Holocene anthropogenic landscapes in the Balkans: the palaeobotanical evidence from southwestern Bulgaria

Palaeoecological reconstructions from the region of southwestern Bulgaria were used for inferring the human impact on the vegetation and landscape during the last 8 millennia. They are based on data from pollen analyses of lakes and peat-bogs, plant macrofossils, archaeobotanical finds and radiocarbon dating. During the early Holocene, after 7900?cal. b.p. (5950?cal. b.c.) the climate changed to cooler summers, milder winters and higher precipitation resulting in the formation of a coniferous belt dominated by Pinus sp. and Abies alba. These favorable environmental pre-conditions had a positive influence on the Neolithisation of the Balkans after the 8200?cal. b.p. (6250?cal. b.c.) cold event, which caused drought in the Eastern Mediterranean. Direct evidence from wood charcoal records from the Neolithic settlement layers in the study area shows a slight modification of the surrounding woodlands and an increase of the light-demanding components, probably expressed through larger forest border zones and thinning out of the wood stands. The increase in the number of settlements in the valleys of southwestern Bulgaria intensified the human activity visible in the palaeobotanical record from 6950?cal. b.p. (5000?cal. b.c.) onwards. Between ca. 5700–5100?cal. b.p. (3800–3200?cal. b.c.) signs of anthropogenic influence on the vegetation are virtually absent. The intensity of human impact increased notably after 3200?cal. b.p. (1400–1250?cal. b.c., approx. Late Bronze Age), documented by a rise of pollen anthropogenic indicators. The final transformations in the natural forest cover after 2750?cal. b.p. (800?cal. b.c. onset of the Iron Age) marked the reduction of the coniferous forests dominated by Abies alba and Pinus sp. and the expansion of Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies. These vegetation changes are contemporaneous with increase of the palaeofire activities and the next peak of anthropogenic indicators. The changes in the landscape during the Roman period and the medieval period reflect regional environmental features and were forced by the diversification of anthropogenic activity.     

Woodland disturbance and possible land-use regimes during the Late Mesolithic in the English uplands: pollen, charcoal and non-pollen palynomorph evidence from Bluewath Beck, North York Moors, UK

Pollen, micro-charcoal and non-pollen palynomorph (NPP) data from the mid Holocene Ulmus decline and the preceding millennium have provided evidence of repeated fire disturbance of the upland woodland at Bluewath Beck Head, on the North York Moors in northeast England. Woodland disturbance coincides with the Ulmus decline, which at several similar upland sites in northern England is dated to ca. 4800 uncal b.p. (ca. 5550 cal b.p.), and so to the early Neolithic period. Two fire events occur within a cycle of disturbance and regeneration between about 6100 (ca. 6950 cal b.p.) and 5700 b.p. (ca. 6475 cal b.p.), placing them in the later stages of the Late Mesolithic hunter-gatherer occupation of the upland and near the start of the transition to early Neolithic agricultural economies. Increased Melampyrum and Corylus pollen percentages characterise the post-fire vegetation response. These disturbances probably resulted from human activity, suggesting that fire was an integral part of the Late Mesolithic ecology. The local origin of some NPPs greatly enhances the palaeoecological interpretation, showing variations in the hydrological responses to disturbance that are much less visible in the pollen record, and helping to distinguish between local and regional vegetation changes. Other NPPs indicate burning near to the site. A substantial peak in spores of the wood-rot fungus Kretzschmaria deusta across the Ulmus decline may indicate girdling and other woodland management techniques as part of Neolithic woodland farming.     

