364 THORLEIFUR EINARSSON 



From the observations referred to above it is obvious that the same Late 

 and Post-glacial climatical changes have taken place in Iceland as in continen- 

 tal Europe and that they are reflected in the vegetation pattern, though the 

 number of indicative species is low. The dating of the changes, especially in 

 Post-glacial and historical times, is greatly aided by the tephra layers. In 

 historical times man's devastating influence on his surroundings is amply 

 verified in the poflen diagrams. These show four pollen zones: 



A. Late Glacial + Pre-Boreal. In northern Iceland there is a small Betula- 

 maximum, whereas southern Iceland is Betula-freQ. This could perhaps 

 support the theory that a part of the Icelandic flora has survived the Last 

 Glacial in ice-free refugia in northern Iceland. 



B. Boreal + Atlanticum. The first great Betula-maximum is followed by a 

 Be tula-minimum with a Sphagnum-ma.ximum caused by the higher humidity 

 in Atlantic times. 



C. Sub-Boreal + lower part of Sub-Atlanticum. Second great Betula- 

 maximum. After 2700 B.P. the chmatic deterioration sets in, 



D. Historic time, from a.d. 870. The influence of man is reflected; the 

 Betula-foTQSt decreases rapidly, and there is a sharp increase of the grasses as 

 well as the appearance of cultural indicators. 



REFERENCES 



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Iceland. Intern. Geol. Congr. : 347-352. Stockholm. 

 Bard ARSON, G. B. (1923). Old sea-deposits in Borgarfjordur and Hvalfjordur. Soc. Sci. 



Island 1, 1-118. 

 Bjarnasson, O. (1952). Islenzki morinn. Fjolrit Rannsoi ardds 3, 1-100. 

 EiNARSSON, Th. (1956). Frjogreining fjorumos ur Seltjoixi. Ndttiintfr. 26, 194-198. 

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97. 

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Klimageschichte Islands. Sonderveroff. Geol. Inst. Univ. Koln 6, 1-52. 

 EiNARSSON, Tr. (1959). Studies on the Pleistocene in Eyjafjordur. Soc. Sci. Islands 33, 1-62. 



Reykjavik. 

 EiNARSSON, Tr. (1961). Das Meeresniveau an den Kiisten Islands in post-glazialer Zeit. 



N. Jahrb. Paldontolog., Mh., 9, 443-473. 

 IVERSEN, J. (1934). Moorgeologische Untersuchungen auf Gronland. Medd. Dansk. Geol. 



For. 8, 341-358. 

 IVERSEN, J. (1953). Origin of the flora of western Greenland in the light of pollen analysis. 



Oikos 4, 85-103. 

 JoNSSON, J. (1956). Kisilthorungar i Seltjarnarmonum. Ndtturufr. 26, 199-205. 

 JoNSSON, J. (1957). Notes on the change of sea-level m Iceland. Geogr. Ann. 39, 143-212. 

 Kjartansson, G. (1943). Arnesingasaga. Reykjavik. 

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 Kjartansson, G. (1958). Jardmyndanir i Holtum og nagrenni. Univ. Res. Inst. Dept. of 



Agric. Rep. B. 11, 1-23. 

 Kjartansson, G. (1961). Um jardfraedi vesturhluta Arnessyslu. Arb. Ferdaf. islands 1961, 



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