Late Pliocene/Early Pleistocene environments of the Siberian Arctic inferred from the Lake El'gygytgyn pollen record

Abstract. The 318 m thick lacustrine sediment record in Lake El'gygytgyn, northeastern Russian Arctic cored by the international El'gygytgyn Drilling Project provides unique opportunities allowing the time-continuous reconstruction of the regional paleoenvironmental history for the past 3.6 Myr. Pollen studies of the lower 216 m of the lacustrine sediments show their value as an excellent archive of vegetation and climate changes during the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. About 3.50–3.35 Myr BP the vegetation at Lake El'gygytgyn, in nowadays tundra area, was dominated by spruce-larch-fir-hemlock forests. After ca. 3.4 Myr BP dark coniferous taxa gradually disappeared. A very pronounced environmental changes took place at ca. 3.305–3.275 Myr BP, corresponding with the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) M2, when treeless tundra- and steppe-like habitats became dominant in the regional vegetation. Climate conditions were similar to those of Late Pleistocene cold intervals. Numerous coprophilous fungi spores identified in the pollen samples suggest the presence of grazing animals around the lake. Following the MIS M2 event, larch-pine forests with some spruce mostly dominated in the area until ca. 2.6 Myr BP, interrupted by colder and drier intervals ca. 3.04–3.02, 2.93–2.91, and 2.725–2.695 Myr BP. At the beginning of the Pleistocene, ca. 2.6 Myr BP, noticeable climatic deterioration occurred. Forested habitats changed to predominantly treeless and shrubby environments, which reflect a relatively cold and dry climate. Revealed peaks in green algae colonies (Botryococcus) around 2.53, 2.45, 2.320–2.305 and 2.175–2.150 Myr BP suggest a spread of shallow water environments. Few intervals (i.e. 2.55–2.53, ca. 2.37, and 2.35–2.32 Myr BP) with a higher presence of coniferous taxa (mostly pine and larch) document some relatively short-term climate ameliorations.

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Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene vegetation history of northeastern Russian Arctic inferred from the Lake El'gygytgyn pollen record

Climate of the Past ◽

10.5194/cp-10-1017-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 1017-1039 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

A. A. Andreev ◽

P. E. Tarasov ◽

V. Wennrich ◽

E. Raschke ◽

U. Herzschuh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vegetation History ◽

Lacustrine Sediments ◽

Early Pleistocene ◽

Pollen Record ◽

Russian Arctic ◽

Coprophilous Fungi ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Late Pliocene ◽

Lake El’Gygytgyn ◽

History Of

Abstract. The 318 m thick lacustrine sediment record from Lake El'gygytgyn, northeastern Russian Arctic cored by the international El'gygytgyn Drilling Project provides unique opportunities for the time-continuous reconstruction of the regional paleoenvironmental history for the past 3.6 Myr. Pollen studies of the lower 216 m of the lacustrine sediments demonstrate their value as an excellent archive of vegetation and climate changes during the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. About 3.5–3.35 Myr BP, the vegetation at Lake El'gygytgyn, now an area of tundra was dominated by spruce-larch-fir-hemlock forests. After ca. 3.35 Myr BP dark coniferous taxa gradually disappeared. A very pronounced environmental change took place ca. 3.31–3.28 Myr BP, corresponding to the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) M2, when treeless tundra- and steppe-like habitats became dominant in the regional vegetation. Climate conditions were similar to those of Late Pleistocene cold intervals. Numerous coprophilous fungi spores identified in the pollen samples suggest the presence of grazing animals around the lake. Following the MIS M2 event, larch-pine forests with some spruce mostly dominated the area until ca. 2.6 Myr BP, interrupted by colder and drier intervals ca. 3.043–3.025, 2.935–2.912, and 2.719–2.698 Myr BP. At the beginning of the Pleistocene, ca. 2.6 Myr BP, noticeable climatic deterioration occurred. Forested habitats changed to predominantly treeless and shrubby environments, which reflect a relatively cold and dry climate. Peaks in observed green algae colonies (Botryococcus) around 2.53, 2.45, 2.32–2.305, 2.20 and 2.16–2.15 Myr BP suggest a spread of shallow water environments. A few intervals (i.e., 2.55–2.53, ca. 2.37, and 2.35–2.32 Myr BP) with a higher presence of coniferous taxa (mostly pine and larch) document some relatively short-term climate ameliorations during Early Pleistocene glacial periods.

