The goal of this thesis was to characterize and quantify changes to Canadian Arctic organic matter (OM) induced by a physical disruption to the permafrost active layer by employing molecular-level techniques such as biomarker extraction and NMR to help elucidate its contribution to carbon turnover and global climate change. The initial biomarker characterization study determined that the extractable plant lipids were unaltered originating from the deposition of new vascular material or permafrost melt where a high alteration of lignin-derived OM was observed suggesting a long residence time in the ecosystem. Analysis of samples where there was a new and historical physical disruption to the permafrost landscape showed an initial increase in bacterial biomass biomarkers, and was corroborated with increased bacterial protein contributions and peptidoglycan signals in the NMR spectra. It is hypothesized that this increase in bacterial biomass resulted in a faster rate of degradation, possibly leading to OM priming.

The goal of this thesis was to characterize and quantify changes to Canadian Arctic organic matter (OM) induced by a physical disruption to the permafrost active layer by employing molecular-level techniques such as biomarker extraction and NMR to help elucidate its contribution to carbon turnover and global climate change. The initial biomarker characterization study determined that the extractable plant lipids were unaltered originating from the deposition of new vascular material or permafrost melt where a high alteration of lignin-derived OM was observed suggesting a long residence time in the ecosystem. Analysis of samples where there was a new and historical physical disruption to the permafrost landscape showed an initial increase in bacterial biomass biomarkers, and was corroborated with increased bacterial protein contributions and peptidoglycan signals in the NMR spectra. It is hypothesized that this increase in bacterial biomass resulted in a faster rate of degradation, possibly leading to OM priming.

Nedbrytning av organiskt material är en nyckelfaktor som påverkar omvandlingar av de många grundämnen som utgör eller är associerade till just organiskt material. En stor del av nedbrytningen av akvatiskt organiskt material (OM) sker i gränsskiktet mellan sediment och vatten. Eftersom så många biogeokemiska cykler styrs av nedbrytningen av OM är det viktigt att ha kunskap om processer och påverkansfaktorer både på mikro- och makronivå. Mineraliseringshastigheten av OM är en vanligt förekommande mätparameter, men vanligtvis inkluderar mätningarna inte de naturliga processer som kan påverka nedbrytnings-hastigheterna, t.ex. fysiska krafter. Syftet med den här studien är att studera mineraliseringshastigheten av det OM som finns naturligt i ytsediment i söt- och brackvatten när det utsätts för fysiska krafter som orsakar förändringar i redox-förhållanden, resuspension eller advektivt porvattenflöde. Fem laborativa experiment har utförts för att belysa syftet: Åldrat ytsediment från en sötvattens å utsattes för olika redox förhållanden där oxisk respiration, sulfatreduktion respektive metanogenes gynnades. Resultaten visade ingen skillnad i mineraliseringshastighet beroende på behandling. Detta motsäger studier utförda i marina miljöer, där anoxiska förhållanden ger en lägre mineraliseringshastighet än oxiska. Vidare gjordes två studier på brackvattensediment där effekten av resuspension var i centrum. Den ena studien fokuserade på frekvens och varaktighet av resuspensionstiderna, den andra på olika typer av sediment. Studierna visade att väldigt korta resuspensionstider med upp till 48 timmars stillhet mellan varje resuspension ökade mineraliseringstakten med fem gånger jämfört med diffusivt utbyte, och mer än dubblerades i jämförelse med kontinuerlig resuspension eller resuspension i långa perioder. Resuspensionen under kort tid var troligen gynnande då resuspension fysiskt stör bildningen av stabila bakteriesamhällen. Mineraliseringshastigheterna i sediment som domineras