A Holocene pollen record of vegetation and coastal environmental changes in the coastal swamp forest at Batulicin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Pollen analysis of a coastal peat swamp core representing 9100 BP from Batulicin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, shows that mangrove forest, with Rhizophora as its main element has been established since the early Holocene. Vegetation development in general, and particularly mangrove forest, was influenced by Holocene environmental changes. The highest value of Rhizophora at ca. 8200 BP indicates an early Holocene sea level drop and implies sea level at ca. -9 m. Subsequently mangrove forest was severely disrupted by rapid sea level rise at ca. 6400 BP prior to the Holocene Maximum. However, it quickly recovered following a lower rate of sea level rise or subsequent sea level drop at ca. 6000 BP and flourished until ca. 1000 BP. From ca. 6000 BP, the environmental setting around the site seems to have Gradually become more terrestrial and changed from mangrove forest to peat swamp forest due to higher precipitation and intensive progradation. Human influence is recognized from ca. 1600 BP. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.