Late Quaternary environmental changes in the Lagoa da Curuça region (eastern Amazonia, Brazil) and evidence of Podocarpus in the Amazon lowland

Late-glacial and Holocene vegetational and climate dynamics and human impact of the eastern Amazon rain forest in the coastal region of eastern Pará State in northern Brazil have been studied in two sedimentary recores from Lagoa da Curu?a. Seven radiocarbon dates provide the chronology for two pollen and charcoal records starting from 11,700 and 9440 uncal B. P. to present. Dense and high diverse terra firme Amazon rain forest in the coastal area shows that there was no savanna during the Late-glacial period. The occurrence of Podocarpus trees in the coastal region during the Late-glacial indicate wet and markedly colder conditions at that time. A possible habitat for Pleistocene populations of Podocarpus trees which are now also evident from several other Amazon regions is discussed. There were no rain forest fires between 11,700 and 10,840 uncal B. P. The increase of charcoal particles in the lake deposits after this period suggest an early Amerindian occupation of the coastal region. Received March 26, 2001 / Accepted August 8, 2001     

A new Late-glacial site with Picea abies in the northern Apennine foothills: an exception to the model of glacial refugia of trees

We describe a new palaeobotanical site at Bubano quarry on the easternmost Po plain, northern Italy. Pollen and macrofossils from river and marsh sediments demonstrate the occurrence of Picea in a Pinus sylvestris forest growing in a radius of some tens of kilometres south of the sedimentation place, at the beginning of the Late-glacial interstadial. The Late-glacial and Holocene history of Picea in the northern Apennines is reconstructed on the basis of the palaeobotanical record. The sharp climatic continentality increase eastwards across the northern Apennines from the Tyrrhenian to the Adriatic coast is considered significant for the survival of Picea during the Late-glacial. The most critical phase of survival is related to the moisture changes and consequent Abies competition associated with the last glacial-interglacial transition and the early Holocene. The residual spruce populations expanded during the middle Holocene. The history of Picea in the northern Apennines is a case of ineffective interglacial spread of tree populations from pre-existing stands of LGM (Last Glacial Maximum) and Late-glacial age.     

A new Late-glacial and Holocene record of vegetation and fire history from Lago del Greppo, northern Apennines, Italy

Detailed Late-glacial and Holocene palaeoenvironmental records from the northern Apennines with a robust chronology are still rare, though the region has been regarded as a main area of potential refugia of important trees such as Picea abies and Abies alba. We present a new high-resolution pollen and stomata record from Lago del Greppo (1,442 m a.s.l., Pistoia, northern Apennines) that has been dated relying on 12 terrestrial plant macrofossils. Late-glacial woodlands became established before 13000 cal b.p. and were dominated by Pinus and Betula, although more thermophilous taxa such as Quercus, Tilia and Ulmus were already present in the Greppo area, probably at lower altitudes. Abies and Picea expanded locally at the onset of the Holocene at ca. 11500 cal b.p. Fagus sylvatica was the last important tree to expand at ca. 6500 cal b.p., following the decline of Abies. Human impact was generally low throughout the Holocene, and the local woods remained rather closed until the most recent time, ca. a.d. 1700–1800. The vegetational history of Lago del Greppo appears consistent with that of previous investigations in the study region. Late-glacial and Holocene vegetation dynamics in the northern Apennines are very similar to those in the Insubrian southern Alps bordering Switzerland and Italy, across the Po Plain. Similarities between the two areas include the Late-glacial presence of Abies alba, its strong dominance during the Holocene across different vegetation belts from the lowlands to high elevations, as well as its final fire and human-triggered reduction during the mid Holocene. Our new data suggest that isolated and minor Picea abies populations survived the Late-glacial in the foothills of the northern Apennines and that at the onset of the Holocene they moved upwards, reaching the site of Lago del Greppo. Today stands of Picea abies occur only in two small areas in the highest part of the northern Apennines, and they have become extinct elsewhere. Given the forecast global warming, these relict Picea abies stands of the northern Apennines, which have a history of at least 13,000 years, appear severely endangered.     