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Late Pliocene and early Pleistocene vegetation and climate change revealed by a pollen record from Nihewan Basin, North China

Quaternary Science Reviews ◽

10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.105905 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 222 ◽

pp. 105905 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yuecong Li ◽

Zhen Zhang ◽

Guoqiang Ding ◽

Qinghai Xu ◽

Yong Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

North China ◽

Early Pleistocene ◽

Pollen Record ◽

Late Pliocene ◽

Nihewan Basin ◽

Vegetation And Climate

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The biome reconstruction approach as a tool for interpretation of past vegetation and climate changes: application to modern and fossil pollen data from Lake El'gygytgyn, Far East Russian Arctic

Climate of the Past Discussions ◽

10.5194/cpd-9-3449-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 3449-3487 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

P. E. Tarasov ◽

A. A. Andreev ◽

P. M. Anderson ◽

A. V. Lozhkin ◽

E. Haltia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Pleistocene ◽

Middle Pleistocene ◽

Fossil Pollen ◽

Pollen Data ◽

Northern Asia ◽

Study Region ◽

Late Pliocene ◽

The Past ◽

Lake El’Gygytgyn ◽

Vegetation And Climate

Abstract. The modern and fossil pollen data obtained under the framework of the multi-disciplinary international "El'gygytgyn Drilling Project" represent a unique archive that allows the testing of a range of pollen-based reconstruction approaches and the deciphering of changes in the regional vegetation and climate since ~3.58 Ma. In the current study we provide details of the biome reconstruction method applied to the late Pliocene and Quaternary pollen records from Lake El'gygytgyn. All terrestrial pollen taxa identified in the spectra from Lake El'gygytgyn were assigned to major vegetation types (biomes), which today occur near the lake and in the broader region of eastern and northern Asia and, thus, could potentially have been present in this region during the past. When applied to the modern surface pollen spectra from the lake, the method shows a dominance of the tundra biome that currently characterizes the Lake El'gygytgyn area. When applied to the pollen spectra from the middle Pleistocene to present, the method suggests (1) a predominance of tundra during the Holocene, (2) a short interval during the marine isotope stage (MIS) 5.5 interglacial distinguished by cold deciduous forest, and (3) a long phase of taiga dominance during MIS 31 and, particularly, MIS 11.3. These two latter interglacials seem to be some of the longest and warmest intervals within the past million years. During the late Pliocene–early Pleistocene interval (i.e., ~3.562–2.200 Ma), there is good correspondence between the millennial-scale vegetation changes documented in the Lake El'gygytgyn record and the alternation of cold and warm marine isotope stages, which reflect changes in the global ice volume and sea level. The biome reconstruction demonstrates changes in the regional vegetation which suggest a step-like transition from generally warmer/wetter environments of the earlier (i.e., Pliocene) interval towards colder/drier environments of the Pleistocene. The reconstruction of most of the species-rich cool mixed and cool conifer forest biomes is particularly noticeable prior to MIS G16, whereas tundra becomes a prominent feature after MIS G6. These results consistently indicate that the study region supported significant tree populations during most of the interval prior to ~2.730 Ma. The biomization results also suggest that the transition from mostly forested to mostly open landscape was not gradual, but rather occurred in step-like fashion. Thus, the cold and drought tolerant steppe biome first appears in the reconstruction ca. 3.298 Ma during the tundra dominated MIS M2, whereas the tundra biome initially occurs between ~3.379 and ~3.378 Ma within MIS MG4. Prior to ~2.800 Ma, several other cold stages during this generally warm Pliocene interval experienced a dominance of tundra and a great reduction of tree populations in the regional vegetation.

