Kelemen Imola (szerk.): A Csíki Székely Múzeum Évkönyve 8. (Csíkszereda, 2012)
Régészet - Tibor-Tamás Daróczi: Environmental Changes During the Holocene in Transylvania
ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES DURING THE HOLOCENE IN TRANSYLVANIA them. These are the lowest mountains within Transylvania, well below an elevation of 2000 m a.s.l.; the highest at 1843 m (Curcubăta Mare). The Transylvanian Plateau (Map 1) is the area within these three mountain ranges (Eastern Carpathians, Transylvanian Alps and Apuseni). It has a mid-range elevation of 200-700 m a.s.l. and it has several major and minor rivers running through it. Three different areas may be distinguished within this region. The northernmost is the area north of the Someşul Mic and Mare rivers with an elevation of 500-700 m a.s.l. These are the remains of a plateau of Neogene origin, which has been fragmented by several rivers, thus reshaping them into hills, in most cases with flat tops. This area extends to the northeast and southwest until the Carpathians and in the northwest to the Someş/Szamos Plain. The area is generally characterised by wide and plain valleys and small depressions. To the south of this region is the Transylvanian Plain (Map 1), bordered in the north by the Someşul Mare and Mic Rivers, in the south and southeast by the Mureş/Maros River, and in the eastern and western part by the Carpathian ranges. The plain is a low feature of the region with an elevation of 150-400 m a.s.l. It has hill-like features and is only fragmented by smaller rivers running through or originating in it. The southernmost region is the highest part of the entire Transylvanian Plateau with elevations ranging between 400-700 m a.s.l. The northern and western limits are bordered by the Mureş River whereas the eastern and southern by the Carpathian arch. As in the case of the northern part of the Transylvanian Plateau, the area used to be a high plateau of Neogene origin shaped by mid and large-sized rivers (Târnava Mare and Mică, Olt) into hills with active slopes. The area has wide and flat valleys with a major depression between the river Olt and the Southern Carpathian Mountains. Flora Major contributions have been made and extensive fieldwork carried out by the school of Cluj- Napoca in this field. Well over 30 sites have been researched in order to establish pollen sequences from all of Transylvania and northwest Romania. The elevations of the sites range between 300 and 2000 m a.s.l.; peats, bogs, swamps and lakes in advanced process of eutrophication24 are preferred for sampling since they are the best places for pollen to deposit over time and remain undisturbed. As the number of such sites in the middle of Transylvania is low, areas of sampling from mountains and hills are overrepresented in comparison to the lower features of the region (Appendix 1 and Map 4). Another important thing to note about the Late Glacial and Early Holocene flora of Transylvania is the presence of some glacial refuge plants. This is proven through the presence of some genetically unique populations of woody plants. Such trees include pine (Pinus gen), birch {Betula gen), spruce {Picea gen), alder {Alnus gen), larch {Larix gen), willow {Salix gen) and juniper {Juniperus gen).25 In the northwestern part of Transylvania (Map 1 and 2), major changes to the flora started at the end of the Pleistocene with the re-expansion of some woodland species that were already present, such as European Spruce {Picea abies), creating dense woods (Fig. 2). Apart from this dominant species, other species like birch {Betula gen), pine {Pinus gen) and alder {Ainus gen) were also present between 13,800-12,900 BP.26 It is in this area and period that for the first time larch {Larix gen) and poplar {Populus gen) have been documented, although not from the pollen stratigraphic record but from macro-fossil remains.27 Further, low numbers of oak {Quercus gen), 24 The process by which mostly still waters are overwhelmed by plants, directly resulting in the disappearance from these environments of most non-unicellular animal life. - personal communication of Katalin-Emilia Daróczi. 25 Feurdean ET AL. 2007b, 313-316; MagyarI 2002, 29. 26 Feurdean 2004,24. 27 WOHLFARTH ET AL. 2001, 1911. 31
