Glacial and Lateglacial vegetation in northeastern Spain: New data and a review

The reconstruction of full and Lateglacial landscapes in the Ebro River valley provides new insights into the vegetational history of the region: (i) the abundance of steppe formations with Artemisia, Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Ephedra, Asteraceae during the most intensive cold-arid episodes in both the non-glaciated mountains and the lowlands, (ii) the continuous occurrence of woody taxa even at high areas, (iii) the expansion of these woody taxa during Lateglacial climatic ameliorations, (iv) the survival of mesothermophytes in small refuge areas during full-glacial stages. There was great vegetation diversity in the northeastern Iberian landscapes during the Last Glacial and Lateglacial stages, suggesting patches of vegetation with steppic areas, Mediterranean shrubs, coniferous forest and refuges of mesothermophilous taxa.