Late Quaternary Vegetation History of the Vela Draga Canyon, Croatia

Recent archaeological excavations in the Istrian peninsula (Croatia) provide evidence for the occupation of karstic caves during the late-Glacial and Holocene. Within the highly erosional karstic landscape, caves are important depositional locations, containing records of both human activity and palaeoenvironmental conditions. Macroscopic charcoal was identified from four caves located in or near a single gorge in northeastern Istria. The identification of woody taxa within the charcoal assemblages provides evidence of vegetation changes in the local landscape and a record of wood use at the sites. Three vegetation phases were identified. Montane-type forest of Pinus sylvestris/P. nigra appears to have been dominant throughout the late-Glacial and early Holocene, although sporadic presences of thermophilous taxa are noted from at least 13,000 cal BP. During the mid-Holocene, pine was replaced by several deciduous taxa, including oak, ash and maple. From the mid- to late- Holocene, a number of taxa are recorded for the first time, including evergreen and schlerophyllous taxa, small trees and shrubs. This sequence was interpreted primarily in terms of climate change since the late-Glacial and micro-climatic effects of the karst topography, with consideration given to the possible influence of post-Glacial tree migration and human activity.