av väldigt fin, fin eller medium sand visade lika hastigheter, medan grov sand visade en signifikant lägre mineraliseringshastighet. Likheterna mellan de tre första sedimenttyperna kan dock ha påverkats av tillgång på lättnedbrytbart OM då sediment och vatten hämtades in under en algblomning. Till sist studerades effekten på mineraliseringshastigheten av advektivt porvattenflöde. Detta gjordes på åldrat sediment dels från en sötvattensbäck dels från en brackvattenstrand. Inget av de två sedimenttyperna visade någon skillnad i mineraliseringshastighet i jämförelse med diffusivt styrda system. Det är i motsats till tidigare marina studier, men är i linje med den första studien, där mineraliseringshastigheten var oberoende av redox-förhållande. Den generella slutsatsen från den här studien är nödvändigheten att studera samma aspekter i olika typer av akvatiska system, eftersom responsen verkar vara annorlunda beroende på system, t.ex. söt- brack- och saltvatten. Faktorer som kan förklara de här skillnaderna finns ännu inte, vilket gör att småskaliga studier och modeller blir viktiga verktyg för att utreda detta. / Organic matter mineralisation is a key parameter that affects most other element transformations associated with organic matter. A substantial part of aquatic organic matter (OM) mineralisation takes place at the interface between sediment and water. Understanding OM mineralisation is important at both the micro and macro scales, since it drives many biogeochemical cycles. OM mineralisation rates are widely measured, but generally not all the natural factors possibly affecting the rates, such as physical forcing, are considered. This thesis examines the mineralisation rates of indigenous OM in fresh and brackish surface sediments, subjected to different physical forces inducing changed redox conditions, resuspension, and advective pore water flow. Five experiments were performed to this end. Aged surface sediment from a freshwater river was subjected to different redox conditions favouring oxic respiration, sulphate reduction, and methanogenesis, respectively. Results indicated no difference in mineralisation rate irrespective of treatment. This contradicts what has been found in marine environments, where anoxic mineralisation rates are lower than oxic ones. Further, two studies of resuspension of brackish sediments were performed, one addressing the impact of the frequency and duration of the resuspension events, and the other addressing the impact of resuspension on different types of sediments. The studies found that very brief resuspension events followed by calm periods of up to 48 h increased mineralisation rates by five times compared to diffusion, and more than doubled the rate compared to continuous or long-term resuspension. The short-term events were possibly favoured because resuspension physically disturbs the arrangement of a stable bacteria community. Mineralisation rates on sediments dominated by very fine, fine, or medium-grained sand were the same, while coarse sand displayed a significantly lower rate. The similar rates of the three first sediment types could stem from access to labile OM, due to an ongoing algae bloom when the sediment and water samples were collected. Finally, the effect of advective pore water flow on aged sediment from one fresh and one brackish sediment was studied. Neither of the sediments displayed a mineralisation rate different from those occurring in incubations in which only diffusive exchange occurred. This contradicts the findings of previous marine studies, but is in line with the first study, which did not detect different mineralisation rates irrespective of redox conditions. The general conclusion is that it is necessary to study the same physical forces in different aquatic environments, since responses appear to differ, for example, between freshwater, brackish, and marine environments. Factors explaining these differences have not yet been expressed, making small-scale studies and modelling a challenge for future research.

