The late Quaternary vegetational history of northwest Greece

Willis, Katherine J.

doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.1992.tb01098.x

Cited by 37 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The two sites, Gramousti lake (Willis, 1992 a), hereafter referred to as Part I, and Rezina marsh (Willis, 19926), hereafter referred to as Part II, are small basins of similar size located in the Epirus region of northwest Greece (Fig. 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The late Quaternary vegetational history of northwest Greece

Willis

1992

New Phytologist

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SUMMARYGramousti lake atid Rezina tnarsh are stnall basins, of similar size, 20 km apart but at contrasting heights of 285 and 1800 m. Comparison of the palaeoecological and sedimentary sequences from the two sites indicates that in the early postglacial, there was distinct altitudinal zonation of the vegetation. In the mountains, a dense mixed woodland containing at least sixteen different tree taxa became established whereas the lowland vegetation consisted of an open oak woodland which was much less diverse. It is suggested that the differences seen between the two sites is evidence for the existence of a montane refugium for temperate tree taxa during the lateglacial. The great contrast over such a small spatial distance suggests that refugia were prohably small pockets of vegetation in micro-environmentally favourable locations, for example, the more humid mountains. Throughout the first 5000 yr of the postglacial, the contrast in vegetation around the two sites persisted and it was not until c. 6000 BP that the 'warm-stage' refugium in the mountains became reduced in diversity and density. Finally, the onset of anthropogenic disturbance at c. 4000 BP resulted in the total depletion of the montane forest and the dominance of a herbaceous vegetation at both sites.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The late Quaternary vegetational history of northwest Greece

Willis

1992

New Phytologist

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“…(Figure 2). It is an enclosed basin surrounded by alternating blocks of limestone and flysch (Willis 1992b). Origin of the basin is unknown, although it is mapped as lying upon glacial sediments (Bizon 1970) and may be the result of either glacial or tectonic activity.…”

Section: Site Informationmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The base of the sequence is, therefore, thought to represent the final stages of the lateglacial. A detailed study of the pollen and plant macrofossil material contained within the core is presented elsewhere (Willis 1992b). Only the main features of the pollen percentage diagram plotted against age ( Figure 4) are presented here.…”

Section: Vegetational History Of the Mountainous Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From this basin, a sediment core of 12.42 m was collected (Willis 1992b). Six radiocarbon dates, using AMS dating (Hedges et al 1990, Willis 1992b) on individual plant macrofossils revealed a sedimentary sequence extending back to 9890+120 BP. The base of the sequence is, therefore, thought to represent the final stages of the lateglacial.…”

Section: Vegetational History Of the Mountainous Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Altitudinal variation in the late quaternary vegetational history of Northwest Greece

Willis¹

1994

Historical Biology

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The palaeoecological sites of Gramousti lake and Rezina marsh, northwest Greece, although only 20 kin apart are at contrasting altitudes of 285 m a.s.1. and 1800 m a.s.1. Altitudinal difference between the two sites is shown to have a significant effect upon the postglacial vegetational history of the region. Rezina marsh is the highest and smallest site to be studied thus far in Greece and provides some of the first evidence for the location of cold-stage temperate tree refugia. Migration of tree populations is shown to play an insignificant part in the vegetational development of the mountain region, demonstrating the importance of other factors (internal and external) in the diversity of the postglacial woodland.

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“…Evidence from the mountain site, Rezina marsh, is discussed in Willis (1992a), hereafter referred to as Part H. Comparison of the vegetational histories of the two regions and the wider implications of these results are discussed in Willis (19926), hereafter referred to as Part HI.…”

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The late Quaternary vegetational history of northwest Greece

Willis

1992

New Phytologist

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SUMMARYThe mountainous region of northwest Greece has often been cited as a possible area for the existence of temperate tree taxa during the last glacial. This series of papers examines the vegetational history and sedimentary history of two small basins in the Pindus mountain range of northwest Greece. The two basins are 18 km apart but at contrasting heights of 285 and 1800 m. The present paper describes results from the lowland basin of Gramousti lake. Techniques of pollen analysis, plant macrofossil analysis, sediment chemistry, mineral magnetics and radiocarbon dating are employed to reconstruct both the vegetational and sedimentary history of the basin. The sequence extends c. 14000 BP to c. 1000 BP. Palaeobotanical studies suggest that, during the lateglacial, vegetation in this lowland region was dominated by herbaceous taxa indicative of an open environment. Of the trees, only Quercus and Pinus were present, in low numbers. The lateglacial/postglacial transition was represented by an expansion of oak woodland and a reduction in steppe vegetation. Quercus dominated woodland persisted throughout much of the postglacial and became more diverse at c. 7500 BP with the arrival and expansion of Carpinus orientalis/Ostrya carpinifolia. Anthropogenic intervention at c. 4500 BP was probably responsible for a reduction in the oak woodland and the formation of a vegetation type similar to present day which is dominated b}' herbaceous taxa and chew-resistant shrubs such as Quercus coccifera and Paliurus spina-christi.

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The late Quaternary vegetational history of northwest Greece

Cited by 37 publications

References 26 publications

The late Quaternary vegetational history of northwest Greece

The late Quaternary vegetational history of northwest Greece

Altitudinal variation in the late quaternary vegetational history of Northwest Greece

The late Quaternary vegetational history of northwest Greece

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