Anthropogenic indicators in pollen diagrams in eastern France: a critical review |
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Authors: | C��cile Brun |
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Institution: | (1) UMR 6566—Centre de Recherche en Arch?ologie, Arch?osciences, Histoire (CReAAH), Laboratoire POLEN (P?le Environnement Nantais), Universit? de Nantes, 2 Rue de la Houssini?re, BP 92208, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France |
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Abstract: | The focus of palaeoenvironmental sciences on past human activities and their impact on the environment necessitates a precise
understanding of the history and functioning of past and present anthropogenic ecosystems. A process is outlined which uses
palaeoenvironmental and historical documentation as well as present-day observations of vegetational changes from two different
plant communities, which are characterised by a very specific anthropogenic flora: arable weeds and ruderals. This study is
coupled with modern pollen deposition data to deduce a set of pollen types characteristic of the range of human activities
practised in eastern France, a region rich in pollen data. First, phytogeographical analysis of the evolution of these plant
communities since the Neolithic enables the comparison to be validated. By distinguishing between native plants and aliens
introduced long ago (archaeophytes), or more recently (neophytes), and by refining their ecological characteristics, the method
also enables identification of species that are strong indicators of human activities. Next, local pollen deposition in these
vegetation types is examined with a number of statistical analyses (PCIA, Davis indices), confirming the relationships between
a given vegetation community, its theoretical pollen rain and its actual pollen rain, thus distinguishing local and regional
pollen indicators. Lastly, comparison of the results obtained by these two approaches leads to a critical synthesis of the
traditional anthropogenic pollen indicators (Behre’s “indicator species”) in the study area and to the establishment of more
specific local pollen indicators. |
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