The long history of Cannabis and its cultivation by the Romans in central Italy, shown by pollen records from Lago Albano and Lago di Nemi

The cores from the Albano and Nemi lakes, near Rome, were studied within the European Union funded PALICLAS project and provided high resolution records of the Late-glacial and Holocene. Pollen evidence of increasing human influence on vegetation was recorded in the Holocene parts of both diagrams, and the Cannabis (hemp) curve was one of the major signs. In this paper we present unambiguous pollen evidence from the Cannabaceae records for the cultivation of hemp in central Italy by the Romans. The oldest records of Cannabis and Humulus (hop) date from to the Late-glacial. Hop pollen values rise during the mid Holocene, while hemp pollen becomes more abundant from ca. 3000 cal B.P. onwards. The highest earliest hemp peak (21%) is dated to the 1st century A.D. This ‘Cannabis phase’, with the abrupt rise of hemp pollen soon after the rise of cultivated trees (Castanea, Juglans and Olea) is associated with the increase in cereals and ruderal plants. This unambiguous proof of cultivation by Romans around 2000 B.P. occurs as well as a long lasting pre-Roman presence of hemp in the area, which is natural and possibly also anthropogenic. Subsequent clear episodes of cultivation in the medieval period were found. Received February 4, 2002 / Accepted September 13, 2002 Correspondence to: Anna Maria Mercuri, e-mail: mercuri.annamaria@unimo.it     

Late-glacial and Holocene vegetation history of the Magellanic rain forest in southwestern Patagonia,Chile

A ¹⁴C-dated high-resolution palaeoenvironmental record from a mire in southern Chile is used to reconstruct the Late-glacial and Holocene vegetation history of the Magellanic rain forest. The Late-glacial environment after around 15400–13500 cal b.p. was dominated by Gunnera magellanica, Nothofagus species (dombeyi type) and Gramineae (Poaceae) indicating an open parkland with cool and damp climatic conditions. At the end of the Late-glacial there was an increase in G. magellanica and a decline in Nothofagus dombeyi type. This ecological signal is interpreted as a result of a re-advance of the Gran Campo Nevado icefield, caused by either Younger Dryas cooling or a latitudinal shift of the southern Westerlies. After around 11250–10750 cal b.p. Nothofagus species, Drimys winteri and Embothrium coccineum expanded, indicating development of the Magellanic rain forest. At 4254±120 cal b.p. a tephra layer was deposited by the eruption of the Mt. Burney volcano leading to a long-term decline of the Nothofagus forest. A primary succession was then initiated, lasting for over 800 years before pre-eruption vegetation patterns redeveloped. In summary, our results indicate the extreme sensitivity of the Magellanic rain forest to climatic or volcanic impacts and the slow recovery of a mature forest after environmental changes.     

Late-glacial and Holocene climate dynamics at the steppe/forest ecotone in southernmost Patagonia, Argentina: the pollen record from a fen near Brazo Sur, Lago Argentino

We present a pollen record from a fen at the eastern shore of Brazo Sur south of Lago Argentino, Argentina (core BRS 1/06, 50°34′54″S, 72°54′52″W, 198 m a.s.l.). The coring site is located in the transition zone from humid grass steppe to Andean Nothofagus forest. With the exception of a mid-Holocene sand layer, the record covers the interval between 13,350 and 1,700 cal b.p., indicating that there could have been no recurrence of Late-glacial conditions in Brazo Sur, as has been suggested in the literature as having been contemporary with the Younger Dryas interval in the northern hemisphere. The Late-glacial and early Holocene periods at Brazo Sur are characterized by fluctuations between humid grass-dominated steppe associations and drier ones dominated by Asteraceae and Ericaceae. At the start of the Holocene, the pollen influx increased. Nothofagus dominance began by 7,700 cal b.p. probably due to increasing moisture. Present-day closed Nothofagus forest developed around 2,500 cal b.p., related to a further increase in moisture.     

Upland vegetation in the north-west Iberian peninsula after the last glaciation: Forest history and deforestation dynamics

This paper presents the results of pollen analyses from organic sediments of seven cores (299 spectra) in a mountainous area of the north-west Iberian peninsula. The pollen diagrams, supported by seven¹⁴C dates, are used to construct a regional pollen sequence covering the main stages of vegetation dynamics, from the last phases of the Late-glacial until the present. During the Late-glacial Interstadial an important development of cryophilous forests (Betula andPinus) was recorded, although various mesophilous and thermophilous tree elements were also present. The Younger Dryas, palynologically clearly defined, is characterized by an important reduction in tree pollen percentages and the expansion of steppe formations (Poaceae andArtemisia). At the beginning of the Holocene, there was an expansion ofQuercus and a spread of other trees, which combined to give a vegetation cover of varied composition but dominated by mixed deciduous forests. Such forest formations prevailed in these mountains until 3000 years ago, when successive deforestation phases are recorded at various times as a result of increased farming activity. The results are compared with data from other mountainous areas in the northern Iberian peninsula and southern France.     

