Holocene history of the northern range limits of some trees and shrubs in Russia

Nearly 280 radiocarbon-dated macrofossils from 115 sites in Russia are used to reconstruct the shift in the northern treeline during last 10,000 yr, w hich was primarily considered to be climatically controlled. Picea obovata Ledeb. spread farther to the north between 8000 and 4500/4300 BP. In Siberi a there is evidence of a more northern than present position of the Larix M ill. limit between 10,000 and 5000/4500 BP. The present limit of larch was established ca. 3200 BP in Yamal peninsula region and ca. 3500 BP in Lena R iver valley. Tree birches (Betula pubescens Ehrh., B. pendula Roth.) reache d the present-day shoreline of Barents Sea in Bolshezemelskaya tundra and 7 2 degrees N in Taimyr between 8000 and 9000 BP. In Yamal peninsula by 8000 BP the tree birch limit was near 70 degrees N, but by ca. 5000/4500 BP the northern limit of tree birch was similar to present. Alnus fruticosa Rupr. reached 74 degrees 3'N in Taimyr and 75 degrees 27'N in northeast Siberia b etween 10,000 and 8000 BP. Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel, Ribes L., Rubus idae us L., Vaccinium uliginosum L., and Oxycoccus palustris Pers. moved northwa rd between 10,000 and 9000 BP and 8000 and 5000/4500 BP. Fossil wood eviden ce correlates well with results of COHMAP climate modeling for 9000 BP and 6000 BP.