Fire plays a pivotal role in driving ecological shifts between Mediterranean-type vegetation and subtropical ecosystems in South Africa. This study investigates long-term environmental dynamics and ecological regime changes at the Mediterranean-type vegetation /subtropical boundary using a 6000-year palaeoecological sequence from the Baviaanskloof – a region of South Africa characterized by high levels of biodiversity and climate dynamism. Combining fossil pollen and microcharcoal data from a rock hyrax Procavia capensis midden, we analyse vegetation responses to environmental changes. Our findings reveal that Mediterranean-type vegetation resilience prevailed until ca 2800 cal year BP when a major fire event triggered a transition to a subtropical thicket-dominated environment. This abrupt ecological turnover underscores the significance of fire as a major driver of vegetation change at the Mediterranean-type vegetation /subtropical boundary. Our study emphasizes the vulnerability of Mediterranean-type vegetation ecosystems to global environmental change, suggesting potential implications for similar biome boundaries worldwide. By integrating multi-proxy palaeoecological evidence, we gain insights into the resilience and vulnerability of these ecosystems, aiding in understanding future responses to climate change scenarios.

中文翻译：

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火灾导致全新世植被在亚热带和地中海型生态系统之间发生主要变化：来自南非生物多样性热点的案例研究


火灾在推动南非地中海型植被和亚热带生态系统之间的生态转变方面发挥着关键作用本研究使用来自 Baviaanskloof 的 6000 年古生态序列调查了地中海型植被/亚热带边界的长期环境动态和生态状况变化——Baviaanskloof 是南非的一个地区，具有高水平的生物多样性和气候活力。结合来自岩石 hyrax Procavia capensis midden 的化石花粉和微木炭数据，我们分析了植被对环境变化的反应。我们的研究结果表明，地中海型植被的恢复力一直盛行，直到大约 2800 cal year BP，当时一场重大火灾事件触发了向亚热带灌木丛为主的环境过渡。这种突然的生态更替凸显了火灾作为地中海型植被/亚热带边界植被变化的主要驱动因素的重要性。我们的研究强调了地中海型植被生态系统对全球环境变化的脆弱性，表明了对全球类似生物群落边界的潜在影响。通过整合多代理古生态学证据，我们深入了解这些生态系统的弹性和脆弱性，有助于了解未来对气候变化情景的反应。