Environmental change in the Bolătău-Feredeu catchment over the last ~600 years

Abstract

Based on the n-alkane indices (e.g. P_wax Herbaceous/woody n-alkanes ratio), the vegetation changes over the last 600 years in the catchment area were determined. Given that a larger initial sample (~20g) is required to obtain the organic matter sample for gas chromatography, the temporal resolution of the data obtained does not allow for an accurate and detailed description. However, it is important to note that the vegetation is an essential source of information for a complete environmental reconstruction. The usage of less demanding methods, such as stable isotope measurements, helps to refine the results of events. By examining the elemental analysis data and the weather indices calculated based on them, the variations in the catchment conditions can be described. Analysis of these data series has been used to distinguish the five periods.