Towards the reconstruction of the Holocene vegetation history of Lower Provence: two new pollen profiles from Marais des Baux

Abstract

Abstract. Two new 14C-dated Holocene pollen profiles from Marais des Baux, Bouches-du-Rh6ne, France, are presented. The record begins in the Younger Dryas, when the vegetation consisted mainly of grasses and mugwort (Artemisia). The Preboreal was marked by a transitory expansion of pine forests and was followed by the establishment of a rich deciduous oak-forest that included hazel (Corylus) and elm (Ulmus). During the Boreal, hazel played a dominant role within the oak-forest. The oak forests, which included Quercus ilex, achieved a major expansion during the Atlantic period. The Subboreal was characterised by the regional establishment of, firstly, fir (Abies) and then beech (Fagus). The spread and expansion of beech coincides with the first clear evidence for farming. Agricultural activities brought about the decline of deciduous oak-forest. During the Subatlantic, forests in the vicinity of Marais des Baux were cleared for farming. Cereal growing, which included rye cultivation, was of considerable importance. Three noteworthy characteristics that serve to differentiate the Holocene vegetation history of the low-lying Provence region from other French regions are as follows: 1) the early establishment (from the onset of Preboreal) of low altitude mixed forest; 2) the expansion during the Subboreal of fir and beech in low altitude areas with a Mediterranean climate and, 3) the exceptional taxonomic richness of the pollen assemblages (t20 identified taxa) and the presence of borealalpine and Euro-Siberian taxa that no longer exist in Lower Provence.

Long‐term interactions between Mediterranean climate, vegetation and fire regime at Lago di Massaciuccoli (Tuscany, Italy)

“…Moreover, previous pollen investigations in the Apennines (Lowe 1992) and other Mediterranean regions, e.g. Provence, France (Andrieu‐Ponel et al . 2000), indicate that the distribution Abies alba during the early Holocene was much wider than today.…”

Roman landscape and agriculture on the Ligurian coast through macro and microremains from aVada Sabatiawell (Vado Ligure, Italy)

“…The decrease in this pollen percentage in the subsequent periods at nearby sites (Ruas 1996;Andrieu-Ponel et al 2000;Arobba et al 2004) could be due to the colder temperatures of the Little Medieval Ice Age. Olive cultivation, which has been documented in Liguria and Provence in the 12th to 13th centuries corresponds to the Medieval optimum and to ameliorated agronomical and selective techniques (Quaini 1973;Durand and Leveau 2004).…”

Rotten posts and selected fuel: Charcoal analysis of the first Middle Neolithic village identified in Provence (Cazan-Le Clos du Moulin, Vernègues, Bouches-du-Rhône, South of France)

“…The closest from Cazan were sampled at 25/30 km from the site on both bank of the Durance river and date back to the end of the 1970's (Triat-Laval, 1978). More recently, two well-dated pollen cores were studied in the Marais des Baux (Andrieu-Ponel et al, 2000), around 30 km west from the site, in an area quite similar, edaphically and botanically speaking. In Triat-Laval's study, the Ericaceae -not identified to the genus level -show a subcontinuous curve (but never exceed 5% of the identified pollen grains) since the end of the Boreal at Beauchamp-Pani eres and Moll eges and appear sporadically at Les Autures but are not recorded at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.…”