Changes in the relative abundance of Polyarthra vulgaris and P. dolichoptera,following the elimination of fish

In the last decade palynological investigations of the sediments of large lakes in the USSR (Ladoga, Onega, Kubenskoye, Vozhe, Lacha, Beloye) and the Baltic Sea have been carried out. Limnic and marine sediments are notable for their high pollen and spore concentrations and pollen diagrams from these deposits have a regional significance. The diagrams from Lakes Onega and Ladoga belong to the Kola-Karelian type while the sediments of Lacha, Vozhe, Kubenskoye and Beloye belong to the North-Russian type (Neustadt 1957). Three types of Holocene pollen diagrams are registered for the Baltic Sea. Modern and fossil pollen spectra reflect the composition of the zonal vegetation. Late-glacial sediments are found in several profiles of lake and sea deposits. Holocene deposits are divided into eight stratigraphic zones: Late-glacial sediments (DR₂-Al-DR₃) and Post-glacial sediments (PB, BO, AT, SB, SA). The zonations of lake and sea sediments can be clearly correlated.     

Holocene mangrove dynamics and sea-level changes in northern Brazil, inferences from the Taperebal core in northeastern Pará State

A 450 cm sediment core from Taperebal, in the mangrove region of northeastern Pará State in northern Brazil has been studied through pollen analysis in order to reconstruct mangrove development and dynamics and to infer relative sea-level (RSL) changes during the Holocene. Six AMS radiocarbon dates, which provide a somewhat limited age control with some uncertainties, suggest early and late Holocene deposits interrupted by a hiatus between them. A patchy vegetation of coastal Amazon rain forest, restinga, salt marsh and some mangrove, which was dominated by Avicennia, covered the study area during the early Holocene period. The occurrence of an early Avicennia dominated mangrove phase has not been reported so far from other sites in northern Brazil. During the mid Holocene mangroves mostly replaced the former coastal Amazon rain forest, restinga and some salt marsh vegetation, reflecting the rise in the RSL. Rhizophora trees expanded markedly and Avicennia became rare. In the sediment core there is apparently a gap between the depths of 115 and 85 cm (possibly starting between 5900 and 5750 b.p.). The deposits above 85 cm are of modern age and were probably deposited during the last decades. This gap can be explained by the lowering of the RSL as is shown for other northern Brazilian coastal sites. The deposition of sediments during the last decades suggests that the modern RSL is high compared to other periods in the Holocene. Pollen data from these deposits show that Rhizophora trees dominate the mangrove forests, also indicating a high RSL.     

A multi-proxy Late-glacial palaeoenvironmental record from Lake Bled, Slovenia

This study investigates the palaeoecological record (δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C, pollen, plant macrofossils, chironomids and cladocera) at Lake Bled (Slovenia) sedimentary core to better understand the response of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to Late-glacial climatic fluctuations. The multi-proxy record suggests that in the Oldest Dryas, the landscape around Lake Bled was rather open, presumably because of the cold and dry climate, with a trend towards wetter conditions, as suggested by an increase in tree pollen as well as chironomid and cladocera faunas typical for well-oxygenated water. Climatic warming at the beginning of the Late-glacial Interstadial at ca. 14,800 cal yr BP is suggested by an increase in the δ¹⁸O value, the appearance of Betula and Larix pollen and macrofossils, and a warmth-adapted chironomid fauna. With further warming at ca. 13,800 cal yr BP, broad-leaved tree taxa (Quercus, Tilia, Ulmus), Artemisia, and Picea increase, whereas chironomid data (Cricotopus B) suggest lowering of lake levels. After 12,800 cal yr BP (and throughout the Younger Dryas), the climate was colder and drier, as indicated by lower δ¹⁸O values, decline of trees, increase of microscopic charcoal, xerophytes and littoral chironomids. A warmer climate, together with the spread of broad-leaved tree taxa and a deeper, more productive lake, mark the onset of the Late-glacial/Holocene transition. These results suggest that terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems at Lake Bled were very dynamic and sensitive to Late-glacial climatic fluctuations. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorised users. Guest editors: K. Buczkó, J. Korponai, J. Padisák & S. W. Starratt Palaeolimnological Proxies as Tools of Environmental Reconstruction in Fresh Water     

Plant economy of hunter-gatherer groups at the end of the last Ice Age: plant macroremains from the cave of Santa Maira (Alacant, Spain) ca. 12000–9000 b.p.

