Ecosystem development and anthropogenic influence on terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the Baltic region

In the framework of this project, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG projects KO3944/6 and KO3944/8) we examine pollen grains, algae remains and insect fragments from sediment cores to identify ecosystem changes in the Baltic region during the past ca. 8000 years. The pollen grains are also used to reconstruct terrestrial climate. The abundance of certain pollen types (e.g. pollen grains of rye and wheat) allow to estimate the grade of agricultural activity in the hinterland, while algae remains can be used to detect changes in sea water salinity. The sediments examined for this project have been drilled in framework of Expedition 347 of the Integrated Ocean Discovery Programms (IODP).