2,398 research outputs found
Vegetation history and climate before the maximum of the last Glaciation at Crotty, western Tasmania
Organic-rich sands and silts estimated to be about 25 000 to 40 000 years in age indicate that alpine-subalpine
herb, shrub and heath vegetation communities occurred at 250 m altitude in the King Valley prior to the maximum phase of the Last Glaciation. Mean temperature was probably SC colder than at present and the climate was wet
Pleistocene macro-and micro-plant fossils fromRosebery, western Tasmania
Fossils of Microstrobos niphophilus and pollen in glacial lake clays that underlie till of the Penultimate Glaciation of western Tasmania indicate that an alpine heathland-herbfield environment occurred at 200 to 240 m altitude, and that the temperature was at least 4.5 to 5° C colder than at present. Charcoal in the deposits indicates that fires occurred adjacent to ice long before Man arrived in Tasmania
Holocene vegetation history from King River railway bridge, western Tasmania
Pollen analysis of a sequence of post-glacial deposits north of the old railway bridge over the King River showed that cold wet heath, with Microstrobos and Epacridaceae, and herbland of Gramineae, Compositae and Astelia occurred in the King Valley before ca. 13 000 yr BP.
Temperate rainforest/wet mixed forest developed after 13 000 yr BP and was dominated by Phyllocladus before ca. 640 yr BP. Between ca. 6400 and 4000 yr BP Nothofagus and Eucalyptus were co-dominant. A hiatus in deposition of organic-rich sediments occurred between 4000 and 2500 yr BP, when slope debris/alluvial fan gravels were formed. After 2500 yr BP Phyllocladus became dominant again. A mosaic of shrub, heath, sedge and herb communities occurred in addition to the rainforest/wet mixed forest vegetation during much of the post-glacial period.These communities seem to reflect variations in habitat and environmental conditions related to soil differences, flooding, waterlogging and burning adjacent to the King River. The pollen sequence shows the characteristic early post-glacial peak of Phylloladus, the early-middle post-glacial maximum of Pomaderris and the middle Holocene maximum of Nothofogus for western Tasmania. The vegetation was influenced by burning at all times. The climate transition from cold to cool humid conditions occurred around 13 000 yr BP and was probably relatively rapid
Late Pleistocene marine molluscan faunas from four sites in Tasmania
Species lists of Late Pleistocene interglacial molluscan faunas and details of their occurrence are given for four sites in Tasmania. The faunas occur in former shallow coastal ernbayments, and inner and outer estuarine shallow water environments. All of the species are extant
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