FLORAL COMPOSITION SIGNIFYING THE PALEOCLIMATE OF THE DELMARVA PENINSULA DURING THE HOLOCENE: A PALYNOLOGICAL APPROACH

Using palynological techniques, the ecological history of an area can be determined. Although a few studies of the Chesapeake region have been done, none were focused on the Eastern Shore of Maryland prior to European colonization. This study is attempting to systematically identify and count pollen grains and their respective concentrations spanning back to the early to mid Holocene. This should help determine climactic changes in the region, and will be of use to archaeological surveys being conducted in the central peninsula. Our findings thus far have coincided floral composition change with known climatic change during relatively recent (less than 1000ya) events.