Abstract
The Late Glacial and Holocene presence of Betula nana L. (dwarf birch) in northeastern Poland was reconstructed through palaeoecological analyses of sediment cores from the Taboly mire located in the territory of the Knyszynska Forest. Peat records spanning thousands of years were analysed for plant macrofossils along with radiocarbon dating. Betula nana was present in Taboly from ca 13 000 to ca 9000 yr BP. The presence of this species was described in the Late Glacial period, most likely in the Allerod and Younger Dryas. However, our research on the palaeoecology of dwarf birch showed that after the Late Glacial/Holocene transition, the species did not disappear from northeastern Poland and still existed in the Preboreal, Boreal and lower Atlantic periods. The occurrence of Betula nana was documented by the presence of generative remains (nuts and catkin scales) in sediments, which is the best evidence of its in situ position. The later disappearance of the studied species could be related to the negative effects of palaeoenvironmental conditions in the Atlantic, which resulted in a temperature increase and high precipitation, causing the waterlogging of the substratum and rendering it unsuitable for dwarf shrub that prefers severe climate conditions. The Taboly site seems to be one of separate locations of B. nana during the Atlantic in this part of Europe.
Highlights
Mire ecosystems have a unique feature of preserving the records of past communities in the peat
Betula nana appeared in northeastern Poland during the Late Glacial, when the climate ameliorated and the rebuilding of vegetation took place
The occurrence of dwarf birch was confirmed by finds of pollen grains and generative macrofossils in sediments
Summary
Mire ecosystems have a unique feature of preserving the records of past communities in the peat. Peatforming plant communities offer an opportunity to study the processes of community development and successional trends and the species composition of former phytocoenoses (Tołpa et al 1967; Rybníček 1973). The peat archive includes macro- and microfossils that are complementary and together give a complete picture of peatland development (Rydin & Jeglum 2008). Palaeoecological studies provide information about historic environmental conditions, often revealing the past presence of taxa that are currently absent from the studied location. This is often connected with the presence of plant communities that are currently unknown or are known in other territories (Drzymulska 2006a). The changes in plant ranges were caused by climate change and its impact on edaphic conditions and vegetation distribution in the Late Glacial and Holocene, which has been well explained by a model of the glacial– interglacial cycle (Birks & Birks 2004)
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