17. Comparative analysis of vegetation and climate changes during the Eemian interglacial in Central and Eastern Europe

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17. Comparative Analysis of Vegetation and Climate Changes During the Eemian Interglacial in Central and Eastern Europe A.A. Velichko1, E.Y. Novenko1, E.M. Zelikson1, T. Boettger2 and F.W. Junge3 1

Institute of Geography RAS, Department of the Evolutionary Geography, Staromonetny 29, 119017 Moscow, Russia 2 UFZ Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle, Dept. of Isotope Hydrology, Th.-Lieser-Str. 4, D-06120 Halle, Germany 3 Saxon Academy of Sciences at Leipzig, Dynamics of Contaminants in Catchment Areas working group, Karl-Tauchnitz-Straße 1, D-04107 Leipzig, Germany

ABSTRACT The spatial–temporal landscape dynamics through the Eemian interglacial (including preceding and succeeding transitional phases) have been examined along a latitudinal transect (50–55  N). Three Eemian pollen diagrams are presented. As follows from comparison of the data from Central and Eastern Europe, changes of environment and climate became more contrasting from west to east. At the same time, the main phases in the evolution of vegetation appear to be similar throughout the latitudinal belt. The interglacial optimum was characterised by an essential similarity of vegetation all over the region investigated. Plant communities of the cooler intervals (at the beginning and closer to the end of the interglacial) differed noticeably from west to east. Significant contrasts in environmental and climatic fluctuations mark the Saalian/Eemian boundary (transition from MIS 6 to MIS 5e). Vegetation dynamics at this boundary resemble those detected at the transition from Weichselian to Holocene (Allero¨d and Younger Dryas). 17.1 INTRODUCTION Palaeogeographical reconstructions of warm intervals of the late Pleistocene increasingly attract attention of researchers because of their importance for a better understanding of modern environmental

processes and their anticipated changes. Successive phases of vegetation evolution inferred from pollen data have been traced from west to east along a latitudinal transect (50–55  N; Fig. 17.1). Palaeogeographical reconstructions are based on three key sections: Klinge (Fig. 17.2) in Central Europe and Cheremoshnik (Fig. 17.3) and Il’inskoye (Fig. 17.4) on the East European Plain (Velichko et al., 2005) and supplemented by published data on sites in Central and Eastern Europe showing evolution of vegetation through the last interglacial. Vegetation maps for four time slices of the Eemian have been compiled. The data obtained characterise the landscape evolution during the late Saalian (Dniepr) termination, the Eemian interglacial and the early phases of the Weichsel (Valdai) glacial stage. Analysis of the vegetation succession during the Saalian late glacial revealed some similarities between successions at the end of this glaciation and at the Weichselian late glacial/Holocene transition (Allero¨d and Younger Dryas). No less interesting are the climatic oscillations and vegetation changes at the Eemian–Weichselian transition. This observed structural similarity between the last interglacial and the Holocene provides us with an insight into climatic fluctuations that may be expected during the later phases of the Holocene. As the Eemian interval is beyond the range of radiocarbon dating, and only a

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70° N

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schemes can be compared with each other. Table 17.1 summarises the correlation between biozones from west to east within the latitudinal belt. We assume that the boundaries between biozones were not contemporaneous especially at the beginning and at the end of the interglacial; however existing data do not allow us to discuss this volume.

