High-resolution pollen records from Lake Baikal revealed considerable regional differences in the vegetation development and pronounced climate variability during the last glacial-interglacial transition and Holocene. Correlation between cores was successfully based on a chronology constructed from AMS 14 C dating of pollen concentrates. Comparison to other radiocarbon-dated pollen sequences from the Baikal region suggests that the chronology presented is very reliable and thus correlation to other dated events can easily be performed. Pollen indices, which reflect relative changes in major vegetation types and limitations of growing conditions by moisture availability and temperature, demonstrate near-synchronous vegetation changes, which suggest synchronous large-scale climate variation across the Baikal region. Due to the low level or even absence of human impact in the Lake Baikal region, the pollen data illustrate that in the continental interior of NE Eurasia Holocene climate variability was very pronounced. After initial warming and a strong increase in relative moisture (ca. 15-14.6 cal ka BP) the Bölling / Alleröd like event was punctuated by three cool and dry events. These events at approx. 14.2 ka BP, 13.8 ka BP and 13.2 cal ka BP can be compared to coolings as recorded in GISP 2 oxygen isotope records from Greenland ice cores. An expansion of Betula sect.Nane/Fruticosae, Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae marks the Younger Dryas-like cooling event (ca. 12.5-12 cal ka BP). High temperatures and favourable moisture conditions during the first part ofHolocene favoured the optimum development of dark-coniferous taiga between 10-8 cal ka BP in the south and 9.0-7.5 cal ka in the northeast. A fir and spruce decline in the southern mountains (ca. 8-7 cal ka BP) can be related to the 8.2 cal ka BP cooling event. The pronounced mid-Holocene cooling event and a transition towards dry conditions (ca. 7.0-5.5 cal ka BP) preceded the nearly synchronous regional expansion of pine taiga.Maximum distribution of Scots pine forests marks the Holocene thermal optimum (ca. 6.5 -5.7 cal ka BP), which was followed by two subsequent cooling events (ca. 5.5-

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ABSTRACT. The paper presents the results of pollen analysis and radiocarbon dating of a peaty mud sample from a gravel-sand outlier of the Vistulian alluvial fan of the Dunajec River. The study showed the occurrence of open birch-pine forests with sporadic larch and stone pine at the time of mud deposition. The vegetation, of park tundra type, was characterised by the development of shrubby and sedge-grass communities. The radiocarbon dating of 39 100 ± 3000 BP indicates that deposition occurred in the Middle Plenivistulian (Hengelo interstadial or older, colder climatic stadial). A comparison of the palynological analysis and radiocarbon dating with data from other sites suggests that both the alluvia of the north-western part of the Dunajec River fan and the alluvia of its southern part were formed during the Middle Plenivistulian.