HOLOCENE POLLEN STRATIGRAPHY AND BOG DEVELOPMENT IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE KOLA-PENINSULA, RUSSIA

Pollen and macrofossil investigations and radiocarbon datings were car ried out at a bog in the Khibiny mountains and the northernmost bog in European Russia on the Rybachiy Peninsula (69 degrees 38'N) on the we stern part of the Kola Peninsula. Feat accumulation on the Kola Penins ula started al c. 8500-7500 BP. Pinus sylvestris reached its present n orthern limit on the peninsula by 7000 BP, while 6000-5000/4500 BP was a lime of maximal progress of birch forest tundra up to the Barents S ea shoreline. Alnus incana grew up to the Rybachiy Peninsula c. 40 km north of its present-day northern limit. By c. 5500/5300 BP Picea obov ata had immigrated to the Khibiny mountains. After 5000/4500 BP the fo rested area had retreated in the northern part of the Kola Peninsula a nd the tundra belt bordering the Barents Sea shore was formed. By 3500 BP spruce had reached its modern northern limit.