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Paleoecological Studies of a Holocene Lacustrine Record from the Kangerlussuaq (Søndre Strømfjord) Region of West Greenland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Wendy R. Eisner ,
Torbjörn E. Törnqvist ,
Eduard A. Koster ,
Ole Bennike  and
Jacqueline F.N. van Leeuwen
Wendy R. Eisner
Affiliation:
Byrd Polar Research Center, The Ohio State University, 1090 Carmack Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210
Torbjörn E. Törnqvist
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80115, NL-3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands
Eduard A. Koster
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80115, NL-3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands
Ole Bennike
Affiliation:
Geological Survey of Denmark, Thoravej 8, DK-2400 København NV, Denmark
Jacqueline F.N. van Leeuwen
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 2, NL-3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Abstract

A lacustrine sediment record from the Kangerlussuaq region, West Greenland, has resulted in a pollen, macrofossil, and sediment stratigraphy that encompasses the last 5000 14C 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 been continuous, with a significant increase ca. 1000 14C yr B.P. Pollen analysis shows little change in the character of the vegetation throughout the record. Fluctuations in herb pollen taxa indicate changes in the extent and development of eolian sand sheets. The oldest pollen zone records relatively little pollen accumulation and low taxa diversity. This is followed by a zone of high pollen accumulation, presumably a phase of highest vegetation density, from 4400 to 3400 14C yr B.P. Thereafter, declining pollen accumulation rates reveal a gradual environmental deterioration. Macrofossil analyses record significant limnological changes, with an early eutrophic phase followed by a masotrophic phase and a reversal to more eutrophic conditions in the final phase. The preserved record illustrates the interactions of deglaciation, eolian activity, regional vegetation, and limnological change.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 43 , Issue 1 , January 1995 , pp. 55 - 66
Copyright
University of Washington

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