Late Würm and Early-Middle Holocene Environmental Change and Human Activities in the Northern Apennines, Italy
Abstract
An enhanced radiocarbon-dated pollen-stratigraphical record from Rovegno (Liguria, 812m asl), northern Apennines (Italy), has provided a history of vegetation succession from before 17,056-16,621 cal yrs BP to the present day. The record indicates the transition from open Pinus woodland to Artemisia dominated grassland, and fi nally Juniperus shrubland during the late Würm. This is succeeded by Betula and Pinus woodland, and the expansion of thermophilous taxa, namely Abies, Corylus and Quercus during the Late Würm Lateglacial Interstadial. The ‘Younger Dryas’ is possibly represented by an increase in Betula and Artemisia. During the early Holocene, mixed coniferous-deciduous woodland is dominant with Quercus, as well as Abies, Fagus and Corylus. Fagus woodland becomes established sometime before 6488-6318 cal yrs BP, but never becomes a major component of the woodland cover. Throughout the middle Holocene, Abies woodland fl uctuates, with marked declines between 6488-6318 cal yrs BP and 5287-4835 cal yrs BP, although the cause remains uncertain. Finally, the paper evaluates the application of non-pollen palynomorphs, especially coprophilous fungal spores, at Prato Spilla ‘A’ (Emilia Romagna) and concludes that greater caution must be used when interpreting middle Holocene human activity based upon pollen data alone.
Una migliore risoluzione cronologica basata su date radiocarboniche per una sequenza pollinica da Rovegno (812 m asl, Appennino settentrionale ligure, Italia), ha permesso di ricostruire i cambiamenti vegetazionali per un periodo compreso da prima di 17,056-16,621 anni cal BP ad oggi. La sequenza mostra il passaggio da un bosco a Pinus con struttura aperta ad una prateria dominata da Artemisia, ed infine un arbusteto a Juniperus nel tardo Würm. Successivamente si sviluppa un bosco a Pinus e Betula, e verso la fine dell’ultimo interstadiale würmiano ha luogo l’espansione di taxa termofili quali Abies, Corylus e Quercus. Il ‘Dryas recente’ è forse rappresentato da un aumento in Betula e Artemisia. Durante l’Olocene antico prevale il bosco misto a conifere e latifoglie decidue con presenza di Quercus, oltre che Abies, Fagus e Corylus. La faggeta appare stabilirsi poco prima di 6488-6318 anni cal BP, senza tuttavia mai divenire una componente principale della copertura forestale. Nel corso dell’intero Olocene medio si verificano oscillazioni nelle percentuali del bosco ad Abies, con cali decisi tra 6488-6318 anni cal BP e 5287-4835 anni cal BP, sebbene per cause ancora da chiarire. Infine, l’articolo si sofferma sull’applicazione dei palinomorfi non pollinici, in particolare spore di funghi coprofili, al sito di Prato Spilla ‘A’ (Emilia Romagna), sottolineando come sia necessario adoperare grande cautela nella interpretazione di attività antropiche medio oloceniche, quando ci si basi unicamente su dati pollinici.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.13138/2039-2362/1191
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