Reconstruction of the late Quaternary paleoenvironments of the Nussloch loess paleosol sequence, Germany, using<i>n</i>-alkane biomarkers

Abstract This study contributes to the paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the loess–paleosol sequence of Nussloch, Germany, by using n -alkanes as plant leaf-wax-derived lipid biomarkers. We found that n -alkane patterns and concentrations in the Saalian loess and the last interglacial Eemian paleosol of Nussloch point to very strong degradation and prevailing deciduous vegetation. Degradation effects in the overlying paleosols and loess layers are less pronounced and allow for the application of an end-member mixing model to estimate vegetation changes semi-quantitatively. Our findings highlight the potential for the interpretation of degradation-corrected n -alkane ratios. n -Alkane modelling results for loess layers, paleosols and an in-filled paleochannel dated to ~ 60–32 ka suggest that up to ~ 50% of the n -alkanes were derived from deciduous trees or shrubs. This finding is in agreement with the abundant occurrence of wood fragments and indicates a highly variable and dynamic landscape dominated by tundra shrubland. On the other hand, deciduous trees or shrubs did not contribute significantly to the soil organic matter in the late Weichselian loess layers and the intercalated Gelic Gleysols (~ 32–18 ka).