Recent Centuries of Vegetational Change in the Glaciated North-Eastern United States

Abstract

1) Pollen data from 55 sediment cores show complex patterns of change in the vegetation of the north-eastern United States in recent centuries caused both directly and indirectly by human impact, as well as by climate change. 2) In the few centuries before European colonization, the abundance of Picea increased and Tsuga canadensis and Fagus grandifolia decreased in the northern part of the region, possibly due to climate cooling. In the rest of the region the vegetation was fairly stable in the few centuries before European colonization. 3) After European colonization, the abundance of Betula increased throughout the region in response to forest disturbance, while Tsuga canadensis and F. grandifolia decreased, at least in part because of greatly increased fire frequency