Subrecent pollen spectra in lake sediments of the Kurgalsky peninsula (the Baltic sea)

The article present the results of studying subrecent pollen spectra (SPS) and modern aquatic vegetation of the Lipovskoye and Beloye lakes located on the Kurgalsky Peninsula of the Baltic Sea, Russia. In 2023, paleolimnological researches of the lakes were initiated for the first time. An important role was assigned to macrophyte pollen. This led to the need to assess how accurately the subrecent pollen spectra reflect modern vegetation and to prepare a strong basis for paleogeographical data interpretation. Surface samples for pollen analysis, collected during few expeditions in 2019 and 2023, provided the data on short-term dynamics of macrophyte pollen. Pollen of Alisma sp., Myriophyllum sp., Nuphar lutea, Potamogeton sp., Typha latifolia and spores of Isoëtes sp. was recorded in the SPS of Lake Lipovskoye. Pollen of Myriophyllum sp., Nuphar lutea, Typha latifolia and spores of Isoëtes sp. was noted in the SPS of Lake Beloye. The studies of floristic diversity have revealed the dominance of submerged hydrophytes and helophytes in Lake Lipovskoye (Potamogeton perfoliatus, P. pectinatus, Batrachium marinum, Najas marina, Myriophyllum sibiricum, and Phragmites australis). In Lake Beloye, communities of submerged hydrophytes are developed, dominated by Lobelia dortmanna. According to the results of comparing the pollen data and floristic diversity, the species composition of submerged hydrophytes in Lake Lipovskoye and floating hydrophytes in both lakes are well reflected. The helophytes composition is weaker. Pollen of Lobelia dortmanna weren’t found in sediments of Lake Beloye. Both palynological and floristic studies data complement and clarify each other. Generally, the macrophyte composition of the Kurgalsky Peninsula lakes is partially reflected in surface samples. The obtained results will provide a better interpretation of paleolimnological data and will contribute to the regional database on subrecent pollen spectra.