Macrofossil analysis on a peat sequence reaching ~10 000 years BP in Store Mosse bog, south-central Sweden

Eleonor E. Ryberg, Minna Väliranta, Antonio Martínez-Cortizas, Johan Ehrlén, Jenny K. Sjöström, Malin Kylander

Plant macrofossils were analysed from an ombrotrophic peat bog (Store Mosse bog) located in south-central Sweden, using a 678 cm long peat sequence which was collected in November 2018 (using a Russian corer) that reaches almost 10 000 cal years BP in basal age.

The peat sequence is based on 9 consecutive peat cores (of 1 m each) obtained from two alternating holes in the southern part of Store Mosse bog which were subsampled into 1 cm slices and then stored in a cold room before analysis. The dataset contains two types of data based on this composite peat sequence: (1) Age and peat properties (peat bulk density analysis, peat accumulation rates, and an age model based on 16 radiocarbon dates), and (2) Macrofossil analysis (119 samples, ~5 cm resolution).

The dataset provides insight into past peatland vegetation succession and peatland development in a previously glaciated area, spanning almost the entire Holocene. The data provides information about species composition throughout the peatland development.

Citation

Eleonor E. Ryberg, Minna Väliranta, Antonio Martínez-Cortizas, Johan Ehrlén, Jenny K. Sjöström, Malin Kylander (2022) Postglacial vegetation data obtained using macrofossil analysis on a peat sequence reaching ~10 000 years BP in Store Mosse bog, south-central Sweden. PANGAEA. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.941401

References

Ryberg EE, Väliranta M, Martínez-Cortizas A, Ehrlén J, Sjöström JK, Kylander M (2022) Postglacial peatland vegetation succession in Store Mosse bog, south‐central Sweden: An exploration of factors driving species change. Boreas. https://doi.org/10.1111/bor.12580

Data description

This includes macrofossil remains in terms of coverage percentages, species identification data, and counts (e.g., for seeds or charcoal particles), linked with the ages from the age model. The macrofossil analysis is based on 119 samples (~5 cm resolution) of approximately 5 cm³ of fresh peat each which were first cleaned using a 120 µm mesh sieve under running water. The samples were then analysed using a stereomicroscope (magnification ranging ×10⁠⁠ – ⁠40) for plant coverage percentages, followed by a high-power light microscope for species identification (Sphagnum species identification based on stem and branch leaves).

Data given as tab-limited text file were data is organised both by sample depth (top and bottom depths of each sample), composite depth (all in cm) as well as calibrated age and species.

Comments

This dataset is linked to Peat properties obtained from a peat sequence reaching ~10 000 years BP in Store Mosse, south-central Sweden.