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Long-term development of a cultural landscape: the origins and dynamics of lowland heathland in southern England

Long-term development of a cultural landscape: the origins and dynamics of lowland heathland in southern England
Long-term development of a cultural landscape: the origins and dynamics of lowland heathland in southern England
The lowland heathlands of southern England comprise ca. 14% of the total area of this habitat in Europe yet their history is poorly understood. This paper presents the first detailed palaeoecological evidence (combining palynological, microscopic charcoal and radiocarbon data) relating to the origin and long-term dynamics of heathland vegetation in southern England. Valley peat sites, situated on the Lower Greensand Group (coarse-grained sandstones) at Conford (Hampshire) and Hurston Warren (West Sussex) have been investigated. The sequence from Conford indicates the unusually late survival of Pinus sylvestris (to as late as ca. 6050 cal. B.P.) in southern England. This is attributed to edaphic factors and, after ca. 7050 cal. B.P., to frequent fires. After intervening phases of dominance by deciduous woodland, heathland vegetation became established in the proximity of both sites in the Late Bronze Age (ca. 3000 cal. B.P.) with increases in indicators of grazing and burning demonstrating an association between the development of heathland and human activity. Thereafter, the pollen and charcoal records show that the vegetation remained in a dynamic state as the scale and nature of human activity varied through time. Major expansions in the extent of heathland occurred relatively recently; after ca. 1450 cal. B.P. at Hurston Warren and after ca. 850 cal. B.P. at Conford. A review of the palaeoecological evidence suggests that the most intense use and greatest coverage of heathland in southern England probably occurred during the medieval to post-medieval periods.
Pollen analysis, Lowland heath, Human impact, Pinus, Southern England, Microscopic charcoal
0939-6314
453-470
Groves, Jon A.
c8f2d758-4bea-40b4-a8a3-0452d42c2cd0
Waller, Martyn P.
d819c427-39df-4b64-961d-8e3338863725
Grant, Michael J.
56dae074-d54a-4da8-858a-2bf364a5a550
Schofield, J. Edward
583d4258-c616-40e4-907f-3f52fb19e31c
Groves, Jon A.
c8f2d758-4bea-40b4-a8a3-0452d42c2cd0
Waller, Martyn P.
d819c427-39df-4b64-961d-8e3338863725
Grant, Michael J.
56dae074-d54a-4da8-858a-2bf364a5a550
Schofield, J. Edward
583d4258-c616-40e4-907f-3f52fb19e31c

Groves, Jon A., Waller, Martyn P., Grant, Michael J. and Schofield, J. Edward (2012) Long-term development of a cultural landscape: the origins and dynamics of lowland heathland in southern England. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 21 (6), 453-470. (doi:10.1007/s00334-012-0372-0).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The lowland heathlands of southern England comprise ca. 14% of the total area of this habitat in Europe yet their history is poorly understood. This paper presents the first detailed palaeoecological evidence (combining palynological, microscopic charcoal and radiocarbon data) relating to the origin and long-term dynamics of heathland vegetation in southern England. Valley peat sites, situated on the Lower Greensand Group (coarse-grained sandstones) at Conford (Hampshire) and Hurston Warren (West Sussex) have been investigated. The sequence from Conford indicates the unusually late survival of Pinus sylvestris (to as late as ca. 6050 cal. B.P.) in southern England. This is attributed to edaphic factors and, after ca. 7050 cal. B.P., to frequent fires. After intervening phases of dominance by deciduous woodland, heathland vegetation became established in the proximity of both sites in the Late Bronze Age (ca. 3000 cal. B.P.) with increases in indicators of grazing and burning demonstrating an association between the development of heathland and human activity. Thereafter, the pollen and charcoal records show that the vegetation remained in a dynamic state as the scale and nature of human activity varied through time. Major expansions in the extent of heathland occurred relatively recently; after ca. 1450 cal. B.P. at Hurston Warren and after ca. 850 cal. B.P. at Conford. A review of the palaeoecological evidence suggests that the most intense use and greatest coverage of heathland in southern England probably occurred during the medieval to post-medieval periods.

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More information

Published date: 2012
Keywords: Pollen analysis, Lowland heath, Human impact, Pinus, Southern England, Microscopic charcoal
Organisations: Geology & Geophysics

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 355813
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/355813
ISSN: 0939-6314
PURE UUID: b9d611cf-6401-4654-a16d-f2dfef3deaf6
ORCID for Michael J. Grant: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4766-6913

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Date deposited: 15 Aug 2013 09:40
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:49

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Contributors

Author: Jon A. Groves
Author: Martyn P. Waller
Author: J. Edward Schofield

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