Vegetation dynamics of Central Yamal in the Late Glacial and Holocene (based on paleobotanical materials from peat deposits of the Yuribey River valley)
E. G. LAPTEVA1, S. S. TROFIMOVA1, S. V. ZHILICH2, O. M. KORONA1
1Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of UB RAS, Yekaterinburg, Russia
2Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
Keywords: paleoecology, pollen, plant macrofossils, vegetation dynamics, climate, Younger Dryas, Holocene, north of Western Siberia
Abstract
A comprehensive paleoecological study of permafrost peat deposits from three locations of the middle reaches of the Yuribey River in the subzone of modern subarctic shrub tundra of the Yamal Peninsula has been carried out. Based on the results of palynological and carpological methods and radiocarbon dating data, the changes in regional and local vegetation and climatic conditions of Central Yamal in the Late Glacial and Postglacial periods are reconstructed. It was found that in this area shrubby tundra with Betula nana were widespread in climatic conditions close to modern ones in the Younger Dryas about 12.6-11.7 cal. ka BP. The penetration of tree species (Betula sect. Betula, Picea obovata, Larix sibirica) and their accompanying boreal herbaceous plants began due to improved climatic conditions in the Early Holocene warming about 10.2-9.7 cal. ka BP. The most favorable conditions for the growth of tree-shaped birch, larch and spruce in the territory of Central Yamal existed in the Early and Middle Holocene in the range of 10.2-4.4 cal. ka BP. At that time, sparse woodlands or even closed forests were common, the climate was much warmer than the modern one. Forest vegetation degraded and open landscapes with tundra communities formed at the end of the Middle Holocene (4.5-4.4 cal. ka BP). The climatic conditions have become close to modern ones.
|
