A 40,000 year vegetation history and climatic interpretations of Burraga Swamp, Barrington Tops, New South Wales

Burraga Swamp. a small basin surrounded by cool temperate rainforest at 985 m in the central New South Wales Highlands, has provided a record of 40,000 years. From 40,000 30,000 years BP, the site was a lake with a very slow rate of deposition of fine grained sediments and flourishing aquatic/swamp vegetation. The dryland vegetation was an open or sparsely treed grassland/herbfield. From 30,000-21,000 years BP, the dryland vegetation remained much the same, but the aquatic vegetation disappeared. From 21,000-17,500 years BP. sandy sediments were deposited at an accelerated rate. culminating in a layer of gravelly sand, possibly the result of periglacial activity. Only one band of clay in this section contained sufficient pollen to study. indicating treeless vegetation. After 17,000 years BP, the rate of sediment accumulation slowed or ceased and after 15,000 years, some mesic elements started to return. At 6500 years BP, peat started forming and cool temperate rainforest was fully developed. remaining on the site to the present. This site extends the record of treeless condition at the last glacial maximum to more northerly localities than previously known. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.