PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTIONS OF NEW ENGLAND FOR THE PAST 2000 YEARS FROM THE PALEO-ECOLOGICAL OBSERVATORY NETWORK (PALEON)

Terrestrial ecosystem models are fundamental to forecasting ecological responses to 21st-century global change drivers, yet their predictions are alarmingly divergent and their ability to simulate decadal- to centennial-scale processes remains largely untested. The Paleo-Ecological Observatory Network (PalEON) is synthesizing paleoecological and paleoclimatic data from New England during the past 2000 years that will be used to quantify trends and extreme events in the region, and to improve terrestrial ecosystem models through assimilation and validation. Here we present new results from paleoclimate data synthesis efforts based on records from tree rings, testate amoeba, lake levels, and a variety of other sources. We discuss the findings in relation to broader-scale datasets and future climate projections. Our results provide a long-term context for recent anthropogenic impacts on temperature and moisture-balance changes in the Northeastern U.S.