Abstract
Transfer functions are now widely available to infer past environmental conditions from biotic assemblages. Existing transfer functions are based on species assemblages but an alternative is to characterize assemblages based on functional traits, characteristics of the organism which determine its fitness and performance. Here, we test the potential of trait-based transfer functions using testate amoeba functional traits to reconstruct peatland water-table depths.
A total of seven functional traits with linkages to peat moisture content were identified and quantified as community weighted-means for each of 43 taxa in a training set from Tierra del Fuego, South America. Transfer functions based on multiple linear regression and partial least-squares were produced, validated using cross-validation and an independent test set, and applied to three core records. Trait-based models performed remarkably well. Model performance based on cross-validation and an independent test set was only marginally weaker than for models based on species and reconstructed down-core trends were extremely similar. Trait-based models offer considerable potential for paleoecological reconstruction particularly in no-analogue situations, where no species transfer function is available and for inexperienced analysts. The approach deserves further validation and testing for both testate amoebae and other groups of microfossils.
A total of seven functional traits with linkages to peat moisture content were identified and quantified as community weighted-means for each of 43 taxa in a training set from Tierra del Fuego, South America. Transfer functions based on multiple linear regression and partial least-squares were produced, validated using cross-validation and an independent test set, and applied to three core records. Trait-based models performed remarkably well. Model performance based on cross-validation and an independent test set was only marginally weaker than for models based on species and reconstructed down-core trends were extremely similar. Trait-based models offer considerable potential for paleoecological reconstruction particularly in no-analogue situations, where no species transfer function is available and for inexperienced analysts. The approach deserves further validation and testing for both testate amoebae and other groups of microfossils.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 173-183 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology |
Volume | 468 |
Early online date | 12 Dec 2016 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 15 Feb 2017 |
Bibliographical note
This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (grant numbers NE/I022809/1, NE/I022981/1, NE/I022833/1 and NE/I023104/1). RJP acknowledges support from the Russian Scientific Fund (grant 14-14-00891). We would like to thank Edward Mitchell, Graeme Swindles and an anonymous reviewer for reviewing an earlier draft of the paper.Keywords
- Ombrotrophic
- validation
- Patagonia
- Holocene
- sphagnum
- peatland