Abstract
The paper presents new results of pollen and carpological analyses, as well as the plant macrofossil analysis and the radiocarbon dating of the peat profile of the Istochek peatland (the village of Yasnaya Polyana, Tula oblast). Based on these data, the reconstructions of vegetation dynamics on the north of the Middle Russian Upland during the Middle and Late Holocene were performed. The obtained data indicate that in the period 6500–4500 cal. years BP the study area was in the ecotone band between forest and steppe zones of the East European Plain. The boundary of the forest zone passed nearby the study area and was located in 50–70 km to the north in compare with its present position. Climate cooling and rise in moisture at 4500 cal. years BP led to increase of forested areas and shifted the forest boundary to the south. Human induced vegetation changes are traced in paleobotanical data from the Istochek peatland since 2000 cal. years BP, however dramatic environment deterioration when the natural vegetation was replaced by secondary forest stands and agricultural lands occurred during the last 300 years.
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