Late Pleistocene and Holocene vegetation and climate on the northern Taymyr Peninsula, Arctic Russia

Pollen data from a Levinson-Lessing Lake sediment core (74degrees28'N, 98degrees38'E) and Cape Sabler, Taymyr Lake permafrost sequences (74degrees33'N, 100degrees32'E) reveal substantial environmental changes on the northern Taymyr Peninsula during the last c. 32 000 C-14 years. The continuous records confirm that a scarce steppe-like vegetation with Poaceae, Artemisia and Cyperaceae dominated c. 32 000-10 300 C-14 yr BP, while tundra-like vegetation with Oxyria, Ranunculaceae and Caryophyllaceae grew in wetter areas. The coldest interval occurred c. 18 000 yr BP. Lateglacial pollen data show several warming events followed by a climate deterioration c. 10 500 C-14 yr BP, which may correspond with the Younger Dryas. The Late Pleistocene/Holocene transition, c. 10 300-10 000 C-14 yr BP, is characterized by a change from the herb-dominated vegetation to shrubby tundra with Betula sect. Nanae and Salix. Alnus fruticosa arrived locally c. 9000-8500 C-14 yr BP and disappeared c. 4000-3500 C-14 yr BP. Communities of Betula sect. Nanae, broadly distributed at c. 10 000-3500 C-14 yr BP, almost disappeared when vegetation became similar to the modern herb tundra after 3500-3000 C-14 yr BP. Quantitative climate reconstructions show Last Glacial Maximum summer temperature about 4degreesC below the present and Preboreal (c. 10 000 14 C yr BP) temperature 2-4degreesC above the present. Maximum summer temperature occurred between 10 000 and 5500 C-14 yr BP; later summers were similar to present or slightly warmer.