Holocene history of environment and human impact on two islands in the Ostholstein lakeland area, Northern Germany

Holocene sediment cores from contemporary terrestrialised kettle holes on two islands in the Ostholstein lakeland area, Northern Germany, were investigated by palaeoenvironmental methods. Records from such isolated locations, such as these island mires, are an important source of information on small-scale vegetation changes. Pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs and macrofossils were used to reveal anthropogenic impact as well as lake level fluctuations. Changes in the peat decomposition and the ratio of organic to minerogenic content in the sediment facilitated correlation with past ground water table levels and accordingly with former lake levels. The palynological surveys indicate that human impact on the islands expanded in prehistoric times during phases of low lake levels or periods of stable hydrological conditions. The first distinct low level is recorded between ca. 8210 and 7740?cal.?yr b.p. Another major low level period was detected for the time span from approximately 5290 to 4600?cal.?yr b.p. After a subsequent period with a wetter climate, indicated by rising and fluctuating lake levels culminating at ca. 2420 to 2180?cal.?yr b.p., a third lowering occurred until about 660?cal.?yr b.p. This period was interrupted by minor fluctuations in lake levels from ca. 1770 to 1630?cal.?yr b.p. and from ca. 1370 to 1010?cal.?yr b.p.     

Palaeoecological evidence for the middle and late Holocene vegetation, climate and land use in the upper Don River basin (Russia)

New pollen and plant macrofossil data, backed by radiocarbon dates, from the Kulikovo battlefield area in the forest-steppe region of the Upper Don River basin (central part of European Russia) indicate that the area was covered by mosaic vegetation in the second half of the Holocene. Steppe communities dominated during the mid—late Atlantic (7.2–5.7?cal.?kyr b.p.) and early Subatlantic (2.7–2.4?cal.?kyr b.p.), while forest-steppe dominated during the Subboreal (2.7–5.7?cal.?kyr b.p.), middle and late Subatlantic (2.4?cal.?kyr b.p. – present). Climatic reconstructions based on these data show that landscape dynamics in the region were most probably driven by changes in effective moisture: an excess of precipitation over evaporation. Even small reductions in annual precipitation, accompanied by a rise in summer temperatures by 1–3°C above present values, were sufficient to increase the proportion of steppe communities within this landscape complex, and also probably resulted in higher frequencies of wildfires. Signals of anthropogenic disturbance of vegetation are clearly pronounced in the pollen and plant macrofossil records since the middle Atlantic. However, human-induced changes in the vegetation remain subtle until the medieval period.     

Vegetation dynamics during the early to mid-Holocene transition in NW Malta, human impact versus climatic forcing

A pollen diagram was constructed for the early- to mid-Holocene transition (ca. 7350–5600 cal. b.p./5400–3650 b.c.) from the Burmarrad ria located in NW Malta. The vegetation at ca. 7350–6960 cal. b.p./5400–5010 b.c. was characterized by an almost tree-less steppe-like open landscape. Early Holocene dry climatic conditions were most probably due to intensification of the subtropical monsoon circulation that strengthened the subtropical anticyclonic descent over the central Mediterranean and blocked the penetration of humid air masses from the North Atlantic Ocean. At ca. 6950 cal. b.p./5000 b.c., the steppe-like vegetation was suddenly replaced by a Mediterranean evergreen forest or dense scrub dominated by Pistacia cf. lentiscus trees. This event, which has simultaneously been recorded in southern Sicily, was most probably caused by the southward shift of the ITCZ permitting the eastward movement of the North Atlantic cyclonic systems. Traces of human activities are evident in the pollen diagram since the beginning of the record but become more pronounced from the onset of the Temple Cultural Phase at ca. 6050 cal. b.p./4100 b.c. with a gradual decline of tree pollen. We suggest that the early- to mid-Holocene vegetation transformation was mainly controlled by a regional climatic change that occurred in a landscape only slightly impacted by human activities.     

