This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Berrío, J. C. Articles by Hooghiemstra, H. Search for Related Content GeoRef GeoRef Citation Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Tropical rain-forest history from the Colombian Pacific area: a 4200-year pollen record from Laguna Jotaordó

Hugo de Vries-Laboratory, Department of Palynology and Paleo/Auto-ecology, University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 318, 1098 SM Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Hermann Behling

Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Fahrenheitstraße 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany

Henry Hooghiemstra

Hugo de Vries-Laboratory, Department of Palynology and Paleo/Auto-ecology, University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 318, 1098 SM Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Pollen analysis of a 5 m long core from Lake Jotaordó, located in northern ‘Chocó biogeographic area’ (5°48[.minute] N, 76°42[.minute] W) along the Pacific coast of Colombia, shows the environmental history of the rain forest during the last 4200 years. Time control has been based on 6 AMS ¹⁴C dates ranging from 4230 to 365 ¹⁴C yr BP. The period of 4230 to 4053 14C yr BP shows sandy deposits and river influence and represents at that time the initial phase of the lake. The composition of the rain forest was different compared to the last 1400 years. Pioneer taxa belonging to Cecropia, Melastomataceae/Combretaceae and Moraceae/Urticaceae dominated the forest. A 30 cm thick organic rich clay from 440 to 410 cm core depth spans a period of 2600 years (from 4050 to 1450 ¹⁴C yr BP), pointing to a hiatus in the sediment record, possibly caused by riverine erosion of previously deposited sediments. During the last 1400 years rain forest is characterized by Mauritiella, Euterpe/Geonoma, Iriartea, Pachira aquatica and Malpighiaceae. Floral composition of the rain forest is not constant. Abiotic dynamics caused changes in the drainage system. The presence of human settlements during the last 1000 yrs is evidenced by Zea mays and possibly also by the increase of palms.

Key Words: Pollen analysis • tropical rain forest • palaeovegetation • early human settlements • Zea mays • late Holocene • Chocó • Colombia

The Holocene, Vol. 10, No. 6, 749-756 (2000)
DOI: 10.1191/09596830094999


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?