Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Lateglacial and Holocene vegetation history in the Insubrian Southern Alps—New indications from a small-scale site

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Fundamental uncertainties exist in the study region about the former lowland vegetation at local scales. All existing palaeoecological results are derived from sediments of medium- to large-sized sites (8–5000 ha), which are thought to record mainly regional vegetation in their pollen content. Therefore the very small mire at Balladrum (0.05 ha) was analysed for pollen, plant-macrofossils, and charcoal and the results compared with those of previous studies in the same region. Common regional signals were detected, but also new insights for the tree species Pinus cembra (L.), Abies alba (Mill.) and Castanea sativa (Mill.). Our palaeobotanical data reveal the local dominance of the timberline species P. cembra during the Lateglacial (16500–14250 cal b.p.) at low-altitudes. For A. alba an early presence in the area is suggested by pollen data, corroborating previous high-altitudinal studies indicating the presence of glacial refugia in the region. Occasional findings of C. sativa pollen throughout the Holocene may indicate the local but very rare presence of this species in the Insubrian Southern Alps, in contrast to the conventional opinion that C. sativa was introduced during the Roman Period. Altogether the results confirm the need of multiproxy palaeobotanical records from basins of variable size to assess the past composition of vegetation more accurately.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bennett KD (1996) Determination of the numbers of zones in a biostratigraphical sequence. New Phytol 132:155–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berli S, Cherubini P, Schoch W (1994) Rekonstruktion von Bestandesfluktuationen, Bodenmächtigkeit und Feuergeschichte über 7000 Jahre BP mittels Holzkohle-Analysen. Botan Helvet 104:17–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Beug H-J (2004) Leitfaden der Pollenbestimmung für Mitteleuropa und angrenzende Gebiete. Pfeil, München

    Google Scholar 

  • Birks HH (2001) Plant macrofossils. In: Smol JP, Birks HJB, Last WM (eds) Tracking environmental change using lake sediments. Kluwer Dordrecht 49–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Birks HH (2003) The importance of plant macrofossils in the reconstruction of Lateglacial vegetation and climate: examples from Scotland, western Norway, and Minnesota, USA. Quatern Sci Rev 22:453–473

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birks HH, Birks HJB (2000) Future uses of pollen analysis must include plant macrofossils. Journal of Biogeogr 27:31–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birks HJB, Gordon AD (1985) Numerical methods in Quaternary pollen analysis. Academic Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Birks HJB, Line JM (1993) Glacial refugia of European trees—a matter of chance? Veg Hist Archaeobot 196:283–291

    Google Scholar 

  • Broström A, Gaillard M-J, Ihse M, Odgaard B (1998) Pollen-landscape relationship in modern analogues of ancient cultural landscapes in southern Sweden - a first step towards quantification of vegetation openness in the past. Veg Hist Archaeobot 7:189–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calcote R (1995) Pollen source area and pollen productivity: evidence from forest hollows. J Ecol 83:591–602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carraro G, Gianoni P, Mossi GR, Klötzli F, Walther G-R (1999) Observed changes in vegetation in relation to climate warming. Vdf Hochschulverlag ETH, Zürich

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark JS (1995) Particle-size evidence for source areas of charcoal accumulation in Late Holocene sediments of Eastern North American Lakes. Quatern Res 43:80–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark JS, Merkt J, Müller H (1989) Post-glacial fire, vegetation and human history on the northern alpine forelands, south-western Germany. J Ecol 77:897–925

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conedera M, Hofmann C, Tinner W (1999) Vegetation shift and laurophyllisation: the possible role of forest fires. In: Kloetzl F, Walther G-R (eds) Recent shifts in vegetation boundaries of deciduous forests. Birkhäuser, Basel, 1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Conedera M, Stanga P, Lischer C, Stoeckli V (2000) Competition and dynamics in abandoned chestnut orchards in southern Switzerland. Ecologia Mediterranea 26:101–112

    Google Scholar 

  • Conedera M, Stanga P, Oester B, Bachmann P (2001) Different post-culture dynamics in abandoned chestnut orchards and coppices. For Snow and Lands Res 76:487–492

    Google Scholar 

  • Conedera M, Krebs P, Tinner W, Pradella M, Torriani D (2004a). The cultivation of Castanea sativa (Mill.) in Europe, from its origin to its diffusion on a continental scale. Veg Hist Archaeobot 13:161–179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conedera M, Stanga P, Oester B, Bachmann P (2004b) Natural dynamics of abandoned chestnut stands in southern Switzerland. In: Mazzoleni S, Pasquale G di, Mulligan M, Martino P di, Rego F (eds) Recent dynamics of the mediterranean vegetation and landscape. Wiley, West Sussex, 237–247

