Lateglacial and Holocene vegetation history in the mountain range of central Pyrenees

We present the pollen analysis of a new sedimentary sequence taken at La Pouretère ( 1720 m), in the mountain vegetation zone of the Marcadau valley (central Pyrenees). The Lateglacial and Holocene chronology is supported by six 14C-dating results. The complementary analysis of some vegetal macroremains, stomata, pollen-clusters and the use of pollen influx allows us to elucidate the dynamic of mountain species such as Pinus and specially Abies but also to infer the unusual part played by Betula at the beginning of the Postglacial period.     

Lateglacial and Holocene vegetation history in the Insubrian Southern Alps—New indications from a small-scale site

Fundamental uncertainties exist in the study region about the former lowland vegetation at local scales. All existing palaeoecological results are derived from sediments of medium- to large-sized sites (8–5000 ha), which are thought to record mainly regional vegetation in their pollen content. Therefore the very small mire at Balladrum (0.05 ha) was analysed for pollen, plant-macrofossils, and charcoal and the results compared with those of previous studies in the same region. Common regional signals were detected, but also new insights for the tree species Pinus cembra (L.), Abies alba (Mill.) and Castanea sativa (Mill.). Our palaeobotanical data reveal the local dominance of the timberline species P. cembra during the Lateglacial (16500–14250 cal b.p.) at low-altitudes. For A. alba an early presence in the area is suggested by pollen data, corroborating previous high-altitudinal studies indicating the presence of glacial refugia in the region. Occasional findings of C. sativa pollen throughout the Holocene may indicate the local but very rare presence of this species in the Insubrian Southern Alps, in contrast to the conventional opinion that C. sativa was introduced during the Roman Period. Altogether the results confirm the need of multiproxy palaeobotanical records from basins of variable size to assess the past composition of vegetation more accurately. Communicated by F. Bittmann     

Palaeoecological perspectives on pattern and process in plant diversity and distribution adjustments: a comment on recent developments*

Two developments in the understanding of the relationship between sedimentary pollen assemblages, vegetation and plant diversity are discussed. The Prentice model of vegetation–pollen relationships has improved our understanding of how and at what scale sedimentary pollen records vegetation. The modelling framework allows improved palaeoecological study designs that may, potentially, give important new insights into processes of plant migrations in response to climate change. Also, reconstructions of plant communities and landscape openness may be improved. Competing hypotheses for the relationship between vegetation and palynological diversity are discussed and it is concluded that more attention should be focused on evenness aspects of palynological diversity and on hypothesis testing.     

Holocene vegetation history of the Sahel: pollen, sedimentological and geochemical data from Jikariya Lake, north-eastern Nigeria

Aim This study aims to separate regional and local controls on Holocene vegetation development and examine how well pollen records reflect climate change in a semi‐arid region. The relative importance of climate and human activity as agents of vegetation change in the Sahel during the late Holocene is also considered. Location Jikariya Lake, an inter‐dune depression in the Manga Grasslands of north‐eastern Nigeria. Methods Pollen and charcoal were used to provide a record of Holocene vegetation history. Palaeoclimate and hydrological changes were reconstructed from sedimentary and geochemical data. Regional and local influences were separated by comparing the evidence obtained from Jikariya Lake with previously published data from the Manga Grasslands. Results The Manga Grasslands experienced a prolonged wet period during the early and mid‐Holocene, during which swamp forest vegetation with Guinean affinities (Alchornea, Syzygium, Uapaca) occupied the inter‐dune depressions. However, variation in the pollen records between sites suggests that their establishment was dependent on conditions being locally favourable, rather than being directly coupled to regional climate. The pollen records from the Manga Grasslands are more consistent in suggesting the colonization of the dunefields by trees associated with Sudanian savanna (Combretaceae, Detarium) c. 8700 cal. yr bp . The Jikariya Lake pollen data are in accordance with the sedimentological and geochemical data from the region in indicating that the onset of arid conditions occurred progressively during the late Holocene (from c. 4700 cal. yr bp ). Abrupt changes in pollen stratigraphy, recorded at other Manga Grasslands sites 3500 cal. yr bp , appear to be the product of the local passing of ecological thresholds. The dunefield vegetation (Sahelian savanna) appears to have been resilient to (or at least palynologically silent regarding) to the climatic variability of the late Holocene. Main conclusions While climate appears to have been the primary control on vegetation development in the Manga Grasslands during the Holocene, local conditions (particularly depression size and sand influx) had a strong influence on the timing of pollen stratigraphic changes. Anthropogenic influences are difficult to detect, even during the late Holocene.     

