Palynologic determination of historical sediment accumulation rates and paleoecological variation in marshes on the St. Jones River, Delaware, USA

The analysis of pollen assemblage zones in three cores from salt marshes on the St. Jones River in central Delaware shows major shifts in vegetation over the last 1000 years. Variations in pollen assemblages reveal both natural changes in the plant community and anthropogenic changes related to European settlement. This interdisciplinary study combines pollen analytic biostratigraphy with lithostratigraphy and well-documented local history to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the recent history of the study area. Age estimates derived from changes in the plant community combined with a well-documented physical stratigraphy of the study area allow assessment of the impact of post-European-settlement land-use practices on sedimentation and ecological conditions in the St. Jones estuarine system. Micropaleontological analysis of pollen assemblages yields considerably greater temporal and paleoenvironmental resolution than lithostratigraphy alone. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...