The Crvenka loess-paleosol sequence: A record of continuous grassland domination in the southern Carpathian Basin during the Late Pleistocene

Abstract

In this study, we compare two independent paleoenvironmental proxies for a loess sequence in northern Serbia, in the southern Carpathian Basin: novel n-alkane biomarkers and traditional land snail assemblages. Both are associated with other, more widely used proxy data for loess sections, such as environmental magnetism, grain size, and geochemical indices. Together, these paleoenvironmental proxy records provide evidence for the continued dominance of grasslands during the Late Pleistocene in the Southern Carpathian Basin. It is contrary to other European loess provinces, which are characterized by high diversity of Late Pleistocene environments (ranging from tundra-like to deciduous forest habitats). These findings highlight the southeastern part of Carpathian Basin as an important, but still insufficiently investigated, biogeographical refugium, and biodiversity preservation zone. The reason for this is a mostly stable paleoclimate for much of the Late Pleistocene.

Forestry Aridity Index in Vojvodina, North Serbia

“…Similar stable semi-arid conditions have been discovered to have occurred in the Late Pleistocene paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental records in the region of Vojvodina [72]. The last glacial loess snail fauna in the investigated area, which is characterized by a complete absence of any cold-resistant species, suggests a stable, dry, and relatively warm glacial summer climate, when compared to other European loess provinces [35,[73][74][75].…”

“…Two independent, environmental pieces of evidence from this loess-paleosol section, novel n-alkane biomarkers and traditional land snail assemblages, independently confirm a relatively stable paleoenvironment during the past 150 kyr. One characterized by the continuous dominance of grassland vegetation, with periodic intervals involving forest elements [72]. Using stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) of organic matter in reconstructing Quaternary climate variability based on loess are widely used methods and the most important factors controlling the isotopic signal in soils and sediments implying the changes in the photosynthetic pathway (shifts from C3 to C4 vegetation), physiological water stress, and changes in the atmospheric CO 2 concentration.…”

Independent Aridity and Drought Pieces of Evidence Based on Meteorological Data and Tree Ring Data in Southeast Banat, Vojvodina, Serbia

“…Conclusions comparable to the ones reached in this study can be found in various paleoclimate studies [36], suggesting that aridity in the investigated region is not characteristic only for the recent climate, but was also common in past geological periods. Many analyzed paleoclimatic proxies related to the last glacial loess also report a periodic [36,79,80] or even continuous presence of arid climate conditions [81][82][83].…”

A 180 ka record of environmental change at Erdut (Croatia): a new chronology for the loess–palaeosol sequence and its implications for environmental interpretation

“…This is not surprising as the MIS 6 stage is considered to be one of the most climatically severe periods in Europe, with the farthest extent of the glaciers (Ehlers and Gibbard, 2007; Francke et al ., 2016). The glacial action producing the sediment, increased fluvial and aeolian transport, in combination with a cold and dry climate and predominantly dry steppe and/or forest steppe‐like conditions (Marković et al ., 2006, 2007, 2018) supports increased sediment availability in the system.…”