Up till now, plant macroremains of hunter-gatherer groups at the end of the last Ice Age and the very early Holocene have very rarely been investigated on the Iberian Peninsula and elsewhere. The use of systematic recovery techniques at the archaeological cave site of Santa Maira has allowed the recovery of a large amount of plant remains (fruits, seeds and wood) from Upper Palaeolithic and Epipalaeolithic levels (12000–9000 b.p.) Charcoal analysis has allowed us to reconstruct the surrounding vegetation of the site. In the valley bottoms mesophilous woodland with Quercus was present even in the lowest layers (Upper Magdalenian) During the Late-glacial Juniperus was very important, in the early Holocene Quercus (both evergreen and deciduous) took over. Large numbers of macroremains of fruits (Quercus sp., Sorbus sp., Olea sp. and Vitis sp.) were found, but a significant quantity of legumes together with a few grass seeds have also been identified. This assemblage most probably represents the gathering of wild plant resources by the inhabitants of the cave, and allows us to reconstruct some of the food gathered from plant resources.     

Late-glacial and Holocene vegetation and climate change at the Palü glacier, Bernina Pass, Grisons Canton, Switzerland

Pollen and macrofossil data from Alpe PAlü, south-eastern Switzerland, are presented. On the basis of these data and the geomorphological evidence for local glacier movement, Holocene climatic oscillations and vegetation change at this upland site (1940 m asl), are reconstructed. The morainic deposits and glacial clays, as well as the pollen data from the base of the pollen profile, clearly show that the Palü glacier, after its retreat from the Cavaglia (Egesen) stade, readvanced once again shortly before the mid-Preboreal. This re-advance was considerably greater than that dating to the Little Ice Age. This early Holocene climatic event is referred to as the Palü Oscillation (Palü-Schwankung) and is considered to be broadly contemporaneous with the previously described Schlaten Oscillation (Schlate n-Schwankung) in the Austrian Alps. The reforestation of the forefield of the moraine was interrupted at least twice during this oscillation, and, compared with neighbouring sites at the same altitude, it appears to be at least 500–700 years younger, i. e. it post-dates 9400 B.P. Though the Palü Oscillation is a Holocene phenomenon, the associated vegetation changes are Late-glacial in character, e.g.Arlemisia and Chenopodiaceae increase andHippophaë is recorded.Alnus viridis replacesBelula andSalix, which were important in the earlier part of the Holocene, at about 5000 B.P. There is no clear evidence that forest burning is attributable to human activity. The use ofLarix-dominated areas as pasture (Lärchwiesen) begins in the mid-Bronze Age. A strong decline inPicea (spruce) andLarix (larch), and an increase in Poaceae,Plantago and other herbs in the uppermost horizons reflect more intensive pastoral farming that began in the high Middle Ages.     

Inter-proxy evidence for the development of the Amazonian mangroves during the Holocene

The dynamics of mangrove forest on the island of Marajó (Ilha de Marajó) at the mouth of the river Amazon during the past ~7,500 cal. b.p. were studied using multiple proxies, including sedimentary facies, pollen, δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N and C/N ratio, related to 15 sediment samples by ¹⁴C dating. The results allow us to propose a scheme of palaeogeographical development, with changes in vegetation, hydrology and organic matter dynamics. Today, the interior of the island is occupied by várzea freshwater herbaceous vegetation, but during the early to middle Holocene, mangroves with accumulations of estuarine organic matter colonized the tidal mud flats. This spread of mangroves was caused by post-glacial sea-level rise, which combined with tectonic subsidence, produced a marine transgression. It is likely that the relatively greater marine influence at the studied area was favoured by reduced discharge from the river Amazon, which was itself caused by a dry period that occurred during the early and mid Holocene. During the late Holocene, there was a reduction of mangrove vegetation and the contribution of freshwater organic matter to the area was higher than during the early and mid Holocene. This suggests a decrease in marine influence during the late Holocene which led to a gradual migration of mangrove vegetation from the central region to the northeastern littoral zone of the island, and, consequently, its isolation since at least ~1,150 cal. b.p. This was probably a result of lower tidal water salinity caused by a wet period that resulted in greater river discharge during the late Holocene. This work details the contraction of mangrove forest from the northeastern part of the island of Marajó under the influence of Amazon climatic changes, chronologically and spatially. This allows us to propose a model of successive phases of sediment accumulation and vegetation change, according to the marine-freshwater influence gradient. As demonstrated by this work, the use of a combination of proxies is efficient for establishing a relationship between the changes in estuarine salinity gradient and depositional environment/vegetation.     

