ЭВОЛЮЦИЯ ЛАНДШАФТОВ КУРИЛЬСКИХ ОСТРОВОВ В ГОЛОЦЕНЕ

Landscape evolution of the Kuril Islands is reconstructed under countervailing Holocene climatic changes. On the Kuril Islands these changes appeared less contrast compared to the continental coast and the major islands. The shift of warm and cold ocean currents had played big role in the development of vegetation, increasing or mitigating the effect of climate change. Landscape evolution of the Southern Kuril Islands was largely determined by break-up of land bridge into separate smaller islands ended in middle Holocene. Break-up of natural habitats and difficulty of settling from neighboring islands influenced the subsequent development of the biotic components. Development of landscapes of long-isolated Central and Northern Kuriles followed the path of change in the ratio of areas occupied by plant groups represented in modern landscapes. The most significant shift of boundaries of vegetation zones to the north occurred in the Optimum of Holocene (about 6000 14C yr ago). Climate change on the islands were not synchronous and were not equally expressed even on near islands. A special role was played by volcanism, which violated development trends of vegetation communities. Refugias are of especial Importance in the development of the biotic components of the landscape on the islands: some of the relict vegetation communities have preserved since cold periods of the late Pleistocene, others are relics of warm periods of the Holocene.