Messinian vegetation maps of the Mediterranean region using models and interpolated pollen data

This study proposes to compare the outputs from the CARAIB vegetation model forced by results from the LMD General Circulation Model with interpolated pollen data (Kriging method) from the Mediterranean region during the Messinian. The vegetation maps that have been obtained represent distinct phases of the salinity crisis: before the crisis and during the marginal evaporitic phase (interpolated map), and during the complete desiccation phase (simulated map). However, they are comparable in terms of vegetation density and agree on a strong contrast between the Northern (forest vegetation) and Southern (open vegetation) Mediterranean regions. Main differences concern the type of forests in the northern Mediterranean region, which are explained by discrepancies between precipitation amount predicted by the model and that calculated by a transfer function using pollen records. The interpolation method has been successfully tested in France using interpolated current pollen records by comparison with the present-day potential vegetation map. The resulting Messinian map is useful to validate or improve model simulation which does not take into account the depth of the Mediterranean Basin when it dried up. The Southern Mediterranean landscapes were open, with a steppe-like vegetation to the West and a savannah-like vegetation to the East. Forests prevailed to the North, organized in a mosaic system mainly controlled by relief. Such a contrast provides some explanation of the large number of deep fluvial canyons cut on the Northern margin at opposed to the South during the Mediterranean desiccation.     

Modern pollen–vegetation relationships along transects on the Whangapoua Estuary, Great Barrier Island, northern New Zealand

Aims To quantify pollen–vegetation relationships from saline to freshwater in an estuarine gradient from surface samples of the modern pollen rain, to allow more accurate interpretations of the stratigraphic palynological record. Location Whangapoua Estuary, Great Barrier Island, northern New Zealand. Methods Six transects were laid out along a vegetation sequence running from estuarine mud to freshwater swamp. Along these transect lines, 108 plots were sampled for vegetation and surface sediments from wet sand, mud, plant litter or moss (sand and mud sites are inundated by most tides, other sites less frequently). All sediment samples were analysed for pollen. The relationships between plant species frequency and pollen representation were examined at a community scale using twinspan and ordination analyses, and for individual species using fidelity and dispersibility indices, regression and box‐plot analyses. Results The quantitative relationships between source taxon vegetation frequency and its pollen representation varied between species due to differential pollen production and dispersal. twinspan of the surface pollen samples suggests five vegetation types: (A) mangrove (Avicennia marina); (C) Leptocarpus similis salt meadow; (D) Baumea sedges; (E) Leptospermum shrubland; and (F) Typha/Cordyline swamp forest. The (B) Juncus kraussii community is not represented palynologically owing to the destruction of its delicate pollen grains during acetolysis of samples. Detrended correspondence analysis places these communities on an estuarine‐to‐freshwater gradient. However, pollen assemblages at the seaward end of the salinity gradient are less clearly representative of the associated vegetation than those at the landward end, probably because the open vegetation at the former allows the influx of wind‐ and water‐dispersed pollen from surrounding vegetation. Main conclusions The vegetation pattern (zonation) at Whangapoua is reflected in the pollen rain. When the long‐distance and over‐represented pollen types are excluded, five out of six of the broad vegetation communities can be identified by their pollen spectra. Species with high fidelity and low‐to‐moderate dispersibility indices can be used to identify the vegetation types in the sedimentary sequences. The more open vegetation types at the ‘marine end’ of the sequence tend to be ‘overwhelmed’ by regional pollen, but the nature of the sediments and the presence of discriminatory species (e.g. A. marina, Plagianthus divaricatus, Cordyline australis), even in small amounts, will allow correct identification of the local vegetation represented in sedimentary palynological sequences. A box‐plot analysis indicates that the pollen and spore types A. marina (mangroves), Sarcocornia quinqueflora (salt meadow), P. divaricatus (sedges), Gleichenia (shrubland) and C. australis (swamp forest) are highly discriminatory in relation to vegetation type. These discriminatory palynomorphs help with the interpretation of stratigraphic pollen studies. However, salt marsh vegetation communities in the sediments must be interpreted with caution as the marine sediments are easily affected by erosion, bioturbation and tidal inundation effects.     

