Pollen analysis and dynamics of a peat deposit in Carnarvon National Park, central Queensland

A peat deposit within the valley of Louisa Creek in the central highlands of Queensland formed because the valley is incised below the water table in the Precipice Sandstone, an important Jurassic aquifer in the Great Artesian Basin. Peat growth appears to have been rapid, reaching a maximum depth of some 4 m in 1000 years. The pollen record preserved in the peat indicates that the vegetation communities have not altered over this period except for recent modifications perhaps attributable to increased salinity and the influence of cattle grazing. Both the Louisa Creek peat and the floodplain sediments on the Nogoa River downstream testify to a dynamic geomorphic environment. The geomorphic setting and the location of this site on the dry‐subhumid/semi‐arid boundary in Queensland, suggest that minor climatic shifts have had a substantial environmental impact leading to alternating conditions of scour and fill of valley sediments.