Postglacial Vegetation Change in the Interior Temperate Rainforest of British Columbia
Loading...
Date
2014-10-17
Authors
White, Ariana
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
The interior temperate rainforest of eastern British Columbia, Canada, supports dozens of species disjunct from their main coastal distribution, but the paleoecological history of this biogeographically unique area remains poorly studied. Specifically, the arrival time and migration route of the key rainforest tree species Tsuga heterophylla remains poorly understood. Sediment cores were obtained from two lakes occupying kame terraces on opposite sides of the upper Fraser River in east-central British Columbia. Pollen analysis indicates an early Holocene arrival time for this key species, much earlier than has previously been established and suggestive of a north-to-south migration route. Although the pollen records were broadly similar, minor differences occurred in the temporal zonation and pollen assemblages between sites. The synchronous and disparate aspects of these records shed light on the broad regional forcings of vegetation change as well as on more local factors affecting Holocene vegetation change.
Description
Keywords
British Columbia, Forestry, Holocene, Palynology, Temperate Rainforest