Beschreibung:
A pollen diagram from Säynäjälampi, a small lake in Kuusamo, NE Finland, provides the basis for a description of the protocratic vegetation following the deglaciation of the area. Special attention is paid to the occurrence of Hippophaë rhamnoides. Fossil pollen of this species, which, though decidedly heliophilous in character, shows a broad ecological range in its present‐day habitats, may serve to indicate an open pioneer vegetation. A comparison of pollen diagrams published for Finland in which Hippophaë rhamnoides has been identified reveals evidence of metachronism in the pioneer vegetation, related to the history of the deglaciation, shore‐line displacement, and forestal advance.