Weichselian palynostratigraphy, palaeovegetation and palaeoenvironment; the record from Lago Grande di Monticchio, southern Italy

The palynostratigraphic record from Lago Grande di Monticchio (S. Italy) is presented. An independent sedimentation-rate-based chronology provides an age of 101,530 calendar years BP for the lowermost sediments sampled. This chronology enables assessment of the rapidity of vegetation changes during the last glacial; contrary to widely held views the vegetation showed numerous large magnitude changes in periods of < 150 yr. The history of vegetation and environmental changes is inferred from the palynological data. Comparison with other palynological records From southern Europe indicates that the Monticchio record reveals much greater vegetation and environmental variability than has hitherto been reported. The regionally dominant biomes have been systematically reconstructioned. Whereas forest biomes predominated during the Holocene and early-Weichselian interstadials, open 'wooded steppe' predominated during the majority of Weichselian interstadials and steppe during stadial periods including the full glacial. Quantitative palaeoclimate reconstructions indicate rapid, large magnitude and independent variations in the three climatic variables reconstructed winter cold, seasonal warmth and moisture availability. These variations can be linked to variations in other Earth system components; comparisons upon the basis of their independent chronologies reveals contrasts between terrestrial and marine records that are potentially important indicators of underlying mechanisms and drivers of environmental change. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.