Kilimanjaro is experiencing the consequences of climate change and multiple land-use pressures. Few paleoenvironmental and archeological records exist to examine historical patterns of late Holocene ecosystem changes on Kilimanjaro. Here we present pollen, phytolith, and charcoal (>125 μm) data from a palustrine sediment core that provide a 3000-year radiocarbon-dated record collected from a wetland near the headwaters of the Maua watershed in the alpine and ericaceous vegetation zones. From 3000 to 800 cal yr BP, the pollen, phytolith, and charcoal records show subtle variability in ericaceous and montane forest assemblages with apparent multicentennial secular variability and a long-term pattern of increasing Poaceae and charcoal. From 800 to 600 cal yr BP, montane forest taxa varied rapidly, Cyperaceae abundances increased, and charcoal remained distinctly low. From 600 yr cal BP to the present, woody taxa decreased, and ericaceous taxa and Poaceae dominated, with a conspicuously increased charcoal influx. Uphill wetland ecosystems are crucial for ecological and socioeconomic resilience on and surrounding the mountain. The results were synthesized with the existing paleoenvironmental and archaeological data to explore the high spatiotemporal complexity of Kilimanjaro and to understand historical human-environment interactions. These paleoenvironmental records create a long-term context for current climate, biodiversity, and land-use changes on and around Kilimanjaro.

中文翻译：

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坦桑尼亚乞力马扎罗山高海拔湿地植被变化和火灾的 3000 年记录

乞力马扎罗山正在经历气候变化和多重土地使用压力的后果。很少有古环境和考古记录来研究乞力马扎罗山晚全新世生态系统变化的历史模式。在这里，我们展示了来自沼泽沉积物核心的花粉、植硅体和木炭 (>125 μm) 数据，这些数据提供了从高山和杜鹃花植被区 Maua 流域源头附近的湿地收集的 3000 年放射性碳年代记录。从 3000 到 800 cal yr BP，花粉、植硅体和木炭记录显示，在具有明显的百年历史的长期变化和禾本科和木炭增加的长期模式中，石蜡和山地森林组合存在细微的变化。从 800 到 600 cal yr BP，山地森林类群变化迅速，莎草科丰度增加，和木炭仍然明显低。从 600 年 cal BP 到现在，木本类群减少，以 ericaceae 类群和禾本科为主，木炭流入量显着增加。上坡湿地生态系统对于山区及其周围的生态和社会经济复原力至关重要。将结果与现有的古环境和考古数据进行综合，以探索乞力马扎罗山的高时空复杂性并了解历史人类与环境的相互作用。这些古环境记录为乞力马扎罗山及其周边地区当前的气候、生物多样性和土地利用变化创造了长期背景。上坡湿地生态系统对于山区及其周围的生态和社会经济复原力至关重要。将结果与现有的古环境和考古数据进行综合，以探索乞力马扎罗山的高时空复杂性并了解历史人类与环境的相互作用。这些古环境记录为乞力马扎罗山及其周边地区当前的气候、生物多样性和土地利用变化创造了长期背景。上坡湿地生态系统对于山区及其周围的生态和社会经济复原力至关重要。将结果与现有的古环境和考古数据进行综合，以探索乞力马扎罗山的高时空复杂性并了解历史人类与环境的相互作用。这些古环境记录为乞力马扎罗山及其周边地区当前的气候、生物多样性和土地利用变化创造了长期背景。