ORGANIC-RICH SEDIMENTS FROM A SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN WETLAND PROVIDE A RECORD OF LATE PLEISTOCENE THROUGH HOLOCENE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

Sites that preserve a record of late Pleistocene through Holocene environmental change are rare in the Southern Appalachians. A wetland deposit near the campus of Western Carolina University, in Speedwell, NC, began organic sediment accumulation between 12,130 and 12,550 cal yr BP (127 cm below surface - all ages reported here represent calibrated, 2σ ranges). A radiocarbon age determination at 80 cm below surface yielded a result of 9,700 to 10,150 cal yr BP, and the 40 cm sample depth yielded an age of 2710 to 2775 cal yr BP. C/N decreases moving from the Pleistocene into the Holocene deposits at the site, and then remains fairly steady up core. δ¹³C values are highest in the mid-Holocene portion of the core, perhaps indicating more C₄ plant input to the organic sediment pool, and possible warmer or drier conditions. These initial measurements at the Speedwell site agree well with the multi-proxy Holocene record preserved at the Panthertown site (recently published), which is located ~20 km from Speedwell. These two records will be compared and inferences made regarding local terminal Pleistocene through Holocene environmental conditions.