Postglacial Development of Vegetation in the Vicinity of the Wigry Lake
GEOCHRONOMETRIA 27 (2007), pp 53-66 DOI 10.2478/v10003-007-0018-x Available online at versita.metapress.com and www.geochronometria.pl POSTGLACIAL DEVELOPMENT OF VEGETATION IN THE VICINITY OF THE WIGRY LAKE MIROSŁAWA KUPRYJANOWICZ Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, University of Białystok, Świerkowa 20b, 15-950 Białystok, Poland Received 3 January 2007 Accepted 1 April 2007 Abstract: The Late Glacial and Holocene development of vegetation in the vicinity of the Wigry Lake is reconstructed using pollen analysis. The Late Glacial sediments include the Allerød and Younger Dryas chronozones. The Holocene section is complete. Pollen data combined with archaeo- logical evidence and radiocarbon dating permit the recognition and characterisation of human influ- ence on the local plant cover caused by settlers of Mesolithic and Neolithic cultures, by west Balts, by Grand Dukes of Lithuania and by Cameldolites order. On the basis of pollen analysis the development of aquatic and mire vegetation in the Wigry Lake is described. Keywords: pollen analysis, palaeoecological reconstruction, vegetation history, human impact, Late Glacial, Holocene, Lake Wigry, north-eastern Poland. 1. INTRODUCTION disciplinary project elaborated by Professor Jacek Rut- kowski contained numerous radiocarbon (Piotrowska and Attempts to reconstruct vegetation history in Suwałki Hajdas, 2006; Piotrowska et al., 2007) and lead region after retreat of the last glaciation were undertaken (Gąsiorowski and Hercman, unpublished) dating, pollen repeatedly (Fig. 1). The
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