Some problems of forest transformation at the transition to the oligocratic/ Homo sapiens phase of the Holocene interglacial in northern lowlands of central Europe

Postglacial history of vegetation, human activity and lake-level changes at Jezioro Linówek in northeast Poland, based on multi-proxy data

“…At about 950 B.C., the significant decrease from 14 to 4 % of Ulmus pollen corresponds to data from other sites in central Europe which can be connected with changes in soils from the meso-to oligocratic stages of an interglacial (Ralska-Jasiewiczowa et al 2003). …”

“…It is worth mentioning that in this period Ulmus is represented with high amounts, up to 20 % at *2800 B.C. This is much higher than the values of up to 10 % reported in the specialist literature from neighbouring regions (Ralska-Jasiewiczowa et al 2003;Zachowicz et al 2004). This period is characterised by increasing amounts of Picea and Carpinus (Fig.…”

Autogenic succession, land-use change, and climatic influences on the Holocene development of a kettle-hole mire in Northern Poland

“…A similar situation had previously been recorded for Tuchola Forest area by MiotkSzpiganowicz (1992 & personal communication). The timing of these changes corresponds approximately to the development of Neolithic settlements, which had started in Northern Central Europe around 6500 BP, and accelerated through the decreasing density of woodlands brought about by a large reduction in elm trees (Ralska-Jasiewiczowa et al, 2003). In agreement with this idea, the oldest, Mesolithic Komorniki culture and Neolithic human activities were described in the river valleys of Tuchola Forest (Grzelakowska, 1989a,b).…”

“…According to Ralska-Jasiewiczowa et al (2003), humans started to have an impact on forests in Poland as early as ca. 6500 BP.…”

Changes in the Natural Environment Recorded in the Sediments of the Karaśne Lake-Mire Complex (Lublin Polesie, E Poland)

“…Oak was a component of varied communities e.g. it formed forests of the contemporary open oak wood type (Querco-Potentilletum albae), which may be anthropogenic in origin (Matuszkiewicz, 2002;Ralska-Jasiewiczowa et al, 2003 andMilecka et al, 2004). In the vicinity of Karaśne Lake, both in the early and late Subboreal chronozone (AlnusQuercus subzone) oak was quite a stable component of forests as the frequency of its pollen does not exhibit major fluctuations.…”