1000 years of environmental change and human impact at Stóra-Mörk, southern Iceland : a multiproxy study of a dynamic and vulnerable landscape.
Multiproxy pollen, sediment, plant macrofossil and subfossil insect analyses are used to explore environmental change at Stóra-Mörk in southern Iceland between ad 500 and 1500. Previous palaeoecological studies in Iceland have indicated that vegetation and landscape change rapidly succeeded the init...
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Online Access: | http://dro.dur.ac.uk/8581/ https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683611400201 |
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ftunivdurham:oai:dro.dur.ac.uk.OAI2:8581 2023-05-15T16:46:04+02:00 1000 years of environmental change and human impact at Stóra-Mörk, southern Iceland : a multiproxy study of a dynamic and vulnerable landscape. Vickers, K. Erlendsson, E. Church, M.J. Edwards, K.J. Bending, J. 2011-03-01 http://dro.dur.ac.uk/8581/ https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683611400201 unknown Sage dro:8581 issn:0959-6836 issn: 1477-0911 doi:10.1177/0959683611400201 http://dro.dur.ac.uk/8581/ http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683611400201 The Holocene, 2011, Vol.21(6), pp.979-995 [Peer Reviewed Journal] Environmental change Iceland Norse Palaeoentomology Palynology Plant macrofossils Sedimentology Article PeerReviewed 2011 ftunivdurham https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683611400201 2020-05-28T22:28:37Z Multiproxy pollen, sediment, plant macrofossil and subfossil insect analyses are used to explore environmental change at Stóra-Mörk in southern Iceland between ad 500 and 1500. Previous palaeoecological studies in Iceland have indicated that vegetation and landscape change rapidly succeeded the initial settlement of the island around ad 871, with strong environmental consequences. However, recent high-resolution studies in western and northern Iceland suggest that the timing and amplitude of these changes may be less uniform than previously assumed. The palaeoecological evidence from Stóra-Mörk shows an initially muted anthropogenic signal. Before the early tenth century, the area was characterized by damp birch and willow woodland. Large-scale human impact did not begin until after ad 920 when a change in land use to grazing and crop production is observed in the pollen, insect and plant macrofossil records. Shifts in vegetation and insect taxa and in aeolian deposition indicate that this activity resulted in woodland reduction, increased soil instability, eutrophication and land surface drying. The relatively late appearance of large-scale human impact at Stóra-Mörk is consistent with the tenth-century farm establishment suggested by the historical record, and the delay in settlement at the location may relate to an initial avoidance of labour-intensive woodland clearance and/or management of woodland resources. This paper adds to the emerging body of evidence that suggests that the scale and timing of the initial effect of the human presence on Icelandic environments was influenced by complex and varied climatic, landscape, vegetational and cultural factors. Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland Durham University: Durham Research Online The Holocene 21 6 979 995 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Durham University: Durham Research Online |
op_collection_id |
ftunivdurham |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Environmental change Iceland Norse Palaeoentomology Palynology Plant macrofossils Sedimentology |
spellingShingle |
Environmental change Iceland Norse Palaeoentomology Palynology Plant macrofossils Sedimentology Vickers, K. Erlendsson, E. Church, M.J. Edwards, K.J. Bending, J. 1000 years of environmental change and human impact at Stóra-Mörk, southern Iceland : a multiproxy study of a dynamic and vulnerable landscape. |
topic_facet |
Environmental change Iceland Norse Palaeoentomology Palynology Plant macrofossils Sedimentology |
description |
Multiproxy pollen, sediment, plant macrofossil and subfossil insect analyses are used to explore environmental change at Stóra-Mörk in southern Iceland between ad 500 and 1500. Previous palaeoecological studies in Iceland have indicated that vegetation and landscape change rapidly succeeded the initial settlement of the island around ad 871, with strong environmental consequences. However, recent high-resolution studies in western and northern Iceland suggest that the timing and amplitude of these changes may be less uniform than previously assumed. The palaeoecological evidence from Stóra-Mörk shows an initially muted anthropogenic signal. Before the early tenth century, the area was characterized by damp birch and willow woodland. Large-scale human impact did not begin until after ad 920 when a change in land use to grazing and crop production is observed in the pollen, insect and plant macrofossil records. Shifts in vegetation and insect taxa and in aeolian deposition indicate that this activity resulted in woodland reduction, increased soil instability, eutrophication and land surface drying. The relatively late appearance of large-scale human impact at Stóra-Mörk is consistent with the tenth-century farm establishment suggested by the historical record, and the delay in settlement at the location may relate to an initial avoidance of labour-intensive woodland clearance and/or management of woodland resources. This paper adds to the emerging body of evidence that suggests that the scale and timing of the initial effect of the human presence on Icelandic environments was influenced by complex and varied climatic, landscape, vegetational and cultural factors. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Vickers, K. Erlendsson, E. Church, M.J. Edwards, K.J. Bending, J. |
author_facet |
Vickers, K. Erlendsson, E. Church, M.J. Edwards, K.J. Bending, J. |
author_sort |
Vickers, K. |
title |
1000 years of environmental change and human impact at Stóra-Mörk, southern Iceland : a multiproxy study of a dynamic and vulnerable landscape. |
title_short |
1000 years of environmental change and human impact at Stóra-Mörk, southern Iceland : a multiproxy study of a dynamic and vulnerable landscape. |
title_full |
1000 years of environmental change and human impact at Stóra-Mörk, southern Iceland : a multiproxy study of a dynamic and vulnerable landscape. |
title_fullStr |
1000 years of environmental change and human impact at Stóra-Mörk, southern Iceland : a multiproxy study of a dynamic and vulnerable landscape. |
title_full_unstemmed |
1000 years of environmental change and human impact at Stóra-Mörk, southern Iceland : a multiproxy study of a dynamic and vulnerable landscape. |
title_sort |
1000 years of environmental change and human impact at stóra-mörk, southern iceland : a multiproxy study of a dynamic and vulnerable landscape. |
publisher |
Sage |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
http://dro.dur.ac.uk/8581/ https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683611400201 |
genre |
Iceland |
genre_facet |
Iceland |
op_source |
The Holocene, 2011, Vol.21(6), pp.979-995 [Peer Reviewed Journal] |
op_relation |
dro:8581 issn:0959-6836 issn: 1477-0911 doi:10.1177/0959683611400201 http://dro.dur.ac.uk/8581/ http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683611400201 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683611400201 |
container_title |
The Holocene |
container_volume |
21 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
979 |
op_container_end_page |
995 |
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1766036199433043968 |