Vegetation History of Lake Marmara (W. Türkiye) and Surrounding Area during the Last 700 Years

Abstract

In this study, a 65 cm long sediment core was obtained for pollen analysis from Lake Marmara situated in the west of Türkiye. The bottom sediment was dated by one AMS radiocarbon date on bulk organic carbon. Thus, the core provides information about the vegetation history of the lake for the last 700 years. Palynological evidence indicates that the vegetation around the lake basin was dominated by Quercus (evergreen oaks) and Pinus. The presence of Olea, Juglans, and Poaceae pollen grains reveals that this forest vegetation was interrupted from time to time by human impact. The existence of the non-arboreal Taraxacum and Plantago in the uppermost zones of the pollen diagram also indicates grazing or deterioration of the vegetation cover in this region from 1568 AD to the present.