Tree taxa immigration to the eastern Baltic region, southeastern sector of Scandinavian glaciation during the Late-glacial period (14,500–11,700 cal. b.p.)

Abstract

The eastern Baltic region is situated in the southeastern part of the area which was covered by the last Scandinavian glaciation. Four well-dated sediment profiles from sites distributed along a ~330-km north–south transect were analysed for their macrofossil contents. The immigration of tree taxa during the Late-glacial (LG) period, which was the time of environmental change from tundra to woodland in previously glaciated areas, can be determined from these data. The pioneer vegetation in the study area was treeless dwarf shrub tundra with various dominant taxa. The so-called Allerod hemispheric warming permitted the Post-glacial immigration of trees into the southern part of the eastern Baltic region; however, these most probably disappeared during the following cold period, the Younger Dryas/GS-1. The local presence of Betula sect. Albae, Pinus sylvestris, Populus tremula and Picea abies during the LG period in the southern part of the region was confirmed. The northern part of the area presumably remained treeless for the entire LG period. Therefore, until the beginning of the Holocene, the tree line in the eastern Baltic region did not reach beyond 58°N.