Holocene climate–vegetation–land use interactions in the mesomediterranean coastlands of northern Greece

Mesomediterranean vegetation with abundant evergreen broadleaved trees and shrubs is dominant along the coast of northern Greece. Well-dated palynological records are available from the inland submediterranean zone, where evergreen broadleaved trees and shrubs are absent or rare, but less is known about the vegetation history of the coastal area. For instance, it is unclear when and why evergreen broadleaved vegetation expanded during the Holocene. Here we present a new record from a mesomediterranean site, Limni Volvi, near the coast of the Aegean Sea. To understand Holocene vegetation history, we combined palynology, microscopic charcoal analysis and biogeochemical proxies (Ti, Ca, RABD 655–680max ). At the start of the Holocene, open steppe vegetation and high fire activity prevailed around Limni Volvi. Afforestation by deciduous trees was likely delayed compared to sites further inland, due to the lack of moisture at the start of the Holocene, but vegetation composition was generally similar (i.e. submediterranean), with barely any evergreen broadleaved element. Around 8150 cal. BP (6200 cal. BC) trees and shrubs declined in the open woodlands or parklands, and the landscape returned to steppe conditions at 8000 cal. BP (6050 cal. BC), likely because of drier and colder conditions during the “8.2 ka event.” Around the same time, cultural indicators suggest the start of Neolithic agriculture in the region. The present-day mesomediterranean vegetation with evergreen oaks only began to develop after 6000–5000 cal. BP (4050–3050 cal. BC), likely in response to increasing winter temperatures and reduced frost occurrence, further advantaged by human impact during the past 3600 years.