Late Glacial Multidisciplinary Studies

Amplitudes and rates of climate changes and environmental responses were especially high during the Late Glacial (ca. 16,000–11,500 years BP). By applying several methods on the same material (if possible on the same core to avoid correlation problems), the uncertainties and weaknesses of single disciplines can be reduced. Case studies are summarized to illustrate three types of research questions: What were the qualitative changes in the Late Glacial? How large were the temperature changes quantitatively? and What were the biotic responses to an independently recorded temperature change? Plant macrofossils play an important role in answering these questions. When several biostratigraphies and isotope stratigraphies are combined in a multidisciplinary study, we may disentangle the changes in various ecological factors, such as temperature, effective moisture, salinity, pH, or nutrient availability.