Understanding long-term (centennial–millennial scale) ecosystem stability and dynamics are key to sustainable management and conservation of ecosystem processes under the currently changing climate. Fossil pollen records offer the possibility to investigate long-term changes in vegetation composition and diversity on regional and continental scales. Such studies have been conducted in temperate systems, but are underrepresented in the tropics, especially in Africa. This study attempts to synthesize pollen records from Nigeria (tropical western Africa) and nearby regions to quantitatively assess Holocene regional vegetation changes (turnover) and stability under different climatic regimes for the first time. We use the squared chord distance metric (SCD) to assess centennial-scale vegetation turnover in pollen records. Results suggest vegetation in most parts of Nigeria experienced low turnover under a wetter climatic regime (African Humid Period), especially between ~8000 and 5000 cal year BP. In contrast, vegetation turnover increased significantly under the drier climatic regime of the late-Holocene (between ~5000 cal year BP and present), reflecting the imp role of moisture changes in tropical west African vegetation dynamics during the Holocene. Our results are consistent with records of vegetation and climatic changes in other parts of Africa, suggesting the Holocene pattern of vegetation change in Nigeria is a reflection of continental-scale climatic changes.

了解长期（百年至千禧年规模）生态系统的稳定性和动态是当前气候变化下生态系统过程可持续管理和保护的关键。化石花粉记录提供了研究区域和大陆尺度上植被组成和多样性的长期变化的可能性。此类研究是在温带系统中进行的，但在热带地区，特别是在非洲，代表性不足。本研究首次尝试综合尼日利亚（热带西非）及附近地区的花粉记录，定量评估不同气候条件下全新世区域植被变化（周转）和稳定性。我们使用平方弦距度量 (SCD) 来评估花粉记录中百年规模的植被周转率。结果表明，尼日利亚大部分地区的植被在较潮湿的气候制度（非洲湿润期）下经历了低周转率，尤其是在大约 8000 到 5000 卡年 BP 之间。相比之下，在全新世晚期（大约 5000 卡年 BP 和现在之间）较干燥的气候条件下，植被周转率显着增加，反映了全新世期间水分变化对热带西非植被动态的影响。我们的结果与非洲其他地区的植被和气候变化记录一致，表明尼日利亚全新世植被变化模式是大陆尺度气候变化的反映。在全新世晚期（大约 5000 卡年 BP 至今）的干燥气候条件下，植被周转率显着增加，反映了全新世期间水分变化对热带西非植被动态的影响。我们的结果与非洲其他地区的植被和气候变化记录一致，表明尼日利亚全新世植被变化模式是大陆尺度气候变化的反映。在全新世晚期（大约 5000 卡年 BP 至今）的干燥气候条件下，植被周转率显着增加，反映了全新世期间水分变化对热带西非植被动态的影响。我们的结果与非洲其他地区的植被和气候变化记录一致，表明尼日利亚全新世植被变化模式是大陆尺度气候变化的反映。