Vegetational history of southern Scotland

Citation

Tipping R (1997) Vegetational history of southern Scotland. Botanical Journal of Scotland, 49 (2), pp. 151-162. https://doi.org/10.1080/03746609708684863

Abstract
The vegetation history of southern Scotland is here summarized from data such as pollen analyses and plant macro-remains. Open birch woodland in the warm interstadial following ice-retreat broke down to be replaced by tundra communities in the succeeding Loch Lomond Stadial. Migration of tree taxa in the present interglacial was from birch to hazel, with pine in the western mountains, to elm, oak, lime possibly in the eastern lowlands and alder. Primary woodland composition varied with soil-type and altitude, but there is no evidence for a natural tree-line in the region. Probably more than other regions of Scotland, the south has suffered losses of woodland through anthropogenic impacts. This commenced in the mesolithic, but not until the late Iron Age does it appear to have been significant.

Journal
Botanical Journal of Scotland: Volume 49, Issue 2