Altitudinal variation in the late quaternary vegetational history of Northwest Greece

Abstract

The palaeoecological sites of Gramousti lake and Rezina marsh, northwest Greece, although only 20 kin apart are at contrasting altitudes of 285 m a.s.1. and 1800 m a.s.1. Altitudinal difference between the two sites is shown to have a significant effect upon the postglacial vegetational history of the region. Rezina marsh is the highest and smallest site to be studied thus far in Greece and provides some of the first evidence for the location of cold‐stage temperate tree refugia. Migration of tree populations is shown to play an insignificant part in the vegetational development of the mountain region, demonstrating the importance of other factors (internal and external) in the diversity of the postglacial woodland.

Key words:

• Late Quaternary
• vegetational history
• northwest Greece
• refugia
• altitudinal variation
• pollen analysis