In June 2014, a group of environmental- and geoscientists of the CRC 806 at the University of Cologne completed successfully the first phase of the fieldwork in the central eastern Carpathians (Romania).
In order to examine the pollen–vegetation relationship in the study area, 18 moss samples from different vegetation patches within the Mohoş crater as well as in its surroundings were recovered. Additionally, the vegetation was mapped in detail both for herbaceous and woody taxa for each moss sample. In the case of the herbaceous vegetation, the taxa were mapped in a 10 m radius using relevés (i.e. delimited plots, here of 100 x 100 cm), while the woody taxa were mapped in a 100 m radius. In each location, plant specimens and soil samples were collected and will be tested for phytoliths. Soil horizons as well as pinch surface samples were acquired. Surface sampling for soil phytolith analysis was performed on transects inside the Mohoş peat bog catchment.
The collected material will be analysed in the following months at the Pollen Laboratory of the Institute of Geography at the University of Cologne. Modern pollen, phytolith and vegetation data will be evaluated in order to determine the pollen and phytolith source area. Our survey will contribute to the calibration of microfossil data that will be analysed from the sediment cores retrieved during the second phase of the fieldwork at Mohoş.
 Members of the University of Cologne team that participated in the field campaign at Mohoş.Photo: Konstantinos Panagiotopoulos |
 A little pond that lies on Mohoş peat bog. Photo: Konstantinos Panagiotopoulos |
