A record of late Quaternary environments at lunette-lakes Bolac and Turangmoroke, Western Victoria, Australia, based on pollen and a range of non-pollen palynomorphs

A palaeoecological record from Lakes Bolac and Turangmoroke details the changing nature of vegetation patterns, lake levels and climate in the drier part of the Victorian Western Plains over approximately the last 90,000 years. In addition to the routine palynological proxies of pollen, spores and charcoal, a range of non-pollen palynomorphs (remains of algae, fungi, insects and other invertebrates) was analysed and described and provides useful additional information on the ecology of past vegetation communities. A chronology for the record is provided by radiocarbon and refined optical luminescence dating in the upper part of the sequence, and the latter technique is used to provide a timeframe for the period beyond the radiocarbon limit.The record shows that during marine isotope stage (MIS) 5.1 and mid MIS 3 the regional vegetation was composed of open woodland dominated by Allocasuarina luehmannii type with low numbers of Banksia, Eucalyptus and other Myrtaceae under which a diverse understorey developed. During these times Lake Turangmoroke held fresh water of varying depths. The degree of representation of MIS 4 and MIS 3 in the record is uncertain owing to discontinuities resulting from the lake having periodically dried. A change to open grassland-steppe occurred shortly after 47,000 years ago and lake levels fluctuated considerably before the lake became shallow and saline. Open grassland-steppe continued through MIS 2 with almost no trees present while the aquatic flora reflected further lake level declines and increasing salinity. Driest conditions, indicated by deflation of lake sediments during lunette building, occurred between ∼ 18,000 and ∼ 11,000 cal yr BP. Open woodland in the early Holocene was dominated by A. verticillata type until partial replacement by Eucalyptus around 7000–8000 14C yr BP when the vegetation cover present at European arrival was established.