Mid- and late-Holocene land-use changes inferred from pollen records, in a south-eastern Estonian upland area

A 590-cm sediment sequence from Lake Plaani was studied by pollen, loss-on-ignition and radiocarbon dating in order to reconstruct the vegetation and land-use history in the mosaic upland landscape of southern Estonia. Pollen analysis showed a sharp reduction of thermophilous tree species resulting from the cold event at around 8200 cal yr BP. The first signs of human impact are registered at the end of the Mesolithic period (c. 7700 cal yr BP) and are followed by evidence of forest clearance at the Neolithic/Bronze Age transition (4000 cal yr BP), during which mostly broad-leaved trees suffered. The first occurrence of Cerealia pollen is dated to the Early Bronze Age (3500 cal yr BP), indicating the beginning of farming in the surroundings. Intensive farming started at the end of the Middle Iron Age 1200 yr ago, as indicated by an increase of Cerealia and Cannabis-type pollen, being most pronounced around 500 cal BP.