A 4300 year palynological and sedimentological record of environmental change and human impact from Wharau Road Swamp, Northland, New Zealand

The palynology and sedimentology of the late Holocene Wharau Road Swamp, Northland, are described Organic sediment began accumulating ca 4300 yr B P ma valley as a result of damming by a basaltic lava flow from nearby Mount Te Puke Mixed conifer‐hardwood forest dominated the region until major anthropogenic forest clearance dated by radiocarbon at ca 600 yr B P Dacrydium cupressinum was the dominant taxon Agathis austrahs was always present until European clearance, with peaks in the pollen record at inferred ages of ca 3700 yr B P and ca 1800 yr B P Climate changes similar to those registered in other pollen diagrams from northern New Zealand are evident, and suggest that climate was wetter and warmer than at present before 4000 yr B P From about 2600 yr B P climate became drier and cooler, indicated by a decline in Ascanna lucida and D cupressinum A period of milder and wetter climate from ca 2000 yr B P is suggested by increases m D cupressinum A lucida and Cvathea Major forest disturbance at ca 600 yr...