New insights into vegetation, climate and fire history of southern Brazil revealed by a 40,000 year environmental record from the State Park Serra do Tabuleiro

The present study reveals palaeoenvironmental changes in the coastal southern Brazilian highlands during the last 39720 b.p., by the means of pollen, charcoal and multivariate data analyses. The isolated mountain range of Serra do Tabuleiro corresponds to the southern distribution limit of many tropical plant species and is therefore sensitive to climate change. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions from the Ciama 2 core at 860 m a.s.l. indicate that Campos (subtropical grassland) covered extensive areas on the highlands throughout the recorded glacial period, thus suggesting cold and dry climatic conditions. The initial development of the Atlantic rainforest occurred after the glacial period, whereas plant diversity began to increase at the beginning of the Holocene due to climate change towards warmer and wetter conditions. At about 10400 cal. b.p., the Atlantic rainforest started to move over the slopes and Campos retracted. Multivariate data analysis showed a change of vegetation dynamics after 11200 cal. b.p. with the initial development of the Atlantic rainforest continuing until the mid-Holocene. Major vegetation changes, including the further expansion of the Atlantic rainforest and the initial development of the Araucaria forest in the higher regions of the Serra do Tabuleiro, occurred during the late Holocene after about 3600 cal. b.p. These changes reflect higher precipitation levels without an annual dry season. Multivariate data analysis reveals a clearly directional change of vegetation dynamics corresponding to the progressive expansion of the Atlantic rainforest from 3850 to 1600 cal. b.p. A second directional change of vegetation dynamics occurred from 320 to 160 cal. b.p. (a.d. 1630 to 1790) with a further development of the Atlantic rainforest and the partial replacement of Campos by Araucaria forest and Atlantic rainforest. Thereafter, an ecosystem disturbance, which resulted in forest opening, took place. Palaeofires probably did not occur during glacial times, whereas fire events, which were probably caused by Amerindians, were common in the Serra do Tabuleiro region from ca. 10400 until 3600 cal. b.p.     

Mid-Holocene vegetation change in the Troad (W Anatolia): man-made or natural?

New wood charcoal data from two archaeological sites in western Anatolia (Kumtepe and Troy/Çanakkale province) enabled a review of earlier reconstruction of the mid-Holocene vegetation and land use patterns in the region. Multi-proxy data from archaeology, zooarchaeology and climatology are combined to evaluate the relationship of climate-induced and man-made environmental change for a period spanning the Late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age (ca. 5000–2450 cal b.c.). During the first settlement period (Kumtepe A: ca. 5000–4600 cal b.c.) lush vegetation with high proportions of deciduous oak and pine prevailed, enabling the intense use of natural resources by the late Neolithic population, which use might be reflected in the first few representatives of maquis vegetation. A settlement hiatus at the site between roughly 4600 and 3500 cal b.c. includes a cooling event in the Aegean and may have supported persistence and/or development of open vegetation units. However, the hiatus may have ended with a period of regeneration of the vegetation. From Kumtepe B2 (ca. 3300 cal b.c.) onward, human impact becomes clearly visible, although the main woodland taxa continue to prevail. In all, environmental and economic dynamics between 5000 and 2300 cal b.c. in the Troad can be characterised as at least two alternating developmental sequences of climate-induced vegetation change and reinforcement of woodland degradation by human activity.     

Postglacial history of vegetation,human activity and lake-level changes at Jezioro Linówek in northeast Poland,based on multi-proxy data

We present the postglacial history of vegetation, human activities and changes in lake level in the context of climate change in northeast Poland from ~14,000 cal. b.p. to the present day. The palaeoecological reconstruction is based on the results of high-resolution plant macrofossil analyses as well as records from pollen, Cladocera and radiocarbon dating. Climate fluctuations and human activity have caused many changes in vegetation development in Jezioro Linówek and in the vicinity of this lake. The Early Holocene warming that occurred at ~9500 b.c. caused an increase in Betula and the colonisation of Linówek by Potamogeton lucens, Nymphaea alba and Chara sp. At ~2300 b.c., climate cooling was accompanied by the spread of Picea abies and the appearance of Potamogeton alpinus and Nuphar pumila in the lake. The first traces of farming in the form of Cerealia pollen have been dated back to ~2100 b.c. The cultivation of Triticum began at ~250 b.c., Secale at ~a.d. 550, and Fagopyrum at ~a.d. 1720. The rapid increase in human activity at ~a.d. 1700 and the simultaneous loss of woodland is associated with the establishment of villages in the area and is expressed by the decline of tree curves. In Linówek, which was formed ~14,000 cal. b.p., three periods of high water level occurred (12000–9400, 7000–4000 and 1450 b.c.–a.d. 650), and two periods of low water level (9400–7100 and 3700–1700 b.c.). The changes of water level correspond well with other sites in central and northern Europe.     