3

20

17.2 RECONSTRUCTION OF VEGETATION

21

15 22

Black Sea

Fig. 17.1 Location of Eemian sites (a) Sections, those pollen diagrams are presented in the paper: 1. Klinge (Velichko et al., 2005); 2. Cheremoshnik (Velichko et al., 2005); 3. Il’inskoye (Velichko et al., 2005); (b) Published data: 4. Gro¨bern (Litt, 1994); 5. Kittlitz (Erd, 1973); 6. Grabschu¨tz (Litt, 1994); 7. Scho¨nfeld (Erd, 1991); 8. Imbramowice (Mamakowa, 1989); 9. Kerkwitz (Erd, 1960); 10. Zbytki (Kuszell, 1997); 11. Rogaczewo (Kuszell, 1997); 12. Nakło (Norys´kiewicz, 1978); 13. Głowczyn (Niklewski, 1968); 14. Otapy (Bitner, 1956); 15. Horoszki (Granoszewski, 2003); 16. Yonensis-Maximonis (Kondratene, 1996); 17. Pushkari (Grichuk, 1961); 18. Murava (Tzapenko and Mahnach, 1959); 19. Nizhnyaya Boyarshchina (Grichuk, 1982); 20. Mikulino (Grichuk, 1961); 21. Tarasovo (Tzapenko and Mahnach, 1959); 22. Kolodiev (Gurtovaya, 1983); 23. Domanovo (Gei et al., 2000); 24. Rederstall (Menke and Tynni, 1984).

few sites have been dated by the uranium– thorium disequilibrium method, it seems reasonable that individual sections should be correlated on a biostratigraphic basis. There are a number of regional schemes of biostratigraphical zonation (Erd, 1973; Grichuk, 1982; Menke and Tynni, 1984; Mamakova, 1989, Table 17.1). As a great number of Eemian sites show the typical succession of trees, various zonation

17.2.1 The stage of late glacial vegetation Despite scarcity of palynological data for the end of Saalian (Dniepr) glacial epoch (the lowermost part of the Klinge and Cheremoshnik profiles, Fig. 17.2, 17.3), we can nevertheless suppose that at this time Central and Eastern Europe were occupied by a complex vegetation, which included open birch and pine forests, cold-tolerant shrub communities (with Betula nana, B. humilis), meadows and bogs. The transition to interglacial conditions encouraged the spread of forest in Central and Eastern Europe. The role of shrub communities in the landscape increased significantly. Elements of the periglacial vegetation and communities with heliophytes (Helianthemum, Hippophae rhamnoides) probably survived in favourable habitats. Noteworthy is the appearance of aquatic plants, known to be for their rather thermophilous. The late glacial plant succession suggests rather unstable climatic conditions. Two substages of vegetation development can be identified. The composition of pollen assemblages obtained for the lower part of the Klinge profile (Velichko et al., 2005) and of previously published sections in east Germany and Poland (e.g. Kittlitz: Erd, 1973; Gro¨bern: Litt, 1994; Imbramowice: Mamakowa, 1989; Zbytki: Kuszell, 1997) show that pine forest dominated in

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Hedera Viscum Salix Alnus: Alnaster-type Betula humilis Betula nana Hippophae rhamnoides Artemisia Chenopodiaceae Cyperaceae Ericales Helianthemum Poaceae

Corylus

Alnus

Ilex Taxus

Carpinus

Quercus Ulmus Tilia cordata

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Pinus sylvestris

Abies Picea Pinus cembra

Comparative Analysis of Vegetation and Climate Changes

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Fig. 17.2 Pollen diagram of the Klinge section. Pollen sum ¼ AP þ NAP þ Spores. Clear curves represent  10 exaggeration of base curves, ‘þ’ – redeposited taxa, ‘‘.’’ – presence of taxa under 2%. Lithology; 1 – silt; 2 – laminated silt; 3 – peat with clay; 4 – peat; 5 – mud; 6 – silty mud; 7 – sandy silt; 8 – silty clay; 9 – silt with clay.

the earlier part of this period. Then, birch forest and herb communities (with Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae and Poaceae) expanded over the area. In late glacial pollen assemblages in sites, located in eastern Poland (e.g. Otapy: Bitner, 1956; Horoszki: Granoszewski, 2003) and Byelorussia (Murava, Tarasovo: Tzapenko and Mahnach, 1959; Savchenko and Pavlovskaya, 1999) at similar latitudes, spruce plays a noticeable role alongside pine. Farther to the east (Mikulino: Grichuk, 1961), a Picea maximum is typical of pollen diagrams from

this time interval all over the East European Plain (the so-called ‘lower spruce maximum’). Thus, spruce woodlands were widespread in the eastern part of the territory under consideration, whereas pine forests occupied the western region. Climatic and vegetation dynamics at the glacial/interglacial transition show greater contrast in the eastern part of the latitudinal belt. Two phases of vegetation can clearly be determined in the pollen diagram from the Cheremoshnik section in the Upper Volga

