Copy the page URI to the clipboard
Hanselman, Jennifer A.; Gosling, William D.; Paduano, Gina M. and Bush, Mark B.
(2005).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.979
Abstract
Two long sediment records (cores LTO1-2B and LT01-3B) from Lake Titicaca, Bolivia/Peru, are compared with a previously analysed Holocene record from this lake (core NE98-1PC). The
Holocene records of LT01-2B and NE98-1PC are similar. There are striking differences, however,
between the MIS 5e sections of the long cores and the Holocene records. In these records, temperature
is probably the dominant parameter that determines the total fossil pollen concentration and is
used to time the onset and termination of deglaciation. In contrast, the relative and absolute abundance
of specific taxa (e.g. Polylepis/Acaena, Chenopodiaceae) are indicators of relative moisture
availability. Although the Holocene contains a period of aridity between ca. 8000 cal. yr BP and
4300 cal. yr BP, it is a minor event compared with the more extreme aridity of MIS 5e. Core LT01-
3B showed similar trends during MIS 5e when compared to LT01-2B, as did NE98-1PC when comparing
Holocene records. MIS 5e and the Holocene are markedly different interglacials, depicted by
shifts in pollen concentration and taxa representation over time.