PALEOECOLOGICAL STUDIES OF A HOLOCENE LACUSTRINE RECORD FROM THE KANGERLUSSUAQ (SONDRE STROMFJORD) REGION OF WEST GREENLAND

A lacustrine sediment record from the Kangerlussuaq region, West Greenland, has resulted in a pollen, macrofossil, and sediment stratigraphy that encompasses the last 5000 C-14 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 C-14 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 C-14 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 mesotrophic 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. (C) 1995 University of Washington.