(Fig. 9) Pollen analysis of sediment core GIK16017-2

The improved understanding of the pollen signal in the marine sediments offshore of northwest Africa is applied to deep-sea core M 16017-2 at 21°N. Downcore fluctuations in the percentage, concentration and influx diagrams record latitudinal shifts of the main northwest African vegetation zones and characteristics of the trade winds and the African Easterly Jet. Time control is provided by 14C ages and 180 records. During the period 19,000-14,000 yr B.P. a compressed savanna belt extended between about 12 ° and 14-15°N. The Sahara had maximally expanded northward and southward under hyperarid climatic conditions. The belt with trade winds and dominant African Easterly Jet transport had not shifted latitudinally. The trade winds were strong as compared to the modern situation but around 13,000 yr B.P. the trade winds weakened. After 14,000 yr B.P. the climate became less arid south of the Sahara and a first spike of fluvial runoff is registered around 13,000 yr B.P. Fluvial runoff increased strongly around 11,000 yr B.P. and maximum runoff is recorded from about 9000-7800 yr B.P. Around 12,500 yr B.P. the savanna belt started to shift northward and became richer in woody species: it shifted about 6° of latitude, reached its northernmost position during the period of 9200-7800 yr B.P. and extended between about 16° and 24°N at that time. Tropical forest had reached its maximum expansion and the Guinea zone reached as far north as about 15°N, reflecting very humid climatic conditions south of the Sahara. North of the Sahara the climate also became more humid and Mediterranean vegetation developed rapidly. The Sahara had maximally contracted and the trade winds were weak and comparable with the present day intensity. After about 7800 yr B.P. the southern fringe of the Sahara and accordingly the savanna belt, shifted rapidly southward again.

Pollen profiles from a Late Palaeolithic site in the community of Bad Buchau-Kappel, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany

Excavations were carried out in a Late Palaeolithic site in the community of Bad Buchau-Kappel between 2003 and 2007. Archaeological investigations covered a total of more than 200 m**2. This site is the product of what likely were multiple occupations that occurred during the Late Glacial on the Federsee shore in this location. The site is situated on a mineral ridge that projected into the former Late Glacial lake Federsee. This beach ridge consists of deposits of fine to coarse gravel and sand and was surrounded by open water, except for a connection to the solid shore on the south. A lagoon lay between the hook-shaped ridge and the shore of the Federsee. This exposed location provided optimal access to the water of the lake. In addition, the small lagoon may have served as a natural harbor for landing boats or canoes. Sedimentological and palynological investigations document the dynamic history of the location between 14,500 and 11,600 years before present (cal BP). Evidence of the deposition of sands, gravels and muds since the Bølling Interstadial is provided by stratigraphic and palynological analyses. The major occupation occurred in the second half of the Younger Dryas period. Most of the finds were located on or in the sediments of the ridge; fewer finds occurred in the surrounding mud, which was also deposited during the Younger Dryas. Direct dates on some bone fragments, however, demonstrate that intermittent sporadic occupations also took place during the two millennia of the Meiendorf, Bølling, and Allerød Interstadials. These bones were reworked during the Younger Dryas and redeposited in the mud. A 14C date from one bone of 11,600 years ago (cal BP) places the Late Palaeolithic occupation of the ridge at the very end of the Younger Dryas, which is in agreement with stratigraphic observations. Stone artifacts, numbering 3,281, comprise the majority of finds from the site. These include typical artifacts of the Late Palaeolithic, such as backed points, short scrapers, and small burins. There are no bipointes or Malaurie-Points, which is in accord with the absolute date of the occupation. A majority of the artifacts are made from a brown chert that is obtainable a few kilometers north of the site in sediments of the Graupensandrinne. Other raw materials include red and green radiolarite that occur in the fluvioglacial gravels of Oberschwaben, as well as quartzite and lydite. The only non-local material present is a few artifacts of tabular chert from the region near Kelheim in Bavaria. A unique find consists of two fragments of a double-barbed harpoon made of red deer antler, which was found in the Younger Dryas mud. It is likely, but not certain, that this find belongs to the same assemblage as the numerous stone artifacts. Although not numerous, animal bones were also found in the excavations. Most of them lay in sediments of the Younger Dryas, but several 14C dates place some of these bones in earlier periods, including the Meiendorf, Bølling, and Allerød Interstadials. These bones were reworked by water and redeposited in mud sediments during the Younger Dryas. As a result, it is difficult to attribute individual bones to particular chronological positions without exact dates. Species that could be identified include wild horse (Equus spec.), moose or elk (Alces alces), red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), aurochs or bison (Bos spec.), wild boar (Sus scrofa), as well as birds and fish, including pike (Esox Lucius).

