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Volume 16
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10.3390/geosciences16070254
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Article

Climate-Induced Vegetation Changes Leading to Polygenetic Soil Development in NE Hungary at the MIS3/MIS 2 Transition

by
Sándor Gulyás
1,*,
Pál Sümegi
1,
Dávid Molnár
1,
Peter Almond
2,
Gergő Persaits
1,
Elemér Pál-Molnár
1,
Tünde Töröcsik
2,
Mihály Molnár
3,
Katalin Náfrádi
1 and
Tamás Zsolt Vári
1
1
Department of Geology, University of Szeged, 2-6. Egyetem u., 6722 Szeged, Hungary
2
Department of Soil and Natural Sciences, Lincoln University, P.O. Box 85084, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
3
Interact Centre, Institute for Nuclear Research, 18/C Bem tér, 4001 Debrecen, Hungary
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Geosciences 2026, 16(7), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences16070254
Submission received: 8 May 2026 / Revised: 22 June 2026 / Accepted: 24 June 2026 / Published: 26 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Sedimentology, Stratigraphy and Palaeontology)
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Abstract

The transition from MIS3 interstadial to the coldest stadial of the last glacial (MIS 2) marked a rapid change in the climate. Findings of multiproxy (sedimentological, MS, geochemical (AAS, XRD), micromorphological, anthracological, phytolith and malacological) studies from a loess/paleosol sequence in northeastern Hungary highlighted the transformation of a reddish-brown fossil soil layer (cambisol) to a podzolic soil with signs of iterative wildfires during the terminal part of MIS3. According to our findings, a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) dominated open parkland emerged on the northern slopes during the second phase of MIS3 hosted by a special reddish-brown soil. Then the last phase of MIS3 was marked by the development of spruce (Picea abies) dominated open parkland. Results further suggest that vegetation change passed a critical threshold leading to an unusually rapid expansion of spruce (within ca. 100 yr). This rapid expansion of spruce, changing the geochemistry of the litter to a more acidic state likely caused the initiation of podzolization and the transformation of the original soil. The opening of MIS2 marked not only intensive dust accumulation but also a steady decline of arboreal elements as well, leading to the emergence of a cold tundra on top of the podosol with charcoal remains.
Keywords: polygenetic soil development; podsolization; vegetation and climate change; MIS 3/MIS 2 transition; Pleistocene; NE Hungary polygenetic soil development; podsolization; vegetation and climate change; MIS 3/MIS 2 transition; Pleistocene; NE Hungary

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MDPI and ACS Style

Gulyás, S.; Sümegi, P.; Molnár, D.; Almond, P.; Persaits, G.; Pál-Molnár, E.; Töröcsik, T.; Molnár, M.; Náfrádi, K.; Vári, T.Z. Climate-Induced Vegetation Changes Leading to Polygenetic Soil Development in NE Hungary at the MIS3/MIS 2 Transition. Geosciences 2026, 16, 254. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences16070254

AMA Style

Gulyás S, Sümegi P, Molnár D, Almond P, Persaits G, Pál-Molnár E, Töröcsik T, Molnár M, Náfrádi K, Vári TZ. Climate-Induced Vegetation Changes Leading to Polygenetic Soil Development in NE Hungary at the MIS3/MIS 2 Transition. Geosciences. 2026; 16(7):254. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences16070254

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gulyás, Sándor, Pál Sümegi, Dávid Molnár, Peter Almond, Gergő Persaits, Elemér Pál-Molnár, Tünde Töröcsik, Mihály Molnár, Katalin Náfrádi, and Tamás Zsolt Vári. 2026. "Climate-Induced Vegetation Changes Leading to Polygenetic Soil Development in NE Hungary at the MIS3/MIS 2 Transition" Geosciences 16, no. 7: 254. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences16070254

APA Style

Gulyás, S., Sümegi, P., Molnár, D., Almond, P., Persaits, G., Pál-Molnár, E., Töröcsik, T., Molnár, M., Náfrádi, K., & Vári, T. Z. (2026). Climate-Induced Vegetation Changes Leading to Polygenetic Soil Development in NE Hungary at the MIS3/MIS 2 Transition. Geosciences, 16(7), 254. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences16070254

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