The Late-Glacial and Holocene Vegetation of the Lang Lochs Mire Area, Gulberwick, Shetland: A Pollen and Macrofossil Investigation

A radiocarbon dated pollen and macrofossil record from Lang Lochs Mire, Shetland, is presented. Late-glacial minerogenic and early Holocene gyttja sediments underlie mid and late Holocene peat. These indicate that the area was free from ice sometime before 13 000 BP and there is evidence for a typic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	The New phytologist 1994-12, Vol.128 (4), p.793-806
Main Authors:	Hulme, P. D., Shirriffs, J.
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Animal and plant ecology Animal, plant and microbial ecology Biological and medical sciences Earth sciences Earth, ocean, space Exact sciences and technology Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology Holocene Late‐glacial macrofossil analysis Mosses palacobotany Paleobotany Paleontology Peat Plants Pollen pollen analysis Radiocarbon Radiocarbon dating Sediments Seeds Shetland Synecology Taxa Terrestrial ecosystems Vegetation vegetation history
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Summary:	A radiocarbon dated pollen and macrofossil record from Lang Lochs Mire, Shetland, is presented. Late-glacial minerogenic and early Holocene gyttja sediments underlie mid and late Holocene peat. These indicate that the area was free from ice sometime before 13 000 BP and there is evidence for a typical Devensian Late-glacial climatic sequence as recorded elsewhere in Scotland. Until c. 10500 BP an open vegetation with abundant mosses amongst dwarf shrubs and herbs characterized the surrounding area. At c. 10500 BP gyttja deposition started, aquatic plants became abundant in the loch and Betula woodland developed around the loch. From c. 9700 BP to c. 7700 BP Corylus was also important. During this time Alnus, Quercus and Ulmus pollen values rose but remained compatible with a long distance source for the pollen. At c. 7700 BP gyttja deposition ceased at the sample site and a poor fen developed. Around this, heathland and blanket peat vegetation started to develop from c. 7000 BP. By c. 6000 BP the area was largely treeless and after c. 5000 BP blanket peat spread and eventually dominated all but the steepest slopes. Pollen profile changes after c. 4500 BP can be attributed to either the spread of blanket peat or the effects of Neolithic peoples. The changes coincide with the arrival of Neolithic people elsewhere in Shetland. The first clear indication of Neolithic activity is dated to c. 3000 BP and coincides with increased activity in agriculturally more favourable areas of Shetland. Records of phytogeographically significant species are discussed and the value of combined macrofossil and pollen investigations is illustrated. The combined approach has helped to distinguish site and regional components of the pollen rain, the vegetational development of both the site and the surrounding area and has given a more accurate record of the occurrence of a number of taxa than could be achieved by pollen analysis alone.
ISSN:	0028-646X 1469-8137