La matière organique dissoute chromophorique (CDOM) est une fraction significative du pool global de matière organique dissoute (MOD) dans les océans. La CDOM absorbe une partie de la lumière dans le domaine du rayonnement ultraviolet (UV-R) et du visible. Une fraction de cette CDOM peut émettre une fluorescence lorsqu'elle est excitée par un UV-R. Cette fraction est alors appelée matière organique dissoute fluorescente (FDOM). La CDOM a donc d'une part, un effet positif, en protégeant les cellules contre les dommages causés par les UV-R, mais d'autre part, un effet négatif en réduisant la quantité de radiation disponible pour la photosynthèse. Les propriétés optiques de la CDOM, particulièrement sensibles aux processus physiques (abiotiques) et biologiques (biotiques), renseignent sur l'intensité des processus biogéochimiques en milieux aquatiques. Des suivis de la dynamique de la CDOM en zones côtière et hauturière en Méditerranée Nord occidentale ont permis de décrire différentes tendances temporelles claires, qui vont d’une faible à une forte saisonnalité et qui peuvent être découplées des variations du pool global de MOD caractérisé par les concentrations en carbone organique dissous (COD). Dans les zones tempérées, les événements météorologiques conduisent à des changements beaucoup plus brusques dans la frange littorale que dans l’océan, où les variations tendent à être plus progressives au cours de l'année. En outre, l'apport de nutriments et de polluants dans les zones côtières est fortement influencé par l'activité anthropogénique et ces entrées ne suivent pas nécessairement de tendances saisonnières nettes. Dans la présente étude qui effectue un premier bilan de la distribution et du devenir de la CDOM/FDOM aux stations d'observation à long terme du laboratoire Arago (stations côtière SOLA et hauturière MOLA) à partir respectivement d'un suivi hebdomadaire et mensuel, nous nous sommes attachés à extraire un signal cohérent et une variabilité claire des sources des différentes fractions de la MOD entre février 2013 et avril 2014 ceci, de manière à mieux comprendre les rôles respectifs des facteurs biotiques et abiotiques. Nos observations ont ensuite pu être replacées dans un contexte synoptique d'évolution climatologique des écosystèmes méditerranéens. / Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is a major fraction of dissolved organic matter (DOM). CDOM absorbs light over a broad range of ultraviolet (UV-R) and visible wavelengths. A small fraction of CDOM can emit fluorescence when excited by ultraviolet radiation; so called fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM). CDOM plays a key role in regulating light penetration into the ocean, absorbing high-energy electromagnetic spectrum (visible and ultraviolet light) waves. On one hand, it protects aquatic organisms of potential photo-damage; in the other hand it induces a negative effect by reducing light for photosynthesis. The optical properties of the CDOM are sensitive to biological (biotic) and physical (abiotic) processes and for this reason the colored matter can provide valuable information about the biogeochemical processes in aquatic environments. CDOM monitoring in Mediterranean coastal areas has shown different temporal trends, which go from weak to strong seasonality. Interestedly, these temporal trends were uncoupled with those of the total dissolved organic carbon. In temperate areas, episodic meteorological events can induce much more abrupt changes in the littoral than in the open sea, where changes tend to be more gradual along the year. In addition, the input of nutrients and pollutants in coastal areas is strongly influenced by the anthropogenic activity on land, and those inputs do not necessarily follow seasonal trends. In the present study, weekly and monthly samplings were performed to investigate the temporal variability in SOLA and MOLA stations, respectively. The fluctuation of different fractions of dissolved organic matter (DOM) was evaluated from February 2013 to April 2014 and referred to long time-frame databases of SOLA and MOLA stations. Inorganic nutrients and chlorophyll shown the classical seasonal patterns, with a winter period characterized by an enrichment of surface waters favoring the spring bloom, followed by a calm period that allows the summer stratification and the depletion of nutrients in the photic zone. The stratification extended until autumn winds and low temperatures eroded the thermocline. In contrast, colored DOM fractions did not follow a clear temporal trend. Interestingly, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) exhibited the highest variability in summer, when the rest of parameters showed minimum variations. To explain this mismatch we proposed a sequence of abiotic and biotic phenomena driving the DOC dynamics. In the suggested conceptual frame, DOC dynamics depended strongly on episodic meteorological events (winds, rains, etc.) along the year, except in summer, where the biological factors were more relevant. In order to better understand the influence of biological factors, we examined the temporal trends of phytoplankton composition in relation to those of the different colored DOM fractions. We found that both phytoplankton and CDOM were strongly influenced by abiotic factors such as the intrusions of fresh waters, the vertical mixing due to convection and the light exposure. However we did not find a correlation between any of the CDOM fractions and any of phytoplankton groups. In addition, we use the dust deposition database of ADEPT project (ICM-CSIC, Barcelona) to investigate the potential role of atmospheric deposition in the CDOM temporal variability, and also performed two dust addition experiments with natural plankton communities collected in the Catalan coast.

