Conference:
ASSEMBLAGE European Project, October 2004, Varna, Bulgaria.
Author:
Speranta-Maria Popescu.
Abstract:
The western Black Sea region is today characterised by two vegetation types: (1) mesophilous forests of Romania, Bulgaria and coastal Turkey (including some relic species, the richness of which increases eastwards), (2) Anatolian steppes (rich in Artemisia). They are two major kinds of ecosystems which succeeded along glacial-interglacial cycles. Pollen record from several Black Sea cores documents this competition during the Late Glacial – Holocene transition. Several surface sediments inform on the present-day respective representation of these ecosystems through their pollen content, that depends on their location within the Black Sea. In the present-day pollen spectra, arboreal pollen grains are prevalent as in those from Holocene. Artemisia pollen grains are transported in low amount from Anatolian steppes. Pollen grains of mesophilous trees are abundant (deciduous Quercus,Carpinus, Ostrya, Quercus, Ulmus, Tilia,Corylus, Juglans, Fagus,etc.). Riparian forests are well represented by Alnus, Salix, Fraxinus. Mediterranean xerophytes (Oleaceae mainly) are very scarce and probably leaved on the Turkish side. The two cores analysed (BLKS 10 and B2KS38) document the period running from the Late Glacial up to the Holocene. During the cold phases, Artemisia steppes probably invaded all the surrounding area of the Black Sea.