Abstract

In a series of papers Campbell and McAndrews have developed the thesis that prominent pine rise in the Crawford Lake pollen record was the result of climate change, i.e., Little Ice Age cooling. As a corollary of this thesis the same authors also argue that Iroquoian forest clearance had only a minor effect on the vegetation of southern Ontario. A reconsideration of the Crawford Lake pollen record in the light of newly available archaeological evidence uncovered by Finlayson and his co-workers suggests that the climate change thesis is invalid. In this paper the implications of the pollen and archaeological records are reviewed. Several broader questions relating to the magnitude and ecological impact of of Little Ice Age cooling will also be considered.