Regional variation in the response of vegetation to Lateglacial climatic events in Europe in Studies in the Lateglacial of North-West Europe.

Auteurs :
WATTS, W. A.
LOWE, J. J.
GRAY, J. M.
ROBINSON, J. E.

Description :
There is great regional variation in the intensity of response of vegetation to Lateglacial climatic events in Europe. Between 11,000 and 10,000 radiocarbon years BP, a severe climatic deterioration brought about major changes in the species composition of vegetation in Ireland and Britain. In continental NW Europe most of the same species persisted from the preceding period and changes in vegetation were largely quantitative, although heaths developed over sandy soils. In the Alps there was little or no change in vegetation at many sites, although there was inflow of inorganic materials into some lake basins. There is weaker evidence for a climatic deterioration which caused upland erosion between 12,000 and 11,800 BP. This can be seen in evidence from Ireland and Britain but it is weakly expressed and in evidence from only some sites in Denmark and northern Germany. There is no evidence for such a deterioration in the Alps. Very tentative climatic curves are presented to draw attention to regional differences which have not been sufficiently appreciated in the literature. The deterioration from 11,000 to 10,000 BP is correlated with a readvance of polar water into the eastern North Atlantic. Evidently it affected coastal areas strongly, but had a progressively diminished effect away from the ocean.


Type de document :
Congrès

Source :
Symposium of the Quaternary Research Association held at University College, 1979, p. 1-21

Date :
1980

Identifiants :
isbn : 0-08-024001-1

Editeur :
Pays édition : Inconnu