Holocene high-altitude vegetation dynamics in the Pyrenees: A pedoanthracology contribution to an interdisciplinary approach
Résumé
Using an interdisciplinary methodology based on pedoanthracology, palynology and sedimentary charcoals,
landscape transformation in the Pyrenees mountains during the Holocene is analyzed, with special
attention to altitudinal variation in the treeline. The data sources were eight soil profiles on a transect at
2000e2600 m a.s.l. and a sedimentary record extracted from a very nearby peat bog at 2247 m a.s.l.
The combination of three different proxies permits a more viable and qualitatively complementary
data set, making it possible to better interpret the vegetation dynamic in this space through the
Holocene.
Analysis of the data showed that the Pyrenees landscape has undergone important changes during this
period. The changing treeline is a good example. There is evidence of the decisive role of fire in the
configuration of this landscape.
Finally, this study shows that herding and agricultural uses over thousands of years in the study area
have had a determining influence on the current configuration of the territory, equal to or more
important than climatic factors.