Holocene Vegetation in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico
Betancourt JL and Van Devender TR. 1981. Holocene Vegetation in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. Science. 214(4521):656-658
Plant remains in packrat middens are used to document vegetation history in Chaco Canyon. Douglas fir, Rocky Mountain juniper and limber pine appear to have dominated in the early Holocene. Pinyon-juniper woodland dominated the area in the middle and late Holocene up until the Anasazi occupation between 1000 and 800 years ago. Anasazi fuel needs may be the cause of the drastic reduction of pinyon and juniper after their occupancy. It is suggested that pollen stratigraphy from alluvial sediments may not be accurate enough of a record for local plant communities.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Betancourt, Julio; Van Devender, Thomas
- Units
- CHCU
- Keywords
- Chaco Canyon NM, Holocene, Packrat Middens, Paleobotany, Plant Studies, Vegetation