Bushfire impacts proposed Anthropocene markers in a Southern Hemisphere World Heritage peatland
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19487151 |
|---|---|
| Authors | R Carroll (0000-0001-5895-0031, Western Sydney University), G E Jacobsen, GE Jacobsen (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation), D P Child, DP Child (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation), A Zawadzki (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation), S Maizma (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation), MAC Hotchkis (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation), J K Reynolds, Jk Reynolds (Western Sydney University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 55 |
| Pages | 100556 |
| Publication date | 2026-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Anthropocene (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2213-3054 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100556 |
| OpenAlex | W7164351312 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 122 |
Humankind has left an indelible mark on natural ecosystems. This has fuelled proposals that we have exited the Holocene and entered the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene is commonly proposed to have commenced in the mid-20 th century, marked by the presence of radionuclide fallout from above ground nuclear testing. Peatlands develop through progressive accumulation of partially decomposed plant material in saturated environments, and in Australia have a restricted distribution covering approximately 2.3 Mha. Detailed examination of a peat profile was conducted at Mount Banks, within the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, Australia. Soil chemistry, palynology, radiocarbon ( 14 C), lead ( 210 Pb), plutonium ( 239 Pu, 240 Pu, and 241 Pu), and uranium ( 236 U) isotopes were assessed to develop a record of environmental conditions into the proposed Anthropocene (mid-20 th century). This site formed from the Meghalayan stage (1,550 ± 30 years BP at 70 cm) and exhibited a relatively stable sedge and shrub vegetation community, interrupted with periods of fire through time which influences 210 Pb age-depth modelling. Peak radionuclide fallout (at 9.5 cm) occurred in the fibric zone and fallout levels of total plutonium and 236 U were below global mean values, aligning with previous research in the Southern Hemisphere. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the vertical distribution of fallout plutonium and uranium isotopes in south-eastern Australian montane peatlands. Peatlands face an uncertain future under projected climatic changes. Enhancing understanding of risks is essential to navigate the transition into the proposed Anthropocene and maintain these unique environments for the future
Anthropocene · Climate change · Peat · Southern Hemisphere · Western hemisphere · World heritage · Ecology and biodiversity studies · Fire effects on ecosystems · Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
The calculation of lead-210 dates assuming a constant rate of supply of unsupported 210Pb to the sediment
Dense‐media separation as a more efficient pollen extraction method for use with organic sediment/deposit samples
Global peatland dynamics since the Last Glacial Maximum
Reconstructing past fire regimes
Defining the Anthropocene
Flexible paleoclimate age-depth models using an autoregressive gamma process
Testing the performance of sodium polytungstate and lithium heteropolytungstate as non-toxic dense media for pollen extraction from lake and peat sediment samples
Post-glacial evolution of the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool and El Niño-Southern oscillation
Australasian evidence for mid-holocene climate change implies precessional control of Walker Circulation in the Pacific
Peatlands in eastern Australia? Sedimentology and age structure of Temperate Highland Peat Swamps on Sandstone (THPSS) in the Southern Highlands and Blue Mountains of NSW, Australia
Unprecedented long-distance transport of macroscopic charcoal from a large, intense forest fire in eastern Australia
A database and synthesis of northern peatland soil properties and Holocene carbon and nitrogen accumulation
The ‘Little Ice Age’ in the Southern Hemisphere in the context of the last 3000 years
Radiocarbon dating and the “old wood” problem
Atmospheric Radiocarbon for the Period 1950–2019
Bayesian Analysis of Radiocarbon Dates
High-Resolution AMS 14 C Dating of Post-Bomb Peat Archives of Atmospheric Pollutants
Progress in Radiocarbon Target Preparation at the Antares AMS Centre
Atmospheric Radiocarbon for the Period 1950–2010
Discussion Reporting of 14 C Data
SHCal20 Southern Hemisphere Calibration, 0–55,000 Years cal BP
Heavy Metals in Sediments of the Upper Hawkesbury‐Nepean River
The Response of Aboriginal Burning Practices to Population Levels and El Niño–Southern Oscillation Events during the mid- to late-Holocene
Siliceous algae response to the “Great Acceleration” of the mid-20th century in Crawford Lake (Ontario, Canada)
Human impact on the natural environment in early colonial Australia
Late Holocene technological provisioning at the Kings Table rockshelter, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
Candidate sites and other reference sections for the Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point of the Anthropocene series
The Śnieżka peatland as a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene series
The varved succession of Crawford Lake, Milton, Ontario, Canada as a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene series
High-resolution analysis of the varved succession at Crawford lake across the base of the proposed Crawfordian stage and Anthropocene series
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |