Past and Present Vegetation on the Delegate River in the Highlands of Eastern Victoria. II. Vegetation and Climatic History From 12,000 B.P. To Present

Abstract

The site lies in a Sphagnum bog close to the Delegate River, which flows through swamp vegetation (low open-forest, thicket or bog) bordered by tall open-forest or open-forest dominated by Eucalyptus species. The pollen diagram covers the period from about 12,000 B.P. to the present and indicates a change of dryland vegetation from an initial alpine herbfield or grassland to forest with a shrubby understorey, similar to that in the area today, by about 8000 B.P. During this time the swamp vegetation changed from swampy heath to sedgeland and then to herbfield. After 8000 B.P. there is no indication of change in the dryland vegetation but, on the swamp, herbfield gave way to Leptospermum and Baeckea riparian vegetation that was later replaced by the present Sphagnum bog community. At about 12,000 B.P. temperatures in the area were probably at least 5°C lower than they are today; rainfall may have been less, but both temperature and precipitation had increased to present levels by about 8000 B.P.