Late Holocene woods remains from alluvial/colluvial deposits in the Caldera de Taburiente National Park (La Palma, Canary Islands)

Abstract

The geomorphological dynamics of the Barranco de Taburiente gorge, in La Palma (Canary Islands), has exposed sub-fossil organic layers in its riverbanks and margins, in which a large number of woody remains have been recovered. Samples have been located along ~3 km of the river and are clustered in three sites. Radiocarbon dating of the remains indicates that the recovered samples date from the late Holocene and have been identified as Pinus canariensis, a pine species that may have long been dominant and stable in the landscapes of the Caldera. The deposition of the remains could be explained by a single geomorphic event related to a humid (and probably torrential) episode. The factors that would explain the persistence of these pinewoods are discussed.