Search

The paper reports the results of a palynological study of a newly exposed section in the peat sediments of Bezděkov site and its correlation with the previous palaeobotanical studies. The main goal was to elucidate the stratigraphic position and paleogeographic development of fossil peat bog and its environment in the Protected Landscape Area Žďárské vrchy and Železné hory in the Bohemian-Moravian Uplands. The development of peatbog vegetation, as shown by the pollen analysis and radiocarbon dating, took place in the Holocene. Pollen analyses provide evidence for occurrences of wetland assemblages with huge representation of alder wood in all the part of succession, followed by willow near the Cerhovka Brook. Alnus and Abies were the dominant trees during all the time. The deciduous forests consist of elm ( Ulmus), oak ( Quercus), lime tree ( Tilia), maple ( Acer) and hazel ( Corylus). The mosaic picture of woodland and wetland, which covered this landscape during the Upper Holocene, contrasts with the present day monotonous open lowland. Sediments of the peat bog provide information on the origin and vegetation evolution of this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The Expansion‐Contraction model has been used to explain the responses of species to climatic changes. During periods of unfavourable climatic conditions, species retreat to refugia from where they may later expand. This paper focuses on the palaeoecology of red deer over the past 54 ka across Europe and the Urals, to reveal patterns of change in their range and explore the role of environmental conditions in determining their distribution. Location: Europe and western Asia to 63°E. Taxon: Red deer (Cervus elaphus). Methods: We collected 984 records of radiocarbon‐dated red deer subfossils from the Late Pleistocene and the Holocene, including 93 original dates. For each deer sample we compiled climatic and biome type data for the corresponding time intervals. Results: During the last 54 ka changes in red deer range in Europe and the Urals were asynchronous and differed between western and eastern Europe and western Asia due to different environmental conditions in those regions. The range of suitable areas for deer during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was larger than previously thought and covered vast regions not only in southern but also in western and eastern Europe. Throughout the period investigated the majority of specimens inhabited forests in the temperate climatic zone. The contribution of forests in deer localities significantly decreased during the last 4 ka, due to deforestation of Europe caused by humans. Mean January temperature was the main limiting factor for species distribution. Over 90% of the samples were found in areas where mean January temperature was above −10°C. Main conclusions: Red deer response to climatic oscillations are in agreement with the Expansion‐Contraction model but in contradiction to the statement of only the southernmost LGM refugia of the species. During the last 54 ka red deer occurred mostly in forests of the temperate climatic zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of interdisciplinary (multiproxy) palaeoenvironmental studies of peat - calcareous tufa depositional sequences of spring mire from Radzików site (east Poland). Analyses of three biotic proxies (plant macrofossils, pollen, molluscs) were supplemented with sedimentological, geochemical, oxygen and carbon stable isotopes analyses and radiocarbon dating and used for reconstruction of environmental changes in Late Glacial and Holocene. The obtained results enable us to (1) reconstruct main phases of mire development and (2) determine environmental factors influencing changes of water supply. The object started to develop in Allerød. The Late Glacial and Early Holocene deposit sequence is relatively thick (about 1.0 m), with good palaeoecological record. The boundary between Younger Dryas and Preboreal is especially well confirmed by palynological and malacological analyses as well as radiocarbon dating. The Mesoholocene deposits are considerably worse preserved. Mire development was evaluated in terms of general mire ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

14C concentration measurements together with carbon and oxygen stable isotope analysis in calcareous tufa give possibilities for reconstruction of time scale and palaeoclimatic conditions of sedimentary processes. Results of isotope examinations of 2 profiles with organic and tufa sediments from Eastern Poland and 8 calcareous tufa sites from Eastern India (Orissa) are given. A systematic error of 14C conventional age of carbonate fraction of tufa samples as reservoir age (TR) was estimated. The TR values of different type of tufa sediment are determined by stream water energy. On the basis of known experimental dependence between TR and δ13C for tufas deposited in high, average and low energy water, unknown values of TR and corrected 14C ages (TCCA) were calculated for samples from India tufa sites. Continuous deposition of organic and carbonate sediments in Polish profiles give the possibility to calculate the approximated TCCA ages on the basis of dependence between TCCA and a sample depth in a profile, and time scale reconstruction of δ13C and δ18O changes in carbonate fraction of tufa samples during the whole Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]