Storminess as an explanation for the decline of pine woodland ca. 7,400 years ago at Loch Tulla, western Scotland

Citation

Tipping R (2008) Storminess as an explanation for the decline of pine woodland ca. 7,400 years ago at Loch Tulla, western Scotland. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 17 (4), pp. 345-350. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-008-0145-y

Abstract
Pinus wood remains some 7,400 years old are abundantly preserved near the base of eroding peat at Clashgour, west of Loch Tulla on Rannoch Moor in western Scotland. Measurements are presented of the orientations of root systems in 42 in situ stumps, the direction of fall in 27 fallen trunks and the orientation (where direction of fall cannot be defined) in 40 fallen trunks. There are statistically significant orientations in the root systems, which suggests that the root structure of the trees had responded to stress from westerly winds. However, despite this the orientations and directions of fall in tree trunks, also statistically significant, show that many trees were probably blown over by strong westerly winds. The data suggest that increased precipitation and accelerated paludification are less likely explanations for tree loss at this site than a sudden demise through wind-throw.

Keywords
Palaeoecology; Pinus sylvestris; Climate change; Wind throw; Scotland; Afforestation Scotland; Scotland Antiquities; Environmental archaeology Scotland; Biological diversity conservation Scotland; Climatic changes Scotland; Scots pine Scotland; Forest decline Scotland; Paleoclimatology Scotland

Journal
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany: Volume 17, Issue 4