Non-pollen Palynomorphs Research Articles

What was the ecological impact of a Trypillia megasite occupation? Multi-proxy palaeo-environmental investigations at Nebelivka, Ukraine

Fine-resolution sampling of pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs and microcharcoal as well as sedimentological data in a 6-m sediment core were used to reconstruct both natural conditions and human impacts in the late fifth and early fourth millennia cal bc in the environs of the Nebelivka megasite in Kirovograd Oblast, Central Ukraine. This 238-ha site, dating to the Middle (or BII) Phase of the Trypillia culture, represents one of the first low-density urban establishments in Europe. Despite what was believed to be a sizable population, local human impacts reconstructed from the multi-proxy palaeo-ecological record were moderate in character. There was no positive evidence to indicate a depositional hiatus in the P1 core and no sign of a major ecological impact at any stage in the high-resolution record. The palaeo-ecological record indicates modest settlement agglomeration with less permanent populations rather than permanent populations of tens of thousands of people.

Late Holocene environmental change and the anthropization of the highlands of Santo Antão Island, Cabo Verde

Cabo Verde was the first tropical archipelago colonized by Europeans. Historians have suggested that the first colonizers initiated archipelago-wide ecosystem degradation, loss of vegetation cover, and erosion. However, the human–environment interactions that led to the archipelago's current environmental status remain poorly understood. Here, we report the first palaeoecological study of past vegetation change and disturbance regimes for Cabo Verde. We present a 2130-yr old sediment sequence from a volcanic caldera (Cova de Paúl) located at ~1200 m asl on Santo Antão Island, for which we analyzed fossil pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs), charcoal, silica bodies, and grain size distribution. Our analyses do not show evidence of the presence of temperate, tropical or subtropical forests growing on the summits of Santo Antão in pre-human times. The pollen record shows that scrubland and grasslands dominated the highlands and underwent compositional changes ca. 1850 and 1300 cal yr BP. These shifts overlap with erosion phases and are linked to intensified seasonality. Steady rates of sedimentation marked the period 1230 to ca. 350 cal yr BP, but an increase in charcoal concentrations indicate a drying phase. Increases in regional and local fire, peaks of coprophilous fungi and the presence of New World crop pollen (Zea mays) are interpreted as the onset of Portuguese settlement of the highlands after 450 BP. Sustained erosion between ca. 350 and 100 cal yr BP indicate soil degradation, and the pollen record shows the increase in introduced herbaceous taxa (Rosaceae, Centaurea, Verbenaceae) and exotic tree taxa (e.g. Pinus), while shifting abundances of coprophilous fungi indicate changes in land-use. The record shows stabilization of soils in the last century due to recent afforestation of the highlands. Further palaeoecological studies have the potential to provide further detail of the long-term dynamics of Cabo Verde ecosystems and to inform conservation initiatives.

Feeding the Crusades: Archaeobotany, Animal Husbandry and Livestock Alimentation on the Baltic Frontier

ABSTRACTThe integrated results of micromorphology, plant macrofossil, pollen, phytolith, and non-pollen palynomorph analyses represent an important study of two thirteenth-century Teutonic Order castles at Karksi (Livonia), and Elbląg (Prussia). The research examines deposits that formed during the period of active crusading. At Karksi, the investigation of a midden and of the organic-rich sediment beneath allows the diachronic use of this area to be understood. Freshwater aquatic indicators are consistent with the occurrence of shallow stagnant water, as also suggested by a waterlaid pond sediment identified in thin-section. Coprophilous spore taxa suggest the use of the pond as a watering hole. Plant macrofossils from the midden represent a range of habitats, mostly from wet/damp areas, as well as pastures and meadows, and also woodlands. Fragments of millet are embedded within herbivore dung in thin-section showing the use of this grain as fodder. At Elbląg, parasite ova may derive from animal feces as they also occur in the dung observed in thin-section, and a range of coprophilous fungal spore taxa were extracted. The results reveal information about the range of livestock that the Teutonic Knights kept, whereabouts within the castles the animals were stabled, and what fodder was used.