Depth, cm

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LPAZ Biostratigraphics zone by V.P. Grichuk, 1961

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Pteredium aqilinum Selaginella selaginoides Sphagnum Nymphaea Nuphar Typha latifolia

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Cyperaceae Dipsacaceae Ephedra Helianthemum Polygonaceae Ranunculaceae Rosaceae Thalictrum Osmunda Botrychium lunaria Lycopodium annotinum Lycopodium selago

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Viscum album Viburnum Salix Alnus: Alnaster type Betula humilis Betula nana Artemisia

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Corylus avellana

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Fraxinus exelsior

20 40

Tilia platyphyllos

Viburnum Salix Alnus: Alnaster type Betula humilis Betula nana Juniperus Humulus lupulus Artemisia Chenopodiaceae

Corylus

Alnus

Ulmus Tilia cordata Tilia platyphyllos Carpinus Fraxinus

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Pinus sibirica Larix Betula sect. Albae Acer

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Abies Picea

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A.A. Velichko et al.

7 M7

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Fig. 17.3 Pollen diagram of the Cheremoshnik section. Pollen sum ¼ AP þ NAP, ‘‘.’’ – presence of taxa under 2%. Lithology: 1 – peat; 2 – gyttja; 3 – till.

6 M8

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Fig. 17.4 Pollen diagram of the Il’inskoye section. Pollen sum ¼ AP þ NAP þ Spores, ‘‘.’’ – presence of taxa under 2%. Lithology: 1 – loam; 2 – peat; 3 – gyttja.

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Table 17.1 Eemian biostratigraphic correlation B. Menke and R. Tynni (1984)

K. Erd (1973)

K. Mamakowa (1989)

V.P. Grichuk (1961, 1982)

E7 Pinus E6 Pinus-Picea-Abies

E9 Pinus-Betula E8 Pinus-Picea-AlnusAbies E7 Carpinus-Alnus-Picea (Abies) E6 Carpinus-Taxus-TiliaAlnus (Picea) E5b Corylus-Taxus-TiliaAlnus E5a Corylus-Taxus-QuercusAlnus E4 Corylus-Quercus-AlnusPinus E3 Pinus-Quercus-BetulaUlmus E2 Pinus-Betula -Ulmus

E7 Pinus E6 Pinus-PiceaAbies E5 CarpinusPicea-Alnus

M8 Pinus-Picea-Betula M7 Picea

E4 CorylusQuercus-Tilia

M5 Tilia-Quercus-UlmusCorylus M4 Quercus-UlmusCorylus

E5 Carpinus-Picea

E4b Corylus-TaxusTilia E4a Quercetum mixtum-Corylus

E3 Pinus-Quercetum mixtum E2 Pinus-Betula E1 Betula Saalian late-glacial

E1 Betula-Pinus

region (Fig. 17.3). Spruce forest with shrubs and elements of periglacial-steppe vegetation occurred in the earliest phase. Then birch forest occupied the territory. The role of bushes (Betula nana, B. humilis, Alnus (Alnaster) virides ssp. fruticosus) and steppe-like communities (with Poaceae, Ephedra, Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae) increase significantly. 17.2.2 The Eemian Interglacial 17.2.2.1 The stage of birch and pine–birch forests A rapid afforestation of the area reflects a dramatic change in the regional vegetation caused by the warming at the beginning of the Eemian. The vegetation changes appear to be similar all over the latitudinal belt. Dense forests spread over the region under consideration (first pine and later birch). Oak, elm, hazel and alder gradually penetrated the forest communities during this period, but in eastern regions thermophilous plants appeared later – by the end of that time. After that forest communities with broad-leaved trees dominated the plant cover.

