A late Holocene record, based on diatom and stable carbon isotopes from Lake Tizong, northern Cameroon, provides a history of environmental changes over the last 4100 years. Several coarser sediment layers among which the two younger ones are of pyroclastic origin interrupt the fine clayey sediment of the core. The detailed chronology of the core supported by 24 radiocarbon C-14 dates and proxies data results revealed an erosive phase registered in the sedimentary column from 2200 to 1500 cal BP. The diatom ecological groups suggest that between 4100 and 2800 cal yrs BP, the lake level was much higher than after corresponding to a relatively greater precipitation minus evaporation (P E) ratio, as well as increased runoff in the lake catchment. These conditions were favourable to the development of C3 plants in the lake catchment as indicated by lower delta C-13 values and higher C/N ratios than after. This hydrological phase is also characterized by eutrophic, turbid and probably circum-neutral to alkaline waters. After this episode, higher delta C-13 values between 2800 and 2500 cal BP suggest increased water use efficiency of terrestrial plants and/or potentially more C4 plant debris input into the lake: an indication of savannas patches developing, due probably to changes in the rainfall distribution. Marked lake-level declines are recorded at 2500, 2200-2100, and at 1400-1000 cal yrs BP. These low-stands are characterized by higher inputs of windblown diatoms (up to 4.2%) than before, which confirms that the NE trade-winds were strengthening. This corresponds primarily to a reduction in the P E ratio, but probably also to greater inter-annual or seasonal variability when drier periods or seasons became more prolonged and intense than previously. Consequently, savannas were maintained as suggested by relatively higher than before delta C-13 values, as well as independently supported by regional pollen data. After 1000 cal BP, the lake-level rose towards sub-modern conditions, with a deep neutral and eutrophic water column. Carbon stable isotopes suggest a reduction of organic matter input, while savannas were maintained despite the return to more humid conditions. The trends of climatic changes observed in the Lake Tizong reveal the variability in timing, magnitude and regional extent of known climatic events. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Past limnological conditions of Lake Mbalang (7°19´ N, 13°44´ E, alt: 1130 m) and vegetation type were reconstructed from diatoms and sedimentary stable carbon isotope records (δ13C) since 7200 cal yrs BP. The data showed that before 3600 yrs cal BP the water column was preferentially cold and stable except around 5000–5300 cal yrs BP where diatom evidenced mixed upper water layer, δ13C data suggest more forested vegetation in the landscape. These stable conditions can be explained by a strong monsoonal flux and correlatively northern position of the ITCZ that entailed high/low rainfall well distributed over the year to allow the development mountainous forest taxa. The decreasing trend of the monsoonal flux towards mid-Holocene was however affected by several centennial to millennial time scale abrupt weakening at 6700, 5800–6000, 5000–5300, 4500 and 3600 cal yrs BP although their impact on vegetation is not visible probably because rainfall distribution was favourable to forest maintenance or extension. After 3600 cal yrs BP, water column became very mixed as a result of more intense NE trade winds (Harmattan) that led at ~3000 cal yrs BP to the instalment of savana in the vegetation landscape. At that time, rainfall was probably reduced following the southwards shift of the ITCZ and the distribution of yearly rainfall was no more favourable to forest development. Thus a strong seasonality with a well marked dry season was established, conditions that maintained the savana vegetation till today. Diatom data suggest the lake did not dried during the last 7200 cal yrs BP, however, a low lake level observed at 2400–2100 cal yrs BP is contemporaneous to a climatic event evidenced in several areas of tropical Africa and could correspond to the southernmost position of the ITCZ. Other low lake levels are observed at 1800 and 1400 cal yrs BP, after which lake rose to its present level.