This diploma thesis deals with the efficiency and factors affecting the adsorption of AOM (Algal Organic Matter) amino acids (AAs) arginine (Arg), phenylalanine (Phe) and aspartic acid (Asp) onto granular activated carbon (GAC) Picabiol 12x40 (PIC). The efficiency of AOM AAs removal was studied in laboratory equilibrium and kinetic experiments and it was shown that the adsorption efficiency of the selected AAs is dependent on the structure of the molecule of AAs and the nature of the functional groups of their side chain, and more particularly to solution pH, which determines the nature and size and surface charge of AAs and GAC. In contrast to this, the ionic strength (IS) of solution had relatively low effect on the AAs adsorption. Arg adsorption efficiency increased with increasing pH and reached a maximum at pH 9, where AAs and GAC were oppositely charged, and this leads to attractive electrostatic interactions. In the case of Asp adsorption on PIC practically did not work. The reason is that under all experimental conditions Asp molecules and the surface of the PIC carried identical negative charge. This led to the strong electrostatic repulsion between Asp and PIC which prevented effective adsorption. In the case of Phe the adsorption decreases with increasing pH. Maximum adsorption...

Os locais de estudo estão situados no PETAR – Parque Estadual Turístico do Alto Ribeira e PEI – Parque Estadual Intervales, na região do sudeste do Brasil. A área é caracterizada pela presença de vegetação nativa de Floresta Atlântica e dois lagos naturais conhecidos por Lagoa Grande E Lagoa Vermelha, onde foram coletados três testemunhos sedimentares. Análises químicas (C, N, mineralogia), isotópicas (12C, 13C e 14C) e biológicas (palinologia) foram usadas nesse estudo para entender a história da paleovegetação da região durante o Pleistoceno tardio e o Holoceno, assim como suas relações com as mudanças climáticas. Amostras de solo foram coletadas a partir de trincheiras e tradagens em dez locais sob vegetação de floresta natural no PETAR e no PEI. Os dados isotópicos (δ13C) da matéria orgânica do solo em dois pontos do PETAR mostraram valores de δ13C mais enriquecidos ( -17,1%0 e -20,1%0) nas camadas mais profundas, indicando a presença de uma vegetação menos densa que a atual, com uma provável mistura de plantas C3, e C4, no período de ~30.000 a 16.000 anos AP, sugerindo a presença de um clima mais seco. De ~16.000 anos AP até o presente um empobrecimento isotópico significativo (até -28,3 %0) foi observado em todos os locais, indicativo de expansão da floresta, provavelmente associada à presença de um clima mais úmido que no período anterior. Os dados isotópicos (δ13C) dos solos de PEI indicam a presença de vegetação de floresta desde ~14.000 anos AP, exceto em um local (SAI) onde valores de δ13C mais enriquecidos (-21,8 %0) foram observados, relacionados provavelmente à mistura de plantas C3 e C4 e/ou à presença de uma vegetação de floresta menos densa em ~14.000 anos AP. A partir dos resultados da matéria orgânica sedimentar do testemunho da Lagoa Grande foi verificado que as condições ambientais foram relativamente estáveis durante os últimos 1000 anos, caracterizados pela presença de plantas C3, e fitoplâncton, sugerindo condições climáticas úmidas e que o lago provavelmente não se apresentou seco durante o último milênio. Condições ambientais para a Lagoa Vermelha também foram relativamente estáveis durante os últimos 4500 anos, caracterizadas pela presença significativa de plantas C3 na matéria orgânica sedimentar indicando condições climáticas úmidas. Mudanças na composição da vegetação foram registradas pela palinologia durante o período de ~1400 a 1100 anos AP, relacionadas a presença de um provável clima frio que o atual. / The study sites are in the PETAR - Parque Estadual Turístico do Alto Ribeira and PEI - Parque Estadual Intervales, in the southeastern region of Brazil. The area is characterized by the presence of the native vegetation of Atlantic forest and two natural lakes called LAgoa Grande and Lagoa Vermelha, where three sediment cores were collected. Chemical (C, N and mineralogy), isotope (12C, 13C and 14C), and biological (pollen analyses) tools were used in the study to understand the palaeovegetation history of the region during the late Pleistocene and Holocene and its relation to climate changes. Soils samples were collected from trenches and by drilling at five locations under natural forest vegetation in the PETAR and PEI study sites.The isotope data (δ13C)collected in soil at two locations in the PETAR area showed much more enriched δ13C values ( -17,1%0 and -20,1%0)in the deeper horizons, indicating the presence of a less dense vegetation than the present modern day, with a probable mixture of C3 and C4 plants, in the period of ~30.000 to ~16.000 years BP. This pattern suggested the presence of a drier climate. From ~16.000 years BP to the present, a significant isotopic depletion (up to -28,3 %0)was observed in all sites indicating an expansion of the forest, probable associated to the presence of a more humid climate than the previous period. The isotope results (δ13C) collected at the PEI soils indicated the presence of forest vegetation since ~14.000 years BP, except in one location (SAI), where more enriched δ13C values (-21,8 %0) were observed probable related to mixture of C3 e C4 plants, and/or a presence of a less dense forest vegetation around ~14.000 years BP. From the results of the sediment organic matter compositions of LAgoa Grande, it was verified that the environmental conditions were relatively stable during the last 1000 years, characterized by the presence of C3 plants and phytoplankton, suggesting humid climaticconditions and the lake probable wasn't dry during the last millennium. Environmental conditions for the Lagoa Vermelha were also relatively stable during the last 4500 years, characterized by the significant presence of C3 plants in the sediment organic matter indicating humid climatic conditions. The changes in vegetation composition recorded by palynology during the period of ~1400 to 1100 years BP can be related to existence of a probable colder climate than today.

Increasing human populations and activities in coastal areas have led to high nutrient loading and estuarine ecosystem decline. Natural hydrological patterns in South Florida have been drastically altered by changes in water management and land use practices. As a result Florida Bay has experienced a series of negative ecosystem effects including hypersalinity events, degradation of water quality, and harmful algal blooms and declines in upper trophic level populations. To remediate ecosystem decline in Florida's coastal ecosystems, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan proposes to restore a more natural hydrologic flow in the Everglades. It is expected hydrologic restoration efforts will change the amount, sources and ratios of dissolved nutrients (organic and inorganic) delivered to the bay potentially inducing an ecosystem response of changing structure and function in both planktic and benthic habitats. Identifying biogeochemical linkages between external nutrient inputs from the Everglades and internal cycling processes of Florida Bay is critical to understanding the effects of hydrological restoration and changing nutrient regimes on Florida Bay. A nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C ) stable isotopic approach affords an effective means of assessing the fate of varying nutrient sources and delineating the dominant biogeochemical processes governing nutrient cycling in the bay. This study's main goals were to use stable isotopic analyses of C and N in dissolved and particulate materials to determine spatial and seasonal relationships between Everglades nutrient sources and their biological sinks in Florida Bay, examine the biogeochemical relationships among inorganic and organic components of the water column and benthos in Florida Bay, and assess future ecological response to changing nutrient inputs resulting from restoration efforts. A large east to west gradient from more enriched to more depleted δ15N values was noted in both dissolved nitrogen pools and organic components of the bay. This trend indicates that there are differing nutrient sources and biogeochemical processes influencing the various regions of the bay. Isotopic similarity