Pollen and Macrofossils from Wisconsinan Interstadial Sediments in Northeastern Georgia

AbstractPollen and plant macrofossil analyses and dating (both TAMS and conventional14C) of wetland sediments from the Nodoroc Site in the Piedmont region of northeastern Georgia identified two depositional episodes of interstadial (ca. 26,000-22,000 yr B.P.) and mid- to late Holocene (<3600 yr B.P.) age. Interstadial pollen assemblages were dominated byPinusandQuercus,withCarya, Picea,andAbiesalso present in significant amounts. The interstadial assemblages had lowerPinusand higherQuercuspollen percentages than apparently contemporaneous assemblages from sites in the southern Appalachians and Coastal Plain. Interstadial macrofossils included two needle morphotypes ofPinussubgenusPinus,possibly indicating local occurrence of twoPinusspecies. One of the needle morphotypes is consistent withPinus banksiana,but other species cannot be ruled out. Comparison of conventional and TAMS14C dates illustrates problems in obtaining accurate age models from wetlands and ponds characterized by shallow or fluctuating water levels, low sedimentation rates, and vegetation growing on the depositional surface.