1000 years of high resolution environmental change in the Eastern Carpathians, NE Romania: a multi-proxy approach

Abstract

Climate changes and anthropogenic activities are projected to have a significant impact on mountain environments. This is because of their ecosystems’ sensitivity and increased response to the extreme weather events and natural catastrophes (Beniston, 2000). The modification of climatic conditions can therefore impact heavily on mountain ecosystems. Furthermore, human impact has been shown to modify environmental response to climatic stressors (Beniston, 2003; Jones & Mann, 2004). This holds particularly true because mountain regions are usually at the border of conflicting interests between economic development and environmental conservation (IPCC, 1996). Deciphering the relation between local mountain environment, climate variability and human components therefore becomes of great importance for both regional climate study and local socio-economies.