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Some evergreen and deciduous I Quercus i spp. (0.2-0.6%) grew around the mire, and low percentages of I Pinus i spp. (~2.4%) pollen is registered, representing regional vegetation. Human activity might also be indicated by small Poaceae grasslands (1.2-4.4%), associated with some livestock-related taxa and non-pollen palynomorphs linked to animal husbandry (e.g. I Sordaria i spp. 2.2%). The pollen sum (100%) includes all pollen grains except for hygrophytes and aquatic plants, spores of ferns and non-pollen palynomorphs (Figure 1). [Extracted from the article]

I DA-3 (20 i - I 8 cm; i c. I cal ad 1000 i - I 1515 i ) This pollen zone is characterised by a marked increase in I Quercus pyrenaica i values (34-52%) and the continuous presence of I Pinus pinaster i and I Pinus sylvestris/nigra i , indicating open forests dominated by Pyrenean oak with I Pinus nigra i stands and maritime pines at lower altitudes (López-Sáez et al., [4]). The pollen sum (100%) includes all pollen grains except those of hygrophytes, spores of ferns and non-pollen palynomorphs. Syntaxonomical update on the relict groves of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L. var. iberica Svoboda) and Spanish black pine (Pinus nigra Arnold subsp. salzmannii (Dunal) Franco) in the Gredos range (central Spain). [Extracted from the article]

Morphometric analysis offers an alternative or augmentation to traditional archaeobotanical methods to address differences within and between plant species and their remains, refining and enhancing taxonomic resolution. Morphometrics, the measurement of size and shape, and the multivariate statistical analysis of generated quantitative variables, have long played a major role in biological research, including plant taxonomy and systematics, although its application in archaeobotany is relatively recent. Over the last few decades, there has been an increasing interest in the use of morphometrics for analysing a varied range of archaeological plant materials (mainly seeds, pollen, phytoliths, and starch grains). In particular, morphometrics have contributed to the study of the domestication and spread of many cereals world-wide, as well as that of other taxa including legumes, underground storage organs (USO), and fruits (such as olives, grapes, and dates). This paper reviews current methodologies, recent applications, and advances in the use of morphometrics in archaeobotanical research, discusses its role in exploring major research questions, and suggests possible future directions for its use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weak human impact is suggested by the continuous presence of anthropogenic pollen indicators ( I Aster i -type, Cardueae, Cichorioideae), while signs of pastoral pressure noted in the earlier pollen zone remain and even increase slightly. The pollen sum (100%) includes all pollen grains except those of hygrophytes and aquatic plants, spores of ferns and non-pollen palynomorphs. According to modern pollen assemblages analysis across the entire Gredos Range (López-Sáez et al. [9], [5]; Broothaerts et al. [1]), low high-mountain pine and deciduous oak percentages (< 25%) suggest intense deforestation caused by human and/or a regional origin of the pollen rain. [Extracted from the article]

This paper presents a long-term synthetic overview of the socio-ecological dynamics responsible for the shaping of present-day rural landscapes in the Spanish Central System. Available historical and palaeoenvironmental records have been compiled and cross-referenced to characterise key transformations unfolding in this mountainous macro-region during the medieval time span. A sharp deforestation of upland pines and midland oaks was due to extensive Late Antique strategies. Pre-tenth-century trajectories are diverse and exhibit the recovery of high-mountain pine forests and highly localised agro-pastoral impact on selective mid-altitude niches. The eleventh-century early repopulation policy implied migrations, increased momentum of rural village foundation and extension of colonised agrarian landscapes in the tablelands of the Extremadurii. The pace and intensity of these phenomena depended on ecological and historical circumstances, leading to subsequently different realities. By the mid-thirteenth century the definitive pacification and the rising demographic trend facilitated the later permanent occupation and the ensuing integral and sustainable exploitation of the highlands – and especially the Transierra – within the feudal system. High-altitude landscapes exhibit intensive forest clearances due to transterminant livestock movements and the benefit of seasonal resources, whereas low-altitude settings specialised in arboriculture and diversified crops to supply urban markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the earliest strategies of permanent occupation in the mountainous regions bordering Northern Meseta in inland Iberia. This piece of work gathers together and discusses archaeological information about settlement in the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age and previously published high-resolution palynological cores from three study areas. Its major goal is to assess both archaeological and pollen records in order to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of occupation and transformation of these upland settings. Until cal 700 BC there are no clear signs of permanence in the highlands surrounding the Duero basin, but from that point onwards various initiatives of small-scale spontaneous colonisation have been identified. Colonisation in the Iron Age involved pastoralism, cereal agriculture and a significant use of forestry resources, causing a major anthropogenic impact with irreversible consequences. The outlined account constitutes the first synthetic overview at a macro-regional scale on the beginnings of the integrated and diversified strategies implemented in these upland regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review is offered for Fuente del Vaquero peat bog located in the Natural Park of Izki in the southern part of the Basque Country.

An abstract of the article "Valdeyernos, Toledo Mountains (central Spain)" by Miriam Dorado-Valiño and colleagues is presented.

The article discusses Prados de Randulanda peat bog in Basque Country, Northern Iberian Peninsula, Spain. Topics mentioned include the contribution to the European Pollen Database, site details, and the sediment description of the area. It also mentioned the radiocarbon dating process obtained in the Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA) Sevilla, Spain.

The article offers information on the Patateros bog that lies on the northern slope of the Sierra de La Botija at the northern edge of the Toledo Mountains in Spain extending over an area of 300 square meters (m2. It notes that the bedrock of the bog is old siliceous basement made up of lower Ordovician Armorican Quartzites. The three pollen assemblage zones that were defined using CONISS software are also presented.

The article examines the Culazón, Cantabrian Mountains in Northern Spain. It looks into the composition of the area which has largely deforested and converted into meadows and pasture. It also tackles the use of accelerator mass spectrometry on bulk peat samples by the Centro Nacional de Aceleradores in Sevilla.