Peatlands play an important role in the global carbon cycle but have been exploited over many centuries, which reduces their carbon storage capacity. To investigate peatland development during the late Holocene and their restoration after peat extraction, we applied a multi-proxy paleoecological (pollen, plant macrofossils, testate amoebae, loss on ignition, peat humification, etc.) approach to undisturbed and floating vegetation mat deposits of the Gorenki peatland (Meshchera Lowlands, East European Plain). Peatland development started around 2550 before the common era (BCE) as a waterlogged eutrophic birch forest (terrestrial paludification) surrounded by a broadleaf forest. Around 2400 BCE, the peatland turned into an open mire with Sphagnum mosses, sedges, and willows. During 900–800 BCE, the mire transformed into a wet mesotrophic peatland surrounded by a spruce forest. The first human settlements and deforestation around 300–400 CE coincided with oligotrophization of the mire. The growth of the Slavic population in the region in 14th century CE caused transformation of indigenous spruce–broadleaf forests into croplands, and the mire became drier and forested. Since peat extraction was abandoned in the beginning of 20th century CE, the mire has undergone self-restoration starting with the formation of a Sphagnum cuspidatum/obtusum quagmire on the floating peat remains. The Sphagnum mat stabilized during 1960–2000 CE. During the last twenty years, agricultural activity decreased and pine forests were restored in the adjacent area; the floating mat became drier and more oligotrophic, which can lead to the formation of a bog in the absence of considerable anthropogenic impact.

This study aimed to analyze pollen indicators of slash-and-burn agriculture in soils and aquatic deposits of the southern forest zone of Eastern Europe. Pollen spectra from buried swidden soils (500 - 1800 cal BP) were compared with coeval peat layers and modern surface soils. Swidden horizons exhibited highly distinctive pollen spectra, characterized by Betula dominance, low conifer pollen, and the presence of cultivation indicators (Cerealia) and post-fire succession taxa ( Chamaenerion, Pteridium, Marchantia ). The abundance of insect-pollinated Chamaenerion angustifolium - the most prominent indicator - suggests both its wide distribution in swidden landscapes and a possible link to ground-nesting bee activity, which may aid in identifying buried swiddens. In peat records, the onset of slash-and-burn agriculture was marked by microcharcoal, a decline in late-successional trees, a rise in pioneer taxa, and the appearance of agricultural indicators. Betula dominance in both archives reflects secondary stands typical of long-term swidden use. However, indicators of cultivation and succession were much less pronounced in peat. Our results show that paleosol pollen spectra provide reliable, site-specific evidence of swidden agriculture through local indicator taxa and traces of bee activity, though they tend to overrepresent local vegetation. In contrast, peat and lake records offer broader regional perspectives but detect swidden activity only indirectly. These insights provide a methodological basis for localizing ancient agricultural practices in future archeology and palaeoecology-related studies.

Summary: Slash-and-burn cultivation (SABC), a widespread premodern agricultural practice, shaped vegetation across the temperate zone of Eurasia for millennia, yet the SABC-associated plant communities and their modern analogues remain poorly understood. We compared 74 fossil pollen spectra from radiocarbon-dated swidden horizons with 223 modern surface soil spectra using non-metric multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis. The results show that slash-and-burn cultivation creates a unique palynological assemblage in soil, distinguishable from forests, meadows, fallows, and ruderal habitats. This signature was most pronounced in sites from broad-leaved coniferous forest, where cryptogam diversity was highest. Here, we report that pollen spectra from buried swidden soils across the Eastern European forest zone consistently form a distinct and cohesive cluster, lacking modern analogues. These spectra are characterized by high proportions of Betula, Tilia, Epilobium angustifolium , cereal pollen, and a diverse assemblage of spores ( Marchantia, Lycopodium, Pteridium ), reflecting a mosaic of post-cultivation successional stages. Insect activity, particularly pollen-storing burrows of ground-nesting bees, may enhance the swidden signal through selective accumulation of fireweed entomophilous pollen. Our results provide SABC reference pollen spectra for temperate mixed and deciduous forest zones and can be used as a tool for reconstructing the extinct suite of plant communities associated with swidden cultivation.

This study presents the first application in Russia of a multi-method natural-science approach to the reconstruction of transhumance practices. Investigations were conducted in the subalpine belt of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic (2100–2200 m a.s.l.), focusing on two mire sequences (Ikara and Gum-Bashi) and two zoogenic (dung) deposits (Malyj Bermamyt and Gum-Bashi). A comprehensive archaeobotanical analysis indicates that these deposits formed as a result of the accumulation of livestock dung — predominantly horse dung at Malyj Bermamyt — along with ash and carbonized plant macroremains. Radiocarbon dating of the zoogenic deposits reveals that the study area was a place for grazing on subalpine meadows during the Medieval (4th–5th, 7th–10th centuries AD), Modern (12th–17th centuries AD), and Contemporary periods (from the 1950s AD onard). Analysis of the mire sequences complements the archaeological data and indicates earlier phases of high-mountain pastoral activity spanning from the 9th–8th centuries BC to the 2nd century AD, corresponding to the Iron Age. The ratio of entomophilous to anemophilous pollen taxa, the presence of coprophilous ascospores, detection of coprosterol biomarkers, and loss-on-ignition data provide robust proxies for high-altitude pasture use. Overall, by integrating multiple natural-science methodologies, this study represents the first comprehensive investigation of transhumance in Russia.