Holocene sediments of Sägistalsee, a small lake at the present-day tree-line in the Swiss Alps

Sägistalsee is a small lake located at the modern tree-line in the Swiss Alps. A 13.5 m long core taken in the central part of the 9.5 m deep basin consists of clayey silts and sands and dates back to about 9000 cal. BP. These sediments have a low organic content that steadily increases from 4–8% loss-on-ignition at 550 °C towards the top of the core, whereas the carbonate content decreases from 20 to about 10% loss-on-ignition at 950 %C. We outline the aims of an interdisciplinary research project centred on the Holocene sediments of Sägistalsee. We also present information about the lake, its sediments, and its catchment that forms the basis for different biotic and abiotic multi-proxy studies carried out on the sediments of Sägistalsee.