E3 QuercusFraxinus-Ulmus E2 Pinus-Betula Ulmus E1 Pinus-Betula

M6 Carpinus

M3 Pinus-Betula-(QuercusUlmus- Corylus) M2 Betula M1 Picea

17.2.2.2 The stage of coniferous – broadleaved forests (Fig. 17.5a) Pine-oak forests with broad-leaved trees (Ulmus, Tilia, Acer and Fraxinus) and hazel communities expanded widely in Central Europe. Broad-leaved forests (dominated by Quercus and Ulmus) and hazel communities spread over the East European Plain. The appearance of Hedera helix and Viscum album indicates warming and increasing humidity. Hedera pollen was recorded in Eemian deposits in Lithuania (Kondratene, 1996) and the Precarpathians (Gurtovaya, 1983). Viscum album penetrated the central region of the East European Plain (e.g. Il’inskoye section Fig. 17.4, Velichko et al., 2005). 17.2.2.3 The stage of mixed broad-leaved forests (Fig. 17.5b) Forests formed by lime (Tilia cordata and Tilia platyphyllos), oak and hornbeam occupied the area. Important components were Ulmus, Fraxinus and Acer. Hazel continued to play a cospicuous role in the prevailing communities. The interglacial optimum was

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20°

60°N

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Pollen zone E4a 30°

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Baltic Sea

50°N

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Pollen zone E4b

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Pollen zone E6

Fig. 17.5 Reconstruction of the vegetation along the latitudinal profile for various time slices in the Eemian (Biostratigraphical units by Menke and Tynni, 1984). (a) The stage of coniferous – broad-leaved forests (pollen zone E4a). 1 – pine-oak forest with broad-leaved trees (Ulmus, Tilia, Acer and Fraxinus); 2 – broadleaved forest (dominated by Quercus and Ulmus); 3 – the easternmost location of Viscum album pollen; 4 – the easternmost location of Hedera helix pollen; 5 – location of Eemian sites. (b) The stage of mixed broad-leaved forests (pollen zone E4b). 1 – broad-leaved forest formed by lime and yew with admixture of oak and hornbeam; 2 – broad-leaved forest formed by lime and hornbeam with admixture of oak and swamped forest of alder (Alnus glutinosa); 3 – broad-leaved forest formed by lime, oak and elm; 4 – the easternmost location of Ilex aquifolium pollen. (c) The stage of hornbeam forests (pollen zone E5). 1 – hornbeam forest with lime, yew and spruce; 2 – hornbeam forest with lime and oak and swamp forest of alder (Alnus glutinosa); 3 – Hornbeam forest with lime and oak; 4 – mixed broad-leaved forest with spruce. (d) The stage of spruce and pine forests with hornbeam (pollen zone E6). 1 – spruce and pine forest with hornbeam, oak and fir; 2 – spruce and pine forest with hornbeam, fir and alder; 3 – spruce and pine forest with admixture of broad-leaved trees; 4 – spruce and pine-birch forest.

marked by essentially similar vegetation over the latitudinal transect. Nevertheless, differentiation between Central and East Europe took place. In western regions, yew (Taxus baccata) was one of the significant taxa in forest communities. Exceptionally high pollen values of Taxus baccata at a number of sections in Central Europe

suggest that in the interglacial optimum it might form communities under the canopy of other trees, similar to yew forest in southern England nowadays. In this case, some researchers distinguish a Taxus pollen zone (Jung et al., 1972) or a CorylusTaxus-Tilia one (Menke and Tynni, 1984) in biostratigraphic schemes for the Eemian.

