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Human-ecosystem interactions in relation to Holocene environmental change in Port Joli Harbour, southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Karen Neil ,
Konrad Gajewski  and
Matthew Betts
Karen Neil*
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Paleoclimatology and Climatology, Department of Geography, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Konrad Gajewski
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Paleoclimatology and Climatology, Department of Geography, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Matthew Betts
Affiliation:
Research and Collections, Archaeology and History, Canadian Museum of Civilization, 100 Laurier Street, Gatineau, QC K1A 0M8, Canada
*
*Corresponding author. Fax: + 1 613 562 5145. E-mail address:kneil079@uottawa.ca (K. Neil).
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Abstract

A high-resolution pollen record from Path Lake in Port Joli Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada, provides a paleo-ecological perspective on Holocene climate and vegetation variability within the context of local archaeological research. Pollen assemblages in the early Holocene reflect a post-glacial forest dominated by Pinus, Tsuga, Betula and Quercus. During this time, a lower frequency of radiocarbon dated cultural material suggests lower human settlement intensity. Shallow water aquatic (Isoetes) and wetland (Alnus, Sphagnum) taxa increased after 3400 cal yr BP in response to a transition towards wetter climatic conditions. Culturally significant periods, where settlement intensity increased in the Maritimes and Maine, coincide with maximum values of reconstructed total annual precipitation, suggesting that environmental conditions may have influenced prehistoric human activity. European settlement, after 350 cal yr BP, was marked by a rise in Ambrosia. The impact of anthropogenic fire disturbances on the landscape was evidenced by peak charcoal accumulations after European settlement.

Keywords

PaleoecologyArchaeologyQuaternaryPollenLake sedimentNova ScotiaHolocene
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 81 , Issue 2 , March 2014 , pp. 203 - 212
Copyright
University of Washington

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