of the dissolved nitrogen pools from the Everglades and particulate organic matter in the bay points to a strong relationship between both ecosystems. Everglades nutrient inputs delivered to the bay in the wet season directly influence ecological responses in the bay, in some cases increases in algal biomass. Seasonality also influences nitrogen transformations in the dissolved nitrogen pools and the sediments. During dry periods when there is little or no hydrologic flow from the Everglades into the bay, denitrification is a major process affecting nitrogen cycling in the eastern and central regions of the bay. During the wet periods, denitrification becomes suppressed and dissimilatory nitrate reduction (DNRA) is favored. Increased hydrologic flow brings fresh organic matter that fuels DNRA. There was a consistent spatial pattern from more depleted to more enriched δ13C values, onshore to offshore relative to the mainland which indicates strong terrestrial influence on Florida Bay sites along the mangrove boundary with the Everglades. Particulate organic matter exhibited a shift to more enriched δ13C values during the wet season which reflects an increase in algal biomass. A shift to more depleted δ13C values of DOM indicated increased terrestrial influence from the Everglades during the wet season. The approach undertaken in this study identifies a strong linkage between nutrient inputs from the Everglades and biogeochemical processes in the bay. These findings underscore the need to consider the impact of both allochtonous nutrient inputs and the dominant processes governing cycling in the bay when making management decisions that continue to refine hydrologic restoration plans.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a central component of the global carbon cycle. Thus, small changes to the amount of DOM imported, processed and produced within lakes can have a large effect on regional carbon budgets. In addition to being a vital energy source at the base of the aquatic food web, DOM is physico-chemically reactive. However, identifying and understanding the controls of DOM processing has remained challenging due to the complex composition of DOM. DOM comprises a mixture of decomposition by-products of terrestrial origin as well as newly synthesized material from in situ production. DOM compounds form gradients of reactivity to biogeochemical processes, such as photodegradation, biodegradation, and flocculation, and they perform a suite of functions in aquatic systems. The overarching goal of this thesis was to investigate controls of DOM processing in Swedish lakes. We do this in two ways: 1) by characterizing the molecular-level composition of DOM in lakes, and 2) by investigating interactions between very labile and relatively recalcitrant DOM. The first three chapters utilize ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry to show that the detailed chemical composition of DOM varies along a hydrology gradient, and secondarily along a temperature gradient that co-varies with agriculture and nutrients. Next, we illustrate the coherence between molecular-level characteristics and bulk optical characteristics. Together, these studies suggest that protein-like fluorescence, aliphatic compounds, and N-containing compounds are either resistant to degradation or tightly cycled in the system, and thus persist at long water residence times. The most oxidized compounds, such as vascular plant-derived polyphenolic compounds, are abundant in areas with high precipitation and are lost with increasing water residence time. Vascular plant-derived polyphenolic compounds were most strongly related to DOM with high apparent molecular weight, suggesting that hydrophobic interactions drive aggregate formation. Furthermore, the association of high molecular weight DOM with polyphenolic compounds suggests that aggregates are hotspots of reactivity in aquatic systems. Finally, we find no indication that the addition of labile organic matter enhances the biodegradation of less reactive DOM. Thus, we suggest that in freshwaters, intrinsic molecular properties, such as the basic structural features of compounds, dominate over extrinsic factors.

