Holocene environmental changes in the Lower Thames Valley, London, UK: Implications for understanding the history of Taxus woodland:

摘要: A radiocarbon-dated multiproxy palaeoenvironmental record from the Lower Thames Valley at Hornchurch Marshes has provided a reconstruction of timing and nature vegetation succession against background Holocene climate change, relative sea level movement human activities. The investigation recorded widespread peat formation between c. 6300 3900 cal. yr BP (marine ‘regression’), succeeded by evidence for marine incursion. analyses these sediments, comprising pollen, Coleoptera, diatoms, plant wood macrofossils, have indicated significant changes in both wetland dryland environment, including establishment Alnus (Alder) carr woodland, decline Ulmus (Elm; 5740 BP) Tilia (Lime; 5600 BP, 4160–3710 BP). beetle faunas also suggest thermal similar to that present day. At 4900 Taxus (L.; Yew) woodland colonised peatland forming community no known modern analogue UK. precise reason, or reasons, this event remain unclear, although hydrology seem most likely. growth on not only considerable importance our knowledge history southeast England, NW Europe generally, but wider implications interpretation palaeobotanical records. declined surface during period major hydrological change incursion), an strongly associated with taxa, Quercus, appearance anthropogenic indicators.