Rapid vegetation response to Lateglacial and early Holocene climatic fluctuation in the South Carpathian Mountains (Romania)

摘要: Abstract High-resolution pollen, conifer stomata and plant macrofossil analyses of two glacial lake sediments (1740 1990 m a.s.l.) are used to reconstruct Lateglacial (LG) early Holocene (EH) vegetation tree line changes in the Retezat Mountains. Our results show that during LG, was between 1750 1800 m a.s.l. formed by Larix decidua, Pinus mugo Picea abies. Early LG spread high altitudes suggests refugia these species mountain. The Younger Dryas cooling resulted regional steppe-tundra expansion, but position composition showed little change. abundance trees shrubs decreased at 1740 m a.s.l., richness increased with arrival cembra. data support climate-model hindcasts for only modest decrease accumulated growing season heat mid-high altitudes. Regionally pollen records suggest enhanced aridity seasonality. In EH, reached 2000 m a.s.l. (higher than today) ∼11,100 cal yr BP. P. mugo, P. cembra, P. abies established around upper suggesting rapid increase summer temperatures. EH maximum L. decidua 11,200–10,600 cal yr BP connected insolation. High altitude expansion Abies alba 10,600–10,300 cal yr BP suggested mean temperatures ∼2.8 °C higher then today. comparison other mountain sites Europe, interstadial similar S Alps ∼350 m Pirin fluctuation had low amplitude SE Alps, Mts relatively weak influence North Atlantic thermohaline circulation on