ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The Late Glacial and Holocene development
of vegetation in the area of a fossil lake in the
Skaliska Basin (north-eastern Poland) inferred
from pollen analysis and radiocarbon dating
1 | Department of Biogeography and Palaeoecology, Faculty of Geographical and Geological Science,
Adam Mickiewicz University, Dzięgielowa 27, 61-680 Poznań, Poland |
2 | Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, University of Białystok,
Świerkowa 20b, 15-950 Białystok, Poland |
3 | Jagiellonian University, Institute of Botany, Department of Palaeobotany and Palaeoherbarium,
Lubicz 46, 31-512 Kraków, Poland |
4 | Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute, Rakowiecka 4, 00-975 Warszawa, Poland |
5 | W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, 31-512 Kraków, Poland |
Online publication date: 2013-06-26
Publication date: 2013-06-26
Acta Palaeobotanica 2013; 53(1): 23–52
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The development of vegetation in the Skaliska Basin has been reconstructed on the basis of
palynological analysis and radiocarbon dating (AMS technique) of 6 sites from the late phase of the Bølling-
Allerød interstadial complex to modern times. Although the area covers 90 km2, the mosaic character of
habitats led to the development of different patterns of vegetation changes during the Late Glacial and
Holocene. Only one site located in the eastern part of the Skaliska Basin refl ected the ‘pine phase’ of Allerød,
and this is the oldest data on vegetation in the Skaliska Basin. Interesting discrepancies were recorded during
the Younger Dryas when patches of shrublands with Juniperus were distinct around some of the sites,
while steppe with Artemisia was common in others. The beginning of the Holocene brought an expansion of
birch-pine forest, but around 9600 cal. BC a cold oscillation took place which was refl ected in an increase in
birch in the woodlands in the western and eastern part of the Skaliska Basin. In the Preboreal chronozone
elm (Ulmus) also expanded in the area but its appearance was non-synchronous. The vegetation of the Boreal
chronozone was similar in the whole area and the most characteristic feature was the rapid expansion of
hazel (Corylus avellana) which displaced Betula from the most of its sites. At that time a distinct redeposition
of pollen material in the Parchatka river valley was detected which was probably the effect of an increase
in fl uvial activity of the river (humid oscillation). The following stage of vegetation development was climax
woodlands with Tilia cordata, Ulmus, Quercus, Corylus avellana, and Alnus in damp places. At the beginning
of the Subboreal chronozone the expansion of Quercus took place, which was subsequently replaced by Picea
abies and partly Carpinus betulus. The pattern of Picea abies expansion distinctly presents two maxima which
is characteristic of many sites in the north-eastern Poland. The Subatlantic chronozone is represented only
by the profi le from the Skaliski Forest, where, because of sandy ground, Pinus sylvestris was the dominant
element. Human impact was poorly refl ected through the rare occurrence of pollen grains of Cerealia type in
the pollen profi les spanning the time from the Subboreal chronozone to modern times. In most profi les AMS
dating produced age discrepancies, which limited the possibility of establishment of a detailed chronology.
However, dates obtained from the material contaminated by mixture of glycerine, thymol and ethyl alcohol,
pretreated by alcohol, showed reliable results in most cases.
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