ISSN 1392-110X
ISSN 2029-056X (online)
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2006 m. Nr. 3
Main stages of natural environmental changes in Lithuania during the Late Glacial and Holocene
Meilutė KABAILIENĖ
The main significant stages of development of vegetation,
climate and soils, as well as other palaeogeographical conditions during the
Late Glacial and Holocene have been distinguished and are discussed in the paper.
The data used in this work have been obtained from investigations of pollen and
diatoms in lake and bog sediments, including those of the old Baltic Sea stages
in the western part of Lithuania. Six types of pollen diagrams are
distinguished for the Late Glacial and Holocene in Lithuania, and the net-like
method suggested earlier by the author (Кабайлене, 1969) is used to obtain a
reconstruction of the different stages of forest history.
Three stages of natural environmental changes have been distinguished in the
Late Glacial and five stages have been singled out in the Holocene. The cold
and dry Pre-Alleröd (11900–14000 BP) climate favoured a tundra and
forest–tundra vegetation. Considerable warming took place in this area in the
Alleröd (10900–11900 BP), with birch and pine becoming dominant. The cooling of
the climate during the Younger Dryas gave rise to a forest–tundra vegetation.
During the Preboreal and the first half of the Boreal (8100–10000 BP) the
climate was warm and dry and the forests were dominated by birch and pine. The
Late Boreal, Early and Late Atlantic and Early Subboreal (23700–8100 BP) were the warmest and
most humid Holocene stage, so that broad-leaved forests and alder flourished;
during the Early Subboreal spruce increased. The amounts of broad-leaved trees
and spruce decreased and of herbs increased during the Late Subboreal
(2500–3700 BP), birch and pine spread, suggesting a moderately warm, dry
climate. The Early Subatlantic (1000–2500 BP) were marked by a spread of dence
alder and spruce forests, indicating greater humidity. In the Late Subatlantic
(the last 1000 years) climate became cool, pine and birch prevailed among
trees, the landscapes were more open.
Keywords: environment, vegetation, climate, soils, lakes, peatbogs, pollen, diatoms, Lithuania
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