Diagnostics of the Beginning of Agricultural Development of the Northwest of the East European Plain by Spore–Pollen Spectra

Doklady Earth Sciences - The problems of diagnostics of the beginning of agrarian development of coniferous–broad-leaved forests in northwestern European Russia and its specificity regarding...     

The distribution of late-Quaternary woody taxa in northern Eurasia: evidence from a new macrofossil database

We present a database of late-Quaternary plant macrofossil records for northern Eurasia (from 23° to 180°E and 46° to 76°N) comprising 281 localities, over 2300 samples and over 13,000 individual records. Samples are individually radiocarbon dated or are assigned ages via age models fitted to sequences of calibrated radiocarbon dates within a section. Tree species characteristic of modern northern forests (e.g. Picea, Larix, tree-Betula) are recorded at least intermittently from prior to the last glacial maximum (LGM), through the LGM and Lateglacial, to the Holocene, and some records locate trees close to the limits of the Scandinavian ice sheet, supporting the hypothesis that some taxa persisted in northern refugia during the last glacial cycle. Northern trees show differing spatio-temporal patterns across Siberia: deciduous trees were widespread in the Lateglacial, with individuals occurring across much of their contemporary ranges, while evergreen conifers expanded northwards to their range limits in the Holocene.     

The role of fires in the Holocene landscape dynamics of the southeastern part of Meshchera Lowlands

The reconstructions of landscape dynamics and fire regimes in the southeastern part of Meshchera Lowlands in the Holocene are presented. Based on study of the fire layers in peat deposits of bogs, as well as botanical and palynological analyses of peat and morphological analysis of soils, it was established that the long-period dynamics for landscapes of the territory during the Middle and Late Holocene was determined primarily by shifts in fire regimes. Since 8000 cal. yr. BP, periods with high fire frequency (from 15–20 to 120 years) alternated with intervals when the fire frequency varied from 500–600 to 1800 years. The paleoecological reconstructions showed that increased fire activity was also recorded prior to human settlement in the southeastern part of the Meshchera Lowlands, when the action of the anthropogenic factor was the lowest.     

Late holocene climate changes in the Sea of Azov region

The results of paleoclimatic reconstructions made with the help of the information-statistical method developed by V.A. Klimanov based on palynological data from the Sea of Azov bottom sediments. For the period of the last 3000 years, four phases of warm and dry climates and three phases of relatively cool and humid climates were identified. The latter phases were characterized by wider expansion of tree vegetation in the region around the Sea of Azov. The range of mean annual temperatures between warmer and cooler intervals was about 4°C.     

The Age of Peatlands and Peatland Formation Stages in Polesie Landscapes of the East European Plain

Doklady Earth Sciences - This paper presents the results of a study on peat deposits and radiocarbon dating of basal peat horizons in 43 peatlands located on three key sites within Meshchera...