Post-glacial vegetation history of the Aishihik Basin and its vicinity, southwest Yukon Territory, Canada; a palynological perspective

Nine pollen profiles were obtained along a broad latitudinal transect extending from the Upper Nisling Valley to the Ittlemit Lake and Bear Lakes areas in the southwest Yukon Territory. Radiocarbon dated fossil pollen records from these profiles provided evidence for the reconstruction of postglacial environmental history of the area. Surficial samples combined to aid the interpretation of the fossil data. Records of these sequences suggest that the post-glacial vegetation in the area exhibited a successional development. Immediately after the deglaciation, the area was covered by a sparse herb dominated tundra assemblage. Betula glandulosa invaded the area at about 10,000 yr BP, which initiated the replacement of herbaceous tundra by a dwarf birch shrub-tundra. Picea glauca invaded the Upper Nisling Valley in the northern part of the study area and the Ittlemit Lake Basin in the south at least around 9,000 yr BP, while 8,600 yr BP in the central Aishihik Basin, marked the establishment of forest-tundra environment in the area. Significant rise of Picea pollen at 7,500-8,000 yr BP in the north-central part of the study area indicate the establishment of a modern boreal forest,…

Publisher

Government of Yukon

Resources

2

Catalogue metadata updated

2026-09-09