Age, origin, and palaeo‐ecological evidence of blanket bogs in Nord‐Trøndelag, Norway

A brief review of the genesis of blanket peats is presented, together with detailed analyses of basal peats from northern Scotland. Particular attention is paid to local factors affecting peat growth and the problems of sampling and interpretation arising from them. Macrofossil and loss‐on‐ignition analyses of four peat‐mineral interfaces solve many of the terminological problems of such profiles and indicate that interpretations based on field stratigraphy alone are uncertain. Pollen analyses of two profiles from contrasting microtopographic situations show well‐defined vegetational change associated with early peat development. Fully organic ombrotrophic peat is present from 6805 ± 50 BP at one site, following anthropogenic burning from c. 7500 BP and partial recovery of the open birch woodland. A change from birch woodland to Calluna heath occurs at approximately the same time on a more freely drained site with much later peat development, following further burning from 4890 ± 65 BP. Anthropogenic activity is clearly associated with changes in soil and vegetation preceding peat formation, and the role of climatic factors remains equivocal.

Section: Locul Site Juctors Uncl Uariuhilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Blanket mire formation at the Cross Lochs, Sutherland, northern Scotland

Charman

1992

“…The blanket mire area dealt with in this paper is one of three study areas along an inland-coast transect in Central Norway. Palaeoecological investigations at Forra, the easternmost blanket mire area, were reported by Hafsten & Solem (1976), and Solem (1986) reported results from the intermediate blanket mire area, at Momyr northwest of Trondheimsfjorden.…”

mentioning

confidence: 92%

Blanket mire formation at Haramsøy, Møre og Romsdal, Western Norway

Solem¹

1989

Self Cite

Stratigraphical studies, pollen analyses and radiocarbon dating of peat cores from two blanket mire areas, Mannen and Hestevollane, on the central mountain plateau of the hat‐shaped island of Haramsøy in the Nordøyane archipelago indicate that blanket mire formation here dates back about 3,000 years and was primarily caused by human activity, namely regular burning to provide or improve grazing areas. Corresponding investigations of peat cores from two strandfiat sites on either side of the island demonstrate that a population existed on the strandfiat at least 6,800 years ago and gradually converted the original vegetation of the strandfiat into pastures and fields. The human influence increased further about 3,000 years ago when the activity was extended to the mountain plateau where grazing and regular burning, in addition to deteriorating climatic conditions, resulted in blanket mire formation.

“…Most of the communities are distinctive, and the natural ones have well-developed landscape positions that reflect the physical and biological constraints outlined above. Landscape evolution, ecology and wetland succession are remarkably similar to tree line areas in northwest Europe (Ratcliffe 1964;Hafsten & Solem 1976;Meades et al 1974).…”

Section: The Study Areamentioning

confidence: 93%

Modern pollen spectra from the tundra‐boreal forest transition in northern Newfoundland, Canada

Davis

1980

Davis, Anthony M. 1980 06 01: Modern pollen spectra from the tundra-boreal forest transition in northern Newfoundland, Canada. Boreas, Vol. 9, pp. 89-100. Oslo. ISSN 0300-9483.Percentage pollen diagrams are presented and analysed by step-wise discriminant analysis. Arboreal taxa show little variation between communities. Non-arboreal, local taxa display substantial variability, but are good indicators of community composition and structure, and provide reliable elements for the palynological characterization of communities. The discriminant analysis indicates a distinctiveness for most communities that is surprisingly high considering the small size of many of the vegetation units within the mosaic.