The Holocene pollen record in the Villaviciosa Estuary (Asturias, North Spain)

New data are provided on the history of Holocene vegetation based on pollen records from a coastal sequence on the Cantabrian coast. A core with a continuous record corresponding to a complex sequence reflecting upward shallowing was studied, and two 14C dates of 6180 ± 40 (7030 cal.) yr BP and 2610 ± 70 (2775 cal.) yr BP were obtained. The pollen study highlights the development in the area of an oak forest with Corylus, the presence of an interesting thermophilous floral assemblage and alder forests that spread around 3000 years ago. The latter appears to be related to the availability of large areas of territory close to the Villaviciosa Estuary main channel and to a high phreatic zone. It is interpreted as a response to autocyclic sedimentary discontinuity (channel displacement) rather than as an episode of sea-level fall.