Anson W Mackay
Biographic Data
| ID | 1542342 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Anson W Mackay |
| GIVEN NAMES | Anson W |
| FAMILY NAME | Mackay |
| SIGNATURE | MACKAY A W |
| AFFILIATIONS | University College London |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6328-769X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 19 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 93 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 19 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1995 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2023 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Medals and Awards celebration 2023
The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) annual Medals and Awards recognise achievements in researching, communicating, and teaching a wide range of geographical knowledge. The speeches and citations are a record of the 2023 celebrations, which occurred at the Society on 5 June 2023, with contributions from Andrew Mitchell, Felix Driver, Anson Mackay, Jos Barlow, Harriet Fraser, and Noel Castree
Quantifying Earth system interactions for sustainable food production via expert elicitation
Several safe boundaries of critical Earth system processes have already been crossed due to human perturbations; not accounting for their interactions may further narrow the safe operating space for humanity. Using expert knowledge elicitation, we explored interactions among seven variables representing Earth system processes relevant to food production, identifying many interactions little explored in Earth system literature. We found that green…
Out in the field
This commentary expands upon Bracken & Mawdsley's (2004) paper, ‘Muddy glee: rounding out the picture of women and physical geography fieldwork’ to consider the experiences of LGBTQI+ people. Reflecting on our own fieldwork experiences between the early 1990s and today, we provide personal insight into some of the challenges faced by LGBTQI+ field scientists. Although the nature of our personal challenges differs through time, space and our own s…
Diatom community responses to long‐term multiple stressors at Lake Gusinoye, Siberia
Global freshwater systems are threatened by multiple anthropogenic stressors via impacts on ecological structure and function necessary to maintain their health. In order to properly manage freshwater ecosystems, we must have a better understanding of the ecological response to human‐induced stressors, especially in multiple stressor environments. When long‐term observational records are scarce or non‐existent, paleolimnology provides a means to …
Holocene climatic variability indicated by a multi-proxy record from southern Africa’s highest wetland
The eastern Lesotho Highlands experience climate patterns distinct from those of surrounding lower altitude regions, representing a niche environment with a unique biodiversity, leading to well-adapted but restricted vegetation. This study explores changes in the Holocene composition of diatoms and pollen at southern Africa’s highest altitude wetland (Mafadi: 3390 m a.s.l.). The palaeoenvironmental record for Mafadi Wetland indicates fluctuations…
Anthropocene Epoch
Establishing the impacts of freshwater aquaculture in tropical Asia
Freshwater aquaculture is an important source of protein worldwide. Over‐exploitation of fisheries can, however, add severely to pressures on ecosystem functioning and services. In Southeast Asia, aquaculture in freshwater lakes contributes significantly to the economy and to reductions in poverty and nutritional insecurity. However, overstocking and excessive feeding of fish can lead to a degradation of affected water bodies, manifest as eutroph…
Introducing Geo
We are delighted to welcome you to Geo, the first fully open access, international journal published by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and Wiley. Geo is dedicated to publishing high quality articles from across the spectrum of geographical and environmental research and has an interdisciplinary focus that spans the sciences, social sciences and humanities. Geo welcomes research contributions that bring new understandings to geographica…
Safe and just operating spaces for regional social-ecological systems
Humanity faces a major global challenge in achieving wellbeing for all, while simultaneously ensuring that the biophysical processes and ecosystem services that underpin wellbeing are exploited within scientifically informed boundaries of sustainability. We propose a framework for defining the safe and just operating space for humanity that integrates social wellbeing into the original planetary boundaries concept (Rockström et al., 2009a,b) for …
Is there an isotopic signature of the Anthropocene
We consider whether the Anthropocene is recorded in the isotope geochemistry of the atmosphere, sediments, plants and ice cores, and the time frame during which any changes are recorded, presenting examples from the literature. Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios have become more depleted since the 19th century, with the rate of change accelerating after ~ad 1950, linked to increased emissions from fossil fuel consumption and increased production …
