Vegetation, climate, and fire during the late-glacial–Holocene transition at Spruce Pond, Hudson Highlands, southeastern New York, USA
✍ Scribed by TERRYANNE E. MAENZA-GMELCH
- Book ID
- 101290571
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1997
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 264 KB
- Volume
- 12
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0267-8179
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Pollen, plant macrofossil, and charcoal records from Spruce Pond (41°14′22″N, 74°12′15″W), southeastern New York, USA dated by AMS provide details about late-glacialearly Holocene vegetation development in the Hudson Highlands from Ͼ12 410 to 9750 14 C yr BP. Prior to 12 410 yr BP, vegetation was apparently open, dominated by herbs and shrubs (Cyperaceae, Gramineae, Tubuliflorae, Salix, Alnus, Betula), possibly with scattered trees (Picea and Pinus). However, Picea macrofossils are not found until 12 410 yr BP. Development of a temperature deciduous-boreal-coniferous forest featuring Quercus, Fraxinus, Ostrya/Carpinus, Pinus, Picea, and Abies occurs between 12 410 and 11 140 yr BP. A return of predominantly boreal forest taxa between 11 140 and 10 230 yr BP is interpreted as an expression of the Younger Dryas cooling event. Holocene warming at 10 230 yr BP is signalled by arrival of Pinus strobus, coincident with expansion of Quercus-dominated forest. Fire activity, as inferred from charcoal influx, appears to have increased as woodland developed after 12 410 yr BP. Two charcoal influx peaks occur during Younger Dryas time. Early Holocene fire activity was relatively high but decreased for approximately 100 yr prior to the establishment of Tsuga canadensis in the forest at 9750 yr BP.