New data concerning the evolution of the vegetation in Lillo pinewood (Leon, Spain)

A pollen study of a peat-bog sited in the pinewood of Lillo (León, Spain) is presented. The diagram shows an initial phase where a well-developed pinewood was dominant with deciduous species, followed by a selective clearance process of Pinus . Finally, the pinewood recovers again towards a similar state to that described at the beginning of the profile. Radiocarbon dates point that the timing of peat formation took place around 1720±60 years bp and the deforestation on 780±80 years bp . The results have allowed to explain the autochthonous character of Lillo pinewood, which remains as one of the few relics of the southern slopes of the Cantabrian Range.