Holocene space–time succession of the Middle Atrato wetlands, Chocó biogeographic region, Colombia

Successional sequences from forested wetlands in the Middle Atrato River Basin were reconstructed using characterisation of present vegetation communities and palynological analysis. A 4.8 km transect, drawn across a river meander, and two 6 and 8 m deep sediment cores (San Martín and Villanueva) were collected in the floodplain within two different vegetation assemblages. Based on the floristic and environmental characteristics of the local vegetation communities, ecological changes spanning the last 4 ka (cal years BP) were analysed in San Martín and Villanueva cores. Present vegetation is dominated by four communities determined by flood tolerance and drainage conditions. We found Euterpe oleraceae, Mauritiella macroclada–Campnosperma panamensis and Oenocarpus bataua forests, and mixed forest and open vegetation in a gradient from poor to improved drainage conditions. Vegetation changes in the palynological record suggest that sedimentation and erosion processes on flood basins are due to changes in drainage conditions and to variable flooding levels.A wet period in the 4 to 2.7 ka interval is postulated, which might be related to sea level rise or local subsidence. Lower flooding levels and improved drainage conditions dominated the 2.7 to ∼ 1.6 ka interval, whereas a flooding event (and a hiatus) occurred between 1.5 and 0.5 ka. This flooding event might be synchronous with analogous events as recorded in the Colombian Amazonia between 1.6 and 1.45 ka. Forest disturbance, probably of anthropogenic origin, is recorded in both sites since 0.5 ka.