Late Glacial and Holocene vegetation history in the southern part of Transylvania (Romania): pollen analysis of two sequences from Avrig

Abstract We present here the results of pollen analysis of two sequences of about 8.06 m and 11.90 m length, originating from two adjacent peat bogs in the southern part of Transylvania province, Romania (155 and 122 pollen spectra). The vegetation record, which is supported by 17 14 C dates, begins in the Late Glacial interstadial when forest recolonisation began with the development of Pinus , without a pioneer Betula phase. Picea began to expand from regional refuges. After a well‐defined Younger Dryas, the Holocene opens with the expansion of Betula , Ulmus and Picea , followed, at about 10 400 cal. yr BP, by Fraxinus , Quercus and Tilia . The Corylus optimum is correlated with the Atlantic chronozone…