Late-glacial and Holocene vegetation history and dynamics as shown by pollen and plant macrofossil analyses in annually laminated sediments from Soppensee, central Switzerland

The palynostratigraphy of two sediment cores from Soppensee, Central Switzerland (596 m asl) was correlated with nine regional pollen assemblage zones defined for the Swiss Plateau. This biostratigraphy shows that the sedimentary record of Soppensee includes the last 15 000 years, i.e. the entire Late-glacial and Holocene environmental history. The vegetation history of the Soppensee catchment was inferred by pollen and plant-macrofossil analyses on three different cores taken in the deepest part of the lake basin (27 m). On the basis of a high-resolution varve and calibrated radiocarbonchronology it was possible to estimate pollen accumulation rates, which together with the pollen percentage data, formed the basis for the interpretation of the past vegetation dynamics. The basal sediment dates back to the last glacial. After reforestation with juniper and birch at ca. 12 700 B.P., the vegetation changed at around 12 000 B.P. to a pine-birch woodland and at the onset of the Holocene to a mixed deciduous forest. At ca. 7000 B.P., fir expanded and dominated the vegetation with beech becoming predominant at ca. 500¹⁴C-years later until sometime during the Iron Age. Large-scale deforestation, especially during the Middle Ages, altered the vegetation cover drastically. During the Late-glacial period two distinct regressive phases in vegetation development are demonstrated, namely, the Aegelsee oscillation (equivalent to the Older Dryas biozone) and the Younger Dryas biozone. No unambiguous evidence for Holocene climatic change was detected at Soppensee. Human presence is indicated by early cereal pollen and distinct pulses of forest clearance as a result of human activity can be observed from the Neolithic period onwards.     

Late-glacial vegetational history of Lake Kremensko-5 in the northern Pirin Mountains,southwestern Bulgaria

The core of Lake Kremensko-5, one of the cirque lakes in the northern Pirin Mountains of southwestern Bulgaria, contains sediments from more than 13,500 years b.p. and a pollen stratigraphy that can be correlated with the interstadial/stadial cycle of the Late-glacial period. Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae predominate in the basal part of the sequence, indicating the presence of mountain steppe type vegetation soon after the ice retreat. A sharp increase of Pinus diploxylon-type and Poaceae after 12,360 b.p. is followed by a return of Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae, marking the Younger Dryas. Its abrupt termination must result from an unconformity, for high values of Quercetum mixtum, dated at other sites in the Pirin Mountains as early Holocene, are missing here, perhaps because of erosion at a time of low lake level related to the high insolation maximum during the early Holocene.     

Postglacial evolution of vegetation and environment in the Scheldt Basin (northern Belgium)

The infill of abandoned river channels is the main information source on postglacial vegetation and landscape evolution in inland northern Belgium. Palynological studies of these deposits also contribute to a better understanding of the environmental context of the numerous archaeological sites in this area. The results are presented of palynological analyses, including pollen, spores, non-pollen palynomorphs and microcharcoal from the palaeochannel infill at seven sites in the Scheldt and Durme valleys in northern Belgium. Based on the regional vegetation evolution and radiocarbon dating, a biozonation for the Scheldt Basin is constructed encompassing the final Late-glacial and Holocene period. The local taxa show a hydroseral succession from open-water environment, through reed or sedge fen to carr forest. Salix and Viburnum opulus were important elements in the Early Holocene riparian and carr vegetation, but are often underrepresented in pollen diagrams from larger valleys. There are indications for human disturbance and agriculture between 7,000 and 6,400 cal bp. The simultaneous decline of elm and lime in the study area around 4,000 cal bp can be linked to human impact.     

Late Holocene mangrove dynamics of Marajó Island in Amazonia,northern Brazil

Two sediment cores from the eastern coastal region of Marajó Island, Pará State, northern Brazil have been studied by pollen analysis to reconstruct late Holocene mangrove dynamics and environmental changes. Seven AMS radiocarbon dates provide time control. Mangrove vegetation became established at the Barra Velha site at about 2750 B.P. (2880 cal B.P.) and at the Praia do Pesqueiro site at about 650 B.P. (670 cal B.P.). Rhizophora was the dominant mangrove tree throughout the recorded period, while Avicennia and Laguncularia were rare. Existing remnants of the former coastal Amazon rain forest were replaced by mangrove in the Barra Velha area between about 2750 and 740 B.P. (2880–760 cal B.P.) and at Praia do Pesqueiro area between about 650 and 530 B.P. (670–540 cal B.P.), suggesting a rise in relative sea level or, alternatively, an increase in discharge from the river Amazon. Areas of coastal shrub and herb vegetation, the so-called restinga vegetation, also became slightly reduced during the late Holocene. The largest area of mangrove at the two sites suggests that the highest sea level was probably reached during the last 200–250 years. The only evidence of human activity at the two sites is an indication of cattle pastureland at the Barra Velha area during the last decades.     

