Gradual pollen zone transition from Alleröd to younger Dryas in an eastern Netherlands' lake fill

Abstract

A Late Glacial lake fill in the eastern Netherlands' acolian sand district shows a very gradual transition from the Alleröd to the Younger Dryas pollen zone. This contrasts with most pollen sections from the wide surroundings, where this transition is sharper. As, however, in most of these sections the pollen zone boundary coincides with a rather sharp lithologic change, local influences and/or time lags might have caused the sharper pollen zone transition there. Hence, the hypothesis is formulated that, as to regional vegetation history, the transition from Alleröd to Younger Dryas may indeed have been gradual.