Lateglacial and Holocene vegetation change on the Isle of Skye: new data from three coastal locations

Detailed lithostratigraphical and biostratigraphical studies from three contrasting coastal sites on the Isle of Skye were undertaken to investigate spatial variations in vegetation development on the island since the Lateglacial. The pollen profiles were then compared with the published pollen data for Skye. The new data reveal broadly similar trends for the sites studied and show that these correspond well to the previously established chronology. A date of ca. 10110 radiocarbon years B.P. has been obtained for the rational rise in Corylus, a date of ca. 8850 uncal B.P. for the appearance of Ulmus and a date of ca. 6600 uncal B.P. for the rise in Alnus. However, significant variations were evident and these were due to (a) coastal proximity, which directly affects vegetation composition through the low but persistent presence of Armeria and Chenopodiaceae, (b) altitude, which determines the effect of rising groundwater that may be related to relative sea level rise, and (c) aspect and position in relation to central Cuillin mountain range, through exposure to SW winds that restrict the development of thermophilous woodland and encourage the acidification of heathlands and development of herb-rich grasslands from ca. 4000 B.P.. This study reveals that the range of variation caused by these local factors is as great as the variation found throughout the island. This has negative implications for the reconstruction of regional patterns of vegetation change but highlights the range of local habitats and wild resources available to early inhabitants of the island.     

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.     

The vegetational history of the northern Apennines, Italy: information from three new sequences and a review of Regional vegetational change

Abstract. The results of pollen analysis and radiocarbon dating are presented from three northern Apennine sequences; Lago Padule in northern Tuscany and Lago Pratignano and Ospitale in the Emilia-Romagnan Apennines. This is the first detailed pollen stratigraphic information from sites in Emilia-Romagna and north Tuscany and extends eastwards the area from which information on vegetational history is available. The sequence from Lago Padule is one of the most complete Holocene records known from the northern Apennine region. Lago Pratignano has the deepest sequence of organic sediments (1544 cm) and the fastest rates of sediment accumulation (up to 28 cm per 100 years) providing the highest resolution record for the mid to late Holocene periods in the region. High rates of sedimentation have also occurred at Ospitale where organic sediments are 780 cm deep and began to form at approximately 5500 bp. The record from Lago Padule is compared with Holocene records from two nearby sites and a series of Regional Pollen Assemblage Zones is defined for the eastern area of the northern Apennines. The main features of vegetational change identified are: (i) a‘pioneer’phase of rapid forest development during the early Holocene followed by the establishment of an upper forest belt dominated by Abies, and a belt of mixed deciduous forest at lower altitudes; (ii) the appearance and rapid expansion of Fagus between approximately 5200 bp and 2900 bp forming a mixed Abies-Fagus association in the upper forest belt; and (iii) the overall reduction of forest cover, and dominance of Fagus in the arboreal vegetation from around 2900 bp. The scheme of Regional PAZs for the eastern area is used as a framework for the review of pollen stratigraphic information and radiocarbon dates from other sites in the northern Apennine region. Characteristics of pollen records which can be identified in sequences from across the region are identified and the chronology of similar changes in pollen stratigraphy is examined. The scheme of four regional PAZs for the Holocene period is shown to be valid for the entire northern Apennine region. The examination of a series of pollen records shows that Fagus appeared earlier in the western than the eastern part of the region during the mid Holocene and became dominant in the northern Apennine forests post 3000 bp. The impact of anthropogenic activity and climatic change on the spread and development of Fagus are discussed. The palynological evidence which is now available from the northern Apennines is compared with information for the region shown in the‘European pollen maps’of Huntley & Birks (1983). This study provides an updated review of the representation of different tree taxa in Holocene pollen records from the northern Apennines and illustrates the role of the northern Apennines as a refugium for trees during the Wurmian Lateglacial.     