Palynological and stratigraphic record from Löddigsee in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

A Late Pleistocene and Holocene sediment core from the nowadays terrestrialised portion of the Löddigsee in Southern Mecklenburg, Germany was palynologically investigated. The lake is situated in the rarely investigated Young moraine area at the transition from the Weichselian to the Saalian glaciation. The high-resolution pollen diagram contributes to the establishment of the north-eastern German Late Pleistocene pollen stratigraphy. The vegetation distribution pattern after the end of the Weichselian is in good agreement with other studies from North-eastern Germany, but also has its own characteristics. The Holocene vegetation development reveals features from the north-eastern and north-western German lowlands. A special focus was laid on the environmental history of the two settlements on an island within the lake (Late Neolithic and Younger Slavic period), which were preserved under moist conditions. Both settlements were constructed during a period of low lake level. Although there is evidence of agriculture in the area during the respective periods, the two island settlements seem to have served other purposes.

Pollen and dinoflagellate cyst counts on sediment core M72/5_628-1 (MD72/5-25-GC1) from the Black Sea

High-resolution pollen and dinoflagellate cyst records from sediment core M72/5-25-GC1 were used to reconstruct vegetation dynamics in northern Anatolia and surface conditions of the Black Sea between 64 and 20 ka BP. During this period, the dominance of Artemisia in the pollen record indicates a steppe landscape and arid climate conditions. However, the concomitant presence of temperate arboreal pollen suggests the existence of glacial refugia in northern Anatolia. Long-term glacial vegetation dynamics reveal two major arid phases ~64-55 and 40-32 ka BP, and two major humid phases ~54-45 and 28-20 ka BP, correlating with higher and lower summer insolation, respectively. Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) cycles are clearly indicated by the 25-GC1 pollen record. Greenland interstadials are characterized by a marked increase in temperate tree pollen, indicating a spread of forests due to warm/wet conditions in northern Anatolia, whereas Greenland stadials reveal cold and arid conditions as indicated by spread of xerophytic biomes. There is evidence for a phase lag of ~500 to 1500 yr between initial warming and forest expansion, possibly due to successive changes in atmospheric circulation in the North Atlantic sector. The dominance of Pyxidinopsis psilata and Spiniferites cruciformis in the dinocyst record indicates brackish Black Sea conditions during the entire glacial period. The decrease of marine indicators (marine dinocysts, acritarchs) at ~54 ka BP and increase of freshwater algae (Pediastrum, Botryococcus) from 32 to 25 ka BP reveals freshening of the Black Sea surface water. This freshening is possibly related to humid phases in the region, to connection between Caspian Sea and Black Sea, to seasonal freshening by floating ice, and/or to closer position of river mouths due to low sea level. In the southern Black Sea, Greenland interstadials are clearly indicated by high dinocyst concentrations and calcium carbonate content, as a result of an increase in primary productivity. Heinrich events show a similar impact on the environment in the northern Anatolia/Black Sea region as Greenland stadials.

