Lavrenov N. Ershova E.G. Zhuravkova M.M. Krenke N.A.
Human impact on landscape in Smolensk region (Western Russia) in last 2 millennia
Reporter: Lavrenov N.
Modern Smolensk region was of the major point on the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks in the Middle ages. Its landscape and vegetation were formed under impact of human activities and climate conditions. The article provides a vegetation history of Smolensk region based on pollen and botanic analyses of peat deposits extracted a peatland near Gusino village which is located in about 10 km to the East from the Russian-Belarusian state border and in about 50 km to the West from Smolensk. The site is distanced from known archaeological sites but results of the study allow to suggest that the area near Gusino was in agricultural use since early medieval times. Moreover, the peatland, which was chosen for the specimen extraction, was formed after anthropogenic fire, presumably. According to results of cluster analysis of pollen composition we registered 5 major stages of plant history in the region. The earliest 3 stages start with direct or indirect evidences of human activity nearby. Latest two stages start with an increasing proportion of after-fire indicator plants as Betula pendula and/or Pinus sylvestris, Epilobium angustifolium, Calluna vulgaris, Pteridium aquilinum in the pollen spectrum. Charcoals were also presented in border samples. The newest stage of vegetation history is characterized by the presence of agricultural plants pollen (Fagopyrum esculentum, Secale cereale, Triticum aestivum, Cannabacea type). The exact dates of these stage shifts are in process due to the pandemic.
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