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The important components of the vegetation in Poland were communities of Alnus incana on wet soils and swamp forests of A. glutinosa. During the period under consideration, thermophilous species such as Taxus baccata and Ilex aquifolium advanced far to the east compared to their modern range. Pollen and macrofossils of holly (a species restricted to West Europe at present) have been found in eastern Germany (Erd, 1960, 1973; Litt, 1994) and Poland (Mamakowa, 1989; Kuszell, 1997). There is evidence for Ilex aquifolium having occurred as far as the Precarpathians (Kolodiev section; Gurtovaya, 1983). Broadleaved trees, noted for their rather high requirement of humidity – Tilia platyphyllos and Carpinus betulus, appeared in forest communities of the eastern region considerably later than in the west. Therefore, the Carpinus peak in pollen diagrams in eastern regions (see Il’inskoye site, Fig. 17.4) is short. It should be noted that these species are absent in the modern flora of the eastern part of the investigated territory. 17.2.2.4 The stage of hornbeam forests (Fig. 17.5c) Hornbeam became dominant in zonal forest formations during the second half of the interglacial, while at its end spruce and fir (only in the west) were also present in the forest communities. Broad-leaved trees (Quercus, Tilia, Ulmus, Fraxinus, as well as Ilex and Taxus) persisted in the forest, but were not abundant. 17.2.2.5 The stage of spruce and pine forests with hornbeam (Fig. 17.5d) This stage is characterised by a reduction of forest area. Alongside dense forest, open woodland appeared. The role of broadleaved trees fell substantially. Pollen diagrams reflect provincial differentiation of plant cover during this stage. Pollen spectra of sediments in the western region are

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distinguished by the presence of Abies and relatively high percentages of thermophilous trees; pollen assemblages from eastern sections lack these characteristics. The conspicuous maximum of spruce pollen is typical of the end of the Eemian in the pollen sequences all over the East European Plain (the ‘upper spruce maximum’). 17.2.2.6 The stage of open pine forests The final stage of the interglacial was marked by pine and birch forests with admixture of spruce and fir (in the west) and some steppe-like areas (with Ephedra and Artemisia), shrub communities, wet meadows (with Selaginella selaginoides and Lycopodium pungens) and wetlands. The role of cold-tolerant shrubs (dwarf birch and green alder) in the plant cover increased with the onset of colder climate. On the whole, forests became more open, than they were at the beginning of this stage, as indicated by the decrease in tree pollen content and by higher frequencies of herbaceous pollen in the assemblages (Artemisia, Poaceae and Chenopodiaceae). 17.2.3 Vegetation at the beginning of the early Weichselian (Valdai) glacial stage Unlike the late glacial of the Saalian glacial stage, which was distinguished by noticeable changes in the plant cover, vegetation evolution at the boundary between the interglacial and glacial epochs in Central Europe proceeded gradually. Pollen sequences where the final phases of the interglacial are present, e.g., Rederstall (Menke and Tynni, 1984), Kittlitz (Erd, 1973) and Klinge, show that the end of the Eemian cycle was characterised by gradual changes of vegetation. In the Gro¨bern profile, a brief warming phase at the end of the interglacial is reflected by stable isotope data (Boettger et al., 2000). While woodlands persisted in western regions, open periglacial vegetation spread over eastern ones.

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Similar features of vegetation dynamics are recognised in the eastern part of the transect. Pollen records from the Mikulino section (stratotype for the last interglacial) enabled Grichuk (1961) to distinguish the first Early Valdai interstadial (Upper Volga interstadial) despite some gaps in sedimentation at the transition. In pollen assemblages of this interstadial, Betula pollen reaches its maximum, Picea and Pinus are also abundant. The continuous pollen sequence from the second half of the Eemian/Mikulino interglacial to the onset of the Early Valdai glacial stage has been found in the Pushkari section in the Vitebsk region (Grichuk, 1961) and in Domanovo section in the Vologda area (Gei et al., 2000). The last zone of the Mikulino interglacial is in the pollen diagrams followed by a phase marked by a significant peak of Betula sect. Nanae pollen against the background of decreasing tree pollen percentages. Still higher in the diagrams the Early Valdai warming phase occurs. The lower boundary of the interstadial is identified by relatively high values of pollen of pine and tree birch. Composition of the pollen assemblages of the next phase suggests a transition to cooling.

