Palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate in low-latitude southern China during the Last Glacial Maximum

Abstract

The evolution of vegetation and climate changes in tropical regions during the Last Glacial Maximum remains controversial. A continuous high-resolution terrestrial palynological data from 40 to 13 cal. ka BP is recorded in sediments of Huguangyan Maar Lake in southern China. The biomization technique and pollen data are used to reconstruct the history of vegetation and climate changes during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The results suggest that the Huguangyan area in the Last Glacial Maximum was dominated by subtropical evergreen forest with some deciduous trees, implying that the climate was drier and colder in southern China than at present; grassland vegetation did not appear in this area. A significant drop in temperature occurred at 18.5 cal. ka BP and terminated at 15.5 cal. ka BP, and the annual mean temperature during the LGM was 2–3°C lower or even more than present. This is in agreement with previous results from tropical low-latitude regions.