Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A new Late-glacial site with Picea abies in the northern Apennine foothills: an exception to the model of glacial refugia of trees

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We describe a new palaeobotanical site at Bubano quarry on the easternmost Po plain, northern Italy. Pollen and macrofossils from river and marsh sediments demonstrate the occurrence of Picea in a Pinus sylvestris forest growing in a radius of some tens of kilometres south of the sedimentation place, at the beginning of the Late-glacial interstadial. The Late-glacial and Holocene history of Picea in the northern Apennines is reconstructed on the basis of the palaeobotanical record. The sharp climatic continentality increase eastwards across the northern Apennines from the Tyrrhenian to the Adriatic coast is considered significant for the survival of Picea during the Late-glacial. The most critical phase of survival is related to the moisture changes and consequent Abies competition associated with the last glacial-interglacial transition and the early Holocene. The residual spruce populations expanded during the middle Holocene. The history of Picea in the northern Apennines is a case of ineffective interglacial spread of tree populations from pre-existing stands of LGM (Last Glacial Maximum) and Late-glacial age.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amorosi A, Colalongo ML, Pasini G, Preti D (1999). Sedimentary response to Late-Quaternary sea-level changes in the Romagna coastal plain (Northern Italy). Sedimentology 46:99–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amorosi A, Colalongo ML, Fiorini F, Fusco F, Pasini G, Vaiani SC, Sarti G (2004) Palaeogeographic and palaeoclimatic evolution of the Po Plain from a 150-ky core records. Global Planetary Change 40:55–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amorosi A, Colalongo ML (2005) The linkage between alluvial and coeval marginal-marine successions: evidence from the Late Quaternary record of the Po River Plain, Italy. In: Blum M, Marriott S (eds) International Association of Sedimentology Special Publication, vol 35, pp 257–275

  • Antonioli F, Vai GB (2004) Explanatory notes to the litho-palaeoenvironmental maps of Italy during the last two climatic extremes, Map 1-last glacial maximum, Map 2-Holocene climatic optimum, 1:1,000,000 scale, 32nd IGC Florence 2004, Bologna, pp 80

  • Avigliano R, Di Anastasio G, Improta S, Peresani M, Ravazzi C (2000) A new Late Glacial - Early Holocene paleobotanical and archeological record in the Venetian Pre-Alps: the peat-bog of Palughetto (Cansiglio Plateau). J Quat Sci 15:789–803

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett K, Tzedakis PC, Willis KJ (1991) Quaternary refugia of north European trees. J Biogeogr 18:103–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berggren G (1969) Atlas of seeds. Part II. Swedish Natural Science Research Council, Stockholm

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernard J, Pons A (1985) Contribution à la connaissance de la dispersion pollinique en mer: une étude au large du delta du Rhône. Sci Géol Bull 38:91–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Bertolani Marchetti D, Accorsi CA, Arobba D, Bandini Mazzanti M, Bertolani M, Bertolani R, Boni G, Braggio G, Cellai Ciuffi G, De Cunzo T, Ferrari C, Forlani L, Guido M, Paoli P, Rodolfi G (1977) Studi ecologici e paleoecologici nella palude della Chioggiola presso Pavullo nel Frignano. In: Pavullo e il Medio Frignano, pp 3–47, Aedes Muratoriana, Modena

  • Bertoldi R (1981). Le vicende vegetazionali e climatiche nella sequenza paleobotanica würmiana e post-würmiana di Lagdei (Appennino Settentrionale). Ateneo Parmense, Acta Naturalia 16:147–175

    Google Scholar 

  • Bertoldi R (2000) L’analisi palinologica della successione lacustre e torbosa di Modolo. In (G.B. Pellegrini, a cura di): Note illustrative della Carta Geomorfologica d’Italia alla scala 1:50.000. Foglio 063 Belluno. Regione del Veneto e Servizio Geologico d’Italia, Roma, pp 113–116

  • Bertoldi R, Chelli A, Roma R, Tellini C, Vescovi P (2004) First remarks on late Pleistocene lacustrine deposit in the Berceto area (Northern Apennines, Italy). Il Quaternario 17:133–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Bertsch K (1941) Früchte und Samen. Enke, Stuttgart

  • Birks HH, Birks HJB (2000) Future uses of pollen analysis must include plant macrofossils. J Biogeogr 25:31–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birks HH, Larsen E, Birks JB (2005) Did tree-Betula, Pinus and Picea survive the last glaciation along the west coast of Norway? A review of the evidence, in light of Kullman (2002). J Biogeogr 32:1461–1471

    Google Scholar 

  • Blyakharchuk T, Stefanova I, Wright HE, Ammann B (2001) Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions for mountains in the Eurasian mid-continent. PAGES News 9:11–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Booi M, Punt W, Hoen PP (2003) Lythraceae. The Northwest European Pollen Flora 68:163–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Borgatti L, Ravazzi C, Donegana M, Corsini A, Soldati M, Marchetti M (in press) A lacustrine record of early Holocene watershed events and vegetation history, Corvara in Badia, Dolomites, Italy. J Quat Sci

  • Borghi S, Giuliacci M (1982) L’Appennino come fattore condizionante della circolazione atmosferica sulla Valle Padana. In: Atti del Primo Convegno di Meteorologia Appenninica. Reggio Emilia, 7–10 Aprile 1979, pp 167–183

  • Brown KJ, Pasternack GB (2004) The geomorphic dynamics and environmental history of an upper deltaic floodplain tract in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA. Earth Surf Processes Landforms 29:1235–1258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carminati E, Martinelli G, Severi P (2003) Influence of glacial cycles and tectonics on natural subsidence in the Po Plain (Northern Italy): Insights from 14C ages. Geochem Geophys Geosyst 4:1082

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castelletti L, Cremaschi M, Notini P (1976) L’insediamento mesolitico di Lama Lite sull’Appennino Tosco-Emiliano (Reggio Emilia). Preistoria Alpina 12:7–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiarugi A (1936) Ricerche sulla vegetazione dell’Etruria marittima. Cicli forestali postglaciali nell’Appennino Etrusco attraverso l’analisi pollinica di torbe e depositi lacustri presso l’Alpe delle Tre Potenze e il M. Rondinaio. Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano 43:3–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiarugi A (1958) Ricerche sulla vegetazione dell’Etruria marittima. XI. Una seconda area relitta di vegetazione spontanea di pigella (Picea excelsa Lk.) sull’Appennino Settentrionale. Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano 65: 23–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Correggiari A, Roveri M, Trincardi F (1996) Late Pleistocene and Holocene evolution of the northern Adriatic Sea. Il Quaternario 9:697–704

    Google Scholar 

  • Cremaschi M (1990) The loess in Northern and Central Italy. A loess basin between the Alps and the Mediterranean Region. Quaderni di Geodinamica Alpina e Quaternaria 1, Milano

  • Cruise GM (1990) Pollen stratigraphy of two Holocene peat sites in the Ligurian Apennines, northern Italy. Rev Palaeobot Palynol 63:173–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Beaulieu JL, Kostenzer J, Reich K (1993) Dynamique forestière dans la haute vallée de l’Arve (Haute Savoie) et migrations de Abies et Picea dans les Alpes occidentales. Diss Bot 196:387–398

    Google Scholar 

  • Desiato F, Lena F, Baffo F, Suatoni B, Toreti A (2005) Indicatori del Clima in Italia. APAT, Roma

    Google Scholar 

  • Firbas F, Zangheri P (1934) Eine glaziale Flora von Forlì, südlich Ravenna. Veröff Geobot Inst Rübel Zürich 12:1–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Firbas F, Zangheri P (1954) Über neue Funde pflanzenführender Ablagerungen in der südlichen Po-Ebene bei Forlì. Nachr Akad Wiss Göttingen, Mat Phys Klasse Biol Phys 2:11–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Frei C, Schär C (1998) A precipitation climatology of the Alps from high-resolution rain-gauge observation. Int J Climatol 18:873–900

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gehrig R (1997) Pollenanalytische Untersuchungen zur Vegetations- und Klimageschichte des Val Camonica (Norditalien). Diss Bot 276

  • Giesecke T (2005) Moving front or population expansion: How did Picea abies (L.) Karst. become frequent in Central Sweden? Quat Sci Rev 24:2495–2509

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giesecke T, Bennett KD (2004) The Holocene spread of Picea abies (L.) Karst. in Fennoscandia and adjacent areas. J Biogeogr 31:1523–1548

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heusser LE (1988) Pollen distribution in marine sediments on the continental margin off Northern California. Mar Geol 80:131–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalis AJ (1980) Papaveraceae. In: The northwest European pollen flora, vol 2. Elsevier, Amsterdam. Rev Palaeobot Palynol 28(1979):209–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozlowski G (1973) Shedding of plant parts. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Krüssmann G (1986) Manual of cultivated conifers. Batsford, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Kullman L (2002) Boreal tree taxa in the central Scandes during the Late-Glacial: implications for Late-Quaternary forest history. J Biogeogr 29:1117–1124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson ST, Lyford ME (1999) Pollen dispersal models in Quaternary plant ecology: assumptions, parameters, and prescriptions. Botanical Rev 65:39–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambeck K, Yokoyama Y, Purcell T (2002) Into and out of the Last Glacial Maximum: sea-level change during Oxygen Isotope Stages 3 and 2. Quat Sci Rev 21:343–360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambeck K, Antonioli F, Purcell A, Silenzi S (2004) Sea-level change along the Italian coast for the past 10,000 yr. Quat Sci Rev 23:1567–1598

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Layka S (1976) Le polymorphisme pollinique dans le genre Agremone (Papaveraceae). Pollen et Spores 18:351–376

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowe JJ (1992). Late glacial and early Holocene lake sediments from the northern Apennines, Italy: pollen stratigraphy and radiocarbon dating. Boreas 21:193–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lowe JJ, Watson C (1993) Late glacial and early Holocene pollen stratigraphy of the Northern Apennines, Italy. Quat Sci Rev 12:727–738

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marabini S, Lenaz R, Vai GB (1987) Pleistocene superiore e Olocene del margine pedeappenninico romagnolo: rapporto preliminare. Rendiconti Società Geologica Italiana 10:33–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Mennella C (1967) Il Clima d’Italia, vols 1–3. Edart, Napoli

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore PD, Webb JA, Collinson ME (1991) Pollen analysis. Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Olsson I (1986) Radiometric dating. In: Berglund BE (eds) Handbook of Holocene palaeoecology and palaeohydrology. Wiley, Chichester, pp 273–312

    Google Scholar 

  • Pignatti S (1982) Flora d’Italia. Edagricole, Bologna

    Google Scholar 

  • Pini R (2002) A new high-resolution Late-Glacial – Holocene pollen diagram from Pian di Gembro (Central Alps, Northern Italy). Veget Hist Archaeobot 11:251–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pini R (2005) Stratigrafia pollinica del Pleistocene nel Bacino Padano. Doctoral Thesis, University of Milano Bicocca

  • Preston CD, Pearman DA, Hall AL (2004) Archaeophytes in Britain. Botanical J Linnean Soc 145:257–294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ravazzi C (1989) Applicazioni della palinologia dei suoli allo studio dei processi e dei fattori dell’evoluzione pedogenetica. Contenuto pollinico della sequenza pedostratigrafica di Lama Lite, Appennino Emiliano. Unpublished intermediate report, School of Doctorate in Earth Sciences, University of Milano

  • Ravazzi C (2002) Late Quaternary history of spruce in southern Europe. Rev Palaeobot Palynol 120:131–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ravazzi C, Pini R (2002) The late-glacial and early-middle Holocene spruce expansion in the eastern and central Alps: a discussion and new data. Razprave IV, Razreda SAZU 43–2:241–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Ravazzi C, Orombelli G, Tanzi G, CLIMEX group (2004) An outline of the flora and vegetation of Adriatic basin (Northern Italy and eastern side of the Apennines) during the Last Glacial Maximum. In: Antonioli F, Vai GB (eds) Litho-paleoenvironmental maps of Italy during the last two climatic extremes. Explanatory notes. 32nd International Geological Congress, Firenze, pp 15–20

  • Schoch WH, Pawlik B, Schweingruber FH (1988) Botanische Makroreste. Haupt, Bern

    Google Scholar 

  • Scholz H (1996) Ursprung und Evolution obligatorischer Unkräuter. Schr Genet Ressourcen 4:109–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Scotti I, Vendramin GG, Matteotti LS, Scarponi C, Sari Gorla M, Binelli G (2000) Postglacial recolonization routes for Picea abies Karst. in Italy as suggested by the analysis of sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. Mol Ecol 9:699–708

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stefanova I, Ammann B (2003) Lateglacial and Holocene vegetation belts in the Pirin Mountains (southwestern Bulgaria). The Holocene 13:97–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torre D, Abbazzi L, Ficcarelli G, Masini F, Mezzabotta C, Rook L (1996) Changes in mammal assemblages during the Lateglacial-earliest Holocene. Il Quaternario 9:551–560

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner SC, Blackmore S (1984) Plumbaginaceae. The northwest European pollen flora, 36. Rev Palaeobot Palynol 42:113–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vai GB (1989) A field trip guide to the Romagna Apennine geology: The Lamone valley. International Workshop on “Continental faunas at the Miocene/Pliocene Boundary”, Faenza, March 28–31, 1988. Bollettino Società Paleontologica Italiana 28:343–367

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson CS (1996) The vegetational history of the northern Apennines, Italy: information from three new sequences and a review of regional vegetation change. J Biogeogr 23:805–841

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson CS, Branch N, Lowe JJ (1994) The vegetation history of the northern Apennines during the Holocene. In: Biagi P, Nandris J (eds) Highland zone exploitation in southern Europe. Monografia Natura Bresciana, vol 20, pp 153–168

  • Wick L (1994). Early-Holocene reforestation and vegetation change at a lake near the alpine forest limit: Lago Basso (2250 m a.s.l.), Northern Italy. Diss Bot 234:555–563

    Google Scholar 

  • Wick L, Tinner W (1997) Vegetation changes and timberline fluctuations in the Central Alps as indicators of Holocene climatic oscillations. Arctic Alpine Res 29:445–458

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wick L, van Leeuwen JFN, van der Knaap WO, Lotter AF (2003) Holocene vegetation development in the catchment of Sägistalsee (1935 m asl), a small lake in the Swiss Alps. J Paleolimnol 30:261–272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willis KJ (1994) The vegetational history of the Balkans. Quat Sci Rev 13:769–788

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are pleased to dedicate this paper to Brigitta Ammann, who first highlighted situations of delayed conifer expansion in the Balkans, recalling the problems discussed in the present paper. The results of this study have been achieved thanks to her steady support, and within the project SNSF 3100AO-101218 “Long term population dynamics of major forest trees under strongly and weakly changing climates”, which is currently in progress under her coordination. This is also a contribution to the Palaeoclimatology Research Line of the C.N.R. – Istituto per la Dinamica dei Processi Ambientali, Section of Milano.

The core BRUest-B was obtained with the help of the IPS, University of Bern, thanks to the power of W. Tanner and the helpfulness of W. Tinner and D. Colombaroli. We thank the Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali for the permission to use the pollen record from the Lavarone lake, a part of the OLOAMBIENT project coordinated by this Museum and funded by Provincia Autonoma di Trento, Servizio Università e Ricerca Scientifica. We are indebted to Federica Quaglia and Laura Lattuada, who skilfully prepared the thin section of fossil needles under the direction of G. Vailati (Department of Biology of the University of Milan). The advice of Pim van der Knaap (University of Bern), as well as the accurate revision by T. Giesecke (University of Uppsala) and an anonymous reviewer, were greatly appreciated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. C.N.R. – Istituto per la Dinamica dei Processi Ambientali, via Pasubio 5, 24044, Dalmine, Italy

    Cesare Ravazzi, Marta Donegana, Elisa Vescovi & Enrico Arpenti

  2. Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, CH 3013, Bern, Switzerland

    Elisa Vescovi & Petra Kaltenrieder

  3. Dip. Scienze Biologiche, Sezione di Botanica Sistematica e Geobotanica, Università di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milano, Italy

    Marco Caccianiga

  4. Département de Géologie et Océanographie, UMR CNRS 5805, Université Bordeaux 1, Avenue des Facultés, F 33405, Talence cedex, France

    Laurent Londeix

  5. Dip. Scienze della Terra e Geologico-Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Via Zamboni 67, 40126, Bologna, Italy

    Stefano Marabini, Stefano Mariani & Gian Battista Vai

  6. C.N.R. – IDPA at Dip. Scienze Geologiche e Geotecnologie, Università di Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 4, 20126, Milano, Italy

    Roberta Pini

  7. Institute of Prehistory and Archaeological Science, University of Basel, Spalenring 145, CH 4055, Basel, Switzerland

    Lucia Wick

Authors
  1. Cesare Ravazzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marta Donegana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elisa Vescovi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Enrico Arpenti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Marco Caccianiga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Petra Kaltenrieder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Laurent Londeix
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Stefano Marabini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Stefano Mariani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Roberta Pini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Gian Battista Vai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Lucia Wick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cesare Ravazzi.

Additional information

Communicated by Pim van der Knaap

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ravazzi, C., Donegana, M., Vescovi, E. et al. A new Late-glacial site with Picea abies in the northern Apennine foothills: an exception to the model of glacial refugia of trees. Veget Hist Archaeobot 15, 357–371 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-006-0055-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-006-0055-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation