A 7.09 m lacustrine sediment core was taken from Mariana Lake, Alberta (55º57'N, 112º01'W) to determine if the regional vegetational complex had been affected by the mid-Holocene Hypsithermal. Dating control was provided by 6 radiocarbon dates, with a second degree polynomial fitted to the dates to give an age to depth curve. The basal date of the core is 11 300 ± 110 yr BP. Fossil pollen analysis of the core revealed five distinct pollen zones. Between 11 856 and 10 434 yr BP the study site supported a sparse herb dominated vegetation. A spruce and shrub birch assemblage followed, from 10 434 to 9 100 yr BP, with increased vegetation density. The climate was likely similar to today. This was replaced by a paper birch and spruce complex from 9 100 to 7 638 yr BP likely as a result of warming climate. A mild Hypsithermal effect is recorded between 7 638 and 5 623 yr BP. A forest of decreased crown density was created, with spruce, paper birch and poplar being the major vegetational components. Modern conditions have existed at the site from 5 623 yr BP onwards, though it is hypothesised the regional water budget may have increased slightly around 2 228 yr BP; increased peat development appears to have occurred at this time. Through the use of difference diagrams the site is compared to three other published sites which, along with Mariana Lake, form a north-south transect from the southern Boreal Forest to the northern Alberta Boreal Forest. The hypsithermal vegetation changes varies with distance to the Parkland-Boreal Forest ecotone boundary. It is concluded the parkland did not reach Mariana Lake during the mid-Holocene, though conditions at the site became similar to those at the southern edge of the Boreal Forest that is proximal to the parkland. / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-01-14T18:38:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 feliperustdecarvalho.pdf: 1379176 bytes, checksum: 9466af729223375427c4edf2872e7dd1 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-01-25T17:38:33Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 feliperustdecarvalho.pdf: 1379176 bytes, checksum: 9466af729223375427c4edf2872e7dd1 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-01-25T17:38:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 feliperustdecarvalho.pdf: 1379176 bytes, checksum: 9466af729223375427c4edf2872e7dd1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-05-26 / Ecossistemas de água doce (rios, lagos e reservatórios) desempenham um papel essencial na ciclagem de carbono nos continentes. Esses ambientes são fontes significantes de gases de efeito estufa (GEE) para a atmosfera, principalmente de gás carbônico (CO2) e metano (CH4). Apesar do aumento do número de estimativas, a dinâmica e o controle das emissões naturais de GEE em ambientes aquáticos ainda é pouco estudada, especialmente nos trópicos. O objetivo geral da dissertação foi estimar os fluxos de CO2 e CH4 em uma lagoa tropical rasa com gradiente de turbidez. O trabalho foi realizado na lagoa Sinhá Mariana (MT), uma lagoa pantaneira com a ocorrência de duas regiões hidrológicas distintas; a lagoa é ligada ao rio Mutum de águas claras, pobre em material em suspensão, e baixa turbidez e ao rio Cuiabá de águas túrbidas, que apresenta alta taxa de material em suspensão. Duas coletas foram realizadas no ambiente, caracterizando os períodos hidrológicos de águas altas e águas baixas. A variação temporal, espacial e o pulso de inundação mostraram serem fatores importantes no fluxo de CO2, que variou de -4,95 mmol m-2 d-1 a 282 mmol m-2 d-1 nos períodos amostrados e diferenças significativas foram observadas entre um período e outro, com maiores emissões no período de águas altas (142 ± 40 mmol m-2 d-1) e menores nas águas baixas (2,3 ± 11,5 mmol m-2 d-1). Além disso, os fluxos de CO2 foram significantemente m/aiores nas proximidades do rio Mutum e menores na região túrbida e intermediária da lagoa, em ambos os períodos. Diferentemente, o fluxo total de CH4, embora estimado apenas nas águas altas, registrou os maiores valores médios na região de maior turbidez da lagoa (10,9 ± 6,9 mmol m-2 d-1), seguido pela região intermediária (5,1 ± 3,9 mmol m-2 d-1) e pela região influenciada pela água clara (2,5 ± 1,4 mmol m-2 d-1). A ebulição foi o principal processo de emissão de CH4, responsável por 78% do fluxo total. O gradiente de turbidez registrado ao longo da lagoa pareceu ter sido um fator determinante na dinâmica do fluxo tanto de CO2 quanto do CH4. Os dados deste trabalho reforçam a necessidade da amostragem espacial dos fluxos de CH4 e CO2 em lagos tropical, além de reforçar que estes fluxos podem ser controlados principalmente pela turbidez e pelo pulso de inundação (CO2). / Freshwater ecosystems (lakes, rivers and reservoirs) play an essential role in carbon cycling in the continents. These environments are significant sources of greenhouse gases (GHG), especially carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), to the atmosphere. Despite the increase in the number of estimates, the natural GHG emissions dynamics in aquatic environments is still poorly studied, especially in the tropics. The general aim of this work was to estimate the CO2 and CH4 fluxes in a shallow tropical lake with turbidity gradient. The work was conducted in the Sinhá Mariana lake (MT), a wetland lake with the occurrence of two distinct hydrological regions; the lake is connected to the Mutum river (clear water), poor in suspended material with low turbidity, and connected to the Cuiabá River (turbid waters), which features high rate of suspension material. Samples were taken for characterizing the hydrological periods of high and low water. The temporal, spatial variation and the flood pulse shoed to be important factors affecting the CO2 flux, which ranged from -4.95 mmol m-2 d-1 to 282 mmol m-2 d-1. Significant differences were observed from one period to another, with higher emissions during high waters (142 ± 40 mmol m-2 d-1) and lower in the low water (2.3 ± 11.5 mmol m-2 d-1). In addition, the CO2 flux was significantly higher near the Mutum river and lower in the turbid region, in both periods. The total CH4 flux, although estimated only in high waters, showed the highest mean rates in the higher turbidity region of the lake (10.9 ± 6.9 mmol m-2 d-1), followed by the intermediate region (5.1 ± 3.9 mmol m-2 d-1) and the area influenced by clear water (2.5 ± 1.4 mmol m-2 d-1). The ebullition flux was the main CH4 emission pathway, responsible for 78% of the total flux. The turbidity gradient observed along the lake appeared to have been a determining factor in the flux dynamics of both CO2 and CH4. This study data reinforce the need for spatial sampling of CH4 and CO2 fluxes in tropical lakes, in addition to reinforcing that these fluxes can be controlled by turbidity and by the flood pulse (CO2).