Vegetation in the mountains of northwest Iberia during the last glacial-interglacial transition

A new core taken from a site in the Sierra de Courel range of mountains in the northwest Iberian peninsula, Spain, enables a palaeoenvironmental reconstruction to be made of the biological events resulting from climatic changes and human activities during the last 17,000 years in the area. The seque...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Vegetation history and archaeobotany 2001, Vol.10 (1), p.7-21
Main Authors: Sobrino, Castor Muñoz, Ramil-Rego, Pablo, Guitián, Manuel Antonio Rodríguez
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aridity
Biological effects
Climate change
Deciduous trees
Environmental studies
Gramineae
Holocene
Methodology and general studies
Mountains
Oceans
Paleoclimatology
Pine trees
Pinus
Pollen
Prehistory and protohistory
Sediments
Shrubs
Taxa
Trees
Vegetation
Vegetation changes
Woodlands
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Summary:A new core taken from a site in the Sierra de Courel range of mountains in the northwest Iberian peninsula, Spain, enables a palaeoenvironmental reconstruction to be made of the biological events resulting from climatic changes and human activities during the last 17,000 years in the area. The sequence begins with a phase characterised by the dominance of Gramineae (Poaceae) and Pinus. A markedly arid period with prevalence of Artemisia pollen occurred between 17,500 and 15,500 uncal. B.P. Subsequently, a succession of woodlands with Betula, Pinus and other mesophilous and thermophilous trees was recognised during the period 15,500-13,500 uncal. B.P. Between 13,500 and 10,300 uncal. B.P., herbaceous vegetation formations indicating moister conditions dominated the pollen record, although a maximum of Gramineae has been dated during the period 11,300-10,300 uncal. B.P. Comparison with other pollen data from neighbouring mountains allows an interpretation of the vegetation changes during the glacial/interglacial transition in the mountains of northwest Iberia. The Holocene pollen record from the site does not differ markedly from other records in the area, tree expansion occurring before 10,000 uncal. B.P. and high values of deciduous Quercus mixed with other trees and shrubs persisting until 3500 uncal. B.P., when increased human activities are shown by a fall of the tree pollen percentages.
ISSN:0939-6314
1617-6278
DOI:10.1007/PL00013366