Palaeolimnological analyses from Lake PW03, a small, dilute lake on crystalline bedrock on Prescott Island, Nunavut, Canada (73°07′ N, 96°41′ W, 243 m a.s.l.), provide a sensitive record of the impacts of Holocene climatic change on diatom communities. A high-resolution sequence from 3500 cal. BP to present indicates that a significant change in diatom assemblages takes place at 2300 cal. BP, when alkaliphilous fragilarioids and planktonic taxa are replaced by benthic, epiphytic and acidophilous diatoms. These changes coincide with the onset of neoglacial cooling and likely reflect more persistent ice-cover and associated acidification of lake water. Maximum diatom species richness occurs during this period of transition. Dense bryophyte communities in the littoral zone provide habitats to sustain diatom production even under the cooler conditions following 2300 cal. BP. The concentration of diatom valves declines at 500 cal. BP, coincident with cooling at the time of the `Little Ice Age', and minor changes in species composition take place at that time. The sediments deposited over the past 150 years show modest increases in fragilarioids and planktonic diatoms, in response to a longer ice-free season under a warmer climate. Diatom valve production increases significantly in these recent sediments but increases in diversity are relatively small. Diatom diversity, production and the species composition of diatom communities do not change simultaneously in response to climatic changes.
Antoniades, D.2005: The limnology, diatom autecology, and paleolimnology of lakes and ponds from Alert, Ellesmere Island, Isachsen, Ellef Ringnes Island, and Mould Bay, Prince Patrick Island, Canadian High Artic. PhD Thesis, University of Toronto.
2.
Antoniades, D., Douglas, M.S.V. and Smol, J.P.2005: Benthic diatom autecology and inference model development from the Canadian High Arctic Archipelago. Journal of Phycology41, 30—45.
3.
Begon, M., Harper, J.L. and Townsend, C.R.1996: Ecology. Blackwell Science.
4.
Binford, M.W.1990: Calculation and uncertainty analysis of 210-Pb dates from PIRLA project lake sediment cores. Journal of Paleolimnology3, 253—67.
5.
Birks, H.J.B. and Line, J.M.1992: The use of rarefaction analysis for estimating palynological richness from Quaternary pollen-analytical data. The Holocene2, 1—10.
6.
Blais, J.M. and Kalff, J.1995: The influence of lake morphometry on sediment focusing . Limnology and Oceanography40, 582—88.
7.
Bouchard, G.2004: Freshwater diatom biogeography of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. MSc Thesis, University of Ottawa, Ottawa.
8.
Bouchard, G., Gajewski, K. and Hamilton, P.B.2004: Freshwater diatom biogeography in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Journal of Biogeography31, 1955—73.
9.
Bradley, R.1990: Holocene paleoclimatology of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, Canadian High Arctic. Quaternary Science Reviews9, 365—84.
10.
Camburn, K.E. and Charles, D.F.2000: Diatoms of low-alkalinity lakes in the Northeastern United States. Special Publication18, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
11.
Conley, D.J.1998: An inter-laboratory comparison for the measurement of biogenic silica in sediments. MarineChemistry63, 39—48.
12.
Conley, D.J. and Schelske, C.L.2001: Biogenic Silica. In S mol, J.P., Birks, H.J.B. and Last, W.M., editors, Tracking environmental change using lake sediments. Volume 3: terrestrial, algal, and siliceous indicators . Kluwer, 281—93.
13.
Connell, J.H.1978: Diversity in tropical rainforests and coral reefs. Science199, 1302—10.
14.
Cremer, H., Wagner, B., Melles, M. and Hubberten, H.-W.2001: The postglacial environmental development of Raffles Sø, East Greenland: inferences from a 10,000 year diatom record. Journal of Paleolimnology26, 67—87.
15.
Cumming, B.F., Wilson, S.E., Hall, R.I. and Smol, J.P.1995: Diatoms from British Columbia (Canada) lakes and their relationship to salinity, nutrients and other limnological variables. Bibliotheca Diatomologica, Band 31. J. Cramer.
16.