A mid-Holocene vegetational and anthropogenic record in the Guanabara Bay region,Rio de Janeiro State,SE Brazil,assessed by palynological and charcoal data

Palynological and charcoal fragment analyses of Guanabara Bay sediments, as well as radiocarbon dating, were carried out on one 220 cm long sedimentary core collected from the northeast sector of the bay, near the São Gonçalo coast. This study aims at recognising and explaining the environmental history of this region during the mid-Holocene, and to identify the anthropogenic influences on it. The palynological data indicate the predominance of ombrophilous forest vegetation in the Guanabara Bay Hydrographic Basin at c. 6500 calendar years bp. During this period (pollen zone 1), the concentrations of pollen grains and spores may still have been controlled by the Holocene Maximum Transgressive Event. After a phase of low concentrations of palynomorphs, there was a considerable increase in the accumulation patterns of pollen and spore grains (pollen zone 2). This increase can probably be related to the retreat of the sea level event after the Holocene Maximum Transgressive Event. The 75 cm of the core top (pollen zone 3) provide clear evidence of human influence in the area, which is inferred from the significant reduction in ombrophilous forest pollen grains, the significant increase in herbaceous pollen grains, the presence of exotic pollen types (Eucalyptus and Pinus), and high concentration of carbonaceous particles.     

Holocene coastal vegetation changes at the mouth of the Amazon River

Wetland dynamics in the eastern Amazon region during the past 7000 years were studied using pollen, textural and structural analyses of sediment cores, as well as AMS radiocarbon dating. Four sediment cores were sampled from Marajó Island, which is located at the mouth of the Amazon River. Marajó Island is covered mainly by Amazon coastal forest, as well as herbaceous and varzea vegetation. Three cores were sampled from Lake Arari, which is surrounded by herbaceous vegetation flooded by freshwater. One core was sampled from a herbaceous plain located 15 km southeast of Lake Arari. Pollen preservation in the sedimentary deposits from this lake and from its drainage basin suggests significant vegetation changes on Marajó Island during the mid- and late-Holocene. Between 7328–7168 and 2306–2234 cal. yr BP, mangrove vegetation was more widely distributed on the island than it is today. During the past 2306–2234 cal. yr BP herbaceous vegetation expanded. Sedimentary structures and pollen data suggest a lagoon system until ~ 2300 cal. yr BP. The current distribution of mangroves along the Pará littoral, together with the presence of mangrove pollen and the sedimentary structures of the cores, indicates greater marine influence during the mid-Holocene. This may be attributed to the association between the eustatic sea-level change and the dry period recorded in Amazonia during the early- and mid-Holocene, followed by a wet phase over the past 2000 years.     

Potential natural vegetation and pre‐anthropic pollen records on the Azores Islands in a Macaronesian context

This paper discusses the concept of potential natural vegetation (PNV) in the light of the pollen records available to date for the Macaronesian biogeographical region, with emphasis on the Azores Islands. The classical debate on the convenience or not of the PNV concept has been recently revived in the Canary Islands, where pollen records of pre‐anthropic vegetation seemed to strongly disagree with the existing PNV reconstructions. Contrastingly, more recent PNV model outputs from the Azores Islands show outstanding parallelisms with pre‐anthropic pollen records, at least in qualitative terms. We suggest the development of more detailed quantitative studies to compare these methodologies as an opportunity for improving the performance of both. PNV modelling may benefit by incorporating empirical data on past vegetation useful for calibration and validation purposes, whereas palynology may improve past reconstructions by minimizing interpretative biases linked to differential pollen production, dispersal and preservation.     

New pollen classification of Chenopodiaceae for exploring and tracing desert vegetation evolution in eastern arid central Asia

Members of the Chenopodiaceae are the most dominant elements in the central Asian desert. The different genera and species within this family are common in desert vegetation types. Should it prove possible to link pollen types in this family to specific desert vegetation, it would be feasible to trace vegetation successions in the geological past. Nevertheless, the morphological similarity of pollen grains in the Chenopodiaceae rarely permits identification at the generic level. Although some pollen classifications of Chenopodiaceae have been proposed, none of them tried to link pollen types to specific desert vegetation types in order to explore their ecological significance. Based on the pollen morphological characters of 13 genera and 24 species within the Chenopodiaceae of eastern central Asia, we provide a new pollen classification of this family with six pollen types and link them to those plant communities dominated by Chenopodiaceae, for example, temperate dwarf semi‐arboreal desert (Haloxylon type), temperate succulent halophytic dwarf semi‐shrubby desert (Suaeda, Kalidium, and Atriplex types), temperate annual graminoid desert (Kalidium type), temperate semi‐shrubby and dwarf semi‐shrubby desert (Kalidium, Iljini, and Haloxylon types), and alpine cushion dwarf semi‐shrubby desert (Krascheninnikovia type). These findings represent a new approach for detecting specific desert vegetation types and deciphering ecosystem evolution in eastern central Asia.     