Weichsel the climate became colder and more continental (Klinge: TI ¼ 10 , TVII ¼ þ16 ). Comparison of the reconstructed climatic parameters with those of today indicates a larger positive deviation of winter than of summer temperatures. As for winter temperatures, their positive deviations were larger in the east (Il’inskoye section) than in the west (Klinge) – 10 C and 2 C respectively. Summer (July) temperature deviations were no more than 1 C both in the east and in the west. At the Eemian (Mikulino interglacial) optimum, the latitudinal gradient of temperatures was considerably reduced. Continentality of climate in the east of the continent was much less as a result of (a) 20 Klinge t° C

II’inskoye

16

12

Present value: Klinge TVII = 18° C II’inskoye TVII = 19° C

4

17.3 CLIMATIC RECONSTRUCTIONS Klinge

Climatic characteristics (mean temperatures of the warmest and coldest months) for the Eemian were determined using the floristic method of palaeoclimatic reconstruction – the method of climagrams that was developed in the Laboratory of Evolutionary Geography IG RAS (Grichuk, 1985). Curves of mean temperatures of the coldest and warmest months – January and July (Fig. 17.6) – show that, obviously, the heat supply rose gradually from the beginning of the interglacial (Klinge: TI ¼ 2 , TVII ¼ þ18 , Il’inskoye: TI ¼ 6 , TVII ¼ þ18 ) to its middle part, reaching maximal values (Klinge: TI ¼ þ2 , TVII ¼ þ19 , Il’inskoye: TI ¼ 0 , TVII ¼ þ19 ). Then the temperature (curve) decreased, and with the onset of the

0 t° C

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–8 Present value: Klinge TI = 0° C II’inskoye TI = –10° C –12 E2

E3+ E4b E5 E6 E7 E4a Biostratigtaphical subdivisions by Menke & Tynni (1984).

Fig. 17.6 Temperature reconstruction of the Klinge and Il’inskoye sections. (a) Reconstruction of the mean temperature of the warmest month. (b) Reconstruction of the mean temperature of the coldest month.

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Comparative Analysis of Vegetation and Climate Changes

evident penetration of oceanic influences farther eastwards. This accounts for the fact that summer temperatures differed insignificantly from modern ones all over the transect, while winter temperatures did not drop below 0  C anywhere. The interglacial optimum was marked by increasing precipitation. In the eastern region, the deviation of precipitation was not more the 100 mm while that in the western part of transect reached 300 mm (Velichko et al., 1991). The presented climatic reconstructions are in high agreement with the findings of other studies of the Eemian (Velichko et al., 1991; Zagwijn, 1996; Aalbersberg and Litt, 1998). 17.4 CONCLUSIONS Comparison of palynological materials from Central and Eastern Europe reveals that changes of environment and climate became more contrasting from west to east. At the same time, the main phases in the evolution of vegetation appear to be similar throughout the latitudinal belt under consideration. The interglacial optimum was marked by an essential similarity of vegetation all over the region investigated. Nevertheless, a floristic provincial differentiation is detectable. Mixed broad-leaved forests in Central Europe included species that require a certain oceanicity of climate (Ilex aquifolium, Hedera helix, Taxus baccata, etc). The participation of these plants decreases eastward. Of those species, only Tilia platyphyllos and Viscum album are found in the Eemian pollen assemblages in the eastern part of the transect. On the other hand, plant communities of the cooler intervals (at the beginning and closer to the end of the interglacial) differed noticeably from west to east, primarily in the proportion of broad-leaved species in zonal vegetation formations. Significant contrasts in environmental and climatic fluctuations mark the Saalian/ Eemian boundary (transition from MIS 6 to MIS 5e). Vegetation dynamics at this boundary resemble those detected at the transition

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from Weichselian to Holocene (Allero¨d and Younger Dryas).

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