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A pollen-based biome reconstruction over the last 3.562 million years in the Far East Russian Arctic – new insights into climate–vegetation relationships at the regional scale

Climate of the Past ◽

10.5194/cp-9-2759-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 2759-2775 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

P. E. Tarasov ◽

A. A. Andreev ◽

P. M. Anderson ◽

A. V. Lozhkin ◽

C. Leipe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Short Interval ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Early Pleistocene ◽

Middle Pleistocene ◽

Reconstruction Method ◽

Northern Asia ◽

Study Region ◽

Late Pliocene ◽

The Past ◽

Lake El’Gygytgyn

Abstract. The recent and fossil pollen data obtained under the frame of the multi-disciplinary international El'gygytgyn Drilling Project represent a unique archive, which allows the testing of a range of pollen-based reconstruction approaches and the deciphering of changes in the regional vegetation and climate. In the current study we provide details of the biome reconstruction method applied to the late Pliocene and Quaternary pollen records from Lake El'gygytgyn. All terrestrial pollen taxa identified in the spectra from Lake El'gygytgyn were assigned to major vegetation types (biomes), which today occur near the lake and in the broader region of eastern and northern Asia and, thus, could be potentially present in this region during the past. When applied to the pollen spectra from the middle Pleistocene to present, the method suggests (1) a predominance of tundra during the Holocene, (2) a short interval during the marine isotope stage (MIS) 5.5 interglacial distinguished by cold deciduous forest, and (3) long phases of taiga dominance during MIS 31 and, particularly, MIS 11.3. These two latter interglacials seem to be some of the longest and warmest intervals in the study region within the past million years. During the late Pliocene–early Pleistocene interval (i.e., ~3.562–2.200 Ma), there is good correspondence between the millennial-scale vegetation changes documented in the Lake El'gygytgyn record and the alternation of cold and warm marine isotope stages, which reflect changes in the global ice volume and sea level. The biome reconstruction demonstrates changes in the regional vegetation from generally warmer/wetter environments of the earlier (i.e., Pliocene) interval towards colder/drier environments of the Pleistocene. The reconstruction indicates that the taxon-rich cool mixed and cool conifer forest biomes are mostly characteristic of the time prior to MIS G16, whereas the tundra biome becomes a prominent feature starting from MIS G6. These results consistently indicate that the study region supported significant tree populations during most of the interval prior to ~2.730 Ma. The cold- and drought-tolerant steppe biome first appears in the reconstruction ~3.298 Ma during the tundra-dominated MIS M2, whereas the tundra biome initially occurs between ~3.379 and ~3.378 Ma within MIS MG4. Prior to ~2.800 Ma, several other cold stages during this generally warm Pliocene interval were characterized by the tundra biome.

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Late Pliocene to early Pleistocene climate dynamics in western North America based on a new pollen record from paleo-Lake Idaho

Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments ◽

10.1007/s12549-020-00460-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Frederik J. Allstädt ◽

Andreas Koutsodendris ◽

Erwin Appel ◽

Wolfgang Rösler ◽

Tammo Reichgelt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

North America ◽

Northern Hemisphere ◽

Ocean Circulation ◽

Early Pleistocene ◽

Pollen Record ◽

Late Pliocene ◽

Pleistocene Climate ◽

Late Neogene ◽

Study Interval ◽

Northwestern North America

AbstractMarked by the expansion of ice sheets in the high latitudes, the intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation across the Plio/Pleistocene transition at ~ 2.7 Ma represents a critical interval of late Neogene climate evolution. To date, the characteristics of climate change in North America during that time and its imprint on vegetation has remained poorly constrained because of the lack of continuous, highly resolved terrestrial records. We here assess the vegetation dynamics in northwestern North America during the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene (c. 2.8–2.4 Ma) based on a pollen record from a lacustrine sequence from paleo-Lake Idaho, western Snake River Plain (USA) that has been retrieved within the framework of an International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP) coring campaign. Our data indicate a sensitive response of forest ecosystems to glacial/interglacial variability paced by orbital obliquity across the study interval, and also highlight a distinct expansion of steppic elements that likely occurs during the first strong glacial of the Pleistocene, i.e. Marine Isotope Stage 100. The pollen data document a major forest biome change at ~ 2.6 Ma that is marked by the replacement of conifer-dominated forests by open mixed forests. Quantitative pollen-based climate estimates suggest that this forest reorganisation was associated with an increase in precipitation from the late Pliocene to the early Pleistocene. We attribute this shift to an enhanced moisture transport from the subarctic Pacific Ocean to North America, confirming the hypothesis that ocean-circulation changes were instrumental in the intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation.

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