A late-Holocene vegetation record is presented from the southwest coast of New Caledonia. Lac Saint Louis is a freshwater swamp at 3 m a.s.l. adjacent to the River Coulee delta. Pollen analysis, charcoal analysis, radiocarbon dating and stratigraphic analyses have been used to reconstruct the vegetation and sedimentary history of the swamp. The sediment record commences at 6000 BP and reflects rapid flood-plain development associated with postglacial sea-level rise. This rapid accumulation of sediment ceased around 5500 BP and the site became a freshwater swamp. From 5500 to 3000 BP the pollen record reflects several aspects of this coastal landscape; coastal forest, the swamp surface and the adjacent mangrove zone. At 3000 BP charcoal levels increase significantly in conjunction with abrupt changes in the pollen record. Mangrove pollen declines and pollen indicative of coastal forest is replaced by pollen indicative of coastal savanna. These changes coincide with the commencement of the archaeological record in New Caledonia and mirror similar changes in other late-Holocene records elsewhere on the island, and are interpreted as representing human impact. Yam terraces surrounding Lac Saint Louis may have been built around 2000 BP based on mineral magnetic measurements and charcoal accumulation. The decline in mangrove vegetation adjacent to site may be the result of a late-Holocene fall in sea level. Increased sediment accumulation along the coastal foreshore as a result of forest clearance in the River Coulee's catch-ment, however, is also considered.
Allen, J.1997: Pre-contact landscape transformation and cultural change in windward O'ahu. In Kirch, P. and Hunt, T.L. , editors, Historical ecology in the Pacific Islands, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press , 230-247.
2.
Allen, M.S.1997: Coastal morphogenesis, climate trends and Cook Islands prehistory. In Kirch, P. and Hunt, T.L. , editors, Historical ecology in the Pacific Islands. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press , 124-146.
3.
Anderson, A.J.1994: Palaeoenvironmental evidence of island colonization: a response . Antiquity68, 845-847 .
4.
Anderson, A.J.1995: Current approaches in East Polynesian colonisation research . Journal of the Polynesian Society104, 110-132 .
5.
Athens, J. , Dega, M. and Ward J.V. 2002a: Paleoenvironmental evidence for human colonization of the Marianas Islands . Paper presented at the Seventeenth congress of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association, 9-15 September, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
6.
Athens, J.S. , Tuggle, H.D. , Ward, J.V. and Welch, D.J.2002b: Avifaunal extinctions, vegetation change and Polynesian impacts in prehistoric Hawai'i . Archaeology in Oceania37, 57-78 .
7.
Athens, J. and Ward, J.V.1993: Environmental change and prehistoric Polynesian settlement in Hawaii . Asian Perspectives32, 205-223 .
8.
Athens, J. and Ward, J.V.1995: Paleoenvironment of the Orote Peninsula, Guam . Micronesia28, 51-76 .
9.
Athens, J.S.1997: Hawaiian native lowland vegetation in prehistory. In Kirch, P. and Hunt, T.L. , editors, Historical ecology in the Pacific Islands, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press , 248-270.
10.
Baltzer, F.1970: Datation absolue de la transgression Holocene sur la cóte ouest de Nouvelle-Caledonie sur des echantillons de tourbes A paletuviers. Interpretation neotectonique . Comptes Rendus L'Academie des Sciences Paris, Serie D271, 2251-2254 .
11.
Barrau, J.1980: Indigenous and colonial land-use systems in Indooceanian savannas: the case of New Caledonia. In Harris, D.R. , editor, Human ecology in savanna environments, London: Academic Press , 253-265.
12.
Bennett, K.D.2001: Documentation for psimpoll 3.10 and pscomb 1.03: C programs for plotting pollen diagrams and analysing pollen data. Quaternary Geology, Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden . http://www.kv.geo.uu.se/psimpoll.html.
13.
Birks, H.J.B. and Line, J.M.1992: The use of rarefraction analysis for estimating palynological richness from Quaternary pollen-analytical data . The Holocene2, 1-10 .
14.
Burney, D.A. , James, H.F. , Burney, L.P. , Olson, S.L. , Kikuchi, W. , Wagner, W.L. , Burney, M. , McCloskey, D. , Kikuchi, D. , Grady, F.V. , Gage, R. , and Nishek, R.2001: Fossil evidence for a diverse biota from Kaua'i and its transformation since human arrival . Ecologial Monographs71(4), 615-641 .