Multiproxy evidence for abrupt climate change impacts on terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems in the Ol'khon region of Lake Baikal, central Asia
A 1000-year record of vegetation change and wildfire from maar lake Erlongwan in northeast China
Recent palaeolimnological change recorded in Lake Xiaolongwan, northeast China
Lake Xiaolongwan is a closed maar lake located in the Long Gang Volcanic Field, northeast China. Core XLW2 was collected in 2007 from the central region of the lake and provides a palaeoecological reconstruction over the past ca. 130 years (dated using radiometric methods: 210Pb and 137Cs). Diatom floristic changes and catchment productivity (carbon isotope ratios) were analysed within the core. Indicators of atmospheric pollution (XRF and SCP in…
A 1000-yr record of environmental change in NE China indicated by diatom assemblages from maar lake Erlongwan
Past environmental changes based on diatom relative abundances have been inferred from the maar Lake Erlongwan in northeast China. The limnology of Lake Erlongwan is affected by the strongly seasonal regional climate. The composition of diatom assemblages, in turn, responds to changes in the seasonal duration of ice cover in winter, water-column turnover in spring and autumn, and thermal stratification in summer. Statistical analysis of the sedim…
A late glacial – Holocene record of hydrological variability in Lake Baikal inferred from oxygen isotope analysis of diatom silica
Diatom and stable isotope records of late-Holocene lake ontogeny at Indrepollen, Lofoten, NW Norway
Borg Indrepollen is a coastal lake on the island of Vestvågøy, Lofoten, NW Norway. A sedimentary sequence spanning the last 4500 cal. yr BP was analysed for diatom, C/N and stable isotopes (δ 13 C and δ 15 N). The record provides clear evidence of glacio-isostatic rebound in the Lofoten region. Five distinct lithostratigraphic-geochemical zones (I—V) and four major diatom zones (A—D) were identified. The early record (I—III, A—Biii; 4500—550 cal.…
A High-resolution diatom-inferred palaeoconductivity and lake level record of the Aral Sea for the Last 1600 yr
Formerly the world's fourth largest lake by area, the Aral Sea is presently undergoing extreme desiccation due to large-scale irrigation strategies implemented in the Soviet era. As part of the INTAS-funded CLIMAN project into Holocene climatic variability and the evolution of human settlement in the Aral Sea basin, fossil diatom assemblages contained within a sediment core obtained from the Aral Sea have been applied to a diatom-based inference …
Reconstructing past environments from remnants of human occupation and sedimentary archives in western Eurasia
Impacts of climate change and human occupation on the landscapes in western Eurasia are complex in terms of both their spatial distribution and temporal resolution. Reconstructing impacts is not straightforward, however; often, semi-arid conditions prevail, which reduce the extent of suitable archives for reconstructing past change. Other sites are very remote, so that few studies exist from which to make these reconstructions. In order to tackle…
Sedimentary records of recent environmental change in Lake Baikal, Siberia
Lake Baikal is the world's largest freshwater lake and is internationally famous for its rich and largely endemic biota. Concern about this unique ecosystem has grown since the late 1970s but whether recent biological changes result from natural fluctuations or pollution is unclear. One way of discriminating between these processes is to examine records of recent change in radiometrically dated deep-water sediment cores. Here we use high-resoluti…
Safe and just operating spaces for regional social-ecological systems
Humanity faces a major global challenge in achieving wellbeing for all, while simultaneously ensuring that the biophysical processes and ecosystem services that underpin wellbeing are exploited within scientifically informed boundaries of sustainability. We propose a framework for defining the safe and just operating space for humanity that integrates social wellbeing into the original planetary boundaries concept (Rockström et al., 2009a,b) for …
Is there an isotopic signature of the Anthropocene
We consider whether the Anthropocene is recorded in the isotope geochemistry of the atmosphere, sediments, plants and ice cores, and the time frame during which any changes are recorded, presenting examples from the literature. Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios have become more depleted since the 19th century, with the rate of change accelerating after ~ad 1950, linked to increased emissions from fossil fuel consumption and increased production …
Holocene climatic variability indicated by a multi-proxy record from southern Africa’s highest wetland
The eastern Lesotho Highlands experience climate patterns distinct from those of surrounding lower altitude regions, representing a niche environment with a unique biodiversity, leading to well-adapted but restricted vegetation. This study explores changes in the Holocene composition of diatoms and pollen at southern Africa’s highest altitude wetland (Mafadi: 3390 m a.s.l.). The palaeoenvironmental record for Mafadi Wetland indicates fluctuations…
Quantifying Earth system interactions for sustainable food production via expert elicitation