Radiocarbon ages and pollen record of a sediment core from Lake Lyadhej-To

An 1180-cm long core recovered from Lake Lyadhej-To (68°15'N, 65°45'E, 150 m a.s.l.) at the NW rim of the Polar Urals Mountains reflects the Holocene environmental history from ca. 11,000 cal. yr BP. Pollen assemblages from the diamicton (ca. 11,000-10,700 cal. yr BP) are dominated by Pre-Quaternary spores and redeposited Pinaceae pollen, pointing to a high terrestrial input. Turbid and nutrient-poor conditions existed in the lake ca. 10,700-10,550 cal. yr BP. The chironomid-inferred reconstructions suggest that mean July temperature increased rapidly from 10.0 to 11.8 °C during this period. Sparse, treeless vegetation dominated on the disturbed and denuded soils in the catchment area. A distinct dominance of planktonic diatoms ca. 10,500-8800 cal. yr BP points to the lowest lake-ice coverage, the longest growing season and the highest bioproductivity during the lake history. Birch forest with some shrub alder grew around the lake reflecting the warmest climate conditions during the Holocene. Mean July temperature was likely 11-13 °C and annual precipitation-400-500 mm. The period ca. 8800-5500 cal. yr BP is characterized by a gradual deterioration of environmental conditions in the lake and lake catchment. The pollen- and chironomid-inferred temperatures reflect a warm period (ca. 6500-6000 cal. BP) with a mean July temperature at least 1-2 °C higher than today. Birch forests disappeared from the lake vicinity after 6000 cal. yr BP. The vegetation in the Lyadhej-To region became similar to the modern one. Shrub (Betula nana, Salix) and herb tundra have dominated the lake catchment since ca. 5500 cal. yr BP. All proxies suggest rather harsh environmental conditions. Diatom assemblages reflect relatively short growing seasons and a longer persistence of lake-ice ca. 5500-2500 cal. yr BP. Pollen-based climate reconstructions suggest significant cooling between ca. 5500 and 3500 cal. yr BP with a mean July temperature 8-10 °C and annual precipitation-300-400 mm. The bioproductivity in the lake remained low after 2500 cal. yr BP, but biogeochemical proxies reflect a higher terrestrial influx. Changes in the diatom content may indicate warmer water temperatures and a reduced ice cover on the lake. However, chironomid-based reconstructions reflect a period with minimal temperatures during the lake history.

Pollen profile and age determination for sediment core M72/5_619-1 (22-GC3)

Sediments from the Black Sea, a region historically dominated by forests and steppe landscapes, are a valuable source of detailed information on the changes in regional terrestrial and aquatic environments at decadal to millennial scales. Here we present multi-proxy environmental records (pollen, dinoflagellate cysts, Ca, Ti and oxygen isotope data) from the uppermost 305 cm of the core 22-GC3 (42°13.53' N, 36°29.55' E) collected from a water depth of 838 m in the southern part of the Black Sea in 2007. The records span the last ~ 18 kyr (all ages are given in cal kyr BP). The pollen data reveal the dominance of the Artemisia-steppe in the region, suggesting rather dry/cold environments ~ 18-14.5 kyr BP. Warming/humidity increase during melt-water pulses (~ 16.1-14.5 kyr BP), indicated by d18O records from the 22-GC3 core sediment and from the Sofular Cave stalagmite, is expressed in more negative d13C values from the Sofular Cave, usually interpreted as the spreading of C3 plants. The records representing the interstadial complex (~ 14.5-12.9 kyr BP) show an increase in temperature and moisture, indicated by forest development, increased primary productivity and reduced surface run-off, whereas the switch from primary terrigenous to primary authigenic Ca origin occurs ~ 500 yr later. The Younger Dryas cooling is clearly demonstrated by more negative d13C values from the Sofular Cave and a reduction of pines. The early Holocene (11.7-8.5 kyr BP) interval reveals relatively dry conditions compared to the mostly moist and warm middle Holocene (8.5-5 kyr BP), which is characterized by the establishment of the species-rich warm mixed and temperate deciduous forests in the low elevation belt, temperate deciduous beech-hornbeam forests in the middle and cool conifer forest in upper mountain belt. The border between the early and middle Holocene in the vegetation records coincides with the opening of the Mediterranean corridor at ~ 8.3 kyr BP, as indicated by a marked change in the dinocyst assemblages and in the sediment lithology. Changes in the pollen assemblages indicate a reduction in forest cover after ~ 5 kyr BP, which was likely caused by increased anthropogenic pressure on the regional vegetation.

