Key parameters for landscape evolution and anthropogenisation estimation in the Kamchia River downstream region (Eastern Bulgaria)

Abstract

Pollen productivity еstimate (PPE) and relevant source area of pollen (RSAP) are critical parameters for quantitative interpretations of pollen data in palaeolandscape and palaeoecological reconstructions, and for analyses of the landscapes evolution and anthropogenisation as well. In light of this, the present paper endeavours to calculate PPE of key plant taxa and to define the RSAP in the Kamchia River Downstream Region (Eastern Bulgaria) in order to use them in landscape simulations and estimations. For the purposes of this research, a dataset of pollen counts from 10 modern pollen samples together with corresponding vegetation data, measured around each sample point in concentric rings, were collected in 2020. Three submodels of the Extended R-Value (ERV) model were used to relate pollen percentages to vegetation composition. Therewith, in order to create a calibrated model, the plant abundance of each pollen type was weighed by distance in GIS environment. The findings led to the conclusion that most of the tree taxa have PPE higher than 1 (ERV3 submodel). Cichoriceae, Fabaceae and Asteraceae have lower PPE.