Davis, M.B. and Ford, M.S.1982: Sediment focusing in Mirror Lake, New Hampshire. Limnology and Oceanography27, 137—50.
17.
DeMaster, D.J.1981: The supply and accumulation of silica in the marine environment . Geochimica and Cosmochimica Acta45, 1715—32.
18.
Doubleday, N.C., Douglas, M.S.V. and Smol, J.P.1995: Paleoenvironmental studies of black carbon deposition in the High Arctic: a case study from Northern Ellesmere Island. Science of the Total Environment160, 661—68.
19.
Douglas, M.S.V., Smol, J.P. and Blake, W., Jr1994: Marked post-18th century environmental change in high-arctic ecosystems. Science266, 416—19.
20.
Dyke, A.S., Morris, T.F., Green, D.E.C. and England, J.1992: Quaternary geology of Prince of Wales Island, Arctic Canada. GSC.
21.
Dyke, A.S., Hooper, J. and Savelle, J.M.1996: A history of sea ice in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago based on postglacial remains of the Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus). Arctic49, 235—55.
22.
Ellis, C.J. and Rochefort, L.2004: Century-scale development of polygon-patterned tundra wetland, Bylot Island (73 degrees N, 80 degrees W). Ecology85, 963—78.
23.
Fallu, M.-A., Allaire, N. and Pienitz, R.2000: Freshwater diatoms from northern Quebec and Labrador (Canada). Species—environment relationships in lakes of boreal forest, forest-tundra and tundra regions. Biblioteca Diatomologica, Band 45. J. Cramer.
24.
Fallu, M.-A., Pienitz, R., Walker, I.R. and Overpeck, J.T.2004: AMS 14C dating of tundra lake sediments using chironomid head capsules. Journal of Paleolimnology31, 11—22.
25.
Fisher, D.A. and Koerner, R.M.1994: Signal and noise in four ice-core records from the Agassiz Ice Cap, Ellesmere Island, Canada: details of the last millennium for stable isotopes, melt and solid conductivity. The Holocene4, 113—20.
26.
Gajewski, K.1995: Modern and Holocene pollen assemblages from some small Arctic lakes on Somerset Island, NWT, Canada. Quaternary Research44, 228—36.
27.
Gajewski, K. and Atkinson, D.2003: Climate change in the Canadian Arctic. Environmental Reviews11, 69—102.
28.
Gajewski, K. and Frappier, M.2001: A Holocene lacustrine record of environmental change in northeastern Prince of Wales Island, Nunavut, Canada. Boreas30, 285—89.
29.
Guiry, M.D., Rindi, F. and Guiry, G.M.2006: AlgaeBase version 4.0National University of Ireland, Galway. Retrieved 23 May 2007 from http://www.algaebase.org
30.
Hamilton, P.B., Gajewski, K., McNeely, R. and Lean, D.R.S.2000: Physical-chemical and biological characteristics of lakes from the Slidre River Basin on the Fosheim Peninsula. In Garneau, M. and Alt, B., editors, Environmental response to climate change in the Canadian High Arctic. Geological Survey of Canada, 235—48.
31.
Juggins, S.2005. C2 data analysis, v.1.4.2. University of Newcastle, UK. Retrieved 23 May 2007 from http://www.campus.ncl.ac.uk/staff/Stephen.Juggins/software/c2home.htm
32.
Kaplan, M.R. and Wolfe, A.P.2006: Spatial and temporal variability of Holocene temperature in the North Atlantic region. Quaternary Research65, 223—31.
33.
Kaufman, D.S., Ager, T.A., Anderson, N.J., Anderson, P.M., Andrews, J.T., Bartlein, P.J., Brubaker, L.B., Coats, L.L., Cwynar, L.C., Duvall, M.L., Dyke, A.S., Edwards, M.E., Eisner, W.R., Gajewski, K., Geirsdottir, A., Hu, F.S., Jennings, A.E., Kaplan, M.R., Kerwin, M.N., Lozhkin, A.V., MacDonald, G.M., Miller, G.H., Mock, C.J., Oswald, W.W., Otto-Bliesner, B.L., Porinchu, D.F., Rühland, K., Smol, J.P., Steig, E.J. and Wolfe, B.B.2004: Holocene thermal maximum in the western Arctic (0—180 degrees W). Quaternary Science Reviews23, 529—60.