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Crivelli A (1945) Una sensazionale scoperta ad Ascona Rivista storica ticinese. 8:1043–1044

  • Cruise GM (1990) Pollen stratigraphy of two Holocene peat sites in the Ligurian Apennines, Northern Italy. Rev Palaeobot Palynol 63:299–313

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ehrensberger K (1984) Vegetationskundliche Untersuchungen im Gebiet Losone-Arcegno. Diploma thesis University of Bern, Bern

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellenberg H (1996) Vegetation Mitteleuropas mit den Alpen, 5th edn. Ulmer, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellenberg H, Weber HE, Düll R, Wirth V, Werner W, Paulissen D (1992) Indicator values of plants in Central Europe. Scripta Geobotanica. Goltze, Göttingen

    Google Scholar 

  • Emmert-Straubinger E (1991) Die Interglazialflora von Pianico (Prov. Bergamo, Italien). Palaeovegetational development in Europe and regions relevant to its palaeofloristic evolution. In: Kovar-Ederl J, (ed) Proceedings of Pan-European Palaeobotanical Conference, Museum of Natural History, Department of Geology and Palaeontology, Vienna, 15–18

  • Finsinger W, Tinner W (2005) Minimum count sums for charcoal-concentration estimates in pollen slides: accuracy and potential errors. The Holocene 15(2):293–297

    Google Scholar 

  • Frehner M, Wasser B, Schwitter R (2005) Nachhaltigkeit im Schutzwald und Erfolgskontrolle - Wegleitung für Pflegemassnahmen in Wäldern mit Schutzfunktion. BUWAL, Bern

  • Gianoni P, Carraro G, Kloetzli F (1988) Thermophile, an laurophyllen Pflanzenarten reiche Waldgesellschaften im hyperinsubrischen Seenbereich des Tessins. Bericht des Geobotanischen Institutes der ETH Stiftung Rübel 54:164–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Gobet E (2004) Landschafts- und Vegetationsdynamik der letzten 12’000 Jahre im Oberengadin. PhD Thesis, University of Bern, Bern

  • Gobet E, Tinner W, Hubschmied P, Jansen I, Wehrli M, Ammann B, Wick L (2000) Influence of human impact and bedrock differences on the vegetational history of the Insubrian Southern Alps. Veg Hist Archaeobot 9:175–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grimm EC (1992) Tilia 2.0 and Tilia graph 1.18. Illinois State Museum, Research and Collection Center, Springfield

  • Grund K, Conedera M, Schröder H, Walther G-R (2004) The role of fire in the invasion process of evergreen broad-leaved species. Basic and Applied Ecology, in press

  • Gugerli F, Senn J, Anzidei M, Madaghiele A, Buchler U, Sperisen C, Vendramin GG (2001) Chloroplast microsatellites and mitochondrial nad1 intron 2 sequences indicate congruent phylogenetic relationship among Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra), Siberian stone pine (Pinus sibirica), and Siberian dwarf pine (Pinus pumila). Mol Ecol 10:1489–1497

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hantke R (1983) Eiszeitalter, die jüngste Erdgeschichte der Schweiz und ihrer Nachbargebiete 3. Ott, Thun

    Google Scholar 

  • Hegg O, Beguin C, Zoller H (1993) Atlas schutzwürdiger Vegetationstypen der Schweiz. BUWAL, Bern

    Google Scholar 

  • Hochuli S, Niffeler U, Rychner V (1998) Die Schweiz vom Paläolithikum bis zum frühen Mittelalter - Bronzezeit. Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Basel

    Google Scholar 

  • Huntley B, Birks HJB (1983) An atlas of past and present pollen maps for Europe: 0–13 000 years ago. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson ST, Kearsley FB (1998) Quantitative representation of local forest composition in forest-floor pollen assemblages. J Ecol 86:474–490

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobson GL, Bradshaw RH (1981) The selection of sites for paleovegetational studies. Quatern Res 16:80–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaltenrieder P, Ammann B, Ravazzi C, Tinner W (2004) Long-term forest dynamics during the past 26000 years at Colli Euganei (near Padova, Italy). In: Ubera JL (ed) 11th International Palynological Congress, Granada, POLEN. Servicio de Publicaciones Universidad de Cordoba, Cordoba, pp 601

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly MG, Huntley B (1991) An 11 000-year record of vegetation and environment from Lago di Martignano, Latium, Italy. J Quatern Sci 6:209–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kloetzli F, Walther G-R, Carraro G, Grundmann A (1996) Anlaufender Biomwandel in Insubrien. Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für Ökologie 26:537–550