15.
Clark, R.L. and Guppy J.C.1988: A transition from mangrove forest to freshwater wetland in the monsoon tropics of Australia . Journal of Biogeography15, 665-684 .
16.
Coudray, J. and Delibrias G.1972: Variations du marin au-dessus de l'actuel en Nouvelle-Caledonie depuis 6,000 ans . Competes Rendus L'Academic des Sciences Paris275, 2623-2626 .
17.
Crowley, G.M. , Anderson P. , Kershaw, A.P. and Grindrod, J.1990: Palynology of a Holocene marine transgressive sequence, lower Mulgrave River valley, north-east Queensland . Australian Journal of Ecology15, 231-240 .
18.
Dodson, J.R. and Intoh, M.1999: Prehistory and palaeoecology of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia . Quaternary International59, 17-26 .
19.
Ellison, J.C.1994: Palaeo-lake and swamp stratigraphic records of Holocene vegetation and sea-level changes, Mangaia, Cook Islands . Pacific Science48, 1-15 .
20.
Flenley, J.R. and King, S.M.1984: Late Quatermary pollen records from Easter Island . Nature307, 47-50 .
21.
Fontes, J.C. , Launay, J. , Monzier, M. and Recy, J.1977: Genetic hypothesis on the ancient and recent reef complexes in New Caledonia. In International Symposium on Geodynamics in the South West Pacific, Noumea, New Caledonia, 27 August-2 September. Paris: Editions Technip , 289-300.
22.
Grindrod, J.1985: The palynology of mangroves on a prograded shore, Princess Charlotte Bay, North Queensland, Australia . Journal of Biogeography12, 323-348 .
23.
Grindrod, J.1988: The palynology of Holocene mangrove and saltmarsh sediments, particularly in northern Australia . Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology55, 229-245 .
24.
Grossman, E.E. , Fletcher, C.H. HI and Richmond, B.M.1998: The Holocene sea-level highstand in the equatorial Pacific: analysis of the insular paleosea-level database . Coral Reefs17, 309-327 .
25.
Haberle, S.G.1996: Explanations for palaeoecological changes on the northern plains of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands: the last 3200 years . The Holocene. 6, 333-338 .
26.
Hope, G.S. and Pask, J.1998: Tropical vegetational change in the late Pleistocene of New Caledonia . Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology142, 1-21 .
27.
Hope, G.S. and Spriggs, M.J.T.1982: A preliminary pollen sequence from Aneityum Island, southern Vanuatu . Indo-Pacific Association Bulletin3, 88-94 .
28.
Hope, G.S. , O'Dea, D. and Southern, W.1999: Holocene vegetation histories in the Westmrn Pacific-alternative records of human impact. In Galipaud, J.-C. , Spriggs, M. and Lilley, I. , editors, The South Pacific, 5000 to 2000 BP: colonisations and transformations, Paris: Editions de L'Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement (ORS-TOM), collection colloques et seminaires , 387-404.
29.
Kirch, P.V.1983: Man's role in modifying tropical and subtropical Polynesian ecosystems . Archaeology in Oceania18, 26-31 .
30.
Kirch, P.V. and Ellison, J.C.1994: Palaeoenvironmental evidence for human colonization of remote Oceanic islands . Antiquity68, 310-321 .
31.
Latham, M. , Hughes, P.J. , Hope, G. and Brookfield, M.1983: Sedimentation in the swamps of Lakeba and its implications for erosion and human occupation of the island. In Latham, M. and Brookfield, H.C. , editors, Population and environment in the eastern islands of Fyi, UNESCO/UNFPA project, General report no.3, Paris: Travaux et Documents de l'ORSTOM , 103-120.
32.
Lepofsky, D. , Kirch, P.V. and Lertzman, K.P.1996: Stratigraphic and paleobotanical evidence for prehistoric human-induced environmental disturbance on Mo'orea, French Polynesia . Pacific Science50, 253-273 .
33.
McGlone, M.S.1983: Polynesian deforestation of New Zealand: a preliminary synthesis . Archaeology in Oceania18, 11-25 .
34.
McGlone, M.S.1989: The Polynesian settlement of New Zealand in relation to environmental and biotic changes . New Zealand Journal of Ecology12, 115-129 .