Several safe boundaries of critical Earth system processes have already been crossed due to human perturbations; not accounting for their interactions may further narrow the safe operating space for humanity. Using expert knowledge elicitation, we explored interactions among seven variables representing Earth system processes relevant to food production, identifying many interactions little explored in Earth system literature. We found that green…
Out in the field
This commentary expands upon Bracken & Mawdsley's (2004) paper, ‘Muddy glee: rounding out the picture of women and physical geography fieldwork’ to consider the experiences of LGBTQI+ people. Reflecting on our own fieldwork experiences between the early 1990s and today, we provide personal insight into some of the challenges faced by LGBTQI+ field scientists. Although the nature of our personal challenges differs through time, space and our own s…
Diatom community responses to long‐term multiple stressors at Lake Gusinoye, Siberia
Global freshwater systems are threatened by multiple anthropogenic stressors via impacts on ecological structure and function necessary to maintain their health. In order to properly manage freshwater ecosystems, we must have a better understanding of the ecological response to human‐induced stressors, especially in multiple stressor environments. When long‐term observational records are scarce or non‐existent, paleolimnology provides a means to …
Sedimentary records of recent environmental change in Lake Baikal, Siberia
Lake Baikal is the world's largest freshwater lake and is internationally famous for its rich and largely endemic biota. Concern about this unique ecosystem has grown since the late 1970s but whether recent biological changes result from natural fluctuations or pollution is unclear. One way of discriminating between these processes is to examine records of recent change in radiometrically dated deep-water sediment cores. Here we use high-resoluti…
Sedimentary records of recent environmental change in Lake Baikal, Siberia
Lake Baikal is the world's largest freshwater lake and is internationally famous for its rich and largely endemic biota. Concern about this unique ecosystem has grown since the late 1970s but whether recent biological changes result from natural fluctuations or pollution is unclear. One way of discriminating between these processes is to examine records of recent change in radiometrically dated deep-water sediment cores. Here we use high-resoluti…
A High-resolution diatom-inferred palaeoconductivity and lake level record of the Aral Sea for the Last 1600 yr
Formerly the world's fourth largest lake by area, the Aral Sea is presently undergoing extreme desiccation due to large-scale irrigation strategies implemented in the Soviet era. As part of the INTAS-funded CLIMAN project into Holocene climatic variability and the evolution of human settlement in the Aral Sea basin, fossil diatom assemblages contained within a sediment core obtained from the Aral Sea have been applied to a diatom-based inference …
Reconstructing past environments from remnants of human occupation and sedimentary archives in western Eurasia
Impacts of climate change and human occupation on the landscapes in western Eurasia are complex in terms of both their spatial distribution and temporal resolution. Reconstructing impacts is not straightforward, however; often, semi-arid conditions prevail, which reduce the extent of suitable archives for reconstructing past change. Other sites are very remote, so that few studies exist from which to make these reconstructions. In order to tackle…
Diatom and stable isotope records of late-Holocene lake ontogeny at Indrepollen, Lofoten, NW Norway
Borg Indrepollen is a coastal lake on the island of Vestvågøy, Lofoten, NW Norway. A sedimentary sequence spanning the last 4500 cal. yr BP was analysed for diatom, C/N and stable isotopes (δ 13 C and δ 15 N). The record provides clear evidence of glacio-isostatic rebound in the Lofoten region. Five distinct lithostratigraphic-geochemical zones (I—V) and four major diatom zones (A—D) were identified. The early record (I—III, A—Biii; 4500—550 cal.…
A 1000-yr record of environmental change in NE China indicated by diatom assemblages from maar lake Erlongwan
Past environmental changes based on diatom relative abundances have been inferred from the maar Lake Erlongwan in northeast China. The limnology of Lake Erlongwan is affected by the strongly seasonal regional climate. The composition of diatom assemblages, in turn, responds to changes in the seasonal duration of ice cover in winter, water-column turnover in spring and autumn, and thermal stratification in summer. Statistical analysis of the sedim…
A late glacial – Holocene record of hydrological variability in Lake Baikal inferred from oxygen isotope analysis of diatom silica
Multiproxy evidence for abrupt climate change impacts on terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems in the Ol'khon region of Lake Baikal, central Asia
A 1000-year record of vegetation change and wildfire from maar lake Erlongwan in northeast China
Recent palaeolimnological change recorded in Lake Xiaolongwan, northeast China
