Unsatisfactory field data in a calibration model for inferring past temperatures from chironomid assemblages in northern Fennoscandia: a comment on Olander, Birks, Korhola and Blom
M. Seppala, Unsatisfactory field data in a calibration model for inferring past temperatures from chironomid assemblages in northern Fennoscandia: a comment on Olander, Birks, Korhola and Blom, HOLOCENE, 11(5), 2001, pp. 613-615
Olander et al. (1999) used single temperature measurements of surface water
to represent mean July temperatures of lake waters in Lapland. It is empha
sized that this is not an appropriate basis for calibration of temperatures
indicated by chironomid assemblages and to draw conclusions about past air
temperatures. Air temperatures at the study sites were estimated and calcu
lated yet the role of variations in topography has been omitted. The parame
ters used, such as lake depth, distance beyond tree-line and pH look good b
ut are inaccurate and therefore problematic in statistical evaluations. The
authors have not considered the role of the ice cover on the lakes.