Vegetation response to the climatic and human impact changes during the Late Glacial and Holocene

• Main Authors: Stančikaitė, Miglė, Kisielienė, Dalia, Strimaitienė, Andra
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Lithuanian; English
• Published: 2004
• Subjects: Palaeobotany; Vegetation history; Settlement history; Farming; Late glacial; Holocene; NE Lithuania; Tundra
• Online Access: http://lsmu.lvb.lt/LSMU:ELABAPDB5406789&prefLang=en_US

The results of interdisciplinary investigations reconstructing peculiarities of vegetation development during the late Glacial and Holocene in the marginal area of Baltija Upland, NE Lithuania are presented. The reconstruction is based on pollen survey, plant macroremain investigations, 14C, geological-geomorphological and archaeological data. Natural factors determined flourishing of the Allerad birch/pine wood later replaced by Younger Dry as tundra or forest tundra vegetation during the Late Glacial. Presence ofPicea macroremains and high pollen representation suggest early-Holocene (about 940014C BP) immigration of this tree into region where pine had predominated in the local vegetation. The earliest human induced vegetation disturbances were dated back to the Early-Middle Neolithic and continuous increasing woodland clearings with the introduction of cultural activity herbs registered since the Late Bronze Age onwards. Culmination of people initiated vegetation shifts took place at about 2000!4C years BP (Early Roman Iron Age) and at about 1000i4C years BP (Late Iron Age).