Vegetation history of a polygonal peatland, northern, Yukon |
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| Authors: | LYNN OVENDEN |
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| Institution: | Life Sciences, Scarborough College, West Hill, Ontario, Canada, M1C 1A4;19th June, 1981 |
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| Abstract: | Pollen, macrofossils and matrix composition are described for a 221 cm core from a polygonal peatland overlying a late-Wisconsin lakebed. A hydroseral succession of wetland communities occurred at the site, and included a submerged assemblage with Chara , a Carex aquatilis - Eleocharis marsh, a fen, and finally a Sphagnum - Ledum bog. A transition about 9,600 B.P. to a wetter S. balticum - Andromeda carpet is attributed to formation of permaforst and polygonal ice wedges. This community, sometimes with S. compactum and Chamaedaphne , prevailed until about 3,000 B.P. when the polygon became high centered, and peat growth declined. Peat growth rate is determined from 11 14C dates, and is used to calculate pollen influx. Apparent periodic oscillations every 2,000 years, in total influx, are not accepted as sufficient evidence of treeline fluctuations. |
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