Vegetation and fire history with their implication for climatic change and fire events since the last deglacial in the Aso Valley, central Kyushu, southwestern Japan: new pollen and charcoal data

To better understand the response of forest vegetation to climate and fire regimes with reference to human activities over the last deglacial period in the Aso Caldera, central Kyushu, southwestern Japan, a 33.9 m long sediment core was examined in order to reconstruct the vegetational and fire history using pollen and charcoal analyses. The results show that a cool temperate broad-leaved deciduous forest, dominated by Quercus (deciduous oaks) with Carpinus and Fagus, prevailed in the Aso Valley from ca. 14.6 ka cal. b.p., indicating warming since the last glacial period. The landscape was presumably covered by a mosaic of deciduous Quercus forests and terrestrial Artemisia communities. Around 12.8–11.7 ka cal. b.p., Quercus dominated the forest and fires occurred frequently. Co-expansion of distinctive Ulmus–Zelkova and Celtis–Aphananthe forests coupled with a progressive retreat of Quercus in the early Holocene could reflect a strengthening of the East Asian summer monsoon under mild and humid climate conditions. Around 8 ka cal. b.p., significant increases in Cyclobalanopsis (evergreen oaks), Castanopsis/Castanea and Podocarpus indicate a further warming, in particular an increased winter temperature. Warm temperate lucidophyllous forests, dominated by Cyclobalanopsis, flourished after 7.3 ka cal. b.p., probably corresponding to the “Holocene Climatic Optimum” interval. Progressive expansion of Quercus at the expense of Cyclobalanopsis began around 6.4 ka cal. b.p. and paralleled an increase in charcoal until ca. 4.8 ka cal. b.p.; this could be evidence of fire disturbance induced by the early-middle Jomon people. The disturbed evergreen forest experienced a temporary recovery but then opened again from 3.6 ka cal. b.p. due to extensive fire deforestation, as suggested by the high charcoal levels during this time. Human exploitation and buckwheat (Fagopyrum) agriculture may have contributed to the opening of the forest, which allowed secondary forests (primarily Pinus and Quercus) and herbaceous communities (mainly Poaceae) to spread. These results are discussed in comparison with other high-resolution pollen data from western Japan to better elucidate the vegetation and fire history over the last deglacial in the Aso Caldera.     

The forest people: landscape and firewood use in the Araruama region,southeastern Brazil,during the late Holocene

The site of Morro Grande, situated in the Araruama region, southeastern Brazil (22º47′07″S, 42º21′49″W), is in the Atlantic rainforest phytogeographical domain. It is attributed to proto-Tupinambá agriculturalist and ceramicist populations, recognized by their typical polychrome ceramics. Four periods of occupation were identified at this site: (1) 3,220–2,840 cal b.p.; (2) 3,000–2,150 cal b.p.; (3) 1,820–1,390 cal b.p.; and (4) c. 750 cal. b.p. Analysis of 3,908 charcoal fragments from the three earlier periods has allowed the identification of 78 taxa and 29 plant families. This work demonstrates the permanence of the Atlantic rainforest in the region between 3,220 and 1,390 cal b.p., confirming previous palaeoenvironmental studies in southeastern and southern Brazil. The existence of mature forests is demonstrated; however, firewood was collected mainly from secondary vegetation, probably in the area surrounding the settlement or from cultivated land. These results provide further evidence of human influence on Neotropical rainforests. Creation of secondary environments, however, did not result in irreversible damage to local biodiversity, since the forest tended to regenerate after the clearings were abandoned. Analysis of charcoal concentrated in features allowed the identification of ritual funerary hearths, as well as of a probable specialized feature for firing ceramics. This evidence affords new perspectives for the archaeological interpretation of the funerary ritual and way of life of proto-Tupinambá people.     

