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Distribution of Sites and Radiocarbon Dates in the Sierra Nevada: Implications for Paleoecological Prospecting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

R. Scott Anderson ,
Susan J. Smith  and
Peter A. Koehler
R. Scott Anderson
Affiliation:
Center for Environmental Sciences and Education, Box 5694, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA Quaternary Studies Program, Bilby Research Center, Box 6013, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA
Susan J. Smith
Affiliation:
Quaternary Studies Program, Bilby Research Center, Box 6013, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA
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Abstract

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The number of paleoecological records for the Sierra Nevada of California has increased substantially since the compilation of Adam (1985). We examine here the geographical and temporal distribution of records within the range in order to identify areas for which “gaps” exist in our paleoecological knowledge. Seventy-two sites with paleoecological information are identified; these sites are dated with 234 radiocarbon dates. Sites occur primarily between ca. 36°N and 38°30'N latitudes, and from ca. 1000 m to over 3000 m elevation on both sides of the Sierran crest, although more sites have been analyzed on the west side of the crest than the east side. In general, packrat (Neotoma) midden series are located at the lowest elevations, meadow and marsh cores originate from mid-elevations, and lake sediments have been analyzed from the highest elevations. Significant gaps in our knowledge occur for much of the east side of the crest, for both sides of the range above modern treeline, and for time periods older than the latest Pleistocene.

Type
Articles
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 39 , Issue 2 , 1997 , pp. 121 - 137
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

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