Bc. Reeder et Wr. Eisner, HOLOCENE BIOGEOCHEMICAL AND POLLEN HISTORY OF A LAKE ERIE, OHIO, COASTAL WETLAND, The Ohio journal of science, 94(4), 1994, pp. 87-93
A five meter sediment core was taken from Old Woman Creek National Est
uarine Research Reserve and State Natural Area and Preserve along the
western basin of Lake Erie, U.S.A., to determine the historical biogeo
chemistry of the wetland. Analysis of pollen and sediment chemistry re
vealed that the area has remained a wetland since ca. 5,500 yr BP, des
pite changing lake levels. Pollen stratigraphy indicates a distinctive
local succession, which has been divided into three zones. Sediments
from sometime after glaciation to 5,500 yr BP were characterized by lo
w concentrations of herb pollen; the next zone showed an establishment
of hardwood forest vegetation. The modern local vegetation developed
after deforestation (about 200 years ago), when sedimentation increase
d an order of magnitude, phosphorus deposition increased, and the ecos
ystem changed from a macrophyte dominated wetland to a plankton domina
ted marsh. After European settlement, the wetland retained its ability
to act as a sink and biotic transformer of bioavailable phosphorus; h
owever, abiotic processes seemed to be more important than the biotic
transformations that dominated before deforestation.