Last millennium environmental changes and climate inferences in the Southeastern Atlantic forest, Brazil

This study presents paleoenvironmental data based on pollen, elemental and isotopic compositions of organic matter (TOC, N, delta C-13 and delta N-15) and C-14 dating of 170 cm lake sediment record. Samplings have been made in Lagoa Grande at Parque Estadual Turistico do Alto Ribeira - PETAR, Southern Sao Paulo State, Southeastern Brazil. The variations in relative frequencies (in percentage) of arboreal pollen along the core range between 40 and 80%. The d13C values ranged from - 23 parts per thousand h to - 30 parts per thousand h and C/N of similar to 10 to 15, indicating the contribution of terrestrial C-3 plants and algae in the sediment organic matter. The delta N-15 results presented values from 3 to 4.5 h, also suggesting a mixture of algae and terrestrial C3 plants. The 14C dating indicates modern age for the shallow horizons to similar to 1030 BP at the base of the core. A probable wetter climate in the period of similar to 370 BP to similar to 340 BP was inferred from the data set, which corresponds to a part of the period covered by the Little Ice Age (LIA)