Abstract. A new high-resolution pollen and NPP (non-pollen palynomorph) analysis has
been performed on the sediments of Lake Dojran, a transboundary lake located
at the border between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
(FYROM). The sequence covers the last 12 500 years and provides information
on the vegetational dynamics of the Late Glacial and Holocene for the
southern Balkans. Robust age model, sedimentological diatom, and biomarker
analyses published previously have been the base for a multi-perspective
interpretation of the new palynological data. Pollen analysis revealed that
the Late Glacial is characterized by steppic taxa with prevailing
Amaranthaceae, Artemisia and Poaceae. The arboreal vegetation starts
to rise after 11 500 yr BP, taking a couple of millennia to be
definitively attested. Holocene vegetation is characterized by the dominance
of mesophilous plants. The Quercus robur type and Pinus are
the most abundant taxa, followed by the Quercus cerris type, the
Quercus ilex type and Ostrya–Carpinus orientalis. The
first attestation of human presence can be presumed at 5000 yr BP from the
contemporary presence of cereals, Juglans and Rumex. A drop
in both pollen concentration and influx together with a
δ18Ocarb shift indicates increasing aridity and
precedes clear and continuous human signs since 4000 yr BP. Also, a
correlation between Pediastrum boryanum and fecal stanol suggests
that the increase in nutrients in the water is related to human presence and
pasture. An undoubted expansion of human-related plants occurs since
2600 yr BP when cereals, arboreal cultivated and other synanthropic
non-cultivated taxa are found. A strong reduction in arboreal vegetation
occurred at 2000 yr BP, when the Roman Empire impacted a landscape
undergoing climate dryness in the whole Mediterranean area. In recent
centuries the human impact still remains high but spots of natural vegetation
are preserved. The Lake Dojran multi-proxy analysis including pollen data
provides clear evidence of the importance of this approach in
paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Cross-interpretation of several proxies
allows us to comprehend past vegetation dynamics and human impact in the
southern Balkans.
Transformation of Lake Ecosystem into Peat Bog and Vegetation History Based on Durne Bagno Mire (Lublin Polesie, E Poland)