Pampa Plain (Argentina) Wetland History through a Lake Case Study: Kakel Huincul Environmental History during the Last 600 Years

SÁNCHEZ VUICHARD, GUILLERMINA; TONELLO, MARCELA SANDRA; STUTZ, SILVINA; NAVARRO, DIEGO; VÁSQUEZ, CAROLINA

WETLANDS

SPRINGER

Año: 2023 vol. 43 p. 1 - 16

0277-5212

Kakel Huincul lake is located in one of the main wetlands of Argentina. A multi-indicator analysis, including pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs and plant macrofossil remains and associated fauna was performed to reconstruct Kakel Huincul lake environmental history in order to understand Pampean wetlands responses to environmental changes and human impacts during the last 600 years. Results showed that climate triggered water-level fluctuations in the lake during the early period until ~1670 AD; afterwards human activities (cattle, intensive agriculture and urbanization) started to overrule climate forcing in the lake until today. Pre-agricultural intensification conditions of the lake were identified at ca. 1670 AD and it was concluded that southeastern Pampa plain has been subjected to human activities (cattle farming and incorporation of agriculture) since then. Intense eutrophication of the lake occurred during the last 25 years, but this study made it possible to establish that the Pampa wetland has been modified for more than five decades.