Palaeoenvironments of the Medieval warm period in the “Kaluzhskiye Zaseki” Nature Reserve (Central European Russia)

Abstract

This paper is focused on environment conditions during the Medieval warm period and human impact on the broadleaved forests in central European Russia. The study area is located in the “Kaluzhskiye Zaseki” Nature Reserve, one of the unique remnants of primary Eastern European broadleaved forests. Here, we present new high-resolution pollen and plant macrofossil records and radiocarbon dating from the sediment sequences in the outcrop of the right bank of Vytebet’ River (a tributary of Oka River) in the northern part of the Reserve. The obtained results have shown no clear evidence of vegetation changes in the region in response to the climatic amelioration during the Medieval time. The pronounced changes of forest ecosystems were caused by anthropogenic disturbance since the 13th century AD.