Multi-proxy records of Two-Yurts Lake

Within the scope of Russian-German palaeoenvironmental research, Two-Yurts Lake (TYL, Dvuh-Yurtochnoe in Russian) was chosen as the main scientific target area to decipher Holocene climate variability on Kamchatka. The 5x2 km large and 26 m deep lake is of proglacial origin and situated on the eastern flank of Sredinny Ridge at the northwestern end of the Central Kamchatka Valley, outside the direct influence of active volcanism. Here, we present results of a multi-proxy study on sediment cores, spanning about the last 7000 years. The general tenor of the TYL record is an increase in continentality and winter snow cover in conjunction with a decrease in temperature, humidity, and biological productivity after 5000-4500 cal yrs BP, inferred from pollen and diatom data and the isotopic composition of organic carbon. The TYL proxy data also show that the late Holocene was punctuated by two colder spells, roughly between 4500 and 3500 cal yrs BP and between 1000 and 200 cal yrs BP, as local expressions of the Neoglacial and Little Ice Age, respectively. These environmental changes can be regarded as direct and indirect responses to climate change, as also demonstrated by other records in the regional terrestrial and marine realm. Long-term climate deterioration was driven by decreasing insolation, while the short-term climate excursions are best explained by local climatic processes. The latter affect the configuration of atmospheric pressure systems that control the sources as well as the temperature and moisture of air masses reaching Kamchatka.

Pollen record and age determination of profile CS98-10 at Cape Shpindler, Yugorski Peninsula, northwest Russia

New pollen and radiocarbon data from an 8.6-m coastal section, Cape Shpindler (69°43' N; 62°48' E), Yugorski Peninsula, document the latest Pleistocene and Holocene environmental history of this low Arctic region. Twelve AMS 14C dates indicate that the deposits accumulated since about 13,000 until 2000 radiocarbon years BP. A thermokarst lake formed ca. 13,000-12,800 years BP, when scarce arctic tundra vegetation dominated the area. By 12,500 years BP, a shallow lake existed at the site, and Arctic tundra with Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Salix, Saxifraga, and Artemisia dominated nearby vegetation. Climate was colder than today. Betula nana became dominant during the Early Preboreal period about 9500 years BP, responding to a warm event, which was one of the warmest during the Holocene. Decline in B. nana and Salix after 9500 years BP reflects a brief event of Preboreal cooling. A subsequent increase in Betula and Alnus fruticosa pollen percentages reflects amelioration of environmental conditions at the end of Preboreal period (ca. 9300 years BP). A decline in arboreal taxa later, with a dramatic increase in herb taxa, reflects a short cold event at about 9200 years BP. The pollen data reflect a northward movement of tree birch, peaking at the middle Boreal period, around 8500 years BP. Open Betula forest existed on the Kara Sea coast of the Yugorski Peninsula during the Atlantic period (8000-4500 years BP), indicating that climate was significantly warmer than today. Deteriorating climate around the Atlantic-Subboreal boundary (ca. 4500 years BP) is recorded by a decline in Betula percentages. Sedimentation slowed at the site, and processes of denudation and/or soil formation started at the beginning of the Subatlantic period, when vegetation cover on Yugorski Peninsula shifted to near-modern assemblages.

Pollen profile from Wurzacher Becken

Interglacial lacustrine sediments of 0.3-0.6 m thickness are found in the basin of Wurzach over a distance of about 9 km as detected by 5 borings. The interglacial bed is intercalated between lacustrine sediments of Würm (above) and glaciolacustrine sediments of the Younger Riss (below). Most of the Würmian sediments are silty-sandy, calcareous and varved deposits. They were deposited as bottom sediments of a delta, which had formed in the glacial lake filling the Wurzach basin during the Upper Würm. The terminal moraine of the Younger Riss is found in the N and S of the Reed of Wurzach. In the NE it is overlain by sediments of Würm and Holocene age. The pollen bearing part of the new profile represents the last interglacial period (except its earliest phases), the two Lower Würm interstadials, which are equivalents of the Brørup and Odderade interstadial phases, and a third interstadial, the Dürnten, known from other localities in the forelands of the Alps with a forest vegetation, which consisted mainly of spruce and larch trees, and the intercalated stadial phases. These interstadials are different from those described earlier by FILZER, which on the contrary represent cold periods with highly increased reworking of pollen. The equivalents of the Brørup, Odderade and Dürnten interstadials are the "Kiefer-Fichten-Kampfzeit" and part of the "Kiefernzeit mit Fichte" of FILZER. The characteristic series of climatic events known already from a great number of sites scattered all over Europe and again at Wurzach proves that the Riss/Würm- and the Eem interglacial periods are time-equivalents. Differing amounts of Carpinus and Abies at different places in the northern foreland of the Alps are related to the migration history of the two species during the last interglacial period and must not be used to distinguish different types of interglacials (type Zeifen, type Pfefferbichl).