Holocene mangrove dynamics and environmental change in the Rufiji Delta, Tanzania

Holocene mangrove dynamics are reconstructed from pollen, sediment and radiocarbon analyses of three cores (ANR, BNR, CNR) located across a 20 km transect in the Rufiji Delta, Tanzania. At the base of the sediment sequence, dated to about 5600 cal. year b.p., the mangroves which are present suggest a low intertidal ecosystem in response to wet conditions and a higher sea level than at the present day. After around 5600 cal. year b.p. in core BNR, mangroves retreated seaward probably due to a lower sea level and drier environmental conditions. At around 4640 cal. year b.p., mangroves shifted landward suggesting a phase of sea level rise. In the late Holocene, mangroves became established at higher elevations of the Rufiji Delta, which is now a paddy field. Mangrove taxa decreased after 1170 cal. year b.p., suggesting drier conditions and less inundation frequency, possibly due to a lower sea level. Marked vegetation changes from mangroves to terrestrial vegetation occurred after around 750 cal. year b.p., possibly related to sea level regression and/or a desiccation phase recorded during the late Holocene. Paddy fields replaced mangroves in the landward part of the transect, reflecting an increase in human settlement in this area, a trend that continues to the present day. The recent decrease of mangrove species, particularly Rhizophora mucronata, could suggest less inundation by saline water and a lower sea level, although these changes may also be due to human activities during the last millennia as indicated by charcoal analysis.     

Vegetation characteristics in the western Loess plateau between 5200 and 4300?cal. b.p. based on fossil charcoal records

Understanding terrestrial vegetation dynamics is a crucial tool in global change research. The Loess Plateau, an important area for the study of Asian monsoons and early agriculture, poses a controversial question on the potential vegetation and its pattern. Fossil charcoal as direct evidence of wood provides precision in species identification and hence vegetation reconstruction. Charcoals from the Dadiwan and Xishanping sites suggest a great variety of plants between 5200 and 4300?cal. b.p. in the valley area of the western Loess Plateau. The deciduous broad-leaf wood from Quercus, Ulmus, Betula, Corylus and Acer is very frequent and makes up almost half the total abundance ratio of the represented taxa. Meanwhile, some typical subtropical taxa such as Liquidambar formosana, Eucommia ulmoides, Toxicodendron and Bambusoideae, are present at the two study sites. The high abundance of Picea appearing between 5200 and 4300?cal. b.p. suggests the development of Picea forests in the valley of the western Loess Plateau. The assemblages of charcoal indicate that the mixed forest of evergreen deciduous and conifer-deciduous broadleaved trees developed in the valley of the Loess Plateau during the Holocene optimum. Precipitation is the main controlling factor for forest development. The increasing precipitation is the probable reason for the appearance of north-subtropical forests between 5200 and 4300?cal. b.p.     

Early–Middle Holocene vegetation history, climate change and human activities at Lago Riane (Ligurian Apennines, NW Italy)

The radiocarbon-dated palaeoecological study of Lago Riane (Ligurian Apennines, NW Italy) presented here forms part of a wider investigation into the relationships between Holocene vegetation succession, climate change and human activities in the northern Apennines. The record of vegetation history from Lago Riane indicates that, since the end of the last glaciation, climate change and prehistoric human activities, combined with several local factors, have strongly influenced the pattern and timing of natural vegetation succession. The pollen record indicates an important change in vegetation cover at Lago Riane at ~8500–8200 cal. years b.p., coincident with a well-known period of rapid climate change. At ~6100 cal. years b.p., Fagus woodland colonised Lago Riane during a period of climate change and expansion of Late Neolithic human activities in the upland zone of Liguria. A marked decline in Abies woodland, and the expansion of Fagus woodland, at ~4700 cal. years b.p., coincided with further archaeological evidence for pastoralism in the mountains of Liguria during the Copper Age. At ~3900–3600 cal. years b.p. (Early to Middle Bronze Age transition), a temporary expansion of woodland at Lago Riane has been provisionally attributed to a decline in human pressure on the environment during a period of short-term climate change.     