Lake Xiaolongwan is a closed maar lake located in the Long Gang Volcanic Field, northeast China. Core XLW2 was collected in 2007 from the central region of the lake and provides a palaeoecological reconstruction over the past ca. 130 years (dated using radiometric methods: 210Pb and 137Cs). Diatom floristic changes and catchment productivity (carbon isotope ratios) were analysed within the core. Indicators of atmospheric pollution (XRF and SCP in…
Introducing Geo
We are delighted to welcome you to Geo, the first fully open access, international journal published by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and Wiley. Geo is dedicated to publishing high quality articles from across the spectrum of geographical and environmental research and has an interdisciplinary focus that spans the sciences, social sciences and humanities. Geo welcomes research contributions that bring new understandings to geographica…
Safe and just operating spaces for regional social-ecological systems
Humanity faces a major global challenge in achieving wellbeing for all, while simultaneously ensuring that the biophysical processes and ecosystem services that underpin wellbeing are exploited within scientifically informed boundaries of sustainability. We propose a framework for defining the safe and just operating space for humanity that integrates social wellbeing into the original planetary boundaries concept (Rockström et al., 2009a,b) for …
Is there an isotopic signature of the Anthropocene
We consider whether the Anthropocene is recorded in the isotope geochemistry of the atmosphere, sediments, plants and ice cores, and the time frame during which any changes are recorded, presenting examples from the literature. Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios have become more depleted since the 19th century, with the rate of change accelerating after ~ad 1950, linked to increased emissions from fossil fuel consumption and increased production …
Anthropocene Epoch
Establishing the impacts of freshwater aquaculture in tropical Asia
Freshwater aquaculture is an important source of protein worldwide. Over‐exploitation of fisheries can, however, add severely to pressures on ecosystem functioning and services. In Southeast Asia, aquaculture in freshwater lakes contributes significantly to the economy and to reductions in poverty and nutritional insecurity. However, overstocking and excessive feeding of fish can lead to a degradation of affected water bodies, manifest as eutroph…
Holocene climatic variability indicated by a multi-proxy record from southern Africa’s highest wetland
The eastern Lesotho Highlands experience climate patterns distinct from those of surrounding lower altitude regions, representing a niche environment with a unique biodiversity, leading to well-adapted but restricted vegetation. This study explores changes in the Holocene composition of diatoms and pollen at southern Africa’s highest altitude wetland (Mafadi: 3390 m a.s.l.). The palaeoenvironmental record for Mafadi Wetland indicates fluctuations…
Diatom community responses to long‐term multiple stressors at Lake Gusinoye, Siberia
Global freshwater systems are threatened by multiple anthropogenic stressors via impacts on ecological structure and function necessary to maintain their health. In order to properly manage freshwater ecosystems, we must have a better understanding of the ecological response to human‐induced stressors, especially in multiple stressor environments. When long‐term observational records are scarce or non‐existent, paleolimnology provides a means to …
Quantifying Earth system interactions for sustainable food production via expert elicitation
Several safe boundaries of critical Earth system processes have already been crossed due to human perturbations; not accounting for their interactions may further narrow the safe operating space for humanity. Using expert knowledge elicitation, we explored interactions among seven variables representing Earth system processes relevant to food production, identifying many interactions little explored in Earth system literature. We found that green…
Out in the field
This commentary expands upon Bracken & Mawdsley's (2004) paper, ‘Muddy glee: rounding out the picture of women and physical geography fieldwork’ to consider the experiences of LGBTQI+ people. Reflecting on our own fieldwork experiences between the early 1990s and today, we provide personal insight into some of the challenges faced by LGBTQI+ field scientists. Although the nature of our personal challenges differs through time, space and our own s…
Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Medals and Awards celebration 2023
The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) annual Medals and Awards recognise achievements in researching, communicating, and teaching a wide range of geographical knowledge. The speeches and citations are a record of the 2023 celebrations, which occurred at the Society on 5 June 2023, with contributions from Andrew Mitchell, Felix Driver, Anson Mackay, Jos Barlow, Harriet Fraser, and Noel Castree
Geography (17 works) · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research (12 works) · Geology (10 works) · Environmental Science (9 works) · Physical geography (9 works) · Oceanography (8 works) · Biology (7 works) · Climate change (7 works) · Diatom (7 works) · Ecology (7 works)