34.
Krammer, K.1997: Die Cymbelloiden Diatomeen: Eine Monographie der Weltweit Bekannten Taxa. Bibliotheca Diatomologica, Band 36—67. J. Cramer.
35.
Krammer, K. and Lange-Bertalot, H.1986—1991: Bacillariophyceae. Susswasser-flora von Mitteleuropa2(1—4). Gustav Fischer.
36.
Lamoureux, S., England, J.H., Sharp, M.J. and Bush, A.B.G.2001: A varve record of increased `Little Ice Age' rainfall associated with volcanic activity, Arctic Archipelago, Canada. The Holocene11, 243—49.
37.
Lange-Bertalot, H. and Metzeltin, D., editors 1996: Indicators of oligotrophy . Iconographia diatomologica, Vol. 2. Koelz Scientific Books.
38.
LeBlanc, M., Gajewski, K. and Hamilton, P.B.2004: A diatom-based Holocene palaeoenvironmental record from a mid-arctic lake on Boothia Peninsula, Nunavut, Canada. The Holocene14, 417—25.
39.
Maxwell, J.B.1980: The climate of the Canadian Arctic islands and adjacent waters. Climatological Studies; no. 30. Environment Canada, Atmospheric Environment Service.
40.
Metzeltin, D. and Witkowski, A., editors 1996: Diatomeen der Baren-Insel . Iconographia diatomologica, Vol. 4. Koeltz Scientific Books.
41.
Michelutti, N., Wolfe, A.P., Vinebrooke, R.D. and Rivard, B.2005: Recent primary production increases in arctic lakes. Geophysical Research Letters32, L19715.
42.
Michelutti, N., Douglas, M.S.V., Wolfe, A.P. and Smol, J.P.2006: Heightened sensitivity of a poorly buffered high arctic lake to late-Holocene climatic change. Quaternary Research65, 421—30.
43.
Overpeck, J.T., Hughen, K., Hardy, D., Bradley, R., Case, R., Douglas, M., Finney, B., Gajewski, K., Jacoby, G., Jennings, A., Lamoureux, S., Lasca, A., MacDonald, G., Moore, J., Retelle, M., Smith, S., Wolfe, A. and Zielinski, G.1997: Arctic environmental change of the last four centuries . Science278, 1251—56.
44.
Parsons, T.R., Maita, Y. and Lalli, C.M.1984: A manual of chemical and biological methods for seawater analysis. Pergamon.
45.
Perren, B.B., Bradley, R.S. and Francus, P.2003: Rapid lacustrine response to recent High Arctic warming: a diatom record from Sawtooth Lake, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. Arctic Antarctic and Alpine Research35, 271—78.
46.
Podritske, B.2006: Holocene climate variability and long-term diatom community dynamics in a small lake on Victoria Island, NWT, Canada. MSc Thesis, Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
47.
Reimer, P.J., Baillie, M.G.L., Bard, E., Bayliss, A., Beck, J.W., Bertrand, C.J.H., Blackwell, P.G., Buck, C.E., Burr, G.S., Cutler, K.B., Damon, P.E., Edwards, R.L., Fairbanks, R.G., Friedrich, M., Guilderson, T.P., Hogg, A.G., Hughen, K.A., Kromer, B., McCormac, F.G., Manning, S.W., Ramsey, C.B., Reimer, R.W., Remmele, S., Southon, J.R., Stuiver, M., Talamo, S., Taylor, F.W., van der Plicht, J. and Weyhenmeyer, C.E.2004: IntCal04 terrestrial radiocarbon age calibration, 26—0 ka BP. Radiocarbon46, 1029—58.
48.
Schmidt, R., Kamenik, C., Lange-Bertalot, H. and Klee, R.2004: Fragilaria and Staurosira (Bacillariophycaea) from sediment surfaces of 40 lakes in the Austrian Alps in relation to environmental variables, and their potential for paleoclimatology. Journal of Limnology63, 171—89.