    Google Scholar 

  • Krebs P, Conedera M, Pradella M, Torriani D, Felber M, Tinner W (2004) Quaternary refugia of the sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.): an extended palynological approach. Veg Hist Archaeobot 13:145–160

    Google Scholar 

  • Küttel M (1977) Pollenanalytische und geochronologische Untersuchungen zur Piottino-Schwankung (Jüngere Dryas). Boreas 6:259–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Labhart TP (1995) Geologie der Schweiz. Ott, Thun

    Google Scholar 

  • Landolt E (1977) Ökologische Zeigerwerte zur Schweizer Flora. Veröffentlichung des Geobotanischen Institutes der ETH Stiftung Rübel, Zürich

    Google Scholar 

  • Landolt E (2003) Unsere Alpenflora. Egger, Frutigen

    Google Scholar 

  • Lang G (1994) Quartäre Vegetationsgeschichte Europas. Gustav Fischer, Jena Stuttgart, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynch EA (1996) The ability of pollen from small lakes and ponds to sense fine-scale vegetation patterns in the Central Rocky Mountains, USA. Rev Palaeobot Palynol 94:197–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald GM, Larsen CPS, Szeicz JM, Moser KA (1991) The reconstruction of boreal forest fire history from lake sediments: a comparison of charcoal, pollen sedimentological and geochemical indices. Quatern Sci Rev 10:53–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maggini L, Spinedi F (1996) Misuranzi meteorologiche al Parco botanico delle Isole di Brissago 1962–1995. Bolletino della Società Ticinese di Scienze Naturali 84:65–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayer H (1984) Wälder Europas. Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Merkt J, Streif H (1970) Stechrohr-Bohrgeräte für limnische und marine Lockersedimente. Geologisches Jahrbuch 88:137–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore PD, Collinson ME, Webb JA (1991) Pollen analysis. 2nd edn. Blackwell Science, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Müller F, Kaenel G, Lüscher G (1999) Die Schweiz vom Paläolithikum bis zum frühen Mittelalter - Eisenzeit. Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Basel

    Google Scholar 

  • Nilsson SG (1985) Ecological and evolutionary interactions between reproduction of beech Fagus silvatica and seed eating animals. Oikos 44:157–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odgaard BV (1992) The fire history of Danish heathland areas as reflected by pollen and charred particles in lake sediments. The Holocene 2:218–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ozenda P (1988) Die Vegetation der Alpen im europäischen Gebirgsraum. Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Paganelli A (1996) A palynological study of forest vegetation in the Veneto-Po Plain. Allionia, Bolletino di Dipartimento di Biologia Vegetale dell’ Universita di Torino 34:189–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Paganelli A, Miola A (1991) Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) as an indigenous species in northern Italy. Il Quaternario 4:99–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Parshall T, Calcote R (2001) Effect of pollen from regional vegetation on stand-scale forest reconstruction. The Holocene 11:81–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peeters GA, Zoller H (1988) Long range transport of Castanea sativa pollen. Grana 27:203–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reille M (1992) Pollen et Spores d’Europe et d’Afrique Du Nord. Laboratoire de botanique historique et palynologie, Marseille

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider R (1978) Pollenanalytische Untersuchungen zur Vegetationsgeschichte am Südrand der Alpen zwischen Turin und Varese (Italien). Botanische Jahrbücher zur Systematik und Pflanzengeschichte 100:26–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider R, Tobolski K (1985) Lago di Ganna - Lateglacial and Holocene Environments of a lake in the Southern Alps. Dissertationes Botanicae 87:229–271

    Google Scholar 

  • Schoch WH, Pawlik B, Schweingruber FH (1988) Botanische Makroreste. Haupt, Bern

    Google Scholar 

  • Spinedi F, Isotta F (2004) Il clima del Ticino. Dati, statistiche e società 4:5–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiger P (1994) Wälder der Schweiz. Ott, Thun

    Google Scholar 

  • Stockmarr J (1971) Tablets with spores used in absolute pollen analysis. Pollen et Spores 13:615–621

    Google Scholar 

  • Struzkova D (2002) Cuticular Analysis - a method to distinguish the leaves of Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots Pine) from those of Pinus mugo Turra s.str. (Dwarf Mountain-pine). Veg Hist Archaeobot 11:241–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stuiver M, Reimer PJ (1998) Extended 14C data base and revised Calib. 4.1.2, 14C age calibration program. Radiocarbon 35:215–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugita S (1994) Pollen representation of vegetation in Quaternary sediments: theory and method in patchy vegetation. J Ecol 82:881–897

