Vegetation, Climate, and Coastal Submergence in Connecticut

Abstract

Pollen analysis of a coastal marsh sediment at Guilford, Connecticut, indicates that there was a period of warmth and dryness preceding 3000 years ago. The subsequent increase of conifers at the expense of oak indicates a reversal that could account for decreasing rates of ice melt and rise of sea level. The record of herbaceous vegetation (grasses vs. sedges) suggests that the rise in the water table has been pulsating in character.