Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2017-114 Manuscript under review for journal Clim. Past Discussion started: 29 September 2017 c Author(s) 2017. CC BY 4.0 License. Vegetation history and palaeoclimate at Lake Dojran (FYROM/Greece) during the Late Glacial and Holocene Alessia Masi1, Alexander Francke2,3, Caterina Pepe1, Matthias Thienemann2, Bernd Wagner2, and Laura Sadori1 1Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy 2Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany 3Wollongong Isotope Geochronology Laboratory, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia Correspondence to: Alessia Masi (
[email protected]) Abstract. A new high-resolution pollen and NPPs (Non-Pollen Palynomorphs) analysis has been performed on the sediments of Lake Dojran, a transboundary lake located at the border between Greece and Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). The sequence covers the last 12500 years and provides information on vegetational dynamics of the Late Glacial and Holocene for southern Balkans. A robust age-model, sedimentological, diatom, and biomarker analyses published previously 5 have been the base for a multi-perspective interpretation of the new palynological data. Pollen analysis revealed that the Late Glacial is characterized by steppic taxa with prevailing Amaranthaceae, Artemisia and Poaceae. The arboreal vegetation starts to rise after 11500 yr BP, taking a couple of millennia to be definitively attested. Holocene vegetation is characterized by the dominance of mesophilous plants. Quercus robur type and Pinus are the most abundant taxa followed by Quercus cerris type, Quercus ilex type and Ostrya/Carpinus orientalis. The first attestation of human presence can be presumed at 5000 yr BP for the 18 10 contemporary presence of cereals, Juglans and Rumex.