Molluscan assemblages in the deposits of landslide dammed lakes as indicators of late Holocene mass movements in the polish Carpathians

Acta Geologica Polonica

2015

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ABSTRACT:Alexandrowicz, W.P. 2015. The application of malacological analysis in the study of slope deposits: late Pleistocene and Holocene of the Podhale Basin (Carpathians, Poland). Acta Geologica Polonica, 65 (2), 247-263. Warszawa.Slope deposits developed on calcareous sandstone and limestone formations in the eastern part of the Podhale Basin (Carpathians) were studied. In total, the analysis included fifteen profiles of such sediments, which revealed the presence of abundant malacofaunas comprising 39 mollusc species. Five faunistic assemblages differing in species composition and structure were defined in the material studied. Individual assemblages correspond to different climatic and environmental conditions, thereby making it possible to interpret the features of the sedimentary environments and specify the age of the deposits. Faunas with Pupilla loessica and Pupilla sterri containing species typical of loess formations are characteristic of deposits from the coldest phase of the last Glacial period (MIS 2). A fauna with Vertigo genesii, with a large proportion of cold-loving and moisture-loving taxa, is typical of the Younger Dryas. Associations that are dominated by shade-loving species, with Discus ruderatus and Discus perspectivus, correspond to the early and middle Holocene respectively. The investigations show that malacological analysis can be successfully applied to the research into slope deposits, enabling both the depositional conditions and the age of the sediments to be determined.

Section: Profilesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The application of malacological analysis in the study of slope deposits: late Pleistocene and Holocene of the Podhale Basin (Carpathians, Poland)

Acta Geologica Polonica

2015

Self Cite

“…Alexandrowicz 1993, W.P. Ale xandrowicz 2004, 2010, 2013c, 2014, W.P. Ale xandrowicz et al 2016, as well as in the Podhale Basin (W.P.…”

Section: Fig 6 Stratigraphy Of Calcareous Tufa In the Ociemny Streamentioning

confidence: 99%

Malacofauna of the Holocene tufa in the valley of the Ociemny Stream (Pieniny Mts., southern Poland)

2017

geol

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A rich molluscan fauna was found in the outcrop of slope sediments and calcareous tufas in the valley of the Ociemny Stream in the Pieniny Mts. The malacological sequence identified there represents the entire Holocene, but it contains several stratigraphical gaps. From this viewpoint, it is a unique finding within the area studied. In nine samples, 11,000 specimens of 71 species of molluscs were identified. The ecological and zoogeographical diversity of the composition and structure enabled the separation of three faunistic assemblages. The oldest assemblage (with Discus ruderatus) corresponds with the cold period of the Early Holocene and represents shadowed habitats overgrown with the coniferous forests of the taiga type. Its characteristic feature is the presence of glacial relics (e.g. Vertigo genesii and Vertigo geyeri). The other younger fauna (with Discus perspectivus) is typical of the humid and warm climate of the Atlantic Phase. It is characteristic of the habitats of mixed and deciduous forests. Numerous Balkan and Mediterranean thermophilous forms appear in this assemblage. The youngest malacoenosis (with Bithynella austriaca) is typical for the historical times. The particular intervals containing molluscan fauna are separated by gaps corresponding to the erosion phases. Because of the land relief in the valley of the Ociemny Stream, which is not conducive to the development of human economy, no marked anthropogenic deforestation occurs.

“…A sep a rate is sue raised in this pa per is the use of malacological anal y sis in the re con struc tion of short-term cli matic changes. Such stud ies were con ducted sev eral times, both in the Pieniny Moun tains (Alexandrowicz, 1990(Alexandrowicz, , 1993(Alexandrowicz, , 2010(Alexandrowicz, , 2013a and neigh bour ing ar eas, al though they con cerned mostly flu vial de pos its (e.g., Alexandrowicz, 1997Alexandrowicz, , 2009Alexandrowicz, , 2010Alexandrowicz, , 2013b. Con sid er ing the spec i fic ity of tufa sed i men ta tion in the cones, these de pos its are suit able for such anal y ses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…A few tens of sites of subfossil malacofauna have been de scribed to date in this area, which mainly rep resent the Late Gla cial and Ho lo cene. The re sults of these anal yses, in clud ing or i gin and age, have been pre sented in nu merous pa pers con cern ing dif fer ent sites (e.g., Alexandrowicz, 1990Alexandrowicz, , 1993, as well as more ex ten sive pub li ca tions per tain ing to the subfossil malacofauna of en tire groups of pro files, typ ically formed of de pos its of sim i lar or i gin (e.g., Alexandrowicz, 1997Alexandrowicz, , 2004Alexandrowicz, , 2013a. Against this back ground, the malacofauna of tufa cones is a sub ject that has not been thor oughly ex plored yet.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molluscan assemblages in Late Holocene tufa cones in the Pieniny Mountains (southern Poland)

2014

Alexandrowicz, W.P., 2014. Mol lus can as sem blages in Late Ho lo cene tufa cones in the Pieniny Moun tains (south ern Poland). Geo log i cal Quar terly, 58 (2): 269-280; doi: 10.7306/gq.1150Lime stone rock walls of var i ous in cli na tion form a fa vour able sub strate for the de po si tion of cal car e ous tufas that form cone-shaped struc tures lo cated at the foot of slopes or fill niches within them. Such car bon ate de pos its usu ally con tain rich and di ver si fied mol lus can as sem blages, whose com po si tion and struc ture closely cor re spond to the am bi ent en vi ron men tal con ditions in the im me di ate vi cin ity. The study of the Pieniny Moun tains area re vealed ten sites with such de pos its. The iden ti fied malacofauna was sub jected to de tailed anal y sis. It en abled iden ti fi ca tion of three types of faunistic as sem blages (Bythinella austriaca as sem blage, Pyramidula pusilla as sem blage, and a shade-lov ing spe cies as sem blage), which are re lated to the condi tions pre vail ing dur ing the de po si tion. Tufa cones found in the Pieniny Moun tains rep re sent the his toric pe riod (Late Ho locene). The de pos its pro vide a re cord of two cli ma tic phases: warmer and colder. The for mer (Me di eval Warm Pe riod) in volved the in ten si fied de po si tion of car bon ate ma te rial and the rapid growth of tufa cones. The lat ter -the Lit tle Ice Age -en tailed the slow deg ra da tion of cones and slower sed i men ta tion of tufas, while the in ten si fied phys i cal weath er ing led to the in crease in the clast ma te rial pro por tion (sharp-edged lime stone frag ments). Tufas ac cu mu lated in the zone un af fected by high anthropogenic pres sure and thus rep re sent a re cord of nat u ral en vi ron men tal changes dur ing the his toric pe riod.Key words: cal car e ous tufa, mol lus can as sem blages, his toric pe riod, Pieniny Mts., south ern Po land.