Late Pleistocene and Holocene Vegetation and Climate on the Taymyr Lowland, Northern Siberia

Abstract

Abstract Pollen records from perennially frozen sequences provide vegetation and climate reconstruction for the last 48,000 14 C years in the central part of Taymyr Peninsula. Open larch forest with Alnus fruticosa and Betula nana grew during the Kargin (Middle Weichselian) Interstade, ca. 48,000–25,000 14 C yr B.P. The climate was generally warmer and wetter than today. Open steppe-like communities with Artemisia , Poaceae, Asteraceae, and herb tundralike communities with dwarf Betula and Salix dominated during the Sartan (Late Weichselian) Stade, ca. 24,000–10,300 14 C yr B.P. The statistical information method used for climate reconstruction shows that the coldest climate was ca. 20,000–17,000 14 C yr B.P. A warming (Allerød Interstade?) with mean July temperature ca. 1.5°C warmer than today occurred ca. 12,000 14 C yr B.P. The following cooling with temperatures about 3°–4°C cooler than present and precipitation about 100 mm lower corresponds well with the Younger Dryas Stade. Tundra–steppe vegetation changed to Betula nana–Alnus fruticosa shrub tundra ca. 10,000 14 C yr B.P. Larch appeared in the area ca. 9400 14 C yr B.P. and disappeared after 2900 14 C yr B.P. Cooling events ca. 10,500, 9600, and 8200 14 C yr B.P. characterized the first half of the Holocene. A significant warming occurred ca. 8500 14 C yr B.P., but the Holocene temperature maximum was at about 6000–4500 14 C yr B.P. The vegetation cover approximated modern conditions ca. 2800 14 C yr B.P. Late Holocene warming events occurred at ca. 3500, 2000, and 1000 14 C yr B.P. A cooling (Little Ice Age?) took place between 500 and 200 14 C yr ago.