Abstract
A pollen sequence spanning over 4000 years was recovered from a small (0.1 ha)Sphagnum-dominated peatland in the mountains near Sukhumi, Abkhasia, West Georgia. The peatland lies atc. 1650 m a.s.l. in denseFagus-Abies forest. The pollen record reveals totally forested surroundings throughout since at least 4000 years BP (90–95% AP). It begins with a complex forest dominated byFagus with large proportions ofCastanea, Acer andUlmus. ThenCastanea became dominant whileFagus was still prominent. This might indicate a warmer climate. Later development shows a dramatic decline ofCastanea. Its pollen drops down to 3–5%. RecentlyAbies has been experiencing an exponential growth. Now it comprises over 50% of the forest composition around the peatland. These changes have possibly been caused by human influence together with climatic change. The basin started as aPotamogeton-dominated shallow lake with ferns andAlisma along the margins. Later it developed into a sedge fen and finally aSphagnum andMenyanthes poor fen with scatteredCarex limosa. The record indicates a progression towards oligotrophy.
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