No abstract

This paper deals with the palynological investigation of a 12 m long core from the Ghab valley, north-western Syria. The core covers the greater part of the last glacial period and the Postglacial. The pollen diagram reflects an alternation of periods in which steppe vegetations expanded and those in which forests increased .. Tree growth was determined by humidity rather than by temperature. On the whole, the second part of the last glacial was drier than the first part. The period preceding the Late-glacial was especially unfavourable for tree growth.

A late Pleistocene Artemisia steppe, implying a cool, dry climate, changed about 13,000 years ago to an oak-pistachio savanna, as the climate became warmer. About 5500 years ago the savanna thickened to an oak forest, presumably reflecting an increase in precipitation or decrease in temperature to modern levels.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. British Ecological Society is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Ecology.

No abstract