The reconstruction of paleoenvironmental changes from diatoms in lake sediments is based on the usual assumption that, in each studied sample, the dominant species reflect the environment that prevailed during the time of deposition. If the environment changed significantly during the period of deposition (several years) one can expect a mixture of species having different or contradictory ecological affinities. In this paper we present analyses of diatoms in surface sediment samples collected in the Lake Ossa area (3°50′N, 9°36E) and fossil diatoms from a mid-late Holocene core retrieved in the deepest part of the lake. The Lake Ossa area alternates between a short dry season centered at around the northern winter and a long rainy season during the rest of the year entailing significant changes in water level and pH. Based on multivariate analyses, we will show here that mean annual water depth is the most significant variable explaining the distribution of diatoms in the entire Lake. However, seasonal changes of water level are poorly recorded by diatom assemblages, except in some flat areas on the borders of the lakes where a mixing between species with different affinities to water depth is likely due to seasonal changes in water level. Inferred water depth based on a quantitative transfer function reflected essentially secular to millennial changes in the studied core. The relationship between pH and diatoms is not statistically significant but seasonal to multi-annual pH variations mainly observed in the central parts of the lake are reflected by a mixing of acidophilous and alkaliphilous species. Hierarchical ascending cluster analysis (HAC) considered as the most efficient mean of describing diatom mixing shows that seasonal to multi-annual changes in pH are recorded both in the modern and fossil assemblages. According to the degree of mixing between diatoms with different pH affinities we conclude that short-term pH variability was weaker than today between 5200 and 2700calyrBP, stronger between 2700 and 2000calyrBP, weaker again between 2000 and 600calyrBP and similar to present from 400calyrBP onwards. Short-term changes were thus superimposed on secular to millennium trends recorded by modifications in the abundance of alkaliphilous diatoms. All these changes are interpreted as variations in precipitation according to a previous model showing that pH is strongly controlled by acidic meteoric water. Inferred water depth slightly changed over the last 5500years showing weak variations of precipitation minus evaporation balance at secular to millennial time scales. These results will be used to refine previously published paleoclimatic interpretations, which explained changes in precipitation and P–E balance by modifications in the vertical structure of the atmosphere and subsequently by changes in cloud cover, convective or stratiform.

The analysis of most plant populations in natural forests clearly retraces the mechanisms of sylvigenesis, based on the occurrence of small-scale incidents — in particular treefall gaps — more or less regularly distributed in time and space (van der Meer et al. chapter 24). However, a number of ‘anomalies’ detected in the population structure or in the distribution of some species cannot be adequately explained by the internal dynamic processes which occur on the century time scale. Plants react at different speeds to perturbations, and major events, even very ancient ones such as the perturbations recorded in the sediments, have probably also left a durable mark in the present organisation of the vegetation. We can therefore hypothesise that relatively ancient events, which would have occurred on a much larger scale than treefall gaps, would have caused large modifications of the forest ecosystems and left long-lasting tell-tale signs.

A diatom study, carried out on a core recovered in the Southern Altiplano (Coipasa salt lake 19 °S, 68 °W) currently almost completely dry, shows that during the last glacial maximum the Coipasa salar was entirely occupied by a large shallow lake. Available data for the northern Altiplano (Lake Titicaca, 16 °S,69 °W) indicate a water level 17 m lower than today. This opposition is explained by decreased tropical precipitations whose effects registered by Lake Titicaca were obliterated in the Coipasa salar by increased winter precipitation.

In Lake Ossa, the relative abundance of pH, water level and Saharan aerosol markers suggests that this lake was characterized by an alternating reinforcement and attenuation of pluriannual variability. The transfer function diatom/mean pluriannual bathymetry applied on fossil diatom flora of OW4 core indicates limited pluriannual bathymetric variations during the last 5 500 yr B.P. The water budget remained stable. The strong short-term variability of the climate after 2 700 yr B.P. explains the forest modifications.

Tropical forests can be described as a mosaic of juxtaposed eco-units corresponding to different stages of regeneration after treefals. However, these small-scale regeneration mechanisms alone cannot account for the different patterns of species distribution, plant communities and population structures found in this habitat. The presence of charcoal layers in the soil and the study of sediments along streams suggest that large-scale forest fires deeply affected the tropical forest vegetation, even in high rainfall areas such as French Guiana. Many atypical plant distribution and population structure patterns, in relation to what would be expected from present-time regeneration processes, can be explained by these large-scale events which happened during the last few thousand years.

Les régions intertropicales ont longtemps été considérées comme peu sensibles aux variations paléoclimatiques (Richards, 1952 ; Ashton, 1969, ...), et leur grande biodiversité a souvent été attribuée à cette relative stabilité, Cette thèse a été combattue dans les années 1965-1970 par des chercheurs comme Haffer (1969) ou Prance (1973), qui ont établi une relation entre biodiversité et changements paléoclimatiques : pendant les périodes climatiques défavorables, la biodiversité aurait généralement régressée, mais se serait conservée dans des zones refuges d'extension variable, caractérisées par des variations limitées des conditions de milieux. L'existence de ces refuges serait même directement l'origine de l'accroissement de la biodiversité, en favorisant des spéciations, dont les variations paléoclimatiques seraient alors indirectement la cause première.