Holocene history of vegetation and landscape on the Kopu Peninsula, Hiiumaa Island, Estonia

Abstract

The Koivasoo area is partly covered by aeolian sands poor in nutrients. Sedimentation started here later than the immigartion of Alnus and with Tilia as an important marker. The development of the area includes the time since the immigration of Alnus into Kuumaa, but several hiatuses have been recorded. Koivasoo is extremely poor in cultural landscape and therefore merely animal husbandry has been practised there with little agriculture. The curves for xerophytic-heliophytic plants and cultural plants are not very rich but some increase in hemerophilous plants can be seen (favoured by human activities). An incresae in charcoal dust is seen in Late Boreal, two in Early Atlantic and Late Atlantic, and one in Early Sub-Boreal times. The charcoal maxima occur together with expansions of xerophytic-heliophytic plants and hemerophilous plants like Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae, Asteraceae tubiliflorae., Pteridium, and Urtica. Supposedly they all grew in settlements, pathways, or clearances connected with the Late Mesolithic sites which are not excavated east of the Koivasoo Bog.