Re: Post-glacial European vegetation development

In sci.archaeology message
news:1156540353.801553.219090@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx by
"Daryl Krupa" <icycalmca@xxxxxxxxx> . . . :


Peter Alaca wrote:
<snip>
Somewhere Philip said somewhere something,
supposedly in relation to the first neolithic farmers,
about Italy and the Balkans as sources for oaks in
Switzerland.
<snip>
And here is a history of Balkan oak and pine distribution,
with oak being replaced by pine at about the time that
Philip said people were spreading oak from there:

Vegetation and climate changes in the high mountains on the
Balkan peninsula (Southeast Europe) in postglacial times

Spassimir Tonkov

Pollen and plant macrofossil analyses supplemented by
radiocarbon chronology were conducted on lacustrine sequences
from glacial lakes located in the Rila (2925 m) and Pirin
Mountains (2914 m) on the Balkan peninsula. The vegetation
response to the Lateglacial climatic fluctuations after 13000
14C yrs. BP was characterized by the widespread of mountain herb
vegetation dominated by Artemisia -Chenopodiaceae - Poaceae with
sparse stands of Pinus and shrubland of Juniperus - Ephedra. The
identification of pollen and macrofossil remains from a number
of thermophilous coniferous and deciduous trees suggests that
they survived the harsh climatic conditions in refuges at lower
altitudes where moisture was sufficient for their growth. The
reforestation dynamics in early Holocene times (9600-8800 14C
yrs. BP) after the termination of the stadial Younger Dryas
started with Betula forests and groups of Pinus while deciduous
forests with Quercus, Tilia, Ulmus and Corylus gained dominance
at low altitudes between 8800 and 6800 14C yrs. BP. An increase
in humidity and precipitation and the establishment of suitable
edaphic conditions after 6800 14C yrs. BP initiated the
formation of a coniferous belt composed of Pinus and Abies. The
forest dynamics in late Holocene ended with the invasion of
Fagus and Picea after 4000 and 3000 14C yrs. BP, respectively.
Indications of long-lasting anthropogenic interference in the
natural forest cover, expansion of agriculture in the foothills
and livestock grazing in the mountain pastures, are clearly
recorded after 2200 14C yrs. BP.

Sometimes you provide useful material, but the swiss strands
are slightly closer to italian than balkan.
.