A marine/terrestrial integration for mid-late Holocene vegetation history and the development of the cultural landscape in the Po valley as a result of human impact and climate change

Integration of pollen data from both marine and terrestrial cores contributes to the understanding of the timing of the climatic and human forces that shaped the cultural landscapes in the Italian peninsula. This paper focuses on the relation between natural and human landscapes, and the development of the cultural landscape from the Bronze Age to the medieval period and modern times. Two records were studied within independent projects, first the marine core RF93-30, from the central Adriatic, with a sediment source area including the Po valley and which spans the last 7,000?years, and secondly, material from the site of Terramara di Montale, a Bronze Age settlement on the Po plain, which was occupied from approximately 3550–3200?cal. b.p. The original chronology of the marine core was developed by using the magnetic inclination of the secular variation record and two ¹⁴C dates carried out on benthic and planktic foraminifera at depths of 527 and 599?cm. Its pollen record shows a gradual irreversible trend towards increasing aridity since 5700?cal. b.p. and, just after around 5100?cal. b.p., a Picea decline and a Quercus ilex type increase indicate less cool conditions. Human impact introduces rapid changes, such as the decrease of Abies alba, thinned by the reduction of precipitation and further cleared before or during the Early Bronze Age, followed by the fall of oaks. The latter started after around 3900?cal. b.p., and became evident at around 3600?cal. b.p. The gradual increase in signs of open landscape and woodland clearance correspond to the onset of Middle Bronze Age settlements in the Po valley, and to the development of the cultural landscape in the region. The impact of the terramare people includes woodland management by coppicing, and division of the territory into a patchwork of pastures and fields. Dry environments are indicated mainly by Cichorioideae, resulting from the continued human pressure, and these spread since the Recent Bronze Age. Of the possible causes for the decline of the terramare, we suggest that climate would have been less important in the decline than in the onset phases. The later cultural landscapes are mainly indicated by the trends of the Olea, Juglans and Castanea (OJC) records, besides those of cereals. At around 700?cal. b.p., the “chestnut landscape” spread while modern times are shown by the finds of Zea mays.     

New insights into vegetation dynamics and settlement history in Hümmling,north-western Germany,with particular reference to the Neolithic

Palynological investigations on two well-dated peat profiles provide insights into Neolithic vegetation and settlement history from Hümmling in north-western Germany. The site selections allow comparisons between local and regional vegetation changes and are used to estimate the extent of Neolithic influence on the vegetation. The interpretation of the fossil spectra relied on radiocarbon dating, evaluation of pollen indicator taxa, non-pollen palynomorphs and multivariate techniques. During the late Mesolithic the vegetation was dominated by mixed oak forests while openings in forest cover were detected, with a decline in elm reflected in the regional pollen record around 4250 cal. b.c. The presence of humans is shown by settlement indicators that are first recorded at ca. 3800 cal. b.c. Vegetation changes were small between 4300 and 3600 cal. b.c. This suggests that regional vegetation was relatively resilient to small-scale disturbances. Possible indications of grazing were recorded in the spectra of the local pollen profile but there is no clear-cut evidence for Neolithic activity. Between 3520 and 2260 cal. b.c. decreases in forest cover were inferred from both profiles and increases in settlement indicators reflect farming activity. These changes coincide with the emergence in the area of the Funnel Beaker Culture and the subsequent Single Grave Culture. Both profiles suggest that settlement probably ceased between ca. 3230 and 3050 cal. b.c. This lull or cessation in activity was probably regional in character. After 2260 cal. b.c. human impact on the vegetation decreases and woodlands regenerate. The longevity of the regeneration phase—ca. 690 years—was probably connected with the low resilient capability of the vegetation on the poor soils.     