Holocene paleoecological changes and agro-pastoral impact on the La Narce du Béage mire (Massif Central, France)

A paleoecological study (macrofossils, pollen, cryptogam spores, non-pollen palynomorphs) was performed to investigate environmental changes recorded on the peat deposits of the La Narce du Béage mire (Massif Central, France). We reconstructed the development of a limnogenous mire ecosystem during the Holocene, consequently to the infilling of a small Late Glacial lake. Successions from aquatic flora ( Isoëtes, Nitella opaca/ syncarpa, Botryococcus, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Potamogeton, Sparganium) to mire plant species ( Alnus glutinosa, Betula nana, Betula pubescens, Cyperaceae, Ericaceae, Sphagnum) underlined a gradual eutrophication and acidification during the lowering of the water table. We demonstrated a clear link between these local hydro-ecological changes and the early Holocene climatic warming. Also dealing with archeology, we provided key issues for the identification of human-induced environmental changes. Three phases of ecological disturbances with clearings of the mixed-oak forest and agro-pastoral activities were evidenced at 7700–7300, 6800–6420, and 5500–4250 cal. BP. Our results confirmed early Neolithic (Cardial influences), middle Neolithic (Chassean), and late Neolithic (Ferrières group) frequentations of the Béage Plateau, probably included in large-scale socio-cultural changes (SE France, NW Mediterranean Basin). Later, forest clearings (beech and fir), cultivation, and pastoralism were outlined since the Iron Age (after 2300 cal. BP, that is, 350 BC). Increasing human pressure was especially recorded during the last 1700 years, with rye ( Secale cereale) cultivation and extensive livestock grazing around and on the mire, which is nowadays a protected ‘Natura 2000’ area.

Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analyses of Upper Holocene sediments from Dianshan, Yangtze coastal lowlands, China: Hydrology, vegetation history and human activity

The coastal deltaic plain of the Yangtze River between Taihu (Lake Tai) and Shanghai in eastern China has been the scene of human settlement and agriculture since the early Neolithic, becoming increasingly intensive in the Upper Holocene when delta accretion and the establishment of a stable hydrological regime of freshwater lakes and wetlands allowed the development of extensive agriculture and complex society in late prehistoric and dynastic times. During this period the area was significantly affected by changes in sea level, climate and vegetation, resulting in a dynamic and complex environmental history, however little research has concentrated on environmental change and human impacts during the last few millennia. This study focuses on this late period, presenting the results of integrated sedimentary, microfossil and radiocarbon analyses from a core near the eastern margin of Lake Dianshan, to the east of Taihu. After the withdrawal of intertidal conditions and the conversion to freshwater lake at the core site about 2600 cal. yr BP, pollen and algal spore data show that increased sedimentation gradually reduced freshwater depth until a surface peat formed ca. 1500 cal. yr BP. This also dates the start of a switch in woodlands from sub-tropical and warm temperate trees to a mainly cool temperate and coniferous tree flora, under climatic cooling and human impact. After this time water depths at the site increased greatly, partly due to climate change and flooding, but also because of the establishment of deepwater ‘paddy’ agriculture. Microcharcoal and pollen data show that a major episode of human impact using fire, with deforestation and rice cultivation, occurred between ca. 1500 and 1200 cal. yr BP. These dates suggest it is one of the latest examples of ‘flooded-field’ ‘paddy’ cultivation before more intensive agricultural techniques were adopted in the area after ca. 800 cal. yr BP.

Modern pollen spectra from the Pala Wetland Reserve Forest, Siaha District, Southern Mizoram, north-eastern India

This study is an attempt to evaluate the relationships between vegetation and modern pollen rain in Siaha District, Southern Mizoram, India, as a contribution to palaeoecological research. A set of 21 pollen substrates (surface soil and moss pollsters) were obtained from the vicinity of Pala Lake, the biggest natural lake in Mizoram. Two thick spider web samples were also incorporated to measure the degree of trapped airborne palyno-debris as compared to the moss-soil data. The total pollen rain reflects the site-to-site variation in the pollen assemblages as shown by their abundances – 38%, 26% and 27% from the forest, forest margin and open land, respectively. The spider web samples also contribute 9% of palynomorphs to the total pollen assemblage. The total pollen rain revealed the dominance of non-arboreal pollen (NAP: 56%) over arboreal pollen (AP: 27%). The data showed a partial correlation with the extant woody vegetation; however, two major arboreal taxa – Dipterocarpus and Xerospermum – are under-represented despite their prominence in the near vicinity. The presence of highland taxa such as Tsuga and Carya indicates long-distance pollen transport. The abundance of monolete and trilete ferns also suggests a prevalent humid depositional environment. Fungal spores mainly constitute the non-pollen palynomorphs (NPP) assemblage. Low representation of dominant tree taxa in the pollen assemblages, even in the samples proximal to the forest, can be attributed to the entomophilous nature of the trees (Emblica and Artocarpus species). The extant palynoflora recovered in different surface substrates are suggestive of differential pollen production, dispersal and deposition.

