Changes in habitat conditions in a Late Glacial fluviogenic lake in response to climatic fluctuations (Warta River valley, central Poland)

The Warta River val ley was greatly in flu enced by the ice sheet of the Last Gla cial Max i mum (LGM). A small peatland lo cated in the Warta drain age sys tem is here used as a palaeoarchive of cli ma tic and hab i tat changes dur ing the Late Gla cial (Weichselian). The ugi pound sed i ment pro file was in ves ti gated us ing multi-proxy (pol len, Chironomidae, Cladocera and geo chem is try) anal y ses that re corded changes in a fluviogenic sed i men tary de pres sion. Af ter the Poznan Phase (LGM), ugi pound func tioned as an ox bow lake that was cut off from the ac tive river chan nel as a re sult of flu vial ero sion. Since that time, the Warta River has flowed only along the sec tion now oc cu pied by the Jeziorsko Res er voir. Sed i men ta tion of lac us trine de pos its started at the be gin ning of the Late Gla cial. Sum mer tem per a ture re con struc tions in di cate cool Old est and Youn ger Dryas, but no clear cool ing in the Older Dryas. Dur ing the Youn ger Dryas the palaeolake was com pletely oc cu pied by a peatland (fen), which pe ri od i cally dried out dur ing the Ho lo cene. In ves ti ga tion of this site has tracked the re ac tion of the hab i tat to cli ma tic, hy dro log i cal and geomorphological changes through out the Late Weichselian.Peer reviewe

Changes in habitat conditions in a Late Glacial fluviogenic lake in response to climatic fluctuations (Warta River valley, central Poland)

The Warta River valley was greatly influenced by the ice sheet of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). A small peatland located in the Warta drainage system is here used as a palaeoarchive of climatic and habitat changes during the Late Glacial (Weichselian). The Ługi sediment profile was investigated using multi-proxy (pollen, Chironomidae, Cladocera and geochemistry) analyses that recorded changes in a fluviogenic sedimentary depression. After the Poznań Phase (LGM), Ługi functioned as an oxbow lake that was cut off from the active river channel as a result of fluvial erosion. Since that time, the Warta River has flowed only along the section now occupied by the Jeziorsko Reservoir. Sedimentation of lacustrine deposits started at the beginning of the Late Glacial. Summer temperature reconstructions indicate cool Oldest and Younger Dryas, but no clear cooling in the Older Dryas. During the Younger Dryas the palaeolake was completely occupied by a peatland (fen), which periodically dried out during the Holocene. Investigation of this site has tracked the reaction of the habitat to climatic, hydrological and geomorphological changes throughout the Late Weichselian