A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
An objective method based on assemblages of subfossil plant macro-remains to reconstruct past natural vegetation: a case study at Swifterbant, The Netherlands
Authors: Schepers M, Scheepens JF, Cappers RTJ, van Tongeren OFR, Raemaekers DCM, Bekker RM
Publisher: SPRINGER
Publication year: 2013
Journal: Vegetation History and Archaeobotany
Journal name in source: VEGETATION HISTORY AND ARCHAEOBOTANY
Journal acronym: VEG HIST ARCHAEOBOT
Number in series: 3
Volume: 22
Issue: 3
First page : 243
Last page: 255
Number of pages: 13
ISSN: 0939-6314
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-012-0370-2
Abstract
We present a new method of identifying past plant communities based on a palaeobotanical dataset. The dataset used as a case study consists of plant macro-remains retrieved from the Neolithic settlement Swifterbant S4, The Netherlands. Taxa were grouped based on their present-day concurrence values. Subsequently, phytosociological analysis was performed on the subfossil taxon groups using the software package PALAEOASSOCIA, adjusted for this type of research. Results show that syntaxonomic knowledge on the concurrence of plant species can be used to reconstruct parts of the past vegetation. We further discuss the theory behind the reconstruction of syntaxa, with special emphasis on actualism.
We present a new method of identifying past plant communities based on a palaeobotanical dataset. The dataset used as a case study consists of plant macro-remains retrieved from the Neolithic settlement Swifterbant S4, The Netherlands. Taxa were grouped based on their present-day concurrence values. Subsequently, phytosociological analysis was performed on the subfossil taxon groups using the software package PALAEOASSOCIA, adjusted for this type of research. Results show that syntaxonomic knowledge on the concurrence of plant species can be used to reconstruct parts of the past vegetation. We further discuss the theory behind the reconstruction of syntaxa, with special emphasis on actualism.
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