Upper Pleistocene and Holocene climate and vegetation history of the Bogotá Savanna
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32685/0120-1425/bolgeol11.1-3.1963.202Keywords:
Colombia, Eastern Coordillera, pollen analysis, glacial periods, radiocarbon
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Abstract
The upper 32 meters of a 200-meter core, mainly Pleistocene and Holocene lagoon sediments from the Sabana de Bogotá, were analyzed for pollen content, with a sample spacing of 10 to 15 cm. The rest of the core is being analyzed, and the diagram of that part will be published later.
Based on pollen, about seventy species, genera, or families could be recognized, many of them for the first time. It can be deduced from the diagram that glacial and interglacial periods affected the tropics and Europe and North America. It can also be seen from the diagram that the glacial periods were at the same time pluvial, and the interglacial periods were interpluvial.
Curves were calculated for fluctuations of the altitudinal forest boundary, changes in annual precipitation, and temperature changes. Mean temperatures during the main phases of the Würm glaciation were about 8 °C lower than today; the altitudinal limit of the forest was lowered to 1300 m, and the snow limit even lower.
The dates obtained using radiocarbon analyses proved that the parts of the diagram considered respectively as Holocene and the last part of the Würm glaciation did indeed correspond to these ages. With this knowledge, it seems fully justified to correlate the older phases with the glaciations and interglacials of Europe and North America, using the Alpine nomenclature. Thus, the lower part of the diagram seems to correspond to the end of Riss I, followed by the interstadial Riss 1-11 and Riss 11 (Warthe-stadial). Then follow the Riss-Würm interglacial, the Würm glacial (subdivided by two long interstadials, called Interpleniglacial and several minor interstadials), and the Holocene.
The most important findings of this study are summarized in the conclusions.
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