950. The Wijdefjorden driftwood has two main origins: Siberia and the White Sea region. The dates of the White Sea components of the Wijdefjorden driftwood are concentrated mainly in the period 1910-1950. The dates of the Siberian (Yenisey) components of the Wijdefjorden driftwood are concentrated in the period 1950–1979. It can be argued that during the time period from ca. 1910 to 1950 the activity of a warm northerly flowing current along the western coast of Spitsbergen was stronger, transporting White Sea driftwood all the way to the Wijdefjorden area. However, after ca. 1950 the input of White Sea driftwood decreased, and the relative importance of the Siberian component increased. These results fit well with the climatic records from Svalbard, showing a warm regime during the first half of this century due to increased activity of the warm West Spitsbergen Current along the western coast of Spitsbergen. After ca. 1950, the influx of Atlantic Water became weaker, the climate became colder and the relative occurrences of Siberian driftwood transported by the Transpolar Current increased on the northern coast of the Svalbard archipelago.