Wr. Eisner et al., PALEOECOLOGICAL STUDIES OF A HOLOCENE LACUSTRINE RECORD FROM THE KANGERLUSSUAQ (SONDRE STROMFJORD) REGION OF WEST GREENLAND, Quaternary research, 43(1), 1995, pp. 55-66
A lacustrine sediment record from the Kangerlussuaq region, West Green
land, has resulted in a pollen, macrofossil, and sediment stratigraphy
that encompasses the last 5000 C-14 Yr. Deglaciation of the area and
subsequent development of a nearby floodplain occurred before 5000 yr
B.P. Since that time eolian sand and silt deposition appear to have be
en continuous, with a significant increase ca. 1000 C-14 yr B.P. Polle
n analysis shows little change in the character of the vegetation thro
ughout the record. Fluctuations in herb pollen taxa indicate changes i
n the extent and development of eolian sand sheets. The oldest pollen
zone records relatively little pollen accumulation and low taxa divers
ity. This is followed by a zone of high pollen accumulation, presumabl
y a phase of highest vegetation density, from 4400 to 3400 C-14 yr B.P
. Thereafter, declining pollen accumulation rates reveal a gradual env
ironmental deterioration. Macrofossil analyses record significant limn
ological changes, with an early eutrophic phase followed by a mesotrop
hic phase and a reversal to more eutrophic conditions in the final pha
se. The preserved record illustrates the interactions of deglaciation,
eolian activity, regional vegetation, and limnological change. (C) 19
95 University of Washington.