Exploratory palynological analysis of Quaternary lacustrine deposits around Damavand volcano, Northern Iran

Palynological analyses from exposed palaeolacustrine deposits located at the flanks of Damavand volcano, in the central Alborz Mountains in Northern Iran, provide a broad idea of the temporal variation of vegetation according to climate changes during a range of limited time intervals during the Quaternary period. This research reveals that the regional vegetation of the study area had been a semi-arid mountain steppe since the early Quaternary. However, moderate expansions of open woodlands and aquatic/marshy taxa indicate less arid climatic conditions. Some of these comparatively less arid phases during the last 70 ka are contemporaneous with the climatic amelioration phases during previous glacial periods in the Himalayan region. Although the results are scattered through time, they clearly show the potential of the study area for further palynological investigations with the aim of understanding the regional vegetation response on global climate changes in Northern Iran.