49.
Smith, I.R.2002: Diatom-based Holocene paleoenvironmental records from continental sites on northeastern Ellesmere Island, high Arctic, Canada. Journal of Paleolimnology27, 9—28.
50.
Smol, J.P.1981: Problems associated with the use of `species diversity' in paleolimnological studies. Quaternary Research15, 209—12.
51.
——— 1983: Paleophycology of a high arctic lake near Cape Herschel, Ellesmere Island. Canadian Journal of Botany61, 2195—204.
52.
Smol, J.P. and Cumming, B.F.2000: Tracking long-term changes in climate using algal indicators in lake sediments. Journal of Phycology36, 986—1011.
53.
Smol, J.P., Wolfe, A.P., Birks, H.J.B., Douglas, M.S.V., Jones, V.J., Korhola, A., Pienitz, R., Rühland, K., Sorvari, S., Antoniades, D., Brooks, S.J., Fallu, M.A., Hughes, M., Keatley, B.E., Laing, T.E., Michelutti, N., Nazarova, L., Nyman, M., Paterson, A.M., Perren, B., Quinlan, R., Rautio, M., Saulnier-Talbot, E., Siitoneni, S., Solovieva, N. and Weckström, J.2005: Climate-driven regime shifts in the biological communities of arctic lakes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) 102, 4397—402.
54.
Sorvari, S., Korhola, A. and Thompson, R.2002: Lake diatom response to recent Arctic warming in Finnish Lapland. Global Change Biology8, 171—81.
55.
Stuiver, M., Reimer, P.J. and Reimer, R.W.2005. CALIB 5.0. Retrieved 23 May 2007 from http://calib.qub.ac.uk/calib/
56.
Telford, R.J., Heegaard, E. and Birks, H.J.B.2004: The intercept is a poor estimate of a calibrated radiocarbon age. The Holocene14, 296—98.
57.
United States Department of Agriculture2007 : Integrated taxonomic information system. Retrieved 23 May 2007 from http://www.itis.usda.gov/
58.
Van deVijver, B., Beyens, L. and Lange-Bertalot, H.2004: The genus Stauroneis in the Arctic and (sub-) Antarctic regions. Bibliotheca Diatomologica , Band 51. J. Cramer.
59.
Williamson, C.E., Olson, O.G., Lott, S.E., Walker, N.D., Engstrom, D.R. and Hargreaves, B.R.2001: Ultraviolet radiation and zooplankton community structure following deglaciation in Glacier Bay, Alaska . Ecology82, 1748—60.
60.
Wolfe, A.P.1991: Mid and late Holocene diatoms from `Water Supply Lake', Baffin Island, N.W.T., Canada. Journal of Paleolimnology6, 199—204.
61.
——— 2002: Climate modulates the acidity of Arctic lakes on millennial time scales. Geology30, 215—18.
62.
——— 2003: Diatom community responses to late-Holocene climatic variability, Baffin Island, Canada: a comparison of numerical approaches. The Holocene13, 29—37.
63.
Wolfe, A.P. and Smith, I.R.2004: Paleolimnology of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In Pienitz, R., Douglas, M.S.V. and Smol, J.P., editors, Long-term environmental change in Arctic and Antarctic Lakes . Springer, 241—68.
64.
Wolken, G.J., England, J.H. and Dyke, A.S.2005: Re-evaluating the relevance of vegetation trimlines in the Canadian Arctic as an indicator of Little Ice Age paleoenvironments. Arctic58, 341—53.
65.
Woo, V. and Zoltai, S.C.1977: Reconnaissance of soils and vegetation of Somerset and Prince of Wales Islands. Northwest Territories. Information report NORX-186. Northern Forestry Research Centre. Fisheries and Environment Canada.
66.
Young, R.B. and King, R.H.1989: Sediment chemistry and diatom stratigraphy of two high arctic isolation lakes, Truelove Lowland, Devon Island, N.W.T., Canada. Journal of Paleolimnology2, 207—25.
