Vegetation, fire and climate history in central-western Tasmania (41°S), Australia, over the last ∼21,000 years

Abstract

We present high resolution pollen and macroscopic charcoal records from Basin Lake, a relatively small mid-latitude (42°S) lake located in central-western Tasmania, Australia, to examine vegetation, fire and climate change since and during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). We find dominance of cold-resistant alpine vegetation with buttongrass moorland and scant trees between ∼21.0-17.7 cal kyr BP, with local biomass burning and low lake levels between ∼21.0-20.0 cal kyr BP and a reduction in local biomass burning and a rise in lake levels between ∼20.0-17.7 cal kyr BP. These data suggest glacial-cold conditions during the last millennia of the LGM, with relatively humid conditions between ∼21...