立地尺度植被重建模型MARCO POLO的应用分析——以柴达木盆地为例

立地尺度植被定量重建是对利用孢粉进行古气候和古环境研究的一个重要补充。一些新的定量重建模型相继提出,但其适用性仍需进一步验证。以柴达木盆地24个样方表土孢粉及4个湖泊表层沉积孢粉为研究对象,利用MARCO POLO模型重建立地尺度植被盖度并分析该模型的适用性。研究结果表明,由于地形开阔且风力较大,干旱区的大型湖泊沉积物中往往容易富集超代表性孢粉,使这些孢粉的区域信号增强,从而降低孢粉类型筛选的正确率。若湖泊与样方间的距离较近,湖泊表层孢粉能够更好地反映样方所在区域的孢粉特征,则有利于提高孢粉类型筛选的正确率。MARCO POLO模型中的孢粉代表性R值是将孢粉含量转化为植被盖度的关键参数。由于受到孢粉自身生产、传播、保存以及外部环境等多方面因素的影响,不同样方的R值可能差异很大。因此在运行该模型前需保证R值能够准确反映立地尺度中各孢粉类型与植被盖度的关系。仅在以柴达木盆地为代表的干旱区对该模型进行检验,今后仍需要在不同植被或气候区进行深入研究以全面了解该模型的适用条件。     

A pollen diagram from Pitbladdo,Fife

Summary

Pollen analytical data are presented from a site near Cupar, Fife. The stratigraphy and pollen spectra are used to infer the changing patterns of vegetation in the area during the Lateglacial and Postglacial periods. In the Lateglacial Interstadial the local development of Betula-Juniperus scrub was followed by a period of open habitat during the colder Loch Lomond Stadial. The early Postglacial forest was dominated by Corylus and Betula, although Ulmus was also a major woodland component before the arrival of Alnus. Following some initial deforestation due to anthropogenic activity, subsequent woodland clearance was almost total and open habitat communities dominated.     

Holocene vegetation and climate change from near Lake Pedder, south-west Tasmania, Australia

Aim To use surface pollen and vegetation relationships to aid the interpretation of a Holocene pollen record. Location South‐west Tasmania, Australia. Methods A survey was undertaken of surface‐pollen samples from the major regional vegetation types: alpine, rain forest and moorland. Relationships between vegetation type and surface‐pollen representation were analysed using twinspan classification and ordination. A core was retrieved from moorland vegetation, and interpretation of the fossil pollen sequence was aided using relationships detected in our surface‐pollen analysis. Results Regional vegetation types are reflected in the pollen rain of south‐west Tasmania, despite the over‐representation of important rain forest tree species in samples from non‐forest sites. twinspan classification of the surface‐pollen samples identified the following indicator pollen taxa for each vegetation type: Astelia alpina (alpine); Lagarostrobos franklinii (rain forest); Leptospermum and Melaleuca (moorland). Detrended correspondence analysis of the surface‐pollen samples clearly separates samples from each vegetation type. Correlation of the ordination axes with environmental data identified a dominant temperature/altitudinal gradient in the surface‐pollen data (R = 0.852/0.844). Application of the results of the surface‐pollen analysis to the fossil sequence revealed that fire‐promoted moorland has dominated the local environment around the core site for the entire Holocene. Changes in fossil pollen composition also suggest that temperatures increased through the Late Glacial to peak in the mid‐Holocene and declined thereafter, a trend consistent with other sites in the region. Main conclusions Pollen spectra can successfully be used to predict local vegetation in south‐west Tasmania. At least this part of inland south‐west Tasmania has remained forest‐free throughout the Holocene, conflicting with the dominant palaeoecological paradigm of a mid‐Holocene dominated by rain forest. A comparison with pollen records from moorland vegetation across the region suggests that fire‐promoted moorland has dominated the landscape since the Late Glacial. We suggest that burning by people through the Late Glacial (if not earlier) facilitated the spread of moorland throughout the region, greatly restricting the expansion of rain forest. The continued influence of fire throughout the Holocene in this perennially wet landscape argues for a revision of the dominant human‐occupation model that depicts an abandonment of the interior of south‐west Tasmania in the Late Glacial in response to the expansion of rain forest.     

