Holocene climate and vegetation history from Heiðarvatn lake sediment, Iceland (2019-2024)

This dataset includes bulk geochemistry, lipid biomarker, and sedimentary ancient DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) records from a highland lake in Eastern Iceland (Heiðarvatn). Holocene sediment cores were collected in February 2020, and analyses were conducted at the University of Colorado Boulder, University of California Santa Cruz, and the University of California Davis. Bulk geochemical datasets include % carbon, % nitrogen and their stable isotopes as measured by EA-IRMS (Elemental Analyzer linked to an Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer). Lipid biomarker proxy data include isoprenoid and branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGT) as measured by HPLC-MS (High Performance Liquid Chromatography linked to a Mass Spectrometer). Sedimentary ancient DNA data were extracted and amplified using the trnL (transfer RNA-Leu) P6 loop primer set for plants. GDGT data is presented as area under the curve as calculated from extracted ion chromatograms and sedimentary ancient DNA is the number of replicates (out of 5) where the given plant taxa was identified.