Os locais de estudo estão situados no PETAR – Parque Estadual Turístico do Alto Ribeira e PEI – Parque Estadual Intervales, na região do sudeste do Brasil. A área é caracterizada pela presença de vegetação nativa de Floresta Atlântica e dois lagos naturais conhecidos por Lagoa Grande E Lagoa Vermelha, onde foram coletados três testemunhos sedimentares. Análises químicas (C, N, mineralogia), isotópicas (12C, 13C e 14C) e biológicas (palinologia) foram usadas nesse estudo para entender a história da paleovegetação da região durante o Pleistoceno tardio e o Holoceno, assim como suas relações com as mudanças climáticas. Amostras de solo foram coletadas a partir de trincheiras e tradagens em dez locais sob vegetação de floresta natural no PETAR e no PEI. Os dados isotópicos (δ13C) da matéria orgânica do solo em dois pontos do PETAR mostraram valores de δ13C mais enriquecidos ( -17,1%0 e -20,1%0) nas camadas mais profundas, indicando a presença de uma vegetação menos densa que a atual, com uma provável mistura de plantas C3, e C4, no período de ~30.000 a 16.000 anos AP, sugerindo a presença de um clima mais seco. De ~16.000 anos AP até o presente um empobrecimento isotópico significativo (até -28,3 %0) foi observado em todos os locais, indicativo de expansão da floresta, provavelmente associada à presença de um clima mais úmido que no período anterior. Os dados isotópicos (δ13C) dos solos de PEI indicam a presença de vegetação de floresta desde ~14.000 anos AP, exceto em um local (SAI) onde valores de δ13C mais enriquecidos (-21,8 %0) foram observados, relacionados provavelmente à mistura de plantas C3 e C4 e/ou à presença de uma vegetação de floresta menos densa em ~14.000 anos AP. A partir dos resultados da matéria orgânica sedimentar do testemunho da Lagoa Grande foi verificado que as condições ambientais foram relativamente estáveis durante os últimos 1000 anos, caracterizados pela presença de plantas C3, e fitoplâncton, sugerindo condições climáticas úmidas e que o lago provavelmente não se apresentou seco durante o último milênio. Condições ambientais para a Lagoa Vermelha também foram relativamente estáveis durante os últimos 4500 anos, caracterizadas pela presença significativa de plantas C3 na matéria orgânica sedimentar indicando condições climáticas úmidas. Mudanças na composição da vegetação foram registradas pela palinologia durante o período de ~1400 a 1100 anos AP, relacionadas a presença de um provável clima frio que o atual. / The study sites are in the PETAR - Parque Estadual Turístico do Alto Ribeira and PEI - Parque Estadual Intervales, in the southeastern region of Brazil. The area is characterized by the presence of the native vegetation of Atlantic forest and two natural lakes called LAgoa Grande and Lagoa Vermelha, where three sediment cores were collected. Chemical (C, N and mineralogy), isotope (12C, 13C and 14C), and biological (pollen analyses) tools were used in the study to understand the palaeovegetation history of the region during the late Pleistocene and Holocene and its relation to climate changes. Soils samples were collected from trenches and by drilling at five locations under natural forest vegetation in the PETAR and PEI study sites.The isotope data (δ13C)collected in soil at two locations in the PETAR area showed much more enriched δ13C values ( -17,1%0 and -20,1%0)in the deeper horizons, indicating the presence of a less dense vegetation than the present modern day, with a probable mixture of C3 and C4 plants, in the period of ~30.000 to ~16.000 years BP. This pattern suggested the presence of a drier climate. From ~16.000 years BP to the present, a significant isotopic depletion (up to -28,3 %0)was observed in all sites indicating an expansion of the forest, probable associated to the presence of a more humid climate than the previous period. The isotope results (δ13C) collected at the PEI soils indicated the presence of forest vegetation since ~14.000 years BP, except in one location (SAI), where more enriched δ13C values (-21,8 %0) were observed probable related to mixture of C3 e C4 plants, and/or a presence of a less dense forest vegetation around ~14.000 years BP. From the results of the sediment organic matter compositions of LAgoa Grande, it was verified that the environmental conditions were relatively stable during the last 1000 years, characterized by the presence of C3 plants and phytoplankton, suggesting humid climaticconditions and the lake probable wasn't dry during the last millennium. Environmental conditions for the Lagoa Vermelha were also relatively stable during the last 4500 years, characterized by the significant presence of C3 plants in the sediment organic matter indicating humid climatic conditions. The changes in vegetation composition recorded by palynology during the period of ~1400 to 1100 years BP can be related to existence of a probable colder climate than today.

No description available.