History of deforestation in the vicinity of a village in Northern Masovia, Poland: An example of the possible old wood effect

Abstract

Anthropogenic activity changes the processes of erosion on slopes. The deforestation process is connected with the deposition of material at the foot of the slope. During this process, macro-charcoals from anthropogenic-induced fires are trapped in the sediments. This paper provides an analysis of charcoal counts and sediment characteristics and is supported by historical data analysis. During this study, a discrepancy between radiocarbon dating and historical data was revealed; a probable explanation is presented.