滦河流域及周边地区花粉与植被关系的研究

滦河流域及周边地区空气中的花粉组合基本上反映了当地的植被面貌, 与植物的花期相对应, 乔木植物的花期多在春季, 草本植物的花期多在夏秋季, 该地冬季基本上无植物开花, 冬季空气中的花粉应是当年或多年春、夏、秋季散落在地上又被风吹到空气中的表土花粉和一些外来花粉 ;表土花粉随海拔高程的降低依次出现山地草甸、针阔混交林或以针叶树为主的针阔混交林、山地灌草丛、滨海平原草甸和滨海草甸或滨海盐生草甸的等 5个花粉组合带, 分别为蒿 (Artemisia)唐松草 (Thalictrum)松(Pinus)桦 (Betula) 孢粉组合带、松桦栎 (Quercus) 蒿孢粉组合带、藜科 (Chenopodiaceae)蒿禾本科 (Gramineae)中华卷柏 (Selaginellasinensis) 孢粉组合带、藜科蒿菊科 (Com positae)香蒲 (Typha) 孢粉组合带和藜科蒿莎草科 (Cyperaceae)禾本科孢粉组合带 ;由于花粉在河水中是以悬移质颗粒被搬运, 因此在不同时期沉积物花粉组合存在着一定的差异, 其中洪水期间河水对孢粉的分选作用最为明显。     

Palynologie maestrichtienne et tertiaire du cameroun. Resultats botaniques

A correlation of microfossil specimens (spores and pollen) and modern plants (families, genera, and species) has been attempted in order to follow the evolution of the vegetation of the coastal sedimentary basin in Cameroon.This attempt at reconstitution makes it possible to give an image of the past vegetation in this part of the world covering a period of about 60 m.y. and also to contribute to the palaeoclimatology of the Gulf of Guinea during the Tertiary.This publication is a continuation of the previously published work: “Maastrichtian and Tertiary palynology of Cameroon. Qualitative study and range of the main species”, 1979.     

Evidence of Late Palaeocene-Early Eocene equatorial rain forest refugia in southern Western Ghats,India

Equatorial rain forests that maintain a balance between speciation and extinction are hot-spots for studies of biodiversity. Western Ghats in southern India have gained attention due to high tropical biodiversity and endemism in their southern most area. We attempted to track the affinities of the pollen flora of the endemic plants of Western Ghat area within the fossil palynoflora of late Palaeocene-early Eocene (∼55–50 Ma) sedimentary deposits of western and northeastern Indian region. The study shows striking similarity of extant pollen with twenty eight most common fossil pollen taxa of the early Palaeogene. Widespread occurrences of coal and lignite deposits during early Palaeogene provide evidence of existence of well diversified rain forest community and swampy vegetation in the coastal low lying areas all along the western and northeastern margins of the Indian subcontinent. Prevalence of excessive humid climate during this period has been seen as a result of equatorial positioning of Indian subcontinent, superimposed by a long term global warming phase (PETM and EECO) during the early Palaeogene. The study presents clear evidence that highly diversified equatorial rain forest vegetation once widespread in the Indian subcontinent during early Palaeogene times, are now restricted in a small area as a refugia in the southernmost part of the Western Ghat area. High precipitation and shorter periods of dry months seem to have provided suitable environment to sustain lineages of ancient tropical vegetation in this area of Western Ghats in spite of dramatic climatic changes subsequent to the post India-Asia collision and during the Quaternary and Recent times.     

Expected trends and surprises in the Lateglacial and Holocene vegetation history of the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands

Recent, high-resolution palaeoecological records are changing the traditional picture of post-glacial vegetation succession in the Iberian Peninsula. In addition to the influence of Lateglacial and Early Holocene climatic changes, other factors are critical in the course of vegetation development and we observe strong regional differences. The floristic composition, location and structure of glacial tree populations and communities may have been primary causes of vegetation development. Refugial populations in the Baetic cordilleras would have been a source, but not the only one, for the early Lateglacial oak expansions. From Mid to Late Holocene, inertial, resilient, and rapid responses of vegetation to climatic change are described, and regional differences in the response are stressed. The role of fire, pastoralism, agriculture, and other anthropogenic disturbances (such as mining), during the Copper, Bronze, Iberian, and Roman times, is analysed. The implications of ecological transitions in cultural changes, especially when they occur as societal collapses, are discussed.