ИСТИНА

Pollen and macro charcoal records (>125 µm) from the Meshchera Lowlands (vast fluvio-glacial depression in the central part of the East European Plain) were obtained from the Studencheskoye peatland (N 55°15'58"; E40°12'03"). The analysis of Charcoal accumulation rate using the CharAnalysis software (Higuera, 2007) show that the highest fire frequencies occurred between 9200 and 8000 cal yr BP and reached 18 fires in 1000 years. During the periods 8000-5000 cal yr. BP and 4000-1000 cal yr BP fire frequencies decreased to 5-8 fires in 1000 years, and only one fire was detected between 5000 and 4000 cal yr BP. The increase of fire frequencies was reconstructed for the last millennium (9 fires) and, probably, was caused by human impact. According to pollen data the vegetation history was characterized by a series of consecutive phases of Betula, Betula-Pinus and Pinus-broadleaf forests (Quecus, Tilia, Ulmus) with participation of Picea after 2500 cal yr BP and was strongly influenced by wild and human induced fires. The proportion of broadleaf tree species in the study area (5-10% in total) is essentially lower in comparison with pollen assemblages from other territories of the central part of the East European Plain, probably due to unfavorable soil conditions (sandy substrates) and frequent fires, which resulted in the persistence of birch and pine forests. Anthropogenic activity was registered in the region by pollen data since 1400 cal yr BP and was largely related to felling trees and agricultural expansion.