First palaeoecological evidence of buffalo husbandry and rice cultivation in the Kerinci Seblat National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia

Rice is one of the most important subsidence crops, however evidence of the origin and domestication of rice cultivation is still scarce in Indonesia. This study aims to trace the beginning of rice cultivation and buffalo husbandry in Sumatra, Indonesia. We carried out palaeoecological multi-proxy analyses of pollen and spores, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) and macro-charcoal analysis on a sediment core from the swamp forest of Danau Bento (DB) in the Kerinci Seblat National Park (KSNP). Our results provide first evidence of buffalo husbandry in the Kerinci at least 4,300 years ago, in line with the migration of the Austronesians to Sumatra. NPPs and pollen results indicate the existence of grassland until about 3,200 cal bp around the site, which was used for buffalo grazing and not for rice cultivation. The rise of Poaceae about 2,500 cal bp suggests the beginning of rice cultivation in the swamp contemporary with a decline in grazing as shown by the NPPs. However, this phase lasted only few centuries until ca 2,100 cal bp. Following the decline of rice cultivation, the swamp remained in use as a grassland for grazing.

Postglacial wetland succession, carbon accumulation, and forest dynamics on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

ABSTRACTPeatland development and carbon accumulation on the Pacific coast of Canada have received little attention in paleoecological studies, despite wetlands being common landscape features. Here, we present a multi–proxy paleoenvironmental study of an ombrotrophic bog in coastal British Columbia. Following decreases in relative sea level, the wetland was isolated from marine waters by 13,300 cal yr BP. Peat composition, non-pollen palynomorph, and C and N analyses demonstrate terrestrialization from an oligotrophic lake to a marsh by 11,600 cal yr BP, followed by development of a poor fen, and then a drier ombrotrophic bog by 8700 cal yr BP. Maximum carbon accumulation occurred during the early Holocene fen stage, when seasonal differences in insolation were amplified. This highlights the importance of seasonality in constraining peatland carbon sequestration by enhancing productivity during summer and reducing decomposition during winter. Pollen analysis shows thatPinus contortadominated regional forests by 14,000 cal yr BP. Warm and relatively dry summers in the early Holocene allowedPseudotsuga menziesiito dominate lowland forests 11,200–7000 cal yr BP.Tsuga heterophyllaandP. menziesiiformed coniferous forest in the mid- and late Holocene. Tephra matching the mid-Holocene Glacier Peak–Dusty Creek assemblage provides evidence of its most northwesterly occurrence to date.

Human-made fires and forest clearance as evidence for late Holocene landscape domestication in the Orinoco Llanos (Venezuela)

In the Orinoco Llanos, archaeological studies indicate a continuous late Holocene human occupation, including the development of ranked societies, from about 1,500 year bp (ad 500) However, until now palaeoecological studies dealing with the impact of anthropogenic activities in the region have been scarce. Here we present a palynological analysis carried out in the El Cedral archaeological region, Western Venezuelan Llanos. The 145 cm sedimentary record obtained comprises the last ca. 4,200 cal bp (2245 cal bc). Between 4,200–3,800 cal bp (2250–1850 cal bc), wet savannas interspersed with gallery forests dominated in the study area. A wet climate, similar to the present, is suggested by pollen of aquatics and by non-pollen palynomorphs (NPP). Frequent/intense local fires were inferred from charcoal concentrations. Between 3,800–2,100 cal bp (1850–150 cal bc), rapid alternation between forest and savanna-dominated phases occurred. The low diversity of NPP and the low values of pollen from aquatics suggest drier climate conditions than the present. Low charcoal concentrations point to low fire frequencies. Two events of forest expansion at 3,400–3,200 and 2,800–2,100 cal bp were recorded, alternating with savanna-dominated phases (at 3,800–3,600 and 3,200–3,000 cal bp). From 2,100 cal bp (150 cal bc) to the present the expansion of savannas is recorded. Zea mays occurred at 1,880 cal bp (ca. ad 70), accompanied by the increase in charcoal concentration, supporting the hypothesis of intensification of human activities and anthropogenic forest clearance. Different climatic phases recorded in El Cedral match with those described from the Cariaco Basin, indicating that El Nino Southern Oscillation variability was the main climatic forcing. However, the intensification of anthropogenic activities limited the forest expansion expected during the last two millennia, yielding evidence of landscape domestication in this region.