Holocene forest dynamics and human impact in southeastern Estonia

Litho-, chrono- and biostratigraphical methods were applied in the examination of a 9.9 m thick sequence of laminated sediments in Verijärv, a lake in southeast Estonia. The vegetation history, which covers at least the time from 10300 cal b.p. to the present, was inferred from the core, which was taken from the deepest part of the lake and correlated with the studied and dated pollen diagrams nearby. Reconstruction of the past vegetation dynamics is based on pollen percentage, accumulation rate and human impact diagrams. During the Holocene two main shifts in vegetation dynamics occurred, the first one at about 7700 cal b.p. when the pine-birch forest was replaced by deciduous mixed forest, and the second at about 3200 cal b.p. marked by the regeneration of pine-birch-spruce forest. A catastrophic forest fire at about 3450 cal b.p. opened up the landscape and gave rise to erosion and the sedimentation of a thick clayey layer. The steep decline in the Alnus curve between 1500–1650 cal b.p. coincides with the start of the continuous Secale curve and evidence of extensive land-use.     

Vegetation history and landscape management from 6500 to 1500 cal. b.p. at Lac d’Antre, Gallo-Roman sanctuary of Villards d’Héria, Jura, France

The lake sediment record was used to reconstruct past vegetation dynamics and human impacts from the middle Neolithic (6500 cal. b.p.) to the Middle Ages (1500 cal. b.p.) around Lac d’Antre in the southern Jura mountains of France. This lake was surrounded by the Gallo-Roman sanctuary of Villards d’Héria, which has been widely investigated by archaeologists and enables a comparison between palaeoenvironmental proxies and archaeological data. Pollen and microscopic charcoal analyses were conducted on a 500 cm sediment core with eleven radiocarbon dates providing the chronological control. In a mixed oak woodland context, the successive development of Taxus, Fagus and Abies were mainly caused by climatic variations during the Neolithic, in which there was weak human impact. The first significant signs of human activity were detected during the Bronze Age from 3900 cal. b.p., followed by an increase of human pressure and woodland clearances during the Iron Age, from 2700 cal. b.p. The occupation of the Gallo-Roman sanctuary was continuous with the Iron Age occupation. All the analysed palaeoenvironmental data indicate that the strongest human impact occurred during the Gallo-Roman period, which matches the occupation of Villards d’Héria previously dated by archaeologists from 2000 to 1700 cal. b.p., 1st to 3rd century a.d. Moreover, there appears to have been a new period of human settlement close to the lake at the beginning of the Middle Ages. The low charcoal accumulation rate (CHAR) recorded during the Bronze and Iron Ages suggests that fire was not the main agent used to clear the dense woods to create new cultivated fields and pastures. High CHAR values recorded during the Roman period may represent fire use for domestic and agro-pastoral activities.     

Palaeocladocerans as indicators of environmental, cultural and archaeological developments in Eifel maar lakes region (West Germany) during the Lateglacial and Holocene periods