Ostracod fauna of Duvensee,an ancient lake in Northern Germany

About 4000 ostracod valves have been analysed from a sediment core of a cultivated bog NW of Hamburg. The deepest deposits are sands free of subfossils, the uppermost layers consist of peat. In the sediment in between, there are three layers containing undestroyed valves. The ostracod assemblies of the older claygyttja (Late-glacial) and the two younger, fine detritus deposits (Post-glacial) are strikingly different. Cytherissa lacustris, Candona neglecta, Ilyocypris bradyi, Herpetocyrpis reptans, and two Limnocythere species were found in the Late-glacial layers. Changes in abundance of these species indicate alterations in climate, lake ground, water inflow and waterlevels. Postglacial layers are rich in Metacypris cordata valves associated with numerous Candona species, L. inopinata, Darwinula stevensi, and Cyclocypris laevis. These species are characteristic of a small lake with a large littoral zone. A similar development in ostracod assemblages is found in middle Europe by Absolon (1973), although the main Candona species is not C. neglecta but C. candida. Ostracod analysis cannot demonstrate an influence of anthropogenic impacts on ostracod successions.     

Past vegetation dynamics of Vltavský luh, upper Vltava river valley in the Šumava mountains. Czech Republic

Six pollen diagrams from peat bogs in the Vltavsky luh (upper Vltava river valley) provide new information about vegetation reconstruction, woodland dynamics, and local development of mires during the Late-glacial and Holocene. Vegetation development began in the Oldest Dryas/B?ling with open park plant cover. In the Aller?d, woodland with Pinus and Betula developed, and in the Younger Dryas there was a steppe tundra with plants of open habitats. In the Pre-boreal, woodland tundra grew. In the Boreal, Corylus spread, and a major expansion of Picea began in the early Boreal. Picea spread during the Atlantic probably by two different migration routes. Fagus immigrated earlier than in the Bayerischer Wald and Oberpf?lzer Wald in the adjoining parts of Germany, and had its major expansion in the early Atlantic. Abies expanded in the late Atlantic. The great abundance of Abies in this area is remarkable, forming Abies or Abies-Fagus woods in less extreme habitats. Human occupation started in the Sub-boreal, as shown by both archaeology and palynology. However, human impact is recognized from anthropogenic indicators which appear in the early Atlantic. At the end of the later Sub-atlantic the development of natural woodland was interrupted by plantation of Picea according to historical and palynological evidence. Received November 13, 2000 / Accepted July 7, 2001     

A 12 000-year record of environmental change in the Lomond Hills, Fife, Scotland: Vegetational and climatic variability

The Lomond Hills of Fife, an isolated upland area rising to over 500 m, provide an opportunity to investigate the effect of altitude on vegetation and climate in an area otherwise dominated by lower-lying land. The West Lomond site contains sediments of the Devensian Late-glacial period; they reveal a well-defined sequence of Bolling-Older Dryas-Allerod-Younger Dryas events, commencing ca. 12 190 radiocarbon years B.P. and a probable Amphi-Atlantic Oscillation between ca. 11 040 and 10 800 B.P. The Holocene record is constrained by low sediment input but does reveal a woodland presence at this altitude, dominated byBetula andCorylus. Size statistics forBetula pollen are presented and the implications of the vegetational and climatic record are discussed. The traditional view of a smooth progress towards more temperate conditions following the Younger Dryas is not supported; between 10 180 and 9120 B.P., three cooler periods are inferred, the earliest of which may belong to a terminal phase of the Younger Dryas. Comparative pollen ‘influx’ data strongly suggest thatQuercus,Ulmus andAlnus were not present locally. As a working hypothesis, it is suggested that the demise of woodland, from ca. 5950 B.P., was a result of exposure. Pollen indicative of human impact was probably derived from areas of lowland agricultural activity from ca. 5330 B.P. onwards.