Latest Pleistocene and Holocene vegetation and climate history inferred from an alpine lacustrine record, northwestern Yunnan Province, southwestern China

Reconstructing past changes of the summer monsoon in southwestern China is key to understanding the paleoclimatic dynamics of the Indian summer monsoon (southwest monsoon), a major tropical system with impacts beyond the region. High-resolution pollen and conifer stoma data are presented from a sediment core (Tiancai Lake), located just below treeline in the Hengduan Mountains, northwestern Yunnan Province of China. These data record changes in vegetation and climate for the latest Pleistocene and Holocene (c. the last 12,230 cal. yr BP), and by comparing these results with the pollen records from the nearby Erhai Lake and Lugu Lake, a regional climate history in Yunnan Province can be inferred. During the period of 12,230–11,510 cal. yr BP, open alpine meadow around Tiancai Lake indicates a relatively cold and dry climate, corresponding to the Younger Dryas cold event (YD). Between 11,510 and ∼10,000 cal. yr BP, the vegetation types around Tiancai Lake changed into Picea and Abies forest and alpine Rhododendron shrubland, reflecting increases in the temperature and humidity. From ∼10,000 to 6100 cal. yr BP, Tsuga forest expanded persistently toward Tiancai Lake, indicating further climate changed towards warmer and wetter conditions. Between 6100 and 3410 cal. yr BP, Tsuga forest was the dominant vegetation type nearest to Tiancai Lake, denoting warm and humid climatic conditions, corresponding to the Holocene climatic optimum in the northwestern Yunnan Province. Tsuga forest in mountains around Lugu Lake shrank quickly at 3410 cal. yr BP, reflecting significant decline of humidity. Since 2930 cal. yr BP, Tsuga forest around Tiancai Lake shrank gradually, indicating a fluctuating decrease of temperature. These climatic changes reflect changes of the southwest monsoon, namely, warm and humid climate indicating strong southwest monsoon, cold and dry climate denoting weak southwest monsoon. •We reconstruct a regional vegetation succession framework based on pollen data.•Early- to mid-Holocene: a gradual transition from cold–dry climate to warm–humid one.•The Holocene climatic optimum occurred at ∼6100 cal. yr BP in our study area.•Sea-level change and SST may be more important regional forcing mechanisms.