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sugita S, Gaillard M-J, Broström A (1999) Landscape openness and pollen records: a simulation approach. The Holocene 9:409–421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tinner W, Conedera M (1995) Indagini paleobotaniche sulla storia della vegetazione e degle incendi forestali durante l’Olocene al Lago di Origlio (Ticino meridionale). Bolletino della Società Ticinese di Scienze Naturali 83:91–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Tinner W, Conedera M, Ammann B, Gaeggeler HW, Gedye S, Jones R, Saegesser B (1998) Pollen and charcoal in lake sediments compared with historically documented forest fires in southern Switzerland since AD 1920. The Holocene 8:31–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tinner W, Conedera M, Gobet E, Hubschmid P, Wehrli M, Ammann B (2000) A palaeoecological attempt to classify fire sensitivity of trees in the southern Alps. The Holocene 10:527–536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tinner W, Hu FS (2003) Size parameters, size-class distribution and area-number relationship of microscopic charcoal: relevance for fire reconstruction. The Holocene 13:499–505

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tinner W, Hubschmid P, Wehrli M, Ammann B, Conedera M (1999) Long-term forest fire ecology and dynamics in southern Switzerland. J Ecol 87:273–289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tobolski K (1992) Pflanzliche Makroreste in Seesedimenten und Torf. Bestimmungsschlüssel zum Praktikum Paläoökologie Wintersemester 92/93. University of Bern, Bern

    Google Scholar 

  • Walter H (1974) Die Vegetation Osteuropas, Nord- und Zentralasiens. Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Walther G-R, Post E, Convey P, Menzel A, Parmesan C, Beebee TJC, Fromentin JM, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Bairlein F (2002) Ecological responses to recent climate change. Nature 416:389–395

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whitlock C, Larsen C (2001) Charcoal as fire proxy. In: Smol JP, Birks HJB, Last WM (eds) Tracking environmental change using lake sediments. Terrestrial, algal, and siliceous indicators. Kluwer, Dordrecht, 75–97

    Google Scholar 

  • Wick L (1989) Pollenanalytische Untersuchungen zur spät- und postglazialen Vegetationsgeschichte am Luganersee (Südtessin, Schweiz). Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae 82:265–276

    Google Scholar 

  • Wick Olatunbosi L, (1996) Spät- und postglaziale Vegetationsgeschichte in den Südalpen zwischen Comersee und Splügenpass (Norditalien). Thesis University of Bern, Bern

    Google Scholar 

  • Zoller H (1960) Die kulturbedingte Entwicklung der insubrischen Kastanienregion seit den Anfängen des Ackerbaus im Neolithikum. Bericht des Geobotanischen Institutes der ETH Stiftung Rübel 32:263–279

    Google Scholar 

  • Zoller H (1964) Zur postglazialen Ausbreitungsgeschichte der Weisstanne (Abies alba Mill.) in der Schweiz. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Forstwesen 11:681–700

    Google Scholar 

  • Zoller H, Kleiber H (1971) Vegetationsgeschichtliche Untersuchungen in der montanen und subalpinen Stufe der Tessintäler. Verhandlungen der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft Basel 81:90–154

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank B. Ammann for supporting this study by funding radiocarbon analyses and for fruitful and encouraging comments on the manuscript. We are grateful to T. Goslar for radiocarbon dating, to H. Wright for improving the manuscript, and to W.O. van der Knaap for the picture of the mire Balladrum. We thank two anonymous reviewers and F. Bittmann for useful comments on the manuscript

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Bern, Institute of Plant Sciences, Altenbergrain 21, CH-3013, Bern, Switzerland

    Simone Hofstetter, Willy Tinner & Verushka Valsecchi

  2. University of Milan, Earth Sciences Department “A. Desio”, Via Mangiagalli 34, I-20133, Milano, Italy

    Verushka Valsecchi

  3. DIONEA SA, Environmental Consulting and Forestal Engeneering, Lungolago Motta 8, CH-6600, Locarno, Switzerland

    Gabriele Carraro

  4. Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, WSL, Sottostazione Sud delle Alpi, PO Box 57, CH-6504, Bellinzona-Ravecchia, Switzerland

    Marco Conedera

Authors
  1. Simone Hofstetter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Willy Tinner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Verushka Valsecchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gabriele Carraro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Marco Conedera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Simone Hofstetter.

Additional information

Communicated by F. Bittmann

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hofstetter, S., Tinner, W., Valsecchi, V. et al. Lateglacial and Holocene vegetation history in the Insubrian Southern Alps—New indications from a small-scale site. Veget Hist Archaeobot 15, 87–98 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-005-0005-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-005-0005-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation