A better understanding of past long-term environmental changes in the subarctic region is crucial for mitigation of the possible negative effects of climate warming in this vulnerable region. This study provides a new multi-proxy reconstruction of regional vegetation changes and peatland development for north-eastern Fennoscandia (Russia) during most of the Holocene. To that purpose, we performed plant macrofossil, pollen, testate amoebae, peat humification, loss on ignition and radiocarbon analyses of the peat deposits from a mire around Vodoprovodnoe Lake (the Kindo Peninsula, the Republic of Karelia). Our data indicate that the peat deposits started accumulating before 9147 ± 182 cal. yr. BP. The vegetation cover in the area was mainly typical for the northern taiga zone, except for the period ~7800–5600 cal. yr. BP, when it generally resembled the middle taiga zone. The vegetation cover and peatland were greatly affected by reoccurring fires, which can be partly related to human activity. These events were associated with an increased proportion of birch in the vegetation cover (as a pioneer species) and/or water level decreases. By 600 cal. yr. BP, the peatland and the surrounding vegetation reached its current state and only minor changes had been recorded since that time. Overall, our results suggest a considerable and unexpected role of fires in the postglacial dynamics of subarctic peatlands.

更好地了解北极地区过去的长期环境变化，对于缓解这个脆弱地区气候变暖可能产生的负面影响至关重要。这项研究为全新世东北大部分时期的东北reconstruction草（俄罗斯）的区域植被变化和泥炭地发展提供了一种新的多代理重建方法。为此，我们对Vodoprovodnoe湖（金多半岛，卡累利阿共和国）周围泥潭中的泥炭沉积物进行了植物化石，花粉，睾丸变形虫，泥炭腐殖化，灼烧损失和放射性碳分析。我们的数据表明泥炭沉积物在9147±182 cal之前开始积累。年。BP。该地区的植被覆盖主要是北部的针叶林带，除了〜7800-5600 cal时期。年。BP 通常类似于中针叶林带。反复发生的火灾极大地影响了植被覆盖和泥炭地，这可能部分与人类活动有关。这些事件与桦木在植被中的比例增加（作为先驱物种）和/或水位降低有关。600卡路里 年。BP，泥炭地和周围的植被达到了目前的状态，自那时以来仅记录了很小的变化。总体而言，我们的研究结果表明，火灾在北极泥炭地冰期后动力学中具有相当大且出乎意料的作用。这些事件与桦木在植被中的比例增加（作为先驱物种）和/或水位降低有关。600卡路里 年。BP，泥炭地和周围的植被达到了目前的状态，自那时以来仅记录了很小的变化。总体而言，我们的结果表明，火灾在北极泥炭地冰期后动力学中起着相当大且出乎意料的作用。这些事件与桦木在植被中的比例增加（作为先驱物种）和/或水位降低有关。600卡路里 年。BP，泥炭地和周围的植被达到了目前的状态，自那时以来仅记录了很小的变化。总体而言，我们的研究结果表明，火灾在北极泥炭地冰期后动力学中具有相当大且出乎意料的作用。