Palaeoenvironmental and vegetational changes from the Pleistocene lacustrine sediments of the Trasimeno area (Central Italy): Evidences from palynofacies and pollen analysis

The aim of this study was to reconstruct vegetation changes within the Trasimeno lake catchment area and to identify the relative contributions of the different sources of organic debris delivered to the lacustrine sediments. In the frame of a multidisciplinary project, aimed to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental and paleoclimatic evolution of Trasimeno lake during the Pleistocene, one core (175 m long) was drilled along the south-eastern coast of the lake, by the Regione Umbria Geological Survey. Optical examination of palynofacies, coupled with a preliminary pollen analysis was performed. Although a careful interpretation of the results will require a comparison with sedimentology, complete pollen record and a well-constrained sediment chronology, some reliable conclusions can be achieved.