The use of subfossil cladocerans is rare for understanding environmental, cultural and archaeological developments of lakes in Europe. In 2007, we collected a 12-m long sediment core from Lake Schalkenmehrener Maar (SMM), Germany for the analyses of subfossil cladocerans. Dating of core was based on tephrochronology, radiocarbon and pollen stratigraphy. Pollen-based chronostratigraphy indicated a decline of species richness and abundance of chydorids during the Lateglacial (ca.14500?cal?yr?bp) with dominant cold preferring taxa Acroperus harpae Baird and Alona affinis Leydig. During the early B?lling, the abundance of cladocerans increased commensurate with growth of birch (Betula L.) and pine (Pinus L.) trees. Except a spike of Bosmina coregoni Baird during the Younger Dryas, cladoceran assemblages remained stable from the B?lling to the mid-Atlantic period. During the Neolithic (ca. 4300?bc), the abundance of B. coregoni increased sharply with reciprocal decrease in Daphnia. However, as soon as Daphnia was dominant (ca. 4250?bc), a reciprocal decline in abundance of B. coregoni occurred. The mid-Holocene change in cladoceran abundance coincided with the use of hardwood forest. This situation ended at ca. 4000?bc and remained unchanged throughout the Neolithic and Bronze Age (ca. 3000?C1200?bc). Low Daphnia abundance indicated reduced water quality in the Hunsr??ck-Eifel culture (ca. 800?bc). A spike of B. coregoni at ca. ad 150 indicates construction of the Roman Villa Rustica and extensive farming. However, reoccurrence of Daphnia at ca. ad 470 indicates the retreat of the Romans from the Eifel region. From the early Frankish rule (ca. ad 500) to the Medieval period (ca. ad 1500), species richness reduced but abundance of B. coregoni increased indicating a switch in lake ecosystem. The loss of species richness and the lack of precise evidence of the human activity in the region in the past have impeded the restoration of the ecosystem of the Lake SMM.     

Taxonomic status of the belemnite genusBelemnopsis Bayle 1878

The Tethyan genus “Belemnopsis” of authors, notBayle 1878, includes 110–120 Bajocian to Hauterivian belemnite species and subspecies from Europe and the southern hemisphere. Its type species,Belemnites sulcatus Miller 1826 from the Callovian to Oxfordian of England, belongs to the Boreal belemnite genusLagonibelus Gustomesov 1956, since Phillips selected a lectotype for it in 1870. But the subsequent designation of the type species byDouvillé in 1879 is invalid according to Art. 67 (h) ICZN, and consequentlyBelemnopsis Bayle gets a nomen dubium. It is also a homonym ofBelemnopsis Edwards inGray 1849, and has, therefore, to be replaced byPachybelemnopsis Riegraf 1980, a junior subjective synonym, the family Belemnopseidae Naef 1922 by MesohibolitidaeNerodenko 1983, and the suborder BelemnopseinaJeletzky 1965 by PachybelemnopseinaRiegraf inRiegraf et al. 1998.     

Holocene climate,fire and vegetation dynamics at the treeline in the Northwestern Swiss Alps

Treelines are expected to rise to higher elevations with climate warming; the rate and extent however are still largely unknown. Here we present the first multi-proxy palaeoecological study from the treeline in the Northwestern Swiss Alps that covers the entire Holocene. We reconstructed climate, fire and vegetation dynamics at Iffigsee, an alpine lake at 2,065 m a.s.l., by using seismic sedimentary surveys, loss on ignition, visible spectrum reflectance spectroscopy, pollen, spore, macrofossil and charcoal analyses. Afforestation with Larix decidua and tree Betula (probably B. pendula) started at ~9,800 cal. b.p., more than 1,000 years later than at similar elevations in the Central and Southern Alps, indicating cooler temperatures and/or a high seasonality. Highest biomass production and forest position of ~2,100–2,300 m a.s.l. are inferred during the Holocene Thermal Maximum from 7,000 to 5,000 cal. b.p. With the onset of pastoralism and transhumance at 6,800–6,500 cal. b.p., human impact became an important factor in the vegetation dynamics at Iffigsee. This early evidence of pastoralism is documented by the presence of grazing indicators (pollen, spores), as well as a wealth of archaeological finds at the nearby mountain pass of Schnidejoch. Human and fire impact during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages led to the establishment of pastures and facilitated the expansion of Picea abies and Alnus viridis. We expect that in mountain areas with land abandonment, the treeline will react quickly to future climate warming by shifting to higher elevations, causing drastic changes in species distribution and composition as well as severe biodiversity losses.