Dorota Nalepka

Progress in the holocene chrono-climatostratigraphy of Polish territory

The Holocene delivers a unique possibility to establish climatic stratigraphic boundaries based on detailed chronostratigraphy reflected in various facies of continental sediments, in their lithological parameters and organic remains. These sediments are dated by the 14C method in the case of organic remains, by counting annual laminations in lacustrine facies, and by dendrochronological method in the case of fluvial sediments.The existence of well dated profiles enables to reconstruct various climatic parameters like amplitudes of seasonal temperatures, types and frequency of extreme rainfalls and floods and, finally, to distinguish rare rapid changes and most frequent gradual ones. This reconstruction is based on the analogous effects of various types of present-day rainfalls.The current authors present a critical review of existing chronostratigraphic divisions starting from simple millennial division by Mangerud based on Scandinavian palynological stratigraphy of peat-bogs and Starkel’s concept based on fluctuations in rainfall and runoff regime reflected in fluvial and other facies of continental deposits.In the last decades, the calibration of 14C dates allowed a new approach to be used for the construction of the probability distribution function of these dates in various facies or types of sediments, which formed a background for distinguishing and correlating climatic phases and defining boundaries between them. These approaches have been creating new opportunities for revision of the existing chronostratigraphy.The aim of this paper is to present a revised version of chronostratigraphic division based on climatic fluctuations reflected in various facies of sediments on the territory of Poland and discuss their correlation with other European regions and global climatic changes.

Hydrological Changes after the Last Ice Retreat in Northern Poland Using Radiocarbon Dating

A simplified model of hydrological changes during the Late Glacial and Holocene is presented for the northern Polish regions that were ice covered during the Last Glacial. This reconstruction is based on a group of 197 radiocarbon dates from about 120 localities reflecting the sequence of alternating lake transgressions and regressions. The earliest transgressions were related to dead-ice melting (sometimes in 2–3 phases), while the later ones started during more humid phases. However, these were usually followed by regressions, which may have been connected with the formation of new drainage systems and with the overgrowing of shallow lakes by peat bogs.

Information content of zero pollen counts in Holocene profiles

Percentage-based pollen diagrams display the relative proportions of various taxa in relation to a stated pollen sum. A zero count for a given palynological taxon, as recorded for a given sample, does not mean that the taxon was absent at the time and place represented by the sample, but only that the concentration of palynomorphs is, at most, below the detection limit of the method. Here we apply the statistical concept of the confidence interval to approach this problem. In general, observing zero counts, one can state that there is a 95% probability that the true average for the given sample is simply below 3.0. However, if the sample has a neighboring non-zero sample, the best-fit value for the expected number of counts is 0.6–0.7, as estimated in the statistical analysis of a data base of 39 pollen diagrams from the Carpathian mountains, with a combined total of 4304 pollen curves. We suggest applying the confidence intervals (for a zero as well any positive number of counts) in drawing pollen diagrams, in order to clearly indicate the measurement uncertainties connected with pollen counting.

Analysis of distribution patterns of selected ephemeral wetland species in Western Pomerania (NW Poland, NE Germany)

Analysis of distribution patterns of selected ephemeral wetland species in Western Pomerania (NW Poland, NE Germany) Phytogeographical conditions of the occurrence of 13 selected ephemeral wetland species of the Isoëto-Nanojuncetea class in Western Pomerania are analysed and discussed on the basis of distribution in Western Pomerania (maps are provided), distribution in Europe, general distribution range, taxonomic relations and palynological data. Present distribution patterns of the analysed taxa in Western Pomerania can thus be permanent not for a very long time and reflect the history of the settling of Pomerania by these species.

Resumption of studies on pollen deposition in the III Campus of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow

Abstract. Collected in 2016 samples from the surface and from the soil profiles, contained enough amounts of sporomorphs to have started studies on pollen deposition near the III Campus of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Preliminary results of the first year of research are presented (percentage pollen diagram and pollen accumulation rate) and compared with chosen results from previous years of research.

Late Glacial and Holocene plant cover in Węgliny, Lubsza Plain, south-west Poland, based on pollen analysis

ABSTRACT Late Glacial (since Oldest Dryas) and Holocene (to Subatlantic) changes of vegetation at the Węgliny site (south-west Poland) are reconstructed based mainly on pollen analysis of five cores from the palaeobasin (anaerobic sediments). The chronology of the described events is based on palynological comparison with the Lubsza Plain environs, based on LPAZs from several published pollen diagrams on 14C data, and multiple cryptotephra levels determined in the Węgliny profiles. The Węgliny record integrates well into the north European Holocene and Late Glacial biostratigraphic framework. The Węgliny site is the next (fourth) locality in Poland where the Laacher See Tephra (LST) horizon within the Allerød chronozone was identified.