A Palynological Study of Late Holocene Vegetation and Climate in the Healy Lake Area of Alaska

Abstract

A preliminary palynological study of the Healy Lake area in east-central Alaska is reported upon. Interpretations extend to 4,600 radiocarbon years BP. With the minor exception of pine, pollen profiles show no trends that can be interpreted as environmentally-induced departures from modern conditions, percentages at depth being similar to those for surface samples. Therefore it is tentatively concluded that no major changes in vegetation occurred in conjunction with late Thermal Maximum and Neoglacial climatic changes. There is some indication that lodgepole pine has migrated towards the area from the southeast during the Holocene.