Morat, P1993: Our knowledge of the flora of New Caledonia: endemism and diversity in relation to vegetation types and substrates . Biodiversity Letters1, 72-81 .
37.
Morliere, A. and Rebert, J.P.1986: Rainfall shortage and El Ninlo-Southern Oscillation in New Caledonia, Southwestern Pacific . Monthly Weather Review114, 1131-1137 .
38.
Mueller-Dombois, D. and Fosberg, F.R.1998: Vegetation of the tropical Pacific islands. New York: Springer Verlag .
39.
Nunn, P.D.1990: Recent environmental changes on Pacific islands . The Geographical Journal156, 125-140 .
40.
Nunn, P.D.1999: Environmental change in the Pacific Basin. Chichester: Wiley .
41.
Nunn, P.D.2001: Ecological crises or marginal disruptions: the effects of the first humans on Pacific islands . New Zealand Geographer57, 11-20 .
Parkes, A.1997: Environmental change and the impact of Polynesian colonization: sedimentary record from Central Polynesia. In Kirch, P. and Hunt, T.L. , editors, Historical ecology in the Pacific Islands, New Haven, Yale University Press, CT : 166-199.
44.
Rummery, T.A.1983: The use of magnetic measurements in interpreting the fire histories of lake drainage basins . Hydrobiologia103, 53-58 .
45.
Sand, C.1999: From the swamp to the terrace: intensification of horticultural practices in New Caledonia, from first settlement to the European contact. In Gosden, C. and Hather, J. , editors, The prehistory of food. Appetites for change, New York: Routledge, One world ArchaeologySeries 32, 252-269.
46.
Sand, C.2000: The specificities of the‘Southern Lapita Province’: the New Caledonian case . Archaeology in Oceania35(1), 20-33 .
47.
Schmid, M.1987: Fleurs et plantes de Nouvelle-Caldonie. Singapore: Times Editions/Les Editions du Pacifique .
48.
Section d'Hydrologie de l'ORSTOM - Nounmea, Service Territorial de la Meteorologie-Noumea1981: Elements generaux du climat. In Atlas de Nouvelle Caledonie et dependances , Edtions de I'ORSTOM, Paris: Editions de L'Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement (ORSTOM) .
49.
Semah, A.-M. , Semah, F. and Wirrmann, D. 2002: Climate and environment during the early coastal and inland colonization of New Caledonia . Paper presented at the Seventeenth congress of the Indo Pacific Prehistory Association, 9-15 September, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
50.
Southern, W. 1986: The late Quaternary environmental history of Fii. Unpublished PhD thesis, Australian National University, Canberra.
51.
Spriggs, M.1986: Landscape, land use, and political transformation in southern Melanesia. In Kirch, P.V. , editor, Island societies: archaeological approaches to evolution and transformation, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press , 6-19.
52.
Spriggs, M.1997: Landscape catastrophe and landscape enhancement: are either or both true in the Pacific? In Kirch, P. and Hunt, T.L. , editors, Historical ecology in the Pacific Islands, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press , 80-104.
53.
Stevenson, J. 1998: Late Quaternary environmental change and the impact of Melanesian colonisation in New Caledonia. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of New South Wales, Kensington.
54.
Stevenson, J. and Dodson, J.R.1995: Palaeoenvironmental evidence for human settlement of New Caledonia . Archaeology in Oceania30, 36-41 .
55.
Stevenson, J. , Dodson, J.R. and Prosser, I.P.2001. A late Quaternary record of environmental change and human impact from Plum Swamp, New Caledonia . Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology168, 97-123 .
56.
Stuiver, M. , Reimer, P.J. and Reimer, R.W.2000: Calib rev. 4.3. Radiocarbon calibration program. Seattle: University of Washington (http://www.calib.org).
57.
Thanikaimoni, G.1987: Mangrove palynology. UNDP/UNESCO Regional Project on Training and Research in Mangrove ecosystems, RAS/79/002, and the French Institute, Pondichery, India .
58.
Thompson, R. and Oldfield, F.1986: Environmental magnetism. London: Allen and Unwin .
59.
Ward, J.V.1988: Palynology of Kosrae, eastern Caroline Islands: recoveries from pollen rain and Holocene deposits . Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology55, 247-271 .