Multiproxy studies on dung of endangered Sangai (Rucervus eldii eldii) and Hog deer (Axis porcinus) from Manipur, India: Implications for paleoherbivory and paleoecology

Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analyses of 16 summer and winter dung samples of two endangered deer species, Sangai (Rucervus eldii eldii M'clelland) and Hog deer (Axis porcinus Zimmermann) from Keibul Lamjao National Park of Manipur, northeast India, was undertaken to examine the dietary preferences of these species in relation to the vegetation and ecology of the region. Grass is the primary food for both the deer species, which though obvious based on direct observation, is also supported by our dataset, as indicated by the abundance of grass pollen and phytoliths in the dung assemblage. Additionally, marshy and aquatic taxa are present and indicative of the importance of these plants in the diet of both species and indicate the utilization of the perennial water-logged habitat present in the region. The relative abundance and diversity of arboreal taxa in the summer dung samples is consistent with the extant vegetation. Fungal spores, especially coprophilous fungi, were consistently present in the assemblage, although in low values. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopic (EDS) analysis on the dung samples indicates that silica content was higher in the winter season compared to the summer dung samples. Multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the quantified data obtained from pollen and phytolith frequency analyses of the dung samples and clearly revealed a significant variation in vegetation types based on pollen and phytoliths. These generated data will be helpful to document and understand seasonal difference in dietary preferences and ecology of the two deer species along with the other associated herbivores in the region. The palynodata is also useful in tracing the relationship between modern pollen and vegetation, which is challenging to accomplish systematically due to seasonal flooding of the region.

Evidence for the diet and habitat of two late Pleistocene mastodons from the Midwest, USA

AbstractWe analyzed intestinal contents of two late-glacial mastodons preserved in lake sediments in Ohio (Burning Tree mastodon) and Michigan (Heisler mastodon). A multi-proxy suite of macrofossils and microfossils provided unique insights into what these individuals had eaten just before they died and added significantly to knowledge of mastodon diets. We reconstructed the mastodons’ habitats with similar multi-proxy analyses of the embedding lake sediments. Non-pollen palynomorphs, especially spores of coprophilous fungi differentiated intestinal and environmental samples. The Burning Tree mastodon gut sample originates from the small intestine. The Heisler mastodon sample is part of the large intestine to which humans had added clastic material to anchor parts of the carcass under water to cache the meat. Both carcasses had been dismembered, suggesting that the mastodons had been hunted or scavenged, in line with other contemporaneous mastodon finds and the timing of early human incursion into the Midwest. Both mastodons lived in mixed coniferous-deciduous late-glacial forests. They browsed tree leaves and twigs, especiallyPicea. They also ate sedge-swamp plants and drank the lake water. Our multi-proxy estimates for a spring/summer season of death contrast with autumn estimates derived from prior tusk analyses. We document the recovered fossil remains with photographs.

Legacy of early anthropogenic effects on recent lake eutrophication (Lake Bénit, northern French Alps)

Abstract Mountain lakes are integrated sentinels of changes in the terrestrial environment, where these changes threaten the quality of the ecosystem services these lakes provide, including high biodiversity, economic and leisure activities. Few evidentiary records exist of the long-term relationships between human pressure and observed impacts. Multiproxy analyses of the Lake Benit sediment sequence, including dating, grain-size, geochemistry, pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs and chironomid assemblage reconstructions, allowed reconstruction of past environmental evolution and lake trophic changes. Combined with soil analyses of the catchment, these data provide a record of the relationships between human activities and the lake-catchment ecosystem, and show the effect of inundation of the shore previously used as pasture. From 2100 to 1100 yrs cal. BP, the catchment was forested. During the Middle Ages, grazing deforested the catchment, triggering an increase in erosion and a change in sediment sources. The lake remained oligotrophic over most of the last millennia. The trophic state changed abruptly in the 20th century with intensification and multiplication of tourist activities in the catchment, i.e., fishing, hiking, while pastoral activities decreased. The sudden eutrophication coincides with an artificial increase of the lake water level in AD 1964 to improve fishing activities. A release of phosphorus (P) from the flooded soils was observed, which may be responsible for the current eutrophication. One thousand years of grazing practices would have led to the observed P concentrations in the soils of the lake shore, transferred by the cattle to this area. Our study highlights the combined effects of past and recent activities on the current eutrophication process, and the legacy of both soils and early anthropogenic activities.

Palynology of Iron Age and Gallo-Roman archaeological sediments from Beaurieux Les Grèves, Aisne, France

Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analyses conducted on archaeological sediments from ditches and pits are used to investigate land-use and vegetation history around the long-lived rural settlement of Beaurieux Les Greves in the Aisne valley, Picardy, northern France. Samples were examined from successive phases spanning the 8th century bc to the 3rd century ad. Each phase showed evidence of agriculture and human impact on the environment. The earliest occupation was during the early Iron Age, and the area around the site was shown to have been almost completely deforested and mainly pasture. The later Iron Age supported mixed agriculture, probably with pasture around the settlement site and cereal fields further away. In Gallo-Roman times there was mixed farming with considerable cereal cultivation, although the area near the site was mainly pasture or abandoned land. Late Gallo-Roman times saw a reduction in agricultural activity and some regeneration of heath and scrub vegetation. Coprophilous fungal spores are conspicuous and indicate the importance of animal husbandry on and around the site. The data from Beaurieux Les Greves augment earlier analyses from settlements and natural deposits in the Aisne valley in suggesting almost complete deforestation for agricultural land use within the valley bottom, although some woodland undoubtedly survived on the steeper valley sides and nearby plateaux. It agrees with the pollen evidence from the wider region of north-eastern France that shows clearance of Fagus-dominated woodland for mixed agriculture in late Iron Age and Gallo-Roman times, and increasingly for arable cultivation. This was responsible for effecting a transformation from a partly wooded to a mainly open landscape.

A multi-proxy palaeolimnological record of the last 16,600 years from coastal Lake Kushu in northern Japan

Based on diatom, aquatic pollen and non-pollen palynomorph (NPP), lake sediment microfacies, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses we define three main phases of lake basin development including a marshy phase (ca. 16,600–9400 cal. yr BP), lagoon phase (ca. 9400–5900 cal. yr BP) and freshwater lake phase (since ca. 5900 cal. yr BP). Marine influence on the lake system linked to global sea-level rise and the Holocene marine transgression reached a maximum between ca. 8000 and 6000 cal. yr BP. An increase of Aulacoseira subarctica at 5530 cal. yr BP marks the end of the Holocene Thermal Optimum (i.e. onset of Middle Holocene cooling) in the study region. Our results further suggest that freshwater Lake Kushu had a significant effect on the initial habitation of Rebun Island by sedentary hunter-gatherer populations. The reconstructed onset of stable freshwater conditions (ca. 5100 cal. yr BP) coincided with the appearance of the earliest permanent settlements during the Middle Jomon culture phase (ca. 5000–4000 cal. yr BP). On the other hand, there is evidence for human-induced changes in the limnological conditions. This includes enhanced sediment and nutrient input into Lake Kushu resulting in high eutrophication levels that caused strongly reduced diatom productivity and enhanced green algae growth, which can be attributed to human activities apparently associated with the Okhotsk (ca. 1450–950 cal. yr BP) and Classic Ainu (ca. 350–100 cal. yr BP) culture periods.

Vegetation and Climate History of the Harenna Forest (Bale Mountains, Ethiopia) in the Holocene

The results of spore-pollen analysis and analysis of non-pollen palynomorphs of the Katcha zoogenic deposit, located in the Harenna Forest (Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia) are presented. It is revealed that bamboo monodominant communities have inhabited areas at altitudes of 2700–2800 m above sea level for at least the past 6500 years. A trend towards a decrease in bamboo communities due to climate aridization in the last 5000 years has been revealed. It is established that active human impact on these ecosystems began 1000 years ago.

Pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs of Lake Chalco as indicators of paleolimnological changes in high-elevation tropical central Mexico since MIS 5

Pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs of Lake Chalco as indicators of paleolimnological changes in high-elevation tropical central Mexico since MIS 5

Modern pollen–vegetation relationships along an altitudinal transect in the Lefka Ori massif (western Crete, Greece)

The paucity of modern pollen rain data from the Aegean islands is a significant barrier to understand the late Quaternary vegetation history of this globally important south-eastern Mediterranean region. This paper presents the study of 30 modern pollen and non-pollen palynomorph assemblages carried out along an altitudinal gradient from 0 to 2453 m in the Lefka Ori massif (eastern Crete, Greece). This research aimed to analyze lowland and highland pollen and NPP in relation to vegetation, climate and grazing, and to evaluate the regional and local significance of modern pollen deposition. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that altitude, precipitation of the driest month, annual mean temperature, precipitation seasonality and grazing are the most significant variables to explain pollen and NPP variability in this area. It also made it possible to characterize pollen and NPP indicators of types of highland and lowland vegetation and grazing pressure. Results obtained corroborate the significant role of coprophilous fungi as local indicators of herbivores in south-eastern Mediterranean mountain areas and suggest the local presence of domestic animals.

High-resolution (sub-decadal) pollen analysis of varved sediments from Lake Montcortès (southern Pyrenean flank): A fine-tuned record of landscape dynamics and human impact during the last 500 years

A high-resolution (average 6 years/sampling interval) palaeoenvironmental reconstruction using pollen, charcoal and non-pollen palynomorphs was carried out on annually laminated sediments of Lake Montcortès (southern Pyrenean flank). The results were combined with historical data to better understand landscape evolution and human interaction during the last 500 years. Our results show that human activities (cropping, livestock breeding and hemp cultivation and retting) have been the most important factors responsible for vegetation changes with highest intensity between 1530 and 1900 CE. By means of a sub-decadal study we have been able to evaluate short-lasting events at local and regional scales related to climate (heavy rainfall events and, high-land forest fluctuations) or to historical and well-dated and documented socio-economic events (i.e., crop promotions (hemp) or land abandonment-population emigration). The temporal extent (400 years) and continuity of Cannabis pollen peak have been confirmed, and new evidence of water quality changes, likely as a consequence of hemp retting practices between the mid-17th to late 19th century, are provided. This is the first high-resolution palaeoenvironmental study carried out in a varved lake on the Iberian Peninsula so far. With these data we hope to contribute to filling the gap in high-resolution palaeoenvironmental data.

The impact of climate changes during the last 6000 years on a small peatland in North-Eastern Poland: A multi-proxy study

In this article, we focus on transformations of a small peatland, located in the remote area of north-eastern Poland, which originated through partial terrestrialisation of Lake Czarne during the last 6000 years. We investigated the changes in vegetation patterns and linked them to climate changes and a concurrent succession of forest in the surroundings of the basin. We applied pollen, non-pollen palynomorph (NPP), and plant macrofossil analysis, supplemented with geochemistry and 14C AMS dating. The transformation from poor fen to peat bog occurred within ca. 300 years (ca. 6000–5720 cal. BP). The hydrological changes on the peat bog, reconstructed qualitatively on the basis of selected NPPs (mostly HdV-10 and Archerella flavum), occur simultaneously to the widely recognised climatic events. During the cool and wet ‘5.2’ and ‘4.2’ climatic events the potential increases in the water table on the peat bog were identified. The subsequent period of dynamic fluctuations of the water table (ca. 3400 and 2350 cal. BP) was related to the gradual expansion of Betula on the mire. This period also partially overlapped with the ‘2.8’ event that was responsible for water level fluctuations across Europe. The ‘1750–1350’ cal. BP global cooling event also might have led to a potential wet shift ca. 1700–1600 cal. BP. Since ca. 1600 cal. BP the water level has significantly dropped and poor fen conditions were reestablished. This article shows the potential of NPPs in the qualitative detection of palaeohydrological events on the peat land. However, there is still a need to combine NPP data with quantitative reconstructions of water table changes to understand the complexity of relationships between climate changes and water table–vegetation responses.

Mid-late Holocene environmental and cultural dynamics at the south-west tip of Europe (Doñana National Park, SW Iberia, Spain)

A multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental study (pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, charcoal particles, mollusk macrofauna) of coastal marshland in Doñana National Park (southwestern Iberian Peninsula) was undertaken to trace environmental change, human activities related to woodland clearance, and past land-use during the mid-late Holocene (~5000–2800 cal BP). The results of this study are combined with archaeological data from the Copper and Bronze Ages and are subsequently compared with those of similar research carried out at the south-westernmost part of Europe with the aim of discerning regional differences or similarities. Our research has allowed us to recognize climate changes and four extreme wave events in the Guadalquivir paleoestuary, which might have contributed to both the cultural change that is observed in the archaeological record at the end of the Chalcolithic and the subsequent population decline during much of the Bronze Age.