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Reconstruction of the late Quaternary paleoenvironments of the Nussloch loess paleosol sequence, Germany, using n-alkane biomarkers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2012

Michael Zech ,
Simon Rass ,
Björn Buggle ,
Manfred Löscher  and
Ludwig Zöller
Michael Zech*
Affiliation:
University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, D-953440 Bayreuth, Germany Soil Physics Department, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
Simon Rass
Affiliation:
University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, D-953440 Bayreuth, Germany
Björn Buggle
Affiliation:
Soil Physics Department, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
Manfred Löscher
Affiliation:
Max-Reger-Weg 3, D-69181 Leimen, Germany
Ludwig Zöller
Affiliation:
University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, D-953440 Bayreuth, Germany
*
⁎Corresponding author at: Chair of Geomorphology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, D-953440 Bayreuth, Germany. Fax: + 49 921 552314. Email Address:michael_zech@gmx.de
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Abstract

This study contributes to the paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the loess–paleosol sequence of Nussloch, Germany, by using n-alkanes as plant leaf-wax-derived lipid biomarkers. We found that n-alkane patterns and concentrations in the Saalian loess and the last interglacial Eemian paleosol of Nussloch point to very strong degradation and prevailing deciduous vegetation. Degradation effects in the overlying paleosols and loess layers are less pronounced and allow for the application of an end-member mixing model to estimate vegetation changes semi-quantitatively. Our findings highlight the potential for the interpretation of degradation-corrected n-alkane ratios. n-Alkane modelling results for loess layers, paleosols and an in-filled paleochannel dated to ~ 60–32 ka suggest that up to ~ 50% of the n-alkanes were derived from deciduous trees or shrubs. This finding is in agreement with the abundant occurrence of wood fragments and indicates a highly variable and dynamic landscape dominated by tundra shrubland. On the other hand, deciduous trees or shrubs did not contribute significantly to the soil organic matter in the late Weichselian loess layers and the intercalated Gelic Gleysols (~ 32–18 ka).

Keywords

QuaternaryLoessPaleosolsn-AlkanesBiomarkersVegetation history
Type
Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 78 , Issue 2 , September 2012 , pp. 226 - 235
Copyright
University